Adverse Actions on “Visions”

At the Mutual Conference of Adventists at Albany, New York, called for April 29, 1845, a committee of twelve was appointed to draw up “a plan of future operations” and to “present a declaration of principles in the defense of which we have labored, and consult respecting our future association.” In the series of resolutions submitted and “adopted without a dissenting voice,” was this significant action, the import of which is very easily discernible:AGP 248.1

“Whereas, In every great religious movement, there have been among the wise and sober-minded advocates of the truth, others who have risen up, striving about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers, making great pretensions to special illumination … and whereas, in connection with the doctrine of Christ’s near appearing, as in all previous religious movements, some of this class have risen up, calling themselves Adventists, teaching for doctrines that with which we can have no sympathy or fellowship, with many unseemly practices, whereby the word of God has been dishonored, and the doctrine of Christ’s appearing brought into contempt; therefore—“Resolved, That we can have no sympathy or fellowship with those things which have only a show of wisdom in will worship and neglecting of the body, after the commandments and doctrines of men. That we have no fellowship with any of the new tests as conditions of salvation, in addition to repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and a looking for and loving His appearing. That we have no fellowship for Jewish fables and commandments of men, that turn from the truth, or for any of the distinctive characteristics of modern Judaism.” The Advent Herald, and Signs of the Times Reporter, May 14, 1845, p. 107.

At the New York City Conference, May 6, 1845, the “Doings of the Mutual General Conference held at Albany, which commencedAGP 248.2

menced April 29th, 1845,” “were unanimously approved.” After Sylvester Bliss, who was a member of the Albany Committee of twelve, had declared that the “Gorgas affair” he “regarded nothing but mesmerism,” and had referred to it as “the delusion of the Gorgas vision,” the following action was passed at New York: “Resolved, That we have no confidence in any new messages, visions, dreams, tongues, miracles, extraordinary gifts, revelations, impressions, discerning of spirits, or teachings, etc., etc., not in accordance with the unadulterated word of God.” The Advent Herald, May 21, 1845, p. 118.AGP 249.1

Finally at the important Boston Conference, May 26, Josiah Litch said:AGP 249.2

“With regard to the state of things in Philadelphia. A portion had been induced, contrary to all his remonstrances, to obey the vision of Dr. Gorgas, and fled from the city on the 10th of the 7th month. And some of them had not yet been able to get the hallucination from their minds. The results had been most disastrous. It had served to disgust the mind of the community there, so that they were laboring under the greatest embarrassments.”—The Advent Herald, and Signs of the Times Reporter, June 4, 1845, p. 135.

Then as a conference they declared:AGP 249.3

“We are happy to accord our most hearty approval of the doings of the late Mutual Conference at Albany. The important truths there expressed, we regard as scriptural, and are the ones for the maintenance of which we have labored from the beginning.”—Idem.