The Crime at Pocasset

The following is from the French paper Les Signes des Temps, under the charge
of Eld. Andrews at Basle, Switzerland:—

“In the month of May last a terrible tragedy occurred in Pocasset, Mass. A man by the name of Freeman thought himself called to offer up his little daughter, aged five years, as Abraham offered up his son Isaac. Accordingly he killed the child, and poured out her blood as an offering to God. CRP 22.1

“This dreadful crime made a great sensation throughout America, and those who were especially opposed to the doctrine of the near advent of Christ, have endeavored to make all believers in this doctrine responsible for this crime. A brief statement of facts will show how unjust this is. CRP 22.2

“There are in America two denominations who bear respectively the names of Adventists and Seventh-day Adventists. The Seventh-day Adventists teach that all God’s commandments are binding upon mankind, and should be observed; and they therefore hallow the seventh day as the Sabbath of the Lord. The Adventists, on the contrary, almost all believe and teach that the commandments are abolished. There is therefore no denominational relation between the Adventists and the Seventh-day Adventists. They stand very much opposed to each other in their labor. CRP 22.3

“Now this Mr. Freeman did not believe at all in the commandments of God. He had not even the most distant relation to the people known as Seventh-day Adventists. His name had never been heard of by them till it was made known by this great crime. It is but just to say that Mr. Freeman and the few associated with him did not belong to any church of the Adventists. They were a company of fanatics, acting solely on their own responsibility. Probably he professed to be an Adventist, though certainly he never pretended to be a Seventh-day Adventist. It is only about two years since he was an avowed infidel. CRP 22.4

“If the fact that the Adventists generally teach that the commandments are abolished, makes them responsible for this murder, then they must bear it; but most assuredly the Seventh-day Adventists, who affirm the perpetuity of the commandment, ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ and that of all the other commandments, can never be made responsible even in the most distant degree for this crime. CRP 23.1

“Our journal has been published three years in the city of Bale. We have advertised in its columns a large catalogue of publications containing our religious views. The closest scrutiny of these publications will show that they teach only the principles of morality and virtue laid down in the ten commandments and in the Lord’s sermon on the mount. CRP 23.2

J. N. Andrews
“Southampton, England, June 27, 1879.”
Postscript of W. H. Littlejohn pamphlet.