In Defense of the Faith
The “Mistakes” Of Mrs. White
In 1882 Elder Canright voluntarily left his ministry for the Seventh day Adventists and retired to a farm. Of his attitude of mind at this time we have a description in a handwritten letter written from Otsego, Michigan, December 9, 1883, addressed to “Dear Brother Long“: DOF 342.1
“I am farming now, which keeps me very busy and hard at work. This is what I naturally love to do the best of anything, and so I feel well contented. I have entirely given up preaching, and have no intention of ever engaging in it again.” DOF 342.2
“My faith in the whole thing has been shaken. As far as I can see at present much of it may be true or it may not be. I do not feel positive about any of these speculative points as I used to.” DOF 342.3
“I am a member of the church still, and do all I can to help it. But if I were situated differently, would just as soon join some other church.” DOF 342.4
In November, 1884, a general meeting was held at Otsego, during which Elder Canright’s faith was renewed, and he bore the following testimony: DOF 342.5
“It seems to me, dear brethren, that my whole soul is now bound up in this present truth. I have told my brethren that if the world were before me, the truth is so dear that I know I could make them see it. I have also said that I do not believe any man takes as much pleasure in worldly pursuits as I do in this. I have tried to analyze my feelings, and I have reached some conclusions. Sometimes an individual gets started on a wrong train of reasoning, and he sees it when he is far away. Then he finds it hard to get back again. This was my case exactly. I did not see as the brethren did, and so I concluded I would leave the work for the time being. So I went to farming.... DOF 342.6
“Now I want to say that I have been changed right around in my feelings and convictions. I do not say I am fully satisfied in everything; but I believe the truth as I used to believe it.”—The Review and Herald, December 2, 1884. DOF 342.7
Soon after this he contributed to the Review and Herald an article addressed “To Those in Doubting Castle.” As to his personal experience he testified: DOF 343.1
“Twenty five years ago I embraced this message. The complete system of truth which it presented seemed to me something wonderful and very glorious. The study of the Bible was a continual feast to me. To preach it to others, and see them embrace it, filled my heart with gladness and peace. But at length things came up which threw me into doubt on some points, and finally were the occasion of my ceasing to preach the message. As the same things have affected others more or less and will be liable to affect still others in the future, I wish to give a few of the reasons why I still think that the work is all right, that the Lord is in it, and that these doubts are not well founded.”—The Review and Herald, February 10, 1885. DOF 343.2
In explaining his doubts regarding the Testimonies and his renewal of faith in them, he lays down the following general counsel: DOF 343.3
“Are there not difficulties in these writings hard to explain? passages which seem to conflict one with another, or with some passage in the Bible, or with facts? I freely grant for myself that there are some passages which bother me, and which I do not know how to explain. But I believe them for all that, just as I do the Bible. There are many passages in the Bible which I should have to admit I could not explain nor harmonize. If any man says that he can explain and reconcile all the statements of the Scriptures, he simply shows his self-conceit and ignorance. Yet I profoundly believe the Bible for all that.... DOF 343.4
“Peter admitted that there were some things in the Scriptures hard to be understood. 2 Peter 3:16. He says that some wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction. And that is just what some are doing with the Testimonies. When we consider how extensive these writings are, extending over a period of nearly forty years, embracing ten bound volumes besides many smaller works, it would be a wonder indeed if in all these there should not be anything in the wording, the sentiment, or the doctrine, hard to understand and explain, or on which a sharp opponent could not make a plausible argument. We know that God’s revelations in the past have not been given free from all obscurity and difficulties. Neither will they be now. DOF 343.5
“If a man reads the Bible on purpose to find objections, as Tom Paine did and as Ingersoll does, he will find plenty of them to satisfy his unbelief, and confirm him in his infidelity. But if, like thousands of others equally learned and intelligent, he goes to the Scriptures to find light and God and salvation, he will find them full and clear, to the joy of his soul. I am profoundly convinced in the depths of my soul, after an experience of twenty-five years, that the same is true of the Testimonies.”—Ibid. DOF 344.1
It is well to consider these principles in dealing with some of the passages in the writings of Mrs. White that are later given by Mr. Canright as evidence that the Testimonies are unreliable and faulty. Considering the vast number of pages combed by the critics of these writings, there is a surprisingly small number of points that can be brought forward in the effort to belittle the work of their author. The reader of that part of Mr. Canright’s book dealing with the teachings of Mrs. White will note that there are many quotations of a line or two here and a brief sentence there, woven together by arguments in such a way as to make them serve the purpose of the critic. Most of the supposed difficulties would disappear were the context of the quotations given. DOF 344.2
Striking examples of this are seen in a number of garbled sentences taken from their setting, which he lists under the heading, “Her Predictions About the Rebellion a Failure.” We will notice these in order. He cites first the words of Mrs. White: “The system of slavery, which has ruined our nation, is left to live and stir up another rebellion.” Then our critic comments: “Was slavery left to live and stir up another rebellion? Now we know that that statement is utterly untrue.”—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced, p. 148. DOF 344.3
In its setting, this sentence quoted from Mrs. White will be seen not to have been intended as her prediction. It is a statement of the thoughts of others, as expressing their feelings at that time. Here is the entire paragraph, a reading of which will remove all grounds for listing this as a mistake: DOF 345.1
“Those who have ventured to leave their homes and sacrifice their lives to exterminate slavery, are dissatisfied. They see no good results from the war, only the preservation of the Union, and for this thousands of lives must be sacrificed and homes made desolate. Great numbers have wasted away and expired in hospitals; others, have been taken prisoners by the rebels, a fate more to be dreaded than death. In view of all this, they inquire, If we succeed in quelling this rebellion, what has been gained? They can only answer, discouragingly, Nothing. That which caused the rebellion is not removed. The system of slavery, which has ruined our nation, is left to live and stir up another rebellion. The feelings of thousands of our soldiers are bitter. They suffer the greatest privations; these they would willingly endure, but they find they have been deceived, and they are dispirited. Our leading men are perplexed; their hearts are failing them for fear. They fear to proclaim freedom to the slaves of the rebels, for by so doing they will exasperate that portion of the South who have not joined the rebellion but are strong slavery men.”—Testimonies, vol. 1, pp. 254, 255 (dated Jan. 4, 1862). DOF 345.2
Thus it is seen that Mrs. White was simply expressing the fears of others as to what the outcome of the Civil War might be, rather than predicting that it would surely be so. DOF 346.1
“Again,” continues Mr. Canright, as an instance of a failure of prediction, “‘It seemed impossible to have the war conducted successfully.’ Another failure, for it was conducted successfully.”—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced, p. 148. DOF 346.2
The setting of this sentence also shows that it was intended not as a prediction, but merely as a statement of fact as it existed at the time of writing, which was during the Civil War. Note the statement with its context: DOF 346.3
“A great share of the volunteers enlisted, fully believing that the result of the war would be to abolish slavery. Others enlisted intending to be very careful to keep slavery just as it is, but to put down the rebellion and preserve the Union. And then to make the matter still more perplexing’ and uncertain, some of the officers in command are strong pro-slavery men, whose sympathies are all with the South, yet who are opposed to a separate government. It seems impossible to have the war conducted successfully, for many in our own ranks are continually working to favor the South, and our armies have been repulsed, and unmercifully slaughtered, on account of the management of these pro-slavery men.”—Testimonies for the Church 1:256 (dated Jan. 4, 1862). DOF 346.4
In its setting the statement quoted cannot be criticized. Isolated from the obvious reason contained in the latter part of the sentence, and with even the tense of the verb changed in order to make it appear like a prediction, it gives a meaning not intended by the writer. DOF 346.5
“Here is another, ‘This nation will yet be humbled into the dust.’ Was it? No.”—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced, p. 148. DOF 347.1
Considering the long, sorrowful record of defeat and disaster of the Northern Army during the’ first year of the Civil War, before the tide of victory turned to its side, it is hardly a stretch of language to admit that it was then humbled in the dust, though it later rose to triumph. Mr. Canright further challenges Mrs. White in these words: DOF 347.2
“Again, ‘When England does declare war, all nations will have an interest of their own to serve, and there will be general war.’ Did anything of this kind happen? No.”—Ibid. DOF 347.3
The following statement taken from one of Mrs. White’s books and from which Mr. Canright has extracted the above sentence, can hardly be said to be a prediction. It was written during an early period in the Civil War, was simply picturing conditions as they existed at the time of writing, and reference is made to the influences which were at work among the outside nations. She says: DOF 347.4
“England is studying whether it is best to take advantage of the present weak condition of our nation, and venture to make war upon her. She is weighing the matter, and trying to sound other nations. She fears, if she should commence war abroad, that she would be weak at home and that other nations would take advantage of her weakness. Other nations are making quiet yet active preparations for war, and are hoping that England will make war with our nation, for then they would improve the opportunity to be revenged on her for the advantage she has taken of them in the past, and the injustice done them. A portion of the Queen’s subjects are waiting a favorable opportunity to break their yoke; but if England thinks it will pay, she will not hesitate a moment to improve her opportunities to exercise her power, and humble our nation. When England does declare war, all nations will have an interest of their own to serve, and there will be general war, general confusion.”—Testimonies for the Church 1:259. DOF 347.5
It seems to us that the context here shows clearly that it was still a question whether or not England would declare war. “If England thinks it will pay, she will not hesitate.” England was represented as studying whether or not it would pay to make war upon America. She was “weighing the matter, and trying to sound out other nations.” She was fearful of weakness at home, etc. But it is stated that should she finally decide to launch upon a war with America, all nations would then have an interest of their own to serve, and there would be general war and confusion. DOF 348.1
But even granting, for the sake of argument, that this was intended as a prediction, and that at the time when Mr. Canright wrote his book nothing of the kind had happened, if he had written his book this side of 1914, when England and Germany declared war and threw the civilized world into a death struggle, would he so flippantly have held this prediction up to ridicule? Or had he written at the beginning of World War 11, would he have written as he did? For with both world wars came experiences like that which was here foretold. The prediction was literally fulfilled in all its details. DOF 348.2
“Once more, ‘Had our nation remained united, it would have had strength; but divided it must fall.’ How it did fall!”—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced, p. 148. DOF 348.3
Here again the context shows that this statement quoted by Mr. Canright is expressive merely of the view-point of other nations, and is not a prediction by Mrs. White at all: DOF 348.4
“The weakness of our government is fully open before other nations, and they now conclude that it is because it was not a monarchial government, and they admire their own government, and look down, some with pity, others with contempt, upon our nation, which they have regarded as the most powerful upon the globe. Had our nation remained united, it would have had strength; but divided it must fall.—Testimonies, vol. 1, pp. 259, 260. DOF 349.1
This entire chapter, from which these few quotations are garbled by Mr. Canright, may be found in Testimonies for the Church 1:253-260. The utterances stand today just as they were written early in the Civil War, and Seventh-day Adventists still put this forth, confident that those who will read it in its entirety, and with its obvious meaning, and compare it with history as it has been confirmed by later records, will find nothing to criticize. DOF 349.2
Instead of predicting final failure for the North in the Civil War, Mrs., White clearly intimated when and by what means the tide of victory would be turned. Here it is in this same chapter: DOF 349.3
“The manner in which the poor slaves have been treated has led them to believe that their masters have told them the truth in these things. And yet a national fast is proclaimed! Says the Lord, ‘Is not this the fast that I have chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?’ When our nation observes the fast which God has chosen [ie., liberating the slaves], then will He accept their prayers as far as the war is concerned; but no, they ‘enter not into His ear.’” Page 258. DOF 349.4
At the lowest ebb in the fortunes of war with the South, President Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation. From that time began the successes of the North, soon, resulting in victory. Can it be possible that Mr. Canright overlooked this prediction, which certainly was fulfilled? It must be so, for he says: DOF 350.1
“I could give scores of such quotations all through her writings, showing how they have failed, always and everywhere” [italics ours].—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced, p. 149. DOF 350.2
In an attempt to arouse patriotic indignation against Mrs. White, Mr. Canright quotes one other isolated sentence from an article on “The Rebellion.” This perversion of her meaning and misrepresentation of her loyalty should be noticed: DOF 350.3
“Again, ‘Blood has been poured out like water, and for naught.’ Was it for naught, you brave soldiers? you liberated slaves? You freed nation?”—Ibid., pp. 148, 149. DOF 350.4
The context shows that Mrs. White was here referring to blood that had, been needlessly shed by the mismanagement of certain men in the Northern Army who were in sympathy with slavery. No one rejoiced more over the “liberated slaves” and the “freed nation” than did she. This is what she wrote: DOF 350.5
“Many professed Union men, holding important positions, are disloyal at heart. Their only object in taking up arms was to preserve the Union as it was, and slavery with it. ‘they would heartily chain down the slave to his life of galling bondage, had they the privilege. Such have a strong degree of sympathy with the South. Blood has been poured out like water, and for naught. In every town and village there is mourning. Wives are mourning for their husbands, mothers for their sons, and sisters for their brothers.” —Testimonies for the Church 1:367. DOF 350.6
When the reader reflects that this statement was made during the war, and not after, the true meaning is clearly understood. DOF 351.1
Again Mr. Canright quotes from Mrs. White: “‘The nations are now getting angry.’ Early Writings, 29.” He then remarks: “That was thirty-eight years ago. It takes, a long time for them to get fighting mad.”—Seventh day Adventism Renounced, p. 146. DOF 351.2
Here again Mr. Canright spoke too soon by several years, and was too optimistic that “peace on earth and good will toward men” was to be the order of the day. We ask, did they not get fighting mad before and during the recent world wars? And is there yet any assurance of lasting peace among the nations? It would appear that in this matter, as in very many others, Mr. Canright, instead of Mrs. White, was the one who made a mistake and figured things out wrongly. DOF 351.3