A PLAIN TALK TO THE MURMURERS by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 14, 1877

A PLAIN TALK TO THE MURMURERS.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

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

(Concluded.)

The work of Carver against Mrs. White is in the hands of the opponents of God’s Sabbath from Maine to California. They use it as their best argument against the Sabbath.

Time after time, where we have been at work in new fields, and have raised up a church of Sabbath-keepers, some of this party would come in to create doubt and distrust among the new converts, and perhaps turn some from the Sabbath entirely. Prominent writers in their papers denounce Seventh-day Adventists as the beast of Revelation, the followers of the apostate Jezebel, and as “guilty of greater crimes than any other Protestant church.”

There is scarcely an article in their little sheet in which they do not in some way manage to make a thrust at Seventh-day Adventists. Frequently several whole articles in the same number are devoted to misrepresenting us. What do all these facts prove? Just what I have asserted, viz., that the sole object for which the party exists is to harass and hinder us in our work. In further proof of this I quote from the editorial of a late paper:—

“It may not be very interesting to read the controversial matter relating to Seventh-day Adventists, as an organized body, to those who have known but little or nothing of them and their workings. But when it is remembered that many of our readers were once connected with that organization, and have suffered by the oppression that the leaders of that party bear over their people, and the mental thralldom they are under from that organization, and the many who are yet so bound, the duty of exposing them is apparent.”

Yes, they claim that this is the burden which God has laid upon them.

It is absolutely amusing to see them, after denouncing us in every conceivable manner, turn around and send to our Office for books upon present truth to help them in their work. Thus in a late paper to the inquiry, “What do you do for a hymn book?” the editor says, “In some other places the brethren use the small hymn book of the S. D. Adventists at Battle Creek, called Spiritual Songs. We have not been able to publish a hymn book.” Why do they draw water from our well if it is as corrupt and poisonous as they claim? Why do they send for our books? Because they have neither ability to write them themselves, nor means to publish them if they could write them.

Let me illustrate their position: On the Western prairies, where water is very scarce and hard to obtain, able farmers bore for water. Sometimes by going down several hundred feet, they will strike a living fountain and have a flowing well. Bro. Brown, at a cost of $500, bores such a well, and from this well comes forth a continual stream of good water. After watering his own house and stock, it flows off over the country several miles into a river. Adjoining Bro. Brown lives Mr. Jones, a poor man who has no well of his own. He is not able to bore one, but as this stream from Mr. Brown’s well flows close by his farm, he digs a small ditch and takes a branch of water from this stream. He lets it run till it fills a little pond. Then he cuts off the connection and begins to curse Bro. Brown and denounce his well; tells what miserable water it is, how it makes everybody sick that drinks it. Then he points to his own little pond, and extols that water in the highest terms. He drinks from it, and urges it upon others. But soon his pond gives out. Then he lets in a fresh supply from Bro. Brown’s stream, and when his pond is full he cuts off the connection; and thus he works from time to time.

This is just what these opposers are doing. From whence did they get the Sabbath, the Advent doctrine, the sleep of the dead, saints’ inheritance, and these other truths? They got them from Seventh-day Adventists. From whence have they obtained most of the publications which their preachers use? From S. D. Adventists. Where do they get the charts of the law of God and the prophecies, upon which they lecture? They get them from S. D. Adventists. From whom have most of their preachers and members come? From S. D. Adventists. Let them deny these things if they can. But time would fail to expose all the evil work of these men.

Are there no good ones among them? Probably there are some,—some who have not had a chance to know the difference between that party and our people, some who are ignorant of their history and their object. We pity these poor souls. We would do nothing to hurt them. We would help them to open their eyes if we could.

But now in conclusion: The real point which I wish to make in the minds of our brethren and sisters is this: If the third angel’s message, including the Sabbath, the second advent, the saints’ inheritance, the nature of man, and these important points of faith,—if this work is of God, and the time has come that these truths are to be preached, and yet if the visions of Sr. White and the position of Eld. White are not correct, but are really displeasing to God, I ask you this one question: Why is it that God does not prosper and build up these opposers who have gone off from us upon this very issue? Every time they have started out with simply leaving out the visions and opposing the work of Bro. White. Why does not God help them, and show that they are right and we are wrong? I maintain that the providence of God in the history of this work has settled the question that we must either accept the testimonies, and Bro. and Sr. White as God’s servants, or give up the third angel’s message entirely. We warn you who are inclined to find fault and murmur and draw off. Be careful what path you are entering upon. If you proceed in that direction, you will land just where all others have who have tried it before you.

What risk do you run by remaining with the body of Seventh-day Adventists? What danger is there in receiving the visions and living them out? What do you gain by enlisting among these murmurers or the party of open opposers? Are these murmurers or the members of that party any better Christians than they were when with us? Do they live any more blameless lives than Seventh-day Adventists? Do they keep the law of God better? Do they keep up the family altar more sacredly? Are they more devoted in their worship? Do they regard the Sabbath more strictly? Are they more cleanly in their habits? Do they sacrifice more for the cause of God? Are they doing more to advance its interests, or to build up the present truth? How will you advantage yourself by leaving us and joining them? Do you not know that Seventh-day Adventists in general, to say the least, are God-fearing men and women, persons who believe the Bible, and are trying hard to be Christians? Do you not believe that if they live up to the doctrine they profess they will be very sure of salvation?

Are these murmurers ahead of us in any reform, physical or moral? Indeed, are they not far behind Seventh-day Adventists in these reforms? Are they not far behind even many worldlings in this respect? And would you not be dropping down instead of coming up in reform, in going from us to them? Are they more particular about the Sabbath, more careful about their devotions, more conscientious in their walk? If you know them as well as I do, you know that their practice in all these things is far below that of Seventh-day Adventists in general. I appeal to you to look among our churches anywhere, and tell me who are the most devoted, sacrificing, conscientious, Bible-loving, God-fearing persons in our ranks? Are they not the very ones who have the strongest confidence in the visions, and are in the closest union with the body? You know that they are, I know they are, and our enemies know it. See the confession of W. H. Ball, published last week.

Brethren, you who believe these testimonies, do you read them and follow them as closely as you should? Do you love them and remember what they say? Do you try to drink in their spirit? Do you have them in your houses? Do you refer to them frequently? I know that nothing would be more profitable to you than these, next to the Bible.

But how should they be treated among our people? Perhaps a few words of instruction upon this point may be in order. These testimonies are for the church, not for the world. It would be very foolish and wrong to quote them as authority to outsiders who have no faith in our message, or have not embraced it. It would do them no good. They must first come to believe them before they can be authority with them. Neither should they be obtrusively urged upon those just embracing the truth. But they should very soon be placed in their hands with a recommendation to read them candidly, and thus become acquainted with them. How can they judge of that of which they have no knowledge? and how can they become acquainted with the testimonies without reading them? No candid person will reject them without having first carefully read them and examined them.

How should we treat those in the church, or those who wish to come into the church, who do not yet believe the testimonies? I answer, Just as you would receive them were they in some doubt with regard to other parts of our faith. A person who has not embraced the Sabbath would have no desire to unite with us; hence we need not consider that. But suppose a person has embraced the Sabbath and some other points of our faith, but does not believe in the sleep of the dead, the destruction of the wicked, or something like that, shall we reject him on that account? Certainly not, if we find that in other things he is a Christian, seeking for the truth, and in sympathy with our work; but he must understand, of course, that he must not stop our mouths upon this question. The sleep of the dead, for instance, is an established doctrine of our church. Knowing this, if he wishes to come among us, though not yet believing it, we shall not make this an objection, provided that he does not make it a subject of contention himself. We shall advocate that doctrine in our books, our papers, our sermons, and in our social meetings; we shall sing about it. If he can bear that without being offended, all right; but we shall never close our mouths upon it to please him; nor shall we allow him to come into our meetings and get up arguments against it, and oppose those who do believe it. We simply treat his unbelief with forbearance and toleration. If he is willing to come among us on these conditions, very well; but we shall not consent to be bound on so important a doctrine for anybody’s fellowship.

This position we believe to be reasonable and consistent. Just so we say with regard to the visions. Belief in them is the established doctrine of the S. D. Adventists in all our churches. We shall advocate them in our papers, our books, and our sermons. We shall talk about them in our social meetings and among ourselves. We shall read them in our houses and in our churches whenever we like. We shall regard Sr. White as a dear sister in Christ, and a beloved laborer in the work. Now if any come among us having embraced the Sabbath and other leading points of our faith, and wish to unite with our churches, though they do not yet believe the testimonies, we shall not refuse them on that account, provided that they do not bind us upon this subject. If, knowing our position upon this question, they can walk with us in fellowship, then we shall not make a test of it with them. But if they feel opposition to the testimonies, if they feel called upon to oppose them, and argue against them, and object to others’ reading them, talking about them in social meetings, and drawing comfort and instruction from them, then we protest. If they must bring wrangling and division into the church upon this subject, if they treat Sr. White as a deceiver, then we object again. We would not allow anybody to treat our other faithful ministers and laborers in that manner, and we shall not be less particular with regard to Sr. White or Bro. White. We love them and honor them as highly as any of our dear brethren. Their reputation and character are sacred with us the same as are those of all our accredited ministers. We would very soon reprove any one who would abuse Eld. Andrews, Waggoner, or Haskell; and we shall do just the same with regard to Bro. and Sr. White.

We say that this position is reasonable, nay, it is the only consistent position we can take. We must either maintain this or abandon our work entirely. Hence we say to our brethren everywhere that they should be free in all their ordinary prayer and social and Sabbath meetings to read from the testimonies, or quote from them, or refer to them just as they like. They should never suffer themselves to be bound by any unbeliever in this matter. Persons who would take offense at this, and feel hurt by it, and opposed to it, are not enough in harmony with our work to be a benefit to us or be benefited by us. If God has given us light, we have a right to it and should not be bound in this matter.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

Rome, N. Y., March 1, 1877.