Printed in the Review and Herald, June 27, 1935
During the winter of 1852-53, the steadily growing publishing work and an increasingly heavy correspondence called for much time and faithful effort. The Review was being mailed to 1, 600 homes, the list having doubled during the few months since it was moved to Rochester.
The circulation of the Youth's Instructor had made a steady growth. It was now being sent to nearly 1, 000 addresses. Besides this, several new tracts and pamphlets had been issued, and these were finding their place in the field.
The details of the work of editing, printing, and sending forth the periodicals and books, were faithfully and courageously carried on by Stephen Belden, Uriah Smith, George Amadon, and their comrades. But there were many questions calling for serious study and painstaking correspondence, that were demanding the attention of Elder White.
In addition to the perplexities of this rapidly growing work, there was much sickness in the home, and this wore heavily on James and Ellen White. So the spring of 1853 found them both in very poor health. Early in May, Elder White was confined to his bed for several days, suffering from fever. Prayer was offered for him, and the fever abated, but he still remained very weak.
Appointments had been sent out for meetings during May and June, 1853, in Mill Grove, New York, and several places in Michigan, but it looked as if they would not be able to fill them. Then, remembering past experiences, they decided to go as far as Mill Grove, and there decide whether to go farther or to return to Rochester. Of her husband's sickness Mrs. White wrote:
"While at Elder R. F. Cottrell's, at Mill Grove, he suffered such extreme weakness that he thought he could go no farther. We were in great perplexity. Must we be driven from the work by bodily infirmities? Would Satan be permitted to exercise his power upon us, and contend for our usefulness and lives as long as we remain in the world? We knew that God could limit the power of Satan. He may suffer us to be tried in the furnace, but will bring us forth purified and better fitted for His work.
"I went into a log house near by, and there poured out my soul before God in prayer that He would rebuke the fever and strengthen my husband to endure the journey. The ease was urgent, and my faith firmly grasped the promises of God, I there obtained the evidence that if we should proceed on our journey to Michigan, the angel of God would go with us.
"When I related to my husband the exercise of my mind, he said that his mind had been exercised in a similar manner, and we decided to go, trusting in the Lord. My husband was so weak that he could not buckle the straps to his valise, and called Brother Cottrell to do it for him.
"Every mile we traveled he felt strengthened. The Lord sustained him. And while he was upon his feet preaching the word, I felt assured that angels of God were standing by his side to sustain him in his labors."--"Life Sketches of James and Ellen G. White," pp. 301, 302.
Traveling in Luxury
On their way from Mill Grove, New York, to their appointment in Michigan, Elder and Mrs. White took passage on a lake steamer from Buffalo to Detroit. The accommodations and comforts of this large vessel, familiar enough to most travelers today, were in such marked contrast to their usual methods of travel, that Mrs. White was led to comment about them in a letter to her sister-in-law, Anna White. Writing from Plymouth, Michigan, May 21, 1853, she said:
"It was a very nice boat. The air was sweet, and there was every convenience. We took a stateroom where, instead of finding narrow berths, we found a nice large bed for both of us, made up clean, and a neat looking glass in the room, a large Testament like Sarah's, with the Psalms in the back. There was a washbowl, soap, towel, and by turning a faucet we could bring water in the bowl. We felt almost at home. We prayed together before retiring, and committed ourselves to the watchful care of Him who never slumbers or sleeps, and we felt assured that He would keep us from all accident and harm.
"There were six hundred on board. We slept sweetly through the night. James felt much better than he expected to. He began to feel better directly after leaving Mill Grove, and he has been growing better ever since."--Letter 2, 1853.
Taking the train at Detroit, they were soon in Wayne, Michigan. Here Brother Henry Lyon met them with a comfortable conveyance, and took them twelve miles to his home near Plymouth. At the Lyon home they met Elder and Mrs. M. E. Cornell. Of Brother Lyon's pleasant home, she wrote in the letter referred to above:
"This is a most beautiful place surrounded with fruit trees. I should love to have you here today, but should not know what to do with you tomorrow. We shall have to ride thirty miles, and part of the way it is a very rough road.
"I am of good courage, but not very well in body. We believe the Lord will give us strength. The enemy made a powerful effort to keep us from Michigan, but he has not succeeded as yet. O that God would give us strength from the sanctuary; we shall plead for it until it comes. It must come, we cannot labor without it. It will come from God. We believe, and mean to walk out by faith. The promise will not fail us. It will be verified."
A Vision at Tyrone
From the home of Brother Lyon they went to attend a three days' meeting in Tyrone township, where lived Brother J. P. Kellogg. Descriptive of a vision given to Mrs. White during a Sabbath meeting, in the barn of William Dawson, Merritt G. Kellogg has written:
"We were engaged in a prayer and social meeting, Sabbath morning, at about nine o'clock. Brother White, my father, and Sister White had prayed, and I was praying at the time. There had been no excitement, no demonstrations. We did plead earnestly with God, however, that He would bless the meeting with His presence, and that He would bless the work in Michigan.
"As Sister White gave that triumphant shout of 'Glory! Glory! Glory!' which you have heard her give so often as she goes into vision, Brother White arose and informed the audience that his wife was in vision. After stating the manner of her visions, and that she did not breathe while in vision, he invited anyone who wished to do so to come forward and examine her. Dr. Drummond, a physician, who was also a First-day Adventist preacher, who (before he saw her in vision) had declared her visions to be of mesmeric origin, and that he could give her a vision, stepped forward, and after a thorough examination, turned very pale, and remarked, 'She doesn't breathe!'
"I am quite certain that she did not breathe at that time while in vision, nor in any of several others which she had when I was present. The coming out of vision was as marked as her going into it. The first indication we had that the vision was ended, was in her again beginning to breathe. She drew her first breath deep, long, and full, in a manner showing that her lungs had been entirely empty of air. After drawing the first breath, several minutes passed before she drew the second, which filled the lungs precisely as did the first; then a pause of two minutes, and a third inhalation, after which the breathing became natural." Signed, "M. G. Kellogg, M. D., Battle Creek, Mich., Dec. 28, 1890."--General Conference Bulletin, 1893, pp. 59, 60.
Church Difficulties at Jackson
Their next appointment was at Jackson, Michigan. Here they found the church in great confusion. One of the members, a certain sister, had spoken harshly to one of her unconverted neighbors, who had persisted in a series of irritating annoyances. This neighbor charged her with the use of a wicked word, which the sister denied having uttered, though she admitted that she had used a word that sounded somewhat like it, and which was probably misunderstood. However, she refused either to confess to the truthfulness of the charge against her, or to disclose the word that she had spoken.
The matter came before the church, and many of the members were very bitter in their charges and accusations against her. Two of the brethren were especially insistent that she was guilty and should confess. And so the peace and harmony of the company was broken up, and the Spirit of God was grieved by the dissension.
On Friday, June 3, 1853, a meeting was held and the entire Jackson church was present. As Mrs. White was offering an earnest prayer, she was taken off in vision, and something of the situation was revealed to her.
After coming out of the vision, Mrs. White related much that had been shown her, including a message especially for this sister. She reproved her for the wrong spirit she had manifested against her provoking neighbor, stating that it was not right to cherish such feelings even against an enemy. She also said that there was more that had been shown her, but the remainder was not clear in her mind.
The two accusing brethren were much pleased regarding the rebuke given to this sister, for it seemingly justified them in their attitude toward the "offender for a word."They arose and expressed their unbounded confidence in the visions as a genuine manifestation of the Spirit of God. And then in a harsh, stem manner they addressed the sister, urging her to confess. But she remained silent, and the meeting closed.
The following day another vision was given to Mrs. White, in which she was shown that the accused sister did not use the word with which she was charged. There was also revealed to her the unchristian character of the brethren who had so severely censured her, and their wicked course was clearly pointed out. The sister humbly confessed her wrong feelings and sought forgiveness; but with her accusers it was entirely different. They complained bitterly of the reproof that had been given them. The very spirit manifested in resisting the reproof was, however, of just the character that the testimony had described. These two men, who only the day before claimed to have such abundant evidence of the truthfulness of the visions that they could never doubt again, were now ready to give up everything, simply because their own sins had been set in order before them.
The Messenger Party
Soon after this, these two aggrieved men, together with a few other disaffected ones, began actively to oppose their former brethren. After about a year, October 19, 1854, they began the publication of a paper, which they named the Messenger of Truth. The chief burden of this paper was criticism and condemnation of the Review and Herald and its publishers. Attempts were made to substantiate unjust charges of greed and mismanagement against James White. For instance, a charge of "speculation" against him had no other foundation than the fact that he had purchased in New York some Bibles which he had later sold at an advanced price in Wisconsin. At one time it had been explained to the editor that the price charged did not quite cover the cost of the books and transportation, and notwithstanding that he then admitted that there was no ground for censure, yet he did not hesitate later to renew his charge of wicked speculation, based on this very incident.
Again, the fact that money was sent to James White personally (there being at the time no corporate body to transact legal business) was made the basis of spreading suspicion that he was becoming personally enriched by the liberality of the people who were giving to sustain the paper.
These malicious charges had one good result, they led the publishing committee to print statements regarding the self-sacrifice and liberality of James and Ellen White, that otherwise might not have been brought to light. These statements, in turn, gave the people greater sympathy with them, and stirred them to more liberal cooperation than before.
After the opposition paper had been circulated for a few months, the la- borers in the cause who met in the field the results of the false charges, were inclined to give to their refutation time and strength that were needed in spreading the truth. They were kept from this course by timely counsel given to Mrs. White, which may be found in "Testimonies for the Church," Volume I, pages 122, 123. It was pointed out that the church would be injured less by the open opposition of these opponents than by their evil influence had they remained with the brethren. It was asserted that the work of giving the last message of mercy was of too much importance to warrant their leaving it to "come down to answer such falsehoods, misrepresentations, and slanders, as the Messenger party have fed upon and have scattered abroad." This was an effort of Satan, Mrs. White declared, "to divert our minds from the present truth and the coming of Christ."
A Pattern of Future Apostasies
This experience is a true pattern of numerous apostasies. With clear perception they had received with gladness the truths of the message. In humility, they had been granted success as they presented these precious truths to others, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Witnessing conversions, they had taken the credit to themselves, and when they had met differences of opinion and irregularities of action, they had dared to condemn their fellow Christians in a harsh and self-confident manner.
From time to time, others have arisen, using Scripture texts and passages from the Testimonies in an unkind way in an endeavor to force their brethren to repentance and confession. They have professed great confidence in the Testimonies, and manifested great astonishment that others disregarded them. Later the time came when they themselves were reproved, and not being humble of heart, they rose up against the reproof. Then they began to question, afterward to doubt, and later to denounce both the message and the messenger. Soon the Bible doctrines in which they once rejoiced became to them of little consequence, and finally they took their stand in open opposition to the faith they once loved.
The steps in apostasy are graphically set forth in the following words found in the "Testimonies," Volume V, page 672:
"Satan knows how to make his attacks. He works upon minds to excite jealousy and dissatisfaction toward those at the head of the work. The gifts are next questioned; then, of course, they have but little weight, and instruction given through vision is disregarded. Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction."
The sad experience of the men who rejected counsel and became unscrupulous critics, then opposers, and finally apostates, should lead us to consider seriously the words of warning in mercy given us, and to guard against the first steps that may lead to separation in spirit from the church that is upholding the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus.