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The First Anti-Sabbatarian Periodical and By Theodore N. Levterov
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few years ago I came across the name of a periodical called the Messenger of Truth. It was published by the “Messenger Party,” the first offshoot that emerged from the Sabbatarian group, largely over controversies about the gift of prophecy during the 1850s. The periodical is significant because it is the first known official publication against the Sabbatarians (later Seventh-day Adventists) and Ellen G. White’s prophetic claims.1 Despite its critical nature, the periodical helped Sabbatarians examine their attitude toward Ellen White and develop a more biblically based foundation for their belief in the modern manifestation of the prophetic gift. While searching for these rare historical periodicals, I discovered three existing copies of the Messenger of Truth at the state library of Pennsylvania.2 Origins of the Rebellion
The Messenger Party originated in Jackson, Michigan. Led by two Adventist ministers, H. S. Case and C. P. Russell, the rebellion resulted from a controversy over the validity of the prophetic gift of Ellen White. While visiting the church in Jackson, Ellen White received two visions concerning a disputed situation. While the accused confessed her wrongdoing and asked forgiveness, Case and Russell turned against Ellen White and condemned her visions as false and unreliable. Consequently, in June 1853 the two ministers formed the so-called Messenger Party and started to publicize their ideas in the Messenger of Truth.
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The Objections of the Messenger Party
The three extant issues reveal several charges that the Messengers brought against Ellen White’s visions and her prophetic claims. First, they claimed that the Sabbatarians had another rule of faith and practice in addition to the Bible. A second charge was related to the manifestation of the prophetic gift in the “last days.” The Sabbatarians argued, based on the prophecies of Joel 2 and Acts 2, for the modern manifestation of the gift of prophecy just before the second coming of Christ. While the Messenger Party agreed that they were living in the last days, they asserted that the gift of prophecy ended with “the end of the apostles’ day.”3 A third objection related to the “remnant” question and Ellen White’s prophetic gift. The Sabbatarians claimed, based on Revelation 12:17, to be the true remnant people of God because they “kept the commandments of God” and had the “testimony of Jesus” (referring to the prophetic gift of Ellen White).4 For the Messengers, however, the spirit of prophecy was the spirit of Christ that the true remnant had to represent and had nothing to do with the gift of prophecy.5 A fourth objection given by the Messengers was that the Sabbatarians made Ellen White’s prophetic gift a “test of fellowship” and a “rule of action.” 6 The Sabbatarians disagreed with these and other charges and began developing a more systematic defense of their belief in the prophetic gift. Outcomes of the Publication
One outcome was that the Sabbatarians became more conscientious regarding the relationship between the Bible and Ellen White’s prophetic gift. In 1854 James White republished an important article that he had penned in 1851. It noted that “the gifts of the Spirit should all have their proper places. The Bible is an everlasting rock. It is our rule I M A G E
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