Ellen G. White and Her Critics

Conybeare and Howson Book Widely Circulated

We have just stated that her book was published in June, 1883, with a special view to serving as a Sabbath school lesson help. But that was not the only lesson help. The Conybeare and Howson book was also used, and with this difference: It was promoted and widely circulated in the denomination before Mrs. White’s book on Paul was printed. In fact, it began to be circulated in January, 1883, as a premium with subscriptions to the Review and Herald and to the Signs of the Times. ^* This widespread promotion of the Conybeare and Howson book Mrs. White heartily endorsed. As a part of an advertisement for the book in the Signs in February, 1883, is found this statement from her: EGWC 423.1

“The Life of St. Paul by Conybeare and Howson, I regard as a book of great merit, and one of rare usefulness to the earnest student of the New Testament history.”—The Signs of the Times, February 22, 1883, p. 96. EGWC 423.2

This widespread and impressive promotion, coupled with the study of the book as a lesson help, must have made its very words and sentences familiar in a great many Adventist homes by the middle of 1883. All this Mrs. White knew when she sent forth her work on Paul’s life at that time. EGWC 423.3

And what do all these facts add up to? The answer is the same as that already given in connection with the book, The Great Controversy. Mrs. White knew that a great host of her readers would note that there had been certain borrowings from the other book on Paul. Therefore she must have felt that those borrowings were in no way dishonorable and could be harmonized with her claim to inspiration. And, we repeat here for emphasis: To draw any other conclusion than this would be equivalent to saying that in publishing her work on Paul Mrs. White deliberately set out to expose herself as a literary thief and a prophetic fraud! A most irrational conclusion! EGWC 423.4