Chapter 9—Meeting Fanaticism
As I returned to Portland, there were evidences of the desolating
effects of fanaticism. Some seemed to think that religion consisted in
great excitement and noise. They would talk in a manner that would
irritate unbelievers, and have an influence to arouse hatred against
themselves and the doctrines they taught. Then they would rejoice
that they suffered persecution. Unbelievers could see no consistency
in such a course. The brethren in some places were prevented from
assembling for meetings. The innocent suffered with the guilty.
I carried a sad and heavy heart much of the time. It seemed so
cruel that the cause of Christ should be injured by the course of these
injudicious men. They were not only ruining their own souls, but
placing upon the cause a stigma not easily removed. And Satan loved
to have it so. It suited him well to see the truth handled by unsanctified
men; to have it mixed with error, and then all together trampled in the
dust. He looked with triumph upon the confused, scattered state of
God’s children.
We trembled for the churches that were to be subjected to this spirit
of fanaticism. My heart ached for God’s people. Must they be deceived
and led away by this false enthusiasm? I faithfully pronounced the
warnings given me of the Lord; but they seemed to have little effect,
except to make these persons of extreme views jealous of me.
A False Humility
There were some who professed great humility, and advocated
creeping on the floor like children, as an evidence of their humility.
They claimed that the words of Christ in
Matthew 18:1-6
must have
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a literal fulfillment at this period, when they were looking for their
Saviour to return. They would creep around their houses, on the street,
over bridges, and in the church itself.
I told them plainly that this was not required; that the humility
which God looked for in His people was to be shown by a Christlike
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