Ellen White's Miscellaneous Plagiarism
By , Jan.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, entry for Jeremiah 23:30
Much of Ellen White’s most obvious literary theft is already well known. Scholars and critics like Walter Rea have identified extensive dependence on major nineteenth-century authors such as John Harris, Conybeare and Howson, L. B. Coles, Daniel March, and others. These cases massive theft—sometimes chapters absorbed into her writings, and in the case of Conybeare and Howson, an entire book.
But plagiarism does not always announce itself in bulk. This page documents but unmistakable borrowings from lesser-known writers. In many cases, the lift consists of a single sentence, or a short paragraph—small enough to evade casual detection, yet specific enough to leave no doubt about the source.
Individually, such examples may appear minor. Collectively, they matter. They demonstrate that Ellen White’s dependence on outside sources was not limited to a handful of well-known authors, nor confined to books in her library. Instead, they reveal a habitual method of stealing the language of others wherever it might be found.
This page is intended as a growing repository. As new sources are identified, additional examples will be added.
John Cumming
John Cumming (1807–1881) was a Scottish minister and religious author of 180 books. Here are some examples where Mrs. White copied his words:
| John Cumming | Ellen White |
|---|---|
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"Heaven is the great continent of glory; this earth was once a part of it; but sin, with its disruptive force, broke off this earth from that continent of heaven..."
Behold, The Bridegroom Cometh: The Last Warning Cry, With Reasons For The Hope That Is In Me, (London: James Nisbet & Co., 1865), 207 |
1885 -"Through sin our world was divorced from the continent of heaven. . ." The Review and Herald, October 27, 1885
1886 - " . . . . This world is, as it were, but one link in a chain composed of a thousand links; but because of sin it was struck off from the continent of heaven, and Satan claimed it as his." The Review and Herald, March 9, 1886 1887 - ". . . . Though earth was struck off from the continent of Heaven and alienated from its communion, Jesus has connected it again with the sphere of glory." The Signs of the Times, November 24, 1887 1888 - "This earth because of transgression had been struck off from the continent of heaven." Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, February 28, 1888 1890 - ". . . . The transgression of man had separated earth from heaven, and finite man from the infinite God. As an island is separated from a continent, so earth was cut off from heaven, and a wide channel intervened between man and God. . ." The Review and Herald, November 11, 1890 ". . . . After the transgression of Adam, God no longer communicated directly with man; earth was separated, as it were, from the continent of heaven; . . . ." The Review and Herald, June 10, 1890 1894 - ". . . . Jesus became the world's Redeemer, rendering perfect obedience to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. He redeemed Adam's disgraceful fall, and threw the kingdoms of this world back into favor with God, uniting the earth, that had been divorced by sin from God, to the continent of heaven." The Signs of the Times, March 26, 1894 1900 - ". . . .The world that was separated by sin from the continent of heaven, he drew back into favor with God." The Youth's Instructor, February 22, 1900 |
| "'In him [Christ] was life,'— that is, original, unborrowed, underived." Sabbath Evening Readings, (1865), 5 | "In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived." The Desire of Ages, (1898), 530. |
| Charles Beecher, Redeemer and Redeemed (1864), p. 65 |
Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Sept. 7, 1897 |
|---|---|
| As the high-priest laid aside his gorgeous pontifical robes, and officiated in the white linen dress of a common priest, so Christ emptied himself [marginal reading of “made himself of no reputation”], and took the form of a servant [Phil. 2:7], and offered sacrifice, himself the priest, himself the victim. | As the high priest laid aside his gorgeous, pontifical robes, and officiated in the white linen dress of a common priest, so Christ emptied himself, and took the form of a servant, and offered the sacrifice, himself the priest himself the victim. |
| Robert Boyd, The World's Hope (1873), pp. 381-382 |
Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Mar. 21, 1893 |
|---|---|
| He was treated as we deserved, in order that we might be treated as he deserved. He came to earth and took our sins, that we might take his righteousness and go to heaven. He was condemned for our sins, in which he had no share, that we might be justified by his righteousness, in which we had no share. | The world’s Redeemer was treated as we deserve to be treated, in order «that we might be treated as he deserved to be treated. He came to our world and took our sins upon his own divine soul, that we might receive his imputed righteousness. He was condemned for our sins, in which he had no share, that we might be justified by his righteousness, in which we had no share. |
Ellen White's Travelogue
While travelling by train, Mrs. White wrote an account of her journey to her twin-sister Elizabeth. Parts of this letter were later printed in the June 17, 1880, Review and Herald.
| Henry T. Williams, The Pacific Tourist (New York: Self-published, 1878) |
Ellen G. White, Letter 6a, 1880 |
|---|---|
Dale Creek Bridge is about two miles west of Sherman. This bridge is built of iron and seems to be a light airy structure, but is really very substantial. The creek like, a thread of silver, winds its devious way in the depths below and is soon lost to sight as you pass rapidly down the grade and through the granite cuts and snow sheds beyond. This bridge is 650 feet long and nearly 130 feet high and is one of the wonders on the great trans-continental route. ... ...rises in full view the Diamond Peaks of the Medicine Bow Range. They are trim and clear cut cones with sharp pointed summits a fact which has given them their name while their sides and the rugged hills around them are covered with timber. Still farther in the shadowy distance in a south westerly direction if the atmosphere is clear you will see the white summits of the Snowy Range white with their robes of perpetual snow. ...makes one feel chilly to look at them they are so cold cheerless and forbidding Giant's Club. This is fairly a giant in dimensions as its proportions are really colossal. It rises with almost perpendicular sides and is impossible to scale by ascent. The rock is valuable for its curious composition as it bears evidences of having once existed at the bottom of a lake. The rock lies in regular strata, all horizontal, and most of these contain fossils of plants and fishes. The plants are all extinct species and closely allied to our fruit and forest trees; among them, however, are some palms... The peculiar effects of stormy and flood in the past has carved the bluff into the most curious and fantastic forms—domes and pinnacles and fluted columns—rocks resembling some cathedral of the time standing in the midst of desolation. ... It looks like some ruined city the gods, blasted, bare, desolate but grave... The Devil's Gate, a canyon which the Sweetwater River has worn through the Granite Ridge cutting it at right angles. The walls are vertical being about 350 feet high... The current of the stream through the gate is slow, finding its way among the fallen masses of rock with gentle easy motion and pleasant murmur. ...among the everlasting snows of the summit ridge. The peaks or cones in the distance are most distinctly stratified and apparently horizontal...
...the Devil's Slide... It is composed of two parallel ledges of granite turned upon their edges, serrated and jutting out in places fifty feet from the mountain side, and about 14 feet apart. It is a rough place for any one; height about 800 feet.
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Two miles west of Sherman we cross Dale Creek Bridge, one of the most wonderful sights on the route. It looks frail and incapable of sustaining the weight of so ponderous a train, but it is build [sic] of iron and is really very substantial. It is 650 feet long, 130 feet high. A beautiful, silvery stream is winding its way in the depths below. ... As we pass rapidly down the grade through the snow sheds and granite cuts into the great Laramie plains...
...we get a full view of the Diamond peaks of the Medicine Bow Range. Their sharp-pointed summits reach heavenward, while their sides and the rugged hills around them are covered with timber. When the atmosphere is clear, the Snowy Range can be distinctly seen clothed in robes of perpetual snow. A chilliness creeps over you as you look upon them so cold, so cheerless, yet there is an indescribable grandeur about them. ... There is a rock called Giant’s Club, and in proportions it is a giant. It rises almost perpendicularly and it is impossible to climb up its steep sides. This is one of nature’s curiosities. I was told that its composition bears evidence of its once being located at the bottom of a lake This rock has regular strata, all horizontal, containing fossils of plants and fish. and curiously-shaped specimens of sea animals. The plants appear like our fruit and forest trees. There are ferns and palms. ... There are in appearance lofty domes and pinnacles and fluted columns. These rocks resemble some cathedral of ancient date, standing in desolation. ... To stand at a distance from these rocks, wonderfully shaped, you may imagine some ruined city, bare, desolate, but bearing their silent history to what once was. We pass on quite rapidly to the Devil’s Gate, a canyon where the Sweetwater [River] has worn through the granite edge. The walls are about three hundred feet high. The water runs slowly, pleasantly murmuring over the rocks. We pass on while the mountain tops rise perpendicularly towards heaven, covered with perpetual snows, while other mountain tops, apparently horizontal, are seen. ... Here we pass the wonderful rocks called the Devil’s Slide. It is composed of two parallel walls of granite standing upon their edges. Between these two walls are about fourteen feet. They form a wall about eight hundred feet running up the mountain. |