Ellen G. White in Europe 1885-1887

Intrusions of Miles Grant

By going to a town a few miles away they had managed to get handbills printed announcing meetings on Friday and Sunday evenings, and Sabbath and Sunday afternoons. But as if the opposition from Malan was not enough, handbills appeared the next morning proclaiming the arrival of Miles Grant, an American and an old foe of Seventh-day Adventists. He announced he would hold meetings in the hall just above the new one Bourdeau had rented. Grant's meetings were slated for the same days, but different hours. His handbills were the same size and style as those Bourdeau had posted. EGWE 143.3

Grant was an Advent Christian minister and evangelist, editor of the World's Crisis, during the years 1856-1876. At one point Seventh-day Adventists had sponsored some meetings of his in California since he taught conditional immortality and had similar prophetic views, but the arrangement did not work out, and Grant became an active opposer of Seventh-day Adventists and particularly Ellen White. EGWE 143.4

On Friday night she spoke at seven o'clock on Matthew 11:28-30,“Come unto me all ye that labour.” Half an hour later Grant opened his meeting in the room above, speaking on sanctification, but making little mention of Mrs. White. He did tell his audience that she was among them in the crowd, but later corrected himself. Instead, Mary K. White and A. C. Bourdeau attended, Mary K. taking down Grant's sermon in shorthand. At Grant's side to do the translating was a Mr. O. Corcorda whom Mary described as a “smooth voiced, age-to-come no-Sabbath man.” EGWE 143.5

The next evening Grant launched into a tirade of criticism, speaking with the single purpose of “exposing and discrediting the Lord's messenger,” “He spoke more freely,” Ellen White said, “bringing forth the precious dish of slander that he loves so well. He served up to the people in his very best style the rare tidbits that he has been gathering and manufacturing during the last thirty years, as condemning evidence that the vision of Mrs. White are not of God.”—Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 236.^* EGWE 144.1

Ellen White, however, steadfastly refrained from mentioning Grant or from replying to any of his charges. “It has ever been against my principle to enter into controversy with any one, or to spend my time in vindicating myself.”—Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 237. She confessed in her diary, though, that at times she felt “sorely tempted” to depart from this custom and attempt to vindicate her cause (Manuscript 29, 1885, p. 9). EGWE 144.2

Naturally the report went out that two Adventists had come into the valley to fight each other, and although she pointed out that this was not true since she did not fight against Grant, the effect on the work was not good. EGWE 144.3

On Sunday she had a long visit with Mrs. Malan, who was in “deep trial” because of her husband's opposition. She was kind and understanding of her distress. After speaking again Sunday night, Mrs. White had a good rest and woke refreshed (Manuscript 29, 1885, p. 8). EGWE 144.4

Tuesday, she and Mary, along with the Bourdeaus and J. D. Geymet, set off on a journey three miles up the mountain to Catherine Revel's home. They had only a little donkey to pull the carriage, and the animal could hardly make the grade. Bourdeau's son, Arthur, spent most of his time out of the carriage literally pulling the donkey up the mountain. EGWE 145.1

The next day Martha Bourdeau took her stepdaughter, Sarah (A. C.’s daughter), and left for Basel. Edith Andrews’ condition had continued to deteriorate, and Martha wanted to be with her child during her last days. There were more rides into the mountains for Ellen White that week, and more trouble when the weekend came. Now Corcorda and Grant had managed to influence the man from whom Bourdeau had rented the new hall to turn the Adventists out of that one, too! He finally decided to hold the meetings in his own house until he could purchase a hall. Here the messenger of the Lord spoke to the believers for the balance of her visit. EGWE 145.2