The Second Visit to Massachusetts

Ellen White writes of this:1BIO 101.1

By invitation of Brother and Sister Nichols, my sister and myself again went to Massachusetts, and made their house our home. There was in Boston and vicinity a company of fanatical persons, who held that it was a sin to labor. Their principal message was “Sell that ye have, and give alms.” They said they were in the jubilee, the land should rest, and the poor must be supported without labor. Sargent, Robbins, and some others were leaders. They denounced my visions as being of the devil, because I had been shown their errors. They were severe upon all who did not believe with them.—Life Sketches of James White and Ellen G. White (1880), 231.

At this point we let Otis Nichols pick up the story:1BIO 101.2

A few days after their arrival, G. Sargent and Robbins, two of the principal leaders in Boston, and obstinate opposers to Sister White's visions, came out to our house and talked to us and had prayers. I told them that we were glad of this opportunity with them, that Sister White and others were now with us, and we invited them to come in. But hearing of Sister White's presence, they departed, and made other reasons for coming here.

Robbins then warned me against her visions, and said he knew they were of the devil, that he always felt a blessing whenever he declared they were from Satan.1BIO 101.3

I told him we judged their character by their fruits, their doctrine in accordance with Bible testimony, and the effect upon those who believed them, leading them to a more holy and devoted life and confirming their faith in the past experiences of the Advent doctrine of 1843 and the seventh month of 1844, and enlightening our understanding in the present truth, and that we were acquainted with her moral character; that Turner and others had maliciously calumniated her without any facts and evidence; that Turner once said that he believed her visions were as true as the apostle John's, and that the only reason Turner turned against Sister White's visions was because she saw his hypocrisy in vision; and that he was exposed; that Turner and others in union with him were doing all in their power to destroy all faith in her visions.—DF 105, “Statement by Otis Nichols.”1BIO 101.4

Nichols told the two men that Ellen was desirous “to attend their meeting in Boston the next Sabbath,” and he asked them if they had any opposition to hearing her testimony.1BIO 102.1

“None at all,” replied Sargent. “Let her come next Sabbath.”— Ibid.1BIO 102.2

Accordingly, it was arranged that Nichols would bring Ellen and Sarah Harmon to Boston, where they would meet with the believers. But in the evening before the proposed meeting Ellen Harmon was shown in vision the hypocrisy, and that there would be no meeting in Boston. She was shown that1BIO 102.3

Sargent, Robbins, and others opposed would meet with a large company in Randolph [thirteen miles south of Boston] on the Sabbath, and that we must meet the opposers at Randolph at their meeting on the Sabbath, and there she would have a message given her for them, which would convince the honest, the unprejudiced ones, whether her visions were of the Lord or from Satan.— Ibid.

So the next morning, instead of driving north into Boston, they drove south to Randolph, arriving rather late in the morning. They found Sargent and Robbins and a large roomful meeting in the Thayer home. “As we entered,” wrote Ellen White, “Robbins and Sargent looked at each other in surprise and began to groan. They had promised to meet me in Boston, but thought they would disappoint us by going to Randolph, and while we were in Boston, warn the brethren against us.”—Ibid., 232. Closing the morning services rather early, Sargent announced that they would have a short intermission. Ellen Harmon learned during the intermission that one of the critics remarked that “good matter would be brought out in the afternoon.” Robbins told Sarah Harmon that Ellen could not have a vision where he was (Ibid.).1BIO 102.4

Assembling again at about one o'clock in the afternoon, several engaged in prayer, including Ellen Harmon. She reported what took place:1BIO 102.5

The blessing of the Lord rested upon me, and I was taken off in vision. I was again shown the errors of these wicked men and others united with them. I saw that they could not prosper, their errors would confuse and distract; some would be deceived by them; but that truth would triumph in the end, and error be brought down.1BIO 103.1

I was shown that they were not honest, and then I was carried into the future and shown that they would continue to despise the teachings of the Lord, to despise reproof, and that they would be left in total darkness, to resist God's Spirit until their folly should be made manifest to all. A chain of truth was presented to me from the Scriptures, in contrast with their errors.1BIO 103.2

When I came out of vision, candles were burning. I had been in vision nearly four hours. As I was unconscious to all that transpired around me while in vision, I will copy from Brother Nichols’ description of that meeting.— Ibid.1BIO 103.3

In his statement written in 1859 or 1860, Otis Nichols described what took place while Ellen was in vision.1BIO 103.4