Review and Herald, Vol. 29, No. 24.
OUR PRESENT POSITION, In the Waiting, Tarrying TimePage 1
Earlier text: MEETING OF THE HEALTH REFORM INSTITUTESEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING
By G. W. Amadon; J. M. Aldrich
Of the Seventh-Day Adventist Pub. Association. Pursuant to notice given in the Review, the seventh annual meeting of the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association was held in Battle Creek, Mich., May 16, 1867. Present all the officers of the Association. By request of the President, the Vice President, G. W. Amadon, was called to the chair. Meeting opened with prayer by Eld. James White. The roll was then called. Members present, 46, representing 110 shares. Minutes of last meeting read and approved. The Treasurer’s report being in order, the following report with the Auditor’s certificate attached was read and approved. Cash on hand May 1, 1866, $2279,61 |
|
|---|
| On Review and Herald, |
$6675,32 |
| “ Youth’s Instructor, |
647,15 |
| “ Office Sales, |
2606,40 |
| “ Accounts and Deposits, |
64922,07 |
| “ Donations, |
2440,11 |
| “ Shares, |
330,00 |
| “ Job Work, |
2033,96 |
| “ Mich. Conf. Fund, |
4813,53 |
| “ General Conf. Fund, |
2218,46 |
|
$86776,00 |
|
|
|---|
| On Deposit, |
$66010,53 |
| “ Paper, Books, &c., |
4593,31 |
| “ Office Labor, |
6819,83 |
| “ Materials and Office Fixtures, |
1637,91 |
| “ Wood and Incidentals, |
792,98 |
| “ Real Estate, |
365,55 |
| “ Mich. Conf. Fund, |
3569,81 |
| “ Gen. Conf. Fund, |
3625,79 |
Cash on hand to balance, May 1, 1867, $1639,90 |
|
|---|
| Total value of the property of the Association as per invoice, |
$30830,37 |
| Amt. due Assoc’n. on Book acct., |
17946,61 |
| Cash on hand, May 1, 1867, |
1639,90 |
|
$50416,88 |
Association owes as follows: |
|
|---|
| On Notes, |
$3235,00 |
| “ Deposits, |
10426,45 |
| “ General Conf. Fund, |
632,92 |
| “ Mich. Conf. Fund, |
3453,90 |
|
$17748,27 |
Assets after all debts are paid, $32668,61 I hereby certify that I have carefully examined the books and accounts of the S. D. A. Publishing Association, and find them correctly kept; and that the above Report of the Treasurer shows a correct statement of the financial condition of the Association, according to my best knowledge and belief. Given this 14th day of May, A. D. 1867. The general business of the Association was then introduced by the Secretary, in a written statement of the business to come before the meeting, viz.: - Election of Officers.
- Election of Editors.
- Compensation of Auditor.
- Salaries of President, Editors, Secretary, and Treasurer.
- Amendment of Constitution as proposed in Review when notice of the meeting was given.
Business was then called up by written resolutions for discussion and action. On motion of J. N. Loughborough it was Resolved, That we nominate all the officers at one balloting. The following persons were then duly nominated and elected to fill the offices of the Association for the ensuing year, viz.: For President, J. M. Aldrich; Vice President, G. W. Amadon; Secretary, E. S. Walker; Auditor, D. M. Canright; Committee on Publication, U. Smith, J. M. Aldrich, and J. N. Loughborough. On motion of J. H. Waggoner, Resolved, That Uriah Smith be elected Editor of the Review. Also, by the same, Resolved, That Geo. W. Amadon be elected as Editor of the Youth’s Instructor. On motion of J. N. Andrews, Resolved, That the Association pay the President, and Editor of the Review $18.00 per week for their services the coming year. Resolved, That the Secretary, Treasurer, and Editor of the Youth’s Instructor receive such sums as shall be decided by the Trustees to be adequate to their labors. Resolved, That the Auditor be paid $12.00 per week for the time spent in Auditing the Accounts of the Association. On motion of J. N. Loughborough, Resolved, That Art. xii, Sec. 1, be amended as heretofore proposed in Review, so as to read as follows: “Art. xii, Sec. 1. These by-laws may be amended, repealed, or added to, at any meeting of the Association, by a vote of three-fourths of the members present.” Bro. Loughborough then proposed the following additional amendments, viz.: Art. ii, Sec. 1. After the word “Trustees,” in the fifth line, insert, “and they shall have the general supervision and management of all the affairs of the Association.” Sec. 2. After the word “chairman,” in the third line of the section, strike out the remainder of the section. Sec. 5. Strike out Section 5. Sec. 8. In next to the last line of Sec. 8 strike out the word “semi.” Art. ix, Sec. 9, strike out all after the first line, and insert “certified by the elder or clerk of the church to which such person belongs, and in case the person desiring to vote by proxy is not a member of any regularly organized church, then an acknowledgment of the aforesaid writing before any Seventh-day Adventist minister in good standing with the body, or before any Justice of the Peace shall be sufficient to qualify the member to whom said writing is sent, or given, to vote as proxy.” Art. VII, amend by adding Sec. 2 as follows: “A majority of the Trustees convened according to Art. V, Sec. 4, shall constitute a quorum.” Art. V, amend by adding Sec. 4. A meeting of the Trustees may be called at any time by a written notice signed by the President, or by two of the Trustees, and actually served upon such Trustees as are accessible, provided always that a majority of the board are notified. Art. II, between Secs. 11 and 12, insert the following section: “The Trustees of this Association for the time being shall have power to fill any vacancy which may happen in their board, by death, resignation, or otherwise, for the remainder of the current year.” Resolved, That the amendments be adopted as proposed. The following resolution respecting the Youth’s Instructor was then passed: Whereas, We have been requested by the Gen. Conference to issue the Instructor once in two weeks, and Whereas, We are satisfied that its semi-monthly issue is demanded, therefore Resolved, That as soon as practicable the Instructor shall be issued every alternate week. Resolved, That the price of the Semi-monthly Youth’s Instructor be 50 cts. per year. On motion of J. N. Andrews, Resolved, That we express our approval of the recent enlargement of the Review, and our decided conviction that a further enlargement is demanded to meet the wants of the cause. Resolved, That we invite the free-will offerings of our brethren every where to meet the increased expenses of the Review, and the issuing of the Instructor once in two weeks. Resolved, That a form of request to the Publishing Association be inserted as standing matter in the publication department of the Review. Meeting adjourned to the call of the Trustees. G. W. AMADON, Vice President. J. M. ALDRICH, Secretary. The Sabbath of the Seventh-Day Baptists
By A. H. Lewis
From the N. Y. Independent. The Sabbath of the Seventh-Day Baptists.
To the Editor of the Independent: An article, entitled “German-American,” by Rev. Robert M. Hatfield, in the Independent of April 18, 1867, demands a brief notice. Speaking of the Sunday, he says: “The Puritan Sabbath is as effete as the German Sabbath is revolutionary. You can neither re-establish the one nor defend the other. Why not then restate this Sunday question from the New Testament standpoint, rather than from the Old; from Christ’s first day, rather than from Moses’ seventh? No one observes Moses’ Sabbath. Had we not better give it up, and make sure of Christ’s?” I agree that the “Puritan Sabbath” is a thing of the past. It can never regain the power and place which it has lost. I know that the German Sabbath is “revolutionary.” It is more. It is unscriptural. It is a breeder of immorality and vice; of religious dearth, decay, and death. Nor is it less evident that the “Anglo-American Sabbath”—a compromise between the German and the Puritan—is only a temporary effort to save a part of the one and avoid the legitimate results of the other. It, too, must be as ephemeral as it is unscriptural. But I have taken my pen mainly to ask your correspondent to be more exact and just in his statements concerning what he is pleased to call “Moses’ Sabbath.” He says, “No one observes Moses’ Sabbath.” I have the honor to belong to a denomination of Christians who observe and labor to defend the “Sabbath of the Lord,” the seventh-day of the week. Their present denominational organization was developed contemporary with the Puritan movement of the sixteenth century, in England. Their organization in America dates from the year 1671, since which time there has been a slow but steady growth. The early Seventh-day Baptists of Europe reach back through the convulsions of the Reformation, and link with the Sabbath-keeping Dissenters of Ante-Reformation times, and so back to Christ himself. It is a most patent fact in history that the Sabbath was observed in nearly all parts of the early Church for from three to five hundred years after Christ, and was only driven out by civil and ecclesiastico-civil enactments; while those branches of the church in Africa and Asia which have never been subject to the Papacy, observe the Sabbath to this day. If we are unknown to your correspondent, because we are not of modern origin, he ought not to forget that the Seventh-day Adventists—a body entirely distinct from ourselves, but earnest defenders of the Sabbath—have been developed within the last twenty-five years, and now number, in our own country, half as many thousand communicants as they are years old. We are not anxious to be known simply as Seventh-day Baptists. But, in these times, when men are pleading for other Sabbaths and for “no Sabbaths,” for other laws and for “no laws,” we desire to be known as observers of God’s Sabbath and defenders of his law. The rationalism of Germany, the infidelity of France, and the ritualism of England, are fruits we pray may not be reproduced in America. Hence, we plead for the supremacy of God’s eternal laws, as the only safeguard against such results, believing that the American Church must soon choose licentious no lawism, and debasing no Sabbathism, or accept the truth that all God’s laws in the decalogue are unchangeable and binding in all times, upon all peoples. Trusting that you will deem this correction worthy a place in your columns, I remain, Yours truly, A. H. LEWIS. Pastor of the Seventh-day Baptist church, New York City. HENRY Ward Beecher thus speaks of the dens of evil with which our cities are more or less infested, and the secret source of their strength and existence. It is not very flattering to some church members. “There are haunts of thieves throughout the cities without which robbery would almost be paralyzed. They are known; vigilant eyes have watched them; there is no doubt in respect to their character; and yet the robberies go on because these places are often all secretly maintained in the interest of capitalists. “There are dens of orgies. Nothing this side of hell can equal multitudes of these places. We do not need to go to Vesuvius to see volcanoes. We have them all around us, in spite of the police, and the common sense of the community; and it is only because capitalists have an interest in them. They may not be known. You can not tell by the way a tree looks where its roots are sucking sap from. There is many a man that wears clean linen, and has good associations, and appears regularly at the house of God, and sits down at the communion table, and munches the bread, and drinks the wine, and seems to be a Christian man, who, if you follow down his roots, you will find to be sucking sap out of the common sewers. And these dens are kept open and are sustained in spite of law and public sentiment, because capital is interested in them and is at the bottom of them.” Prejudice Compared to Rats and Traps
PREJUDICES are like rats, and a man's mind like a trap; they get in easily, and then perhaps can't get out at all. THIS WEEK'S REPORTS.
By Editor
In this number will be found extended reports of the various meetings that have been held during Conference week. In two respects, at least, the Conference just closed has surpassed any ever before held by us; namely, in the numbers in attendance, and the amount of business transacted. An idea of this, exceeding by nearly two-thirds the business of any previous meeting, may be gathered from the published proceedings. This made the week of the meetings and indeed a number of weeks previous, a period of severe taxation and labor for those upon whom the burden of these matters has rested. But their hearts were cheered by the interest manifested on the part of the brethren assembled in the discussion of the various steps proposed for the advancement of the cause, and the perfect unanimity of sentiment that prevailed in the action taken on the same. We call the attention of the reader to the resolutions passed by the General Conference. These resolutions were not prepared without intense study, anxiety and prayer; and they should not be merely perused in a hasty manner, and then laid aside and forgotten. We firmly believe that individuals and churches will enjoy spiritual prosperity in proportion as they carry out these resolutions. Hence they should be studied till thoroughly understood and firmly fixed in the memory; and then our efforts should be earnestly and unwaveringly directed to living them out. The resolution in reference to the humiliation that now becomes us in view of our past self-glorying and vanity over God's gracious dealings with us, was not passed merely by the General and Michigan Conferences in their business capacity; but on Sabbath morning while the house and gallery were crowded with a promiscuous assemblage of Sabbath-keepers, the resolution was read from the desk by Bro. White, and after some feeling and pointed remarks by him on the subject, the whole congregation gave it a hearty adoption by a rising vote. Then all bowed down and joined with him in a fervent prayer of penitence, confession, and supplication for God to forgive our wrongs, and remove his just displeasure from us. This was a point of most intense and thrilling interest and solemnity; and we trust the impression it produced will not soon fade from the minds of those who were present on the occasion. On first-day morning, in the general congregation the following resolutions were also passed. “Resolved, That we unite with Bro. White in the confession of our sin as a people, and that we pledge ourselves to continue in earnest prayer that the Lord against whom we have sinned, may speedily remove his hand from us, and turn again our captivity.” “Resolved, That we appreciate the faithful and untiring labors of Bro. and sister White in the past history of this cause, and that we earnestly desire that Bro. White may be raised up to labor anew in the solemn work of preparing a people for the judgment of the great day.” There were fifteen ministers at the meeting. Bro. White spoke twice, sister White three times. In addition to this we had seven discourses, one each by Bro. Sanborn, Fuller, Bourdeau, Waggoner, Van Horn, Canright and Andrews. Prayer meeting each morning, commencing with Wednesday. The meeting house was finished in good time for the meeting, and served its purpose well, there being but few, even on Sabbath and Sunday, the days of the largest gatherings, who could not find seats inside the doors. It is estimated that on Sabbath there were as many as eight hundred persons in the house. It could safely be put at over seven. All seemed to enjoy the meetings much; and the remarks, What good meetings! What important and fitting instruction for this time! passed from lip to lip. The ministers felt the burden of the work, and gave their solemn words of instruction, counsel and exhortation as those that must give an account. The spirit that pervaded the meeting affords great ground of encouragement for the future. To retrace our steps in humiliation and contrition, wherein we see that we have erred from the right path, is the sure way and only way to secure a return of God's blessed favor. The meeting has closed leaving a most encouraging impression upon all hearts so far as we have learned. Especially is this the case with the ministers. This results not from any excitement or strong flights of feeling, but from the evidence of a deep and genuine work of reform going on among us, and from the evident tokens that God is still leading his people. Hence though we are in the perils of the last days, and there is a shaking and testing time still before the church, our feelings for the future are confident and hopeful. We thank our brethren and sisters, for so many of them favoring us with their presence at this meeting; and we trust that the good they received will more than compensate them for their sacrifice in attending. We believe a good influence will go forth, and the cause take a new start from this great convocation of the faithful, waiting, ones. THE CONFERENCE.
By James White
The General Conference just passed has been the very best we ever attended. The large house of worship was crowded to its utmost capacity during Sabbath and first-day. As we had become weary in journeying to the place of meeting and getting ready to move, and had a house full of brethren, and many kindly calling upon us, we felt excused from preaching before those more able. But as the way was opened we spoke at nine both Sabbath and first-day, upon the coming of the Lord, and felt much as we used to feel upon such occasions. The resolution relative to our exaltation as a people in consequence of God's signal answer to our prayers in relieving our country from the terrible war, was an unspeakable relief to our feelings, as we felt that we were the most guilty of the wrongs expressed in that resolution. And as we bowed with that large audience to confess our sins and implore the removal of the afflicting hand of God, we all wept together, and felt that God did answer our united prayers. We also enjoyed a precious season of prayer at our dwelling with Brn. Andrews, Bourdeau and Pierce. This was the best day we had seen for twenty-one months. The room seemed filled with holy angels. It would not be proper for us to narrate all the particulars of the touching acts of kindness of our brethren in doing all in their power to relieve our feelings. It is enough to say that we leave with feelings of strong regard and fullest union with the members of this church, and all the brethren who composed the great convocation. With new courage and hope we enter the field of labor to do what we can as the way opens, and God gives strength. Brethren pray for us. We shall be very happy to hear from you at Greenville, Montcalm Co., Mich. JAMES WHITE. Battle Creek, May 23, 1867. OUR CONFERENCE.
By J. H. Waggoner
The Conference, looked for with such anxiety, prayed for so much, is past; and all true friends of the cause are doubtless gratified with the result. This was the largest Conference of S. D. Adventists that has ever assembled, and the amount of business done was much larger than on any former occasion; but the utmost harmony prevailed. Indeed, in this respect, we think it could not have been much improved. The amount of business was so large, that most of the time was employed in its transaction, and the labors of some were extremely exhausting. The large house of worship was literally packed sometimes; and we rejoiced that God had so prospered us; and brought so many together, and given us such pleasant surroundings in which to worship and serve him. But we trust that no one feels like boasting of our house, our numbers, or our labors. No; the expressed desire of the whole assemblage was to humble themselves before God, and to seek more of his Spirit and grace, and a renewal of his blessing. In this respect our work was not done at the Conference, but only begun; and if we do not carry out our vows “by patient continuance in well doing,” we shall feel more than ever the displeasure of a just God, who is no respecter of persons. But while we endeavor to humble ourselves before God, we may rest assured that Satan will not humble himself nor cease in his efforts to hinder or destroy the work so providentially commenced. There is always danger of sinking into carnal security and lukewarmness after an earnest effort toward reform. Our minds are in danger of reaction; we grow “weary in well doing;” we do not “watch unto prayer;” and feel strong in our resolutions. But good resolutions have no saving power, and they who lean upon them for support will stumble and fall. We have had some humiliating experiences in relation to our Conference gatherings in the past. Many instead of seeking mercy of God and drinking more deeply into the spirit of the work, have gone up like the ten spies to Canaan; indifferent about the rich fruit provided for them, but thinking only of the giants in their way; and returning with an evil report. I well remember at one of the earliest Conferences in the place, while Bro. White was scarcely comfortable in his new home, some persons with a certain sort of zeal, took an inventory of his household goods, and retailed the news along their way home, and thereby scattered distrust and darkness in their track. For this there was no occasion; the difficulty and darkness all originated in their own hearts. And so it has been ever since. People often misjudge the reason and motive of such proceedings. Trace back the history of man and we find that their ignorance and trials have sprung from hardness of heart; though the order is too often reversed, and we excuse the wrong on account of ignorance or trying circumstances, “Be not deceived.” Caleb and Joshua saw no better fruit in Canaan than the other spies; they saw as many giants, and as large; so the difference in their report was not based on a difference of facts or circumstances, but solely because, as the record says, “they had another spirit.” The worst evil that has, perhaps, ever followed a Conference, sprung, as its originator publicly confessed, from a year’s lukewarmness and darkness before coming to Conference. It would be too much to expect, or even hope that there will be no fault-finding, no evil reports to follow this Conference. Satan is not idle. But we exhort the fault finders and grumblers to stop awhile and examine the state of their own hearts; and we would remind them that we have never found the spiritual minded and devoted engaged in such a work; and where we find such fruit we do not expect to find the tender spirit of this holy message. May the Lord give wisdom to profit by our blessings. Battle Creek, May 22, 1867. AN EXPRESSION
By G. W. Amadon; Uriah Smith
Of the Battle Creek Church to Bro. and Sister White. At a meeting, Tuesday evening, May 21, the church here deemed it a privilege to give to Bro. and sister White, on the occasion of their leaving for Greenville, an expression of their confidence and sympathy in the following preamble and resolution: Whereas, In view of their worn condition, brother and sister White feel it their duty to retire from the center of the work, and settle for the present among our esteemed brethren in the counties of Montcalm and Ionia, where they may find rest; and Whereas, Their arduous labors among us have greatly endeared them to us as the servants of Christ, Resolved, That we would express our deepest sympathy for them in their afflictions, and our regret at their leaving us. And we pledge our best wishes and prayers to follow them to their new field. In behalf of the church at Battle Creek, Mich. G. W. AMADON, } Elders.
U. SMITH, NOTE FROM BRO. TAYLOR.
By C. O. Taylor
Our Sabbath meeting of May 11, has just closed. The church observed the fast as a general thing. Some did not get the paper. This is often a difficulty with appointments in the paper, for the following Sabbaths. Some live at a distance from the office. With others the paper does not come in till after the Sabbath. Thus an appointment for the Sabbath after or following the day on which the paper is struck off is lost to them. The blessing of the Lord was on the effort of the church here. A large measure of the Spirit was in our hearts. This church is coming up to the help of the Lord. I spoke to them on the importance, the object, the necessity, and example of fasting, reading, remarking on, and enforcing Bro. Andrew's article in Review No. 22. Adams' Center, N. Y., May 11, 1867.