Meetings in Illinois by Robt. F. Andrews

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 3, 1863

Meetings in Illinois.

By Robt. F. Andrews

BRO. WHITE: Knowing that those who love the truth, are always rejoiced to hear of additions to our numbers, I thought I would give a report of a series of meetings, held in the Thicket school-house, Carroll, Co. Ill.

Through much opposition, I tried to present to the people in this place, the conditions of salvation. As a natural consequence some acknowledged God's truth, and this stirred up the ire of the dragonic host. Some declared the school-house ought to be locked against me; others that I ought to be tarred and feathered and driven out of the neighborhood. I paid no attention to their threats, but kept trying to persuade them to break away from their sins by righteousness and from their iniquities by turning to God.

The people were divided into sects and the members of each sect divided among themselves; but division soon ceased and suddenly they became united; yes, united heart and hand to oppose, the further progress of truth. ("That day Pilate and Herod were made friends.") They sent off for a Baptist elder, to oppose me on the Sabbath question. He preached one evening and I reviewed him the next. Various and contradictory were the positions he took. When I got through the people called for a decision. The elder himself urged the matter along. When the vote was taken on the side of truth, about half the congregation voted in my favor; and when the other side was taken, just five voted. His next effort was on the immortality question, and here he made a complete failure. This controversy gave the truth a new impetus. But our opponents were not satisfied yet, they were bound on driving me out of the neighborhood, so they applied to a Universalist preacher to come and hold a discussion with me on the Sabbath question; but what must have been their feelings when he told them he would not discuss the question for he believed I had the truth, and the Bible was all on my side.

Still determined to have me and my views exterminated, the enemies of the truth sent off for elder Johnson, a Methodist. He preached ten discourses on the Sabbath question, and succeeded in creating quite a prejudice in the minds of some against the truth, also in keeping most of the church members away from my review of him. His arguments were those in general use, with the exception of one, and that was that Sabbath keeping lowered the price of property in a community. He also declared that the tract entitled "Wesley on the Law" was garbled, which I disproved by getting the original sermon and comparing it with the tract. I thus proved the extract true, and also showed him to be in opposition to the father of his denomination. The last evening of the review the school-house was crowded. When I got through, I took an expression of the congregation on both sides of the question, and in all that crowded house, there was not one to raise his hand to show that he believed Sunday was the Sabbath. I then requested all that believe that the seventh day was the Sabbath, and ought to be observed, to manifest it by rising to their feet, when about fifty arose and thus testified that we have the truth. But out of this great number how many will be obedient, I know not. About twelve have already decided to keep the Sabbath and others are almost persuaded.

We have regular Sabbath meetings established, and also a prayer meeting every Tuesday evening. The little flock meet with a great deal of opposition from the professors around them, but the love of truth and the prospect of a part in the glorious inheritance promised to the faithful, stimulates them to faithfulness in this glorious cause.

I sold about twenty dollars' worth of books and got five subscribers for the Review. I expect to go to Lanark, Carroll Co., next. Dear brethren, let us be faithful and work in this glorious cause, and let it be the object of our lives to be prepared ourselves and persuade others to be prepared for the coming of the Just One.

Yours in hope.

ROBT. F. ANDREWS.

Elkhorn Grove, Carroll Co., Ills.