The Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 12.
The Coming Religious StrugglePage 1
Earlier text: WHY STAND YE ALL THE DAY IDLE?“BY DONATIONS.”
By H. A. St. John
“By Donations.” This is one item in the blank reports of labor of the T. & M. Society. It is by donations from the members principally, and from others, that the fund of the Society is kept good. Systematic benevolence, the tenth, belongs to the Lord, properly; he claims it as his. In the plan of s. B., the way is opened for us to bring all the tithes into the storehouse. But the Lord has not only been robbed by his professed people in tithes, but in offerings also. The T. & M. Society presents an excellent opportunity to bring in the offerings. We very much dislike the plan of getting up subscription papers, and asking our brethren and sisters to pledge to the T. & M. Society. This has seemed very necessary in the past, but we hope the time is near when we shall be almost if not entirely rid of this mode of procedure. I think that our T. & M. Looking-glasses reveal a nobler and better way. These reports are made out once a quarter, or once in three months. This is not very frequent, and yet how many of these reports come in with the space after “By Donations,” blank. Yes, it is blank, blank, blank, nearly every time, from nearly every member. No wonder the treasury is empty and the Society in debt. Shall we not take an advance step right here? Reader, are you a member of the T. & M. Society? and have you passed in your reports from quarter to quarter without any donation? If so, resolve, the Lord helping, to do so no more. When it comes time to make out your report, if you have, or have not, received donations from others, not members, donate something yourself, if not more than five cents. Do not let another report go in with this item blank, if you can possibly avoid it. If you have made a pledge during the quarter and paid it, then put it down here as a donation. Call nothing a donation that is not paid. The offering should either accompany the report, or have been passed in before. If every member of the T. & M. Society, at the close of each quarter, upon sitting down to make out his quarterly report, would examine himself in the light of the last message of mercy, and consider what the T. & M. Society is doing to send forth the solemn warning, it seems to me that then and there he would feel it a blessed privilege to make an offering to the Lord. And these donations, coming in from all the members every three months, would generally supply the treasury of the Society with all needed means for its work, without subscription papers or appeals for pledges. Brethren, let us try it. Let every one report, and report a donation next time. Let all bring in their tithes (s. B.), and offerings (T. & M.), and prove the Lord, and see if they do not receive a great blessing.
H. A. St. John. I WENT to Index, a village in Cass County, the 5th of January, and continued meetings until the 27th ult., excepting about two weeks which I spent with Bro. Long, in closing his labors at the Valley school-house in Johnson Co. As a result, four were baptized, and united with the Lincoln church. Celebrated the ordinances on the evening of Feb. 22. Re-organized S. B., amounting to $164, which will doubtless yet be raised by some who are opposed to pledging yet expect to pay in. Bro. L. assisted me in closing my meetings at Index. As a result, about twenty are keeping the Sabbath, the most of whom seem quite firm in the truth. The country for miles is stirred, and the people are investigating. Obtained seven subscribers for the REVIEW, four for the SIGNS, one for REFORMER, and two for INSTRUCTOR. I now return home to attend to matters which claim my attention. To the brethren in this State who have written to me desiring labor, I would say, I shall have to leave the work awhile to look after my temporal and financial affairs, in order to pay my debts. J. H. ROGERS. Hamilton, Mo., March 8, 1875. MADISON CO., N. Y.
By Chas. B. Reynolds
COMMENCED meetings in this county, Jan. 5. Held meetings at Cazenovia, Chittenango Falls, and Stanley's. These places are about four miles apart. Have given nine discourses each week. The weather has been extremely unfavorable. Opposition has been fierce and persistent. On first-day, March 5, after a week of special prayer and earnest preparation on the part of all concerned, baptized ten. Two others joined them on profession of faith, and a church was organized of twelve members, called the Chittenango Falls church. Bro. L. T. Nourse was ordained elder. Partially arranged s. B. which amounted to $79.00. Administered the ordinance of the Lord's supper, and enjoyed a sweet and heavenly season. Love, unity, and desire for entire consecration was manifest. Among this little company is a young man possessing many qualifications requisite for an efficient minister. May God bless him with the needed consecration and spirit of self-sacrifice. The work is not completed here, but it was deemed best for the interest of the cause to organize a church of those who were prepared. Have commenced meetings in Pompey Center, Onondaga Co. Providence permitting I shall take time to follow up the interest at Chittenango Falls. Dear brethren and sisters, let us look unto Jesus and be lightened. Our motto for the cause in this great State is, Excelsior. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this; let us not be faithless but believing. May God help me to so zealously and diligently labor, presenting the truth in such meekness and love, that he can answer the prayers of his dear children, calling many to knowledge and obedience of the truth. CHAS. B. REYNOLDS. QUARTERLY REPORT OF N. E. T. & M. SOCIETY.
By Stephen N. Haskell; Maria L. Huntley
The New England Tract and Missionary Society met at New Ipswich, N. H., March 5, 1876. Meeting opened with prayer by Eld. Haskell. The report of the last meeting was read and accepted, after which a report of the labor performed during the last quarter was read, which was as follows: Subscribers obtained for periodicals, 265; periodicals distributed, 1902; publications distributed, pages, 360,111; No. of families visited, 473; letters written, 444. Of this number, 288 have been written by the local Vigilant Missionary Society of South Lancaster; also one hundred and thirteen have been received by this Society. Money received by the Tract Society, and pledged during the past quarter amounts to about $2,000; paid for publications, periodicals, etc., $1,349.96. That this report comes far short of showing the amount of labor performed, there is no doubt. There have been ten thousand almanacs sent to the directors and others in this Conference, and but few of these are on hand. Some are out, and have ordered more, but the reports show that but one-half of this number has been distributed. It is so with our missionary labor in other respects. The subject of sustaining the SIGNS OF THE TIMES was introduced, and it was voted to raise the sum of $1500.00 more for this purpose. Three-fourths of this amount was pledged at the meeting, and about four hundred of it paid. Important matters connected with the Society were brought before the meeting, and the time was well improved with stirring remarks relative to the progress of the cause, and the results of tract and missionary labor. The remarks of Bro. Comings especially evinced a deep interest in the work, which was also manifested in a practical manner. The New England Tract Society has been operating in Washington, D. C., as some of its members reside there. Some of the results of this labor have been noticed in the REVIEW. Thirteen have embraced the truth in one locality who meet regularly every Sabbath, and others are interested. The reports showed that the Y. M. C. A. Library had been furnished with three of our best bound books, also that the “United States in Prophecy” had been sent to several members of Congress, speaker Kerr, and ex-speaker Blain, among the number. The reading of The Missionary Worker occupied a share of the time. Some items of interest were omitted in consequence of the press of other matters. The brethren returned to their homes much encouraged, and with a stronger determination to engage in this work than ever before. We feel assured that, with the blessing of God, more than one thousand interested readers will be found for the SIGNS, and that one thousand paying subscribers for the REVIEW will be obtained by the use of the “Household Manual” during the next three months in this Conference. In the Oskaloosa (Kansas) Independent of Feb. 12, 1876, we find the following reference to Bro. Kennedy's meetings in Osawkee:— “EDITORS INDEPENDENT: In your issue, of Feb. 5, among the Osawkee items, I find this: ‘Rev. Mr. Kennedy, Second Adventist, has been holding a series of meetings in Pleasant Valley,’ &c. I wish to make one correction in the item. Eld. K. and the people with whom he is connected take the name Seventh-day Adventists, not Second Adventists. There are now about seventy-five converts to this faith in the vicinity of the Pleasant Valley and Lowry school-houses, where six weeks since there was but one family holding the particular views of this new denomination. Eld. Lamont came to Kennedy's assistance about ten days ago, and they are continuing the meetings at both school-houses with apparently increasing interest. Elds. Ayers and Stansbury, of the same faith, are carrying on a meeting at the Fairfield school-house. These ministers are not time-setters, as many thought at first. They preach that the time of the second coming of Christ, the resurrection, and the Judgment, are near at hand, but of the day and hour knoweth no man.
“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.” DIED, of lung fever and diphtheria, in Cheshire, Mich., Feb. 14, 1876, my dear mother, Magdalene Walter, in the sixty-eighth year of her age. She leaves a husband and a large family of children to mourn their loss. But we feel comforted in the blessed assurance that we sorrow not as those which have no hope. She died, as she lived, a devoted Christian. She was a lover of God and his truth and people. Discourse by Eld. Burk, Wesleyan Methodist, from John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” F. WALTER. FELL asleep in Jesus, Dec. 13, 1875, of pneumonia, my beloved companion, James M. Hall, of Hampton, Conn., aged sixty-nine years and ten days. He was among the first that embraced the Sabbath under the preaching of Eld. Joseph Bates in 1845. The truth was very precious to him, and the law of God his delight. He was a kind father and an affectionate husband. Our home is lonely and our hearts are sad. May we so live that we may meet him when the Lifegiver comes. ABIGAIL HALL. DIED, of inflammation of the lungs, near Braddyville, Page Co., Iowa, Jan. 29, 1876, our oldest son, DeForest E., aged nineteen years and ten months, DeForest loved the present truth, and although deprived of the society of our people, he ever manifested much respect for the Sabbath. A few hours previous to his death he requested prayer in his behalf, after which he earnestly sought of the Lord a preparation necessary for life or death. In our deep affliction we feel to praise God for a hope beyond the grave. ROBERT & ANN A. CARR. GEO. KENNEDY: We claim that the arguments of the Dunkards for trine immersion are not good, nor their conclusions legitimate. If the fact that Christ “bowed his head” in death is their reason for the forward plunge, why do they bow their bodies? Christ did not bow his body on the cross; and according to their reasoning they ought to go into water so deep, that they would go under by simply bowing the head. We say that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are alike honored, by the one act, and the use of the formula prescribed by Christ. There is nothing in the language to indicate three acts. The Father is represented and honored in this miniature resurrection because he is the author of all life; the Son, because it is by his intervention that the resurrection is accomplished; and the Holy Ghost, because it is from that we receive the principle which quickens our mortal bodies. But by no one of these alone is the resurrection accomplished, as should be the case, if we are to perform a separate act for and in each name. It is Christ’s burial and resurrection that is represented by baptism, not his bowing his head in death; and we would fain believe that our Lord was laid out decently upon his back in Joseph’s new tomb; and this position should be imitated by the candidate in baptism. J. B. ALEXANDER: For an explanation of the Two Witnesses, Rev. 11, see “Thoughts on the Revelation.” J. P. LOGAN: The heresy of the non-resurrection of the wicked is fully exposed by Bro. Waggoner’s pamphlet on the “Resurrection of the Unjust,” published at this Office. It would be well for you to procure some and circulate in your neighborhood. W. H. CLARK: There is no authority for saying that “after eight days,” John 20 : 26, means just a week and falls on the next Sunday. The expression of this nature which the Bible uses to denote a week is “after seven days.” Compare 1 Chron. 9 : 25 with 2 Kings 11 : 5. J. E. GREEN: See answer to your inquiry as to what would constitute a missionary letter, such as should be reported in the T. & M. work, in article on that subject in this number. S. A. Lindsley, Geo. Leighton, J. A. Robinson, N. M. Jordan, E. O. Hammond. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Monthly meeting at Springport, Mich., postponed one week on account of General Conference. E. P. GILES. The appointment for quarterly meeting at Troy, Ohio, given last week, is withdrawn. JOHN SPRINKLE. Quarterly meeting of Dist. No. 10, Ill. T. & M. Society, will be held at Lovington, Moultrie Co., first-day, March 26, 1876. We expect the friends from all parts of the district will attend. Come with your reports well filled, and with money to pay your dues as members, and something to donate to the cause. Let us try to make the T. & M. work a success. JERRED MELIHENRENE, Director. The next monthly meeting of the church at State Center will be held at their place of worship the last Sabbath and first-day in March. It is hoped all scattered brethren belonging to this church will report at this meeting. We extend a cordial invitation to neighboring churches. Will Eld. R. M. Kilgore meet with us? S. M. HOLLY. Bowling Green, March 25, 26. The appointment for Dist. No. 6 for this date is taken up. Hamler, where Bro. Geo. W. Edwards may appoint, Monday evening, March 27, to continue till Thursday. Let our brethren in the reach of these meetings make earnest effort to attend. H. A. ST. JOHN. Monthly meeting for the churches of Little Prairie, Johnstown, and Oakland, at Little Prairie, April 8, 9, 1876. Bro. Matteson is expected. We hope for a good representation at this meeting. C. W. OLDS. Quarterly meeting at Burlington, Mich., April 8 and 9, 1876. Eld. H. M. Kenyon will be present. Surrounding churches are invited to attend. J. DICKEY. Quarterly meeting of the S. D. Adventist church at South Norridgewock, Me., April 1, 1876. All members that cannot attend will please report by letter. F. J. KILGORE, Clerk. Our new engine is now in working order, and running all our presses with firm and steady motion. In beauty of workmanship, gracefulness and precision of operation, it is not surpassed by any that we have ever seen. We have reason for gratitude that everything has come into place without accident or difficulty, and that we now have power sufficient for a still further enlargement of our work. The Trustees of the S. D. A. Educational Society have just prepared certificates of Scholarship for the use of students in the college. A scholarship is a paper which entitles the holder to tuition during the course of study for which it is prepared. There are three grades with prices as follows: Scholarship for the Intermediate, the Grammar, and the Special Course, $20 each; for the English Course $30; for the Classical Course $40. These courses of study are fully explained in the Catalogue of the school. The advantage of these scholarships is that the student by this means gets his tuition at a lower rate than he would to pay it term by term. Now if our brethren and sisters everywhere have young friends whom they wish to assist in attending the school, one good way in which to do it would be to purchase and present them with Scholarships for whatever course of study they wish to pursue. In this way they would help their friends, and at the same time help the College. The P. O. address of Elds. J. N. Andrews and D. T. Bourdeau, is 46 Petergasse, Bâle, Switzerland. A Timely Helper.
By S. O. James
THROUGH the goodness of God I have been permitted to read “Testimony No. 26.” It seems to me that God is giving clearer light and a better understanding of his sacred truth to all his people, from the tried veteran down to the weakest soldier who is trying to get on the whole armor. Oh! what critical moments are these! So far as my influence extends, let me say, Dear friends, secure a copy of “Testimony No. 26.” The blessing of God most certainly attends the reading of it. The article “Go Forward” is of itself richly worth the price of the book. You cannot afford to be without it. Illinois, Look Here!
By G. W. Colcord
LAST summer, as I was holding meetings in Dist. No. 1, the subject of our Tract Society debt came before us for consideration. A call was made for aid, and help was promptly rendered. One young sister, who works by the week, gave a sum that spurred others to duty. Dist. No. 1, "paid up." I went to Dist. No. 2, told my story, and Bro. J. H. Bennett, without any hesitation, paid me all his district owed. I had intended to thus pay off our entire State debt at the Review Office, but hindering causes have thwarted my plan. Perhaps it is well that we should not ask each district to pay its proportional part, according to the number of its members. Some districts are poor. Let us favor such. Our debt at the Office is between $200 and $250. I offer to be one of twenty-five to raise $250 in Illinois to liquidate this debt. And now I request twenty-four others at their earliest convenience, to send in $10 each to the REVIEW Office, to pay off the Illinois tract debt. This is not a call to the very poor, but to those who can, and gladly will, give $10. Who will respond? Have just read the foregoing to Bro. Herald, who joins me in this good work. Who will be the third? With interest we shall read the receipts in the REVIEW. See acknowledgments in this number. G. W. COLCORD. Reasoning Faculties of Beasts
In reading the anecdotes about beasts continued in this number, keep in mind the object in view. It is not to show that beasts have immortal souls, but to show that to a certain extent they possess reasoning faculties. The advocates of man's natural immortality, appeal to his reasoning faculties as proof that he is immortal. We say it would prove the same thing, then, for the brute creation ; and to drive them to this absurdity and so break down their false method of reasoning, these articles are given. Our public speakers would do well to select from them such as they can use with the most telling effect in their arguments on the immortality question. A SABBATH-KEEPER wanted to work on a farm by the month. For information, address Stewart A. Mott, Richford, Waushara Co., Wis. A YOUNG man, twenty-four years of age, and wishes to work for a Sabbath-keeper on a farm the coming season, or by the year. Please address William H. Mills, Memphis, Mich. A BOY 14 years old wants a home with a Sabbath-keeping family on a farm, or to learn a good trade. For particulars, inquire of P. C. Rodman, Ashaway, R. I. BRO. JOHN LITTLE, Agency, Redwood Co., Minn., wishes to obtain a man to work on a farm, also a woman for housework. BRO. F. WALTER of Watson, Mich., would like to be informed of any good opening for a Sabbath-keeping shoemaker, in Michigan or Indiana. BRO. J. M. FERGUSON, Richmond, Iowa, wants a good Sabbath-keeping harness-maker. Annexed to each receipt in the following list, is the Volume and Number of the Review & Herald to which the money received pays—which should correspond with the Numbers of the Pastors. If money for the paper is not due in time acknowledged immediate notice of the omission should be given. $2.00 EACH. W Carpenter 49-9, C M Chillson 49-12, A A Bradford 49-10, John A Stewart 49-7, E R Payne 49-10, Mrs L M Bowdell 49-13, Mrs C Reif 49-23, Nancy Young 49-12, Alonzo Greenman 48-12, G V Vanderhoof 49-11, D Hutchinson 49-11, E A Collard 48-10, H A Mead 48-21, Cary Dryden 49-10, Lorenzo Lowery 49-13, R M Best 49-8, S W Harris 49-1, Wm B Mason 49-12, Wm Atkinson 49-9, J D Morton 49-10, Nancy Hiddleson 49-1, E Colby 49-9, G Newcomb 49-11, H G Locke 49-10, Mrs Mary Obrist 49-9, Judson Burton 49-9, Orin Tyler 49-9, E G Doud 49-9, M H Bates 49-7, Mrs Geo Stone 48-16, Francis M Davis 49-3, Jane C Hill 49-12, John Copeland 49-7, Eugene Lord 49-19, Lydia A Rader 49-11, Levi Felker 49-8, Samuel Weeks 48-1. $1.00 EACH. Mrs C C Williams 49-25, R House 50-8, Mrs G M Mower 49-19, Dan Newcombe 48-16, Mrs Parker Eaton 49-9, J M Jones 48-12, Julia A Psalman 49-9, S Martin 48-9, F A Buzzell 48-9, Mrs H M Bartlett 47-25, Eld S N Haskell 48-23, Mrs J Frost 48-9, Ruth Parker 48-11, N J Weber 48-12, Mathias Taggart 48-9, Rebecca Hines 48-9, Christian Fro 49-11, Joe Sanders 48-9, W M Dail 49-11, Mrs Nettie McGraw 49-9, John T Spencer 49-9, J F Louan 48-12, Mary Winslow 48-12, H C Davis 49-9, Danthia Mosier 49-9, Charles Dickenson 49-9, Robert Lacount 49-9, J Tillotson 49-12, Chas F Stevens 48-13, Jessie Tomlinson 48-9, Miles Carter 49-9, Nancy Chaplin 48-6, A G Wilbur 48-11, Nancy A Page 49-9, Miss Clara G Kidd 48-12, Mrs B M O Bryan 49-9, J L Rumery 48-9, Philip Wilbur 48-9, N C Wheeler 48-11, Joel Browning 49-9, Reuben B Will 49-12, T G Read 49-12, James Straight 49-11, Elisha Straight 49-11, David Trobbridge 49-11, F M Morrow 48-6, R C Ashley 49-12, R E Tefft 48-11, S N Kent 48-12, Lydia Brewster 49-16. MISCELLANEOUS. Thomas McKenzie 50c 47-22, F A Gillons 50c 48-9, Anna Mariah Edgerty 50c 48-9, J Philo 50c 47-24, Nancy P Gardner 50c 47-25, S C Conry 50c 47-25, Kate Griffin $1.50 49-9, John Chappel 1.50 49-9, J C Norton 1.50 49-9, Mrs A Wolfard 1.50 49-9, Anders Peterson 1.50 49-9, A Stailey 25c 49-13, J W Smith 1.20 49-19, Julia A Gifford 50c 48-1, C F Worthen 2.50 49-22, Lock Box 54 25c 47-24, Geo Sweetzer 1.75 47-1. A Droullar $1.00, John Ely 3.50, P H Greenwood 1.50, Miss C G Kidd 25c, A Hobbs 20c, Eliza Young 33c, E T Bedee 75c, Sam’l Hosford 25c, J E Shaffer 50c, G W Colcord 1.00, Daniel Ryan 3.50, Jennie Tenny 50c, S D Covey 1.00, J L Jordan 3.00, M E Karshner 50c, T B Rice 1.00, Richard Payne 50c, D E Wellman 2.50, J Medley 45c, August Magnuson 25c, Philinda Vosburgh 65c, Arvid E Johnson 75c, Thos Francis 50c, E D Hulbert 2c, E Van Deusen 10c, J H Bates 25c, I M Butte 50c, J D Shilling 25c, J P Hunt 25c, A Matteson 10c, Cary Dryden 25c, Anna Ralston 35c, B S Black 30c, Dan Newcomb 25c, L B Webber 25c, E Hurd 20c, Henry Asseln 1.50, J E Pasco 50c, B F Eaton 25c, Edi M Hatt 20c, John Bohler 30c, Mrs Wm Olmsted 15c, Wm E Allchin 3.50, Jennie R Richards 3.28, J D Morton 1.00, James J Cole 3.20, A W Hilliard 40c, M S Herring 25c, J P Pellette 60c, J W Smith 27c, W H Logan 2.62, Miss Emma Runk 7c, J P Logan 1.57, Albine Nielsen 10c, J H Fait 20c, John W Turner 1.00, Jacob Shilling 50c, J H Robinson 10c, Mrs E Truman 25c, D C Hunter 25c, Eli Wick 25, J M Galemore 25c, J A O’Bryan 25c, Mrs R B Hunt 35c, D M Carrighit 10c, Nancy Hiddleson 10c, Francis M Davis 3.00, Mary A Green 3.91, Adam Lauck 50c, John W Noble 85c, S S Smith 4.00, Mrs M Gilbert 10c, J C Sanders 1.30, F Walter 25c, P Farnsworth 1.00, L Kidder 25c, Rev A Hall 1.50, Lydia J Rader 25c, Levi Felker 2.00, A S Osborn 25c, C F Ageton 25c, Emma J Dean 10c, Andrew E King 20c, J Fream 10c, L K Minsell 10c, T S B Ruddick 3.00, Rev Father Gavazzi 70c, C B Osborn 50c, N Foster 15c. A G Swedburg $4.92, E L Trobgridge 1.25, Wm Evans 15.60, J B Nodry 12.38, John Atkinson 2.00. T W Luke $11.50, Mary A Green 4.34. J H Waggoner 75c, D M Canright $10.00, Maine T & M Society 45.83. Antrim (s. b.) $10.25, Monterey (s. b.) 60.00. J C T $1.00, James Stiles 5.00, A friend 2.00, L Brewster 4.25. Dist No 4 per J S Day $8.25. G W Colcord $10.00, Wm Herald 10.00.