Ellen G. White and Her Critics

Sabbathkeepers’ Position Understandable

No, we need not prove that the Sabbathkeeping pioneers were above mistakes in order to prove that they were men of God, and called of Him to preach a mighty message to the world. Indeed, it is not surprising that these pioneers challenged the validity of the claims made by other Adventist preachers, that men and women had been converted in those years immediately following 1844. There were no miracles to aid their faith in believing this, no spectacular outpouring of the Holy Ghost. There was simply the word of one man against another. In fact, not only was there the absence of supporting miracles; there was, on the contrary, certain strong evidences to lead our fathers to believe that at least some of the revivals, with their alleged conversions, were clearly not of God. EGWC 194.2

We touch right here upon one of the sorry aftermaths of the great disappointment. At best the Millerite movement had been a loosely knit company of believers. While the movement was strong and active it could maintain a definite shape and standard. After the disappointment certain unruly, self-appointed preachers conducted general and revival services here and there under the name of Adventist, though they may not have been a part of the movement in 1844. EGWC 194.3

Not infrequently the revival owed its vigor to some new date that the revivalist set for the coming of the Lord, because a new interpretation had been given to the 2300-year prophecy. Obviously, to the Sabbathkeeping group, whose basic premise was that the October 22, 1844, date was correct, all such new dates were anathema and an evidence of the false preaching of the one who presented them. EGWC 195.1

Furthermore—and this is a most important point—some of those who engaged in revivals shortly after 1844 became entangled in various spiritualistic activities; for the cult of Spiritualism, in its modern form, began about that time with the mysterious rappings carried on through the Fox sisters at Hydesville, New York. And to our forebears, anything tainted with Spiritualism was a product of the bottomless pit. EGWC 195.2