A PLAIN TALK TO THE MURMURERS by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 17, 1877

A PLAIN TALK TO THE MURMURERS.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Some Facts for Those Who Are not in Harmony with the Body.

(Continued.)

Some twelve years ago another, similar move was started, which is lingering out a feeble existence still. It happened on this wise: The cause was at that time young in Iowa. We had only about three hundred believers in the State. Elders B. F. Snook and Wm. H. Brinkerhoff were the leading ministers in Iowa. They were men of some talent and, under the circumstances, large influence in that State. There were some lesser lights under their influence, such as Daniel Hull, Shortridge, and others. These men had full sway in everything there. Snook was president, and Brinkerhoff secretary, of the Conference. Underhandedly and in a deceitful manner, these men went to work to sow the seeds of discord and dissatisfaction, and, before we were aware of it, they had another rebellion ripened into maturity. Bro. White met them face to face, and exposed their falsehoods, and convicted them of dishonesty in their wicked work. They came out, and made a full confession of their hypocrisy, acknowledged that they were led by Satan, had abused our people, and abused Bro. and Sr. White.

As these individuals have acted a more conspicuous part than others in this matter, it is but proper that the reader should have the privilege of perusing their testimony. Shortly after the visit of Bro. and Sr. White to Iowa, in July, 1865, Messrs. S. and B. prepared the following statements which appeared in the REVIEW of the 25th of the same month:—

FROM B. F. SNOOK.

“Bro. White: Permit me, an unworthy worm of the dust, to address the brethren and sisters as follows:—

“1. I wish to relieve my mind before you and my God, by confessing that I now feel that I have been led by the wicked one in my movements of late, especially in my opposition to the body. Apparent difficulties in relation to Sr. White’s visions have been accumulating in my mind for some time. These were magnified by the enemy until doubts resulted in unbelief and rebellion. In this distressed state of mind I attended the General Conference at Battle Creek, last May. While there, my mind was impressed that the church there was fast becoming conformed to the world. Without unbosoming myself to the brethren there, and calling for an explanation, I kept those matters to myself till I had a good opportunity to give vent to my feelings by publishing these matters which were a trial to me, to the brethren away from there. I am now convinced that the church at Battle Creek fellowship none of the extravagant fashions that I saw there, and I am now led to believe that they are doing what they can to live out the truth and preserve the waymarks of our faith.

“I wish to say to my good brethren and sisters of the Battle Creek church, that I do most deeply deplore this wrong, and humbly beg of them to forgive me. I also beg the pardon of Bro. and Sr. White for the influence that I have tried to exert against them on account of these things. I also entreat my brethren and sisters in Iowa to forgive me for talking these things to them, and thereby inflaming them to wrong feelings. I do most sorrowfully repent of this grievous wrong, and pray that God and my brethren may forgive me.

“2. I went to the Iowa Conference full of opposition and strongly fortified against Sr. White’s visions. Bro. White took a bold, decided, and thorough stand against my wrongs, and faithfully exposed them. And though my mind was very much blinded, the scales fell off, and I began to see myself a poor, miserable, and undone sinner. Awful conviction seized me, and I was unhappy day and night. Then God in mercy began to restore me from my crazy opposition, and I began to realize that I was the wrong one. In my distress I determined to confess my sins. I thereupon felt relief; and at the first opportunity I began the work; and as my determinations were carried out, I felt the blessing of God return to me.

“I desired to make everything right so far as I could. But there were the visions so full of imaginary wrongs and difficulties, how could I get right on them? I listened to the mighty testimonies of Bro. and Sr. White, driven home to my heart by the power of God. Hard as I had made my heart, it had to break, and well up with many tears that gushed from my eyes. Thought I, can it be possible that those who speak with so much Spirit and power of God are deceivers, are impostors? No, no! Such a thing cannot be. God will not bless the devil’s servants with so much of his Spirit. I then felt the good Spirit of God upon my heart, and the more of that Spirit I felt, the better the visions appeared; and the discrepancies and difficulties soon began to take wings and fly away. I now believe firmly that the devil was working upon me for my overthrow and ruin. But I rejoice that God directed Bro. and Sr. White this way. They truly have been instrumental in my salvation

from the devil’s snare. I hereby entreat their pardon for the grievous trial and heartrending anguish that I have so wickedly brought upon them. May all my brethren, and may God, forgive me.

“I have also felt while in this state of darkness that I was hampered and chained, and longed for a freedom that I now see would result in anarchy and universal disorder. I felt that the General Conference Committee were too domineering, and were fast becoming a kind of triune papacy. Let me say that I have no such feelings now. I believe that God is in our present system and arrangement of order, and my heart’s desire is to conform to it unreservedly, and to live in subjection to God and my brethren of experience in this work. I do most heartily believe that this work, in all its parts, is the work of God, and by his divine aid, I am going to strive to be a more holy, humble, and devoted man, that I, with mine, may go with this people to the kingdom of God.

“Your unworthy brother, “B. F. S.”

FROM W. H. BRINKERHOFF.

“To the Battle Creek Church of S. D. Adventists: Brethren, With feelings of my unworthiness and liability to run into the devices of the enemy of all good, I send to you the following confession. And although mere words cannot heal wounds that have been inflicted, yet I hope that by actions in the future I may cause the injuries inflicted to be healed.

“On the 16th of May, 1865, I visited your place, to attend the General Conference, with my mind poisoned to a considerable extent against you; and hence I was on the lookout to see if I could not find something by which I might have the wherewith to reproach you.

“After the Conference, my mind being still more poisoned, when I arrived at home I began to circulate impressions of what I had seen in Battle Creek, among my brethren in Iowa, such as that the church were getting proud and fashionable, and were not following out the testimonies. I saw individuals with fashionable hats and bonnets, and artificials in them, but did not stop to inquire whether they were of Battle Creek or not, but in my state of mind conveyed the idea that they were all of your place. Since I have come into a position where I could stop and reflect and investigate, I am satisfied that said insinuations and reflections were wrong, and that I have by my influence placed you in a false position before the brethren of Iowa.

“Brethren, I have been deeply under the influence of Satan, and in this condition I have done you a great wrong and wounded the cause severely, and while you were so kind in taking care of me and providing for all my wants, I was preparing to inflict wounds upon you.

“Oh! may God in mercy pity and forgive me that great wrong. Of all wrongs committed, none are more flagrant than mercies abused. Oh! how could I do so? Yet I did it; I did it!

“In order that I may place you in your true position before the brethren, let me say that I was in the wrong, and not you. I think I can to-day survey the critical position I was in. And although I have acted so cruelly and altogether unwarrantably toward you, and while I would not extenuate myself, yet permit me to say that I was poisoned in my mind toward you, and blinded by prejudice. Yet I ought not to have been in such a position. I should not have given place to the enemy.

“And now may I hope that when you see in me a consistent course of conduct, and that I am trying to make amends for my faults, I may hope for your forgiveness, and to be restored again to your confidence. I will try to find out my place in the message, and struggle more earnestly to live out the truth. And may the Lord forgive me all my sins.

“To Bro. and Sister White I would say, I have also deeply wronged you, and caused you much anguish of heart and mind. I have listened to reports against you, and although while at Battle Creek enjoying your hospitalities, I had a good opportunity to talk with you about said reports, I waited until I came home, then began to spread them, thus alienating the minds of the brethren away from you. I did not stop to investigate them, and while you were far away I was trying to injure you. Oh! why did I do so? You had never harmed me in any way.

“On the 30th of June I went to Pilot Grove, to meet you and Bro. Loughborough, not as brethren, but as enemies; and while there trying to fight my own way through, you fully sustained your reputation as honest, consistent Christians under the third angel’s message. Oh! I feel sad when I think how I have been working for the enemy. Can such wounds be healed? Such stains be washed out? I am now fully satisfied that God is leading this people, and that the visit of Bro. and Sister White, and Bro. Loughborough, was not only timely, but blessed of God, and under his guidance, and that great good has already resulted therefrom. I went there without any confidence in the testimonies of Sister White, and also with doubts on our position in regard to the sanctuary. I would now say that my feet are taken out of the miry clay, and fixed upon the sure foundation of truth, the testimonies not excepted.

“And here I freely confess to you, that I have not only deeply injured you, but also the cause of truth. Words alone are a poor balm for wounds. But if you can still regard me as a brother, though an erring one, I will try to adorn the truth I profess, with a godly walk and conversation in the future. And may the Lord forgive my sins, and strengthen me in every good word and work.

“To the brethren in Iowa I would say, My feet had well nigh slipped, and I was fast losing sight of the landmarks of truth. You that I have had an influence upon while in this state of darkness and doubt, I ask your forgiveness. And let me here say, that my experience, though a sad one, has taught me that to doubt this truth, and the instrumentalities used to bring it out by the Lord, is to speedily lead one into the enemy’s dark dominions, where he can be taken captive at his will. Oh! doubt not this truth. Fear not its ultimate results. Put not forth your hands to steady the ark, as I thought to do. And though angry waves may roll high, God will take care of this truth, and bless its upbuilders, and send confusion and weakness upon those who, like some people anciently, thought to stay the work of God. I shall try in the future humbly to follow on where the Lord may lead. Pray for me.

“Yours hoping for eternal life, “W. H. B. “Lisbon, Iowa, July 12, 1865.”

Thus it will be seen that this wicked movement was conceived in sin and born in iniquity. It was a child of Satan, as is confessed by its prime movers, and we have seen no sign of its conversion. After a short time these men again relapsed into rebellion, and went on with their work. They started out just as others had before them. The message was all right, the Sabbath, the advent, the two-horned beast, the sanctuary,—they had no fault to find with these; but those “hateful visions,” and the “one-man power” of Eld. White,—these were the stumbling stones which must be gotten out of the way of God’s work before it could prosper. This holy work they were now to accomplish. As is always the case, they drew quite a large number of sympathizers with them. They divided many of our churches in Iowa, and secured one of our meeting-houses. This was a glorious day for the Iowa Conference. They boasted that in a few years there would not be even a fragment of our people left in the State.

All the remnant of the Cranmer party and the Messenger party and the other exploded parties again lifted up their heads and rejoiced. The old dead office of the Hope of Israel in Michigan was bought, moved to Iowa, and again commenced its work. General rejoicing was felt among the rebels, and I presume that Satan himself had a little hope this time. There appeared to be better material among them, and a more promising prospect than ever before seemed to open up. Congratulations came in again from Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin. A great war was to be opened. These visions were now to be exploded forever. A book was written against them, and eagerly advertised by first-day Adventists and all enemies of the third angel’s message. Churches were formed, and conferences organized, and the work set well agoing. But our people told them plainly just what course they would take. After having thrown away the visions, and severed themselves from the body of our people, they would be like a ship without an anchor or a rudder. They would drift whichever way the wind blew the strongest. They would gradually give up this point, then that, then the other, of the faith they once held so sacredly, till finally they would give up the message itself and the whole truth. But they were very confident that this would never be the case; they would show us this time. They now had the experience of all who had gone before them on the same track. They had now started in on a better basis and with a firmer grasp. So at the work they went.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

(To be Continued.)