In my labors I was called to oppose the course of some who by their fanaticism were bringing reproach upon the cause of God. These fanatical ones seemed to think that religion consisted in great excitement and noise. They would talk in a manner that would irritate unbelievers, and cause them to hate them and the doctrines they taught; then they would rejoice that they suffered persecution. Unbelievers could see no consistency in their 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 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. {1T 66.2}

I min gerning blev jeg kaldet til at modsætte mig visse personers fremgangsmåde, som ved deres fanatisme bragte skam over Guds sag. Disse fanatiske personer syntes at tro, at religion bestod i stor sindsbevægelse og larm. De talte på en måde, som pirrede de vantro og fik dem til at hade dem og de læresætninger, de lærte. Derefter glædede de sig over, at de led forfølgelse. De vantro kunne ikke se nogen overensstemmelse i deres fremgangsmåde. Nogle steder blev brødrene forhindret i at samles til møder. De uskyldige led sammen med de skyldige. Jeg havde et bedrøvet og betynget hjerte det meste af tiden. Det forekom grusomt, at Kristi sag skulle skades ved disse uforstandige menneskers fremgangsmåde. De ødelagde ikke blot deres egne sjæle, men de satte en skamplet på sagen, der ikke var let at fjerne. Og Satan elskede at have det sådan. Det passede ham fint at se vanhellige mennesker håndtere sandheden; at sandheden blev blandet med vildfarelse for derefter at blive nedtrådt i støvet. Han så med triumf på Guds folks forvirrede og spredte tilstand.