Your ShelfYour Projects

Review and Herald, Vol. 83, No. 50.

The Answering Voice
Earlier text: The Answering Voice

Sunday Law Defenders’ Arguments

IN an address to the grand jury of the Caddo (La.) parish, Judge Bell “impressed upon the minds of the grand jurors that along with other laws the Sunday law must be enforced.” In defending the constitutionality of such laws, Judge Bell said:—
If the object of this law were to compel the observance of Sunday as a religious institution, because it is the Christian sabbath, to be kept holy under the ordinances of the Christian religion, it would not receive the approval of our courts. Such a law would be violative of the constitutional prohibition. It would violate the religious liberty of the Christian, the Jew, and the infidel, none of whom can be compelled by law to comply with any merely religious observance. But the law in question makes no reference to Sunday as a religious holy day, and was not designed to enforce the Christian idea of the Sabbath, or to apply the rules of any religious sect to its observance.
The statute is to be judged as if it had selected Thursday or any day of the week other than Sunday, and its validity is not to be questioned because the legislature has chosen that day which the majority of our citizens, under the sanction of their religious faith, already voluntarily observe as a day of rest.
With such plausible reasoning do Sunday law defenders attempt to deceive themselves and the public. The simple fact is that those who demand these laws are avowedly opposed to the selection of any other day than Sunday as the day of rest for the working man, and are never satisfied with a law which secures to employees a cessation of labor one day in seven. This is the clearest proof that, however much it may be denied, there is after all a purpose to legislate in behalf of a religious observance. The same considerations which lead men as citizens to keep Sunday as the alleged Sabbath move them as legislators to pass laws requiring others to refrain from labor on that particular day. Such legislation is religious legislation.

The Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollar Fund

By J. S. Washburn

For Special Work at Home and Abroad

The $150,000 Fund

MANY of the friends of the work in the South send gifts without indicating whether their contribution is intended for the $150,000 fund, or for some other specific object. The following are the purposes for which the first $50,000 of the $150,000 fund are to be appropriated in the South: Nashville Sanitarium, $25,000; Huntsville Sanitarium, $5,000; Graysville Sanitarium, $1,500; Atlanta Sanitarium, $3,000; Graysville Academy, $2,000; The Watchman, $2,500. This statement has been published in the REVIEW and in The Watchman. This leaves $11,000 to be appropriated by the Southern Union Conference.
Any donations sent for these specific objects necessarily help to make up the $150,000 fund. But there are those of our friends who send donations, designating their gifts perhaps as follows: “The colored work,” “the Southern field,” “Southern work,” “work in the South,” “Oakwood School,” “Southern Training-school.” Some of these designations are not clear. We would be glad if every one would say definitely whether his donation is intended for the $150,000 fund or not.
It would seem that donations designated “the Southern field,” “Southern work,” “work in the South,” should be devoted to that fund, unless those who give intend them for evangelical work among the colored people, or the evangelical work among the white people. Then these gifts would not be a part of the $150,000 fund. Gifts for the “Southern Training-school,” it would seem, should also go into the $150,000 fund, unless they are for some specific object which the $150,000 fund does not cover.
The Oakwood School has burned down. Donations have been received for the rebuilding fund. It would seem that the givers did not intend that these donations should become a part of the $150,000 fund, but should be gifts outside of and in addition to that. When gifts are made for the work for the colored people, it would seem that the givers intend them for the ministerial or Bible work, or other branches of the evangelical work, which would not come under the $150,000 fund. During the summer a fund was raised for conducting tent-meetings and meetings in halls, etc., in the large cities. This would not be a part of the $150,000 fund.
When sending gifts, please state definitely just what is intended; otherwise it places the treasurer of the Southern Union Conference in a difficult position.
He is determined that every cent which is given by our good people shall be applied exactly as the giver intended. Therefore we appeal to all those who shall hereafter send donations, either through the regular channels or direct to the treasurer of the Southern Union Conference, to state exactly and definitely their intention. Is your gift for the $150,000 fund, or for some other definite and specific work in the South which does not receive benefit from this fund?
J. S. WASHBURN.

A Sign of a Short Work

By Arthur G. Daniells

I SOMETIMES wonder whether our people appreciate the full significance of the journeys our leading General Conference men are making to the uttermost parts of the earth. During the first half of the present year, Elder Spicer, the secretary of the General Conference, visited South America and Europe. At the same time Elder Evans, our treasurer, visited the West Indies. Just now, Elder Irwin, vice-president of the General Conference, is in Australia on his way to Africa; Elder Thompson, chairman of the Sabbath-school Department, is on his way to India; Prof. W. W. Prescott, a member of the General Conference Committee and editor of the REVIEW, is on his way to Japan and China, and Elder Spicer is in Mexico. The writer hopes to be able to visit Portugal, Spain, and Italy in the near future.
What does all this world-wide traveling mean? The distances are great, the expense is heavy, and the time required for the most of these visits ranges from six to eight months. Are these men off for recreation?—No, they are all very busy men, too heavily pressed with important work to take holiday trips. Have they gone to new fields to investigate conditions with the view of establishing missions later—No, this is not what has taken these men abroad.
These visits to all parts of the world are made in response to most pressing demands, and earnest, long-continued calls from the fields being visited. Brother Spicer’s visit to South America was a necessity. For many years a band of earnest, self-sacrificing missionaries had been toiling in that field. Hundreds of people had embraced the message, churches and conferences had been organized, and the educational, medical, and publishing work had been set on foot. The situation, the workers, and the people called for a visit from an officer of the General Conference Committee. Elder Spicer responded. He attended general meetings, met the workers and people, and joined them in organizing a South American Union Conference, and planning for a strong forward movement all through the field.
Precisely the same may be said regarding Elder Evans’s trip to the West Indies. Years of most earnest, patient, faithful labor had been given to the West Indies by a band of consecrated workers from the home land. Many had lost their health and ended their lives in that field. Three thousand believers had been raised up. The visit made by Brother Evans was a necessity. A West Indian Union Conference was organized, and plans were laid for a still larger and more progressive work in that field. In a few weeks Elder Evans, with others, will visit that field again to render still further assistance.
It has been twelve years since an officer of the General Conference Committee has visited Africa. During that time many changes have taken place. New missions have been established, conferences organized, and institutions set on foot. The officers of the South African Union Conference have steadily urged that a General Conference representative attend the biennial session of their conference to be held the first of January. Elder Irwin is on the way. After the conference he will visit the various centers of the field as far north on the eastern coast as Uganda. He will then proceed to Europe in time to attend the biennial council of the General Conference Committee to be held in Switzerland the latter part of May.
For a long time the workers in India have been calling for a visit from a member of the General Conference Committee. As Professor Shaw, the superintendent of the field, returns to India with a band of twelve or fifteen fresh workers, Elder Thompson is accompanying him to join in reorganizing the work and planning for advance moves. On his return he will visit Egypt, Syria, and Turkey in the Levant Mission field, arriving in Switzerland in time for the council.
The great needs of China, Japan, and Korea, and the marvelous developments that have taken place there, during the last two years press our missionaries to urge the General Conference officers to send a representative to join them in laying plans to meet the great and varied necessities of that field. Owing to the millions to be reached, the languages spoken, and the conditions that prevail in these countries, the task which our missionaries face is tremendous. Professor Prescott has been chosen by the General Conference officers to help them. He will visit all our mission stations in those countries, and then meet the missionaries in a general council either at Shanghai or Hankow. It is expected that Brother Prescott will be at the May council in Switzerland.
Thus it will be seen that these long, expensive, and, to some extent, perilous journeys are being made in response to the demands of this cause which is now firmly established, and is rapidly developing in all parts of the world. It has altogether outgrown the land of its birth. It is now a world-wide movement. Our plans, and labors, and councils can no longer be confined chiefly to the United States. Every continent, and country, and important nation must be reckoned with now. This is why our men of widest and ripest experience and bearing the greatest responsibilities in this cause must go to the remotest parts of the earth from time to time. We can not appreciate the conditions and needs of these fields nor render the help we should without visiting them and making personal investigations. The time and money spent in this way are by no means wasted.
After these extended visits to all these countries, the General Conference Committee will come together in Switzerland next May for a council, with a fund of information that will enable them to do intelligent, practical work in behalf of these great fields. Surely the conditions which demand such world-wide travel, investigation, and planning in order to keep up with this rapidly developing cause, should fill our hearts with gratitude and courage. These are the most encouraging and assuring evidences in the world that the end of all things is at hand. God’s last message is being given to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Showers of the “latter rain” are falling in all parts of the earth. The gospel is being finished. We shall see the end.
A. G. DANIELLS.

A Plan that Works

By Arthur G. Daniells

When it had been decided to call for $150,000, and we began to plan how to raise it, the conviction came clear and strong to us that instead of arranging for the effort to be made largely by some one at headquarters, the responsibility should be distributed in a reasonable, natural way among all who hold offices in all our conferences and churches. We believed that if every union and local conference and every church would put its shoulder under the load and lift in proportion to its strength as represented in membership and means, the $150,000 could and would be easily, quickly, and economically raised.
It was easy to propose a natural, equable basis of division of responsibility. The statistical records for 1905 show that our church-membership in the United States and Canada was 59,260. If each one of these members would pay $2.53, the $150,000 would be raised. Then why not ask every church to raise a sum equal to $2.53 for each of its members? True, some members might be unable to pay this amount, some might have moved away, and some might be unwilling to pay anything. On the other hand, some could easily pay many times $2.53, and on the whole each church could raise its share.
Our organization is such that all our believers are grouped together in churches, the churches are grouped into local conferences, and the local conferences are grouped into union conferences. Why not, then, distribute the responsibility among these union and local conferences and churches according to the membership of each? Why not arrange for every union and local conference committee, every band of church officers, and every minister and conference laborer connected with these organizations, to assume the responsibility of raising this fund? If all would take hold of this task earnestly and enthusiastically, could it not soon be disposed of?
It was decided to try this plan here at headquarters in the District of Columbia. The District executive committee accepted the responsibility of raising $2.53 for every church-member in the District. The report gave four hundred and sixty-seven members, which would mean $1,181.51 for the District. In looking the situation over, the committee saw plainly that some members would have to pay for others, but they believed that the District ought to raise its share.
Arrangements were made for a most excellent Thanksgiving service, and for the raising of the entire amount on the Sabbath following. The blessing of the Lord attended their efforts, and on that one day the whole amount for the District was provided for, and everybody was happy.

[[FIGURE]]

The officers of the churches adopted the following plan: They first ascertained the membership of their churches; then they placed on blackboards squares representing the members,—a square for each member. After explaining clearly the reasons for raising the $150,000, the importance of every one's doing his part, and showing how easily and quickly the whole amount would be raised if every member would simply pay the small sum of $2.53, they requested every member to take at least one square. They gave each person the privilege of paying his proportion at the rate of ten cents a day for every $2.53.
This proposition appeared plain, simple, and reasonable to the members. They took hold of the task, and when the meetings closed, a square had been taken for nearly every church-member in the District of Columbia. There were some members who were not present. These have since been solicited to take squares, and a number have done so. Thus the District of Columbia will contribute more than its membership quota. The officers are appointing persons to collect each week the amount due from all the members. In the Takoma Park church the Young People's Society will take the responsibility of this work.
And now what can be done in one church or district or conference can be done in almost all. It is certain that if the plan outlined above had been thought of and adopted by all our churches on December 1, nearly all of the $150,000 would have been provided for that day.
Perhaps our conferences and churches that have not raised their proportion of this fund may see light in this plan and adopt it when ready to act. It is certainly simple, direct, and workable.
A. G. DANIELLS.
GENERAL CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING. SEE PAGE 6
GENERAL CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING. SEE PAGE 6

East Michigan Raises Its Allotment

The president of the East Michigan Conference, Elder E. K. Slade, writes as follows:—
At a meeting of our executive committee, just held, a unanimous decision was reached to move out with this work and raise the proportion allotted to our conference, as quickly as possible.

MRS. E. G. WHITE

By Ellen G. White

The Work in Oakland and San Francisco — No. 3

MRS. E. G. WHITE

SABBATH afternoon, October 20, I felt impelled by the Spirit of God to appeal once more to our brethren and sisters living in Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, and San Francisco, to rise nobly to their high privileges, and fulfil the purpose that God desires to work through them. I spoke in the Oakland church, as follows:—
In the fifteenth of Romans the apostle Paul declares: “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”
Mark especially the words, “The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.” O, that these words might sink deep into the heart of every one who thinks he is doing God’s service while finding fault with others! This is the weakness, the besetting sin, of many in this congregation, and our great desire is that you shall get rid of this evil before the Lord gets rid of you. The reproaches with which we reproach the servants of the Lord, fall upon Christ himself.
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
We are to be Bible Christians. We are to study the Word, and to carry out this Word in every particular. Then we shall know that Christ Jesus is our efficiency, our healer, our strength, our front-guard and our rearward. Then we shall have the help and the power that God alone can give.
God desires that his commandment-keeping people shall stand on vantage-ground. He desires that they shall stand before him without fault. In order to do this, they must perfect holy characters through the merits of Christ. They must look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. As they become changed into his image, the salvation of God will be revealed through them, and unbelievers will be converted. Unbelievers will see and understand that God’s Word means something to those who claim to believe it.
“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.” Why? That we shall be of a great variety of minds?—O, no! The apostle exhorts you to be “likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”
What does this injunction entail?—It places us under obligation to God. It leaves us where we must understand that we are amenable to him alone. It leads us to realize that when the Holy Spirit is abiding in our hearts and working through us, we shall love one another, in the place of manifesting animosity toward one another.
My dear brethren and sisters, God is not pleased with a spirit of criticism and faultfinding. We must humble our hearts daily before God, and seek for a new conversion, that we may be brought into right relationship with Christ Jesus. Those who are striving to keep the commandments of God, ought to be in harmony, and to show a spirit of humility and love. God is not in any of the differences that are so apparent. He does not inspire words of faultfinding. He is now calling upon us to humble ourselves under the hand of the Almighty, in order that he may lift us up.
The apostle continues: “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.”
God’s people are to stand as lights in the world. They are to realize that upon them rests the solemn responsibility of reflecting rays of light upon the pathway of those who are not keeping the commandments of God. Christ himself has declared, “Ye are the light of the world.” We are to seek to be light-bearers. And when the light of divine truth shines forth with distinctness from the words and works of God’s children, will there be seen any quarreling, any backbiting, among the light-bearers? The world will see no dissension in the lives of those from whom the light of heaven is shed abroad. Brethren and sisters, as you let your light shine before men, they will “see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” As the result of these good works, an influence will go forth that will bring salvation to those who behold it. God desires us to keep our light constantly shining.
In the night season God has revealed to me the spiritual condition of the church-members living in Oakland and the near-by cities. A large standard was uplifted at a time when many were complaining and finding fault and speaking to the detriment of one another; and this standard was turned around until it appeared before them as a great looking-glass, from the face of which every one who looked saw reflected himself with all his faults and sins. The whole erring company, convicted of the sinfulness of their course, prostrated themselves before God, and immediately began to confess their own wrong-doing; and, O, what a scene of repentance and confession, there was! A most wonderful cleansing of the camp followed, and the mighty power of God was revealed.
I shall never be satisfied until just such an experience comes into the church here. We want to see the salvation of our God. We want the truth to go forth with mighty power; and why, O why, do we continue to stand in the way? Why do we grieve the Holy Spirit of God? Why do we put him to open shame, by carrying with us our selfish, unconverted dispositions, and yet all the while claiming to be Christians? God grant that every one of us may have clear eyesight to discern what we can do, by looking unto Jesus and by realizing how our course must appear in his sight, and how he must regard envy and strife. God help us to put away our individual defects of character. We want to see the power of God revealed in this community. If it were not for this, I should not leave my home and come down here to speak to you so often. But night after night I can not sleep more than a few hours; and often, in the hours of the night I find myself sitting up in bed, praying to God in behalf of those who do not realize their spiritual condition; and then I arise and walk the room, and say, O Lord, set thy people in order, before it shall be everlastingly too late!
At times during these seasons of intercession, when the burden rests heavily, my heart is drawn out with great longing, and the tears start from my eyes, and I wring my hands before God, because I know there are souls in peril in the churches at Oakland and near-by places,—souls who, in their condition of mind, know no more regarding how they stand before God than they would know had they never professed religion.
God desires that every one of us shall be susceptible to the influence of the Holy Spirit, by which we shall be fashioned into the likeness of the Divine. There remains now only a little while in which we can work to save our own souls and the souls of others; and all that God has given us should be cleansed and sanctified to his service. We should clear the King’s highway, in order that God’s messengers shall not be impeded as they try to advance. We should come into working order, and into perfect unity with one another. Let us, in tenderness, “admonish one another,” and seek to help one another. Let us pray with one another, and put away everything that would keep us from entering into and following that narrow path which leads to life everlasting.
O, that every soul would prostrate himself before God, yielding himself, unreservedly to him, and solemnly vowing that with Heaven’s help he will henceforth keep his lips from all guile; that he will keep the life sanctified; that in every word and act he will honor and glorify the Lord! If thorough work were done, what a missionary company we should have with which to work these cities! O, what numbers we could have to send into places where the people have never heard the third angel’s message!
As you engage heartily in this work, the converting power of God will be revealed. Your own hearts will be softened and subdued under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
There is a great work to be done, and many are unready to engage in sacred service. The judgments of God are soon coming upon all our cities, and I desire that we shall all be prepared. I greatly desire that we shall confess our sins, and be converted. If any of you desire to have your hearts softened and broken before God, it is best for you to clear the King’s highway this afternoon, without delay. Prepare the heart for the reception of the Holy Spirit, that it may have free course in the entire being. Open the door of the soul-temple, and let the Saviour in. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock,” he says. “If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
We ought to long with all the heart for a thorough reconversion, that the truth may be enthroned in heart and mind, and that, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, we may be prepared to present the third angel’s message before others who need it so much. Now is our opportunity. May God help us, that we may be converted.
Dear brethren and sisters, if there are any of you who desire to say anything this afternoon, be free to speak. Are you ready to rededicate yourselves to God? Christ is ready; he is waiting, watching, longing. Angels are in this room. Wicked angels are here, and holy angels are here. Which side shall gain the victory over your heart here to-day, my brother, my sister? These are the hours of the Sabbath; you can not spend them any better than by clearing the King’s highway. Remove the root of bitterness from your heart. Do not break off the top of it. Root it out, lest springing up again, many shall be defiled. You can not afford to be content with half-hearted work. Dig it out by the roots; and then God will help you to be reconverted.
As I spoke these and many like words to the brethren and sisters assembled, I felt the power of God thrilling me through and through. My talk was followed by a social meeting, and before the service closed, I offered a prayer to God for his converting power to rest upon those who are not yet prepared to co-operate with God and their brethren, in the special efforts now being put forth.
As we arose from prayer, the whole congregation united in singing one of my favorite hymns, “Jesus, Lover of my soul.” A deep solemnity seemed to pervade the entire assembly as the people separated to return to their homes. We hope for better days as the result of this meeting.

ELIZABETH B. ZACHARIASEN

By Elizabeth B. Zachariasen

Reaping

ELIZABETH B. ZACHARIASEN

While the years are swiftly passing, As we watch them come and go, Do we realize the maxim, “We must reap what’e’er we sow”?
When the past comes up before us, All our thoughts, our acts, and deeds, Shall they glean for us fair roses, Or a harvest bear of weeds?
Are we sowing seeds to blossom? We shall reap some day, somewhere, Just what here we have been sowing, Worthless weeds or roses fair.
All around us whispering ever, Hear the voice of nature speak, Teaching all the selfsame lesson, “As you sow so shall you reap.”

Lessons from Past Experiences

By GEO. O. STATES

—No. 10
GEO. O. STATES
As I attend our Sabbath-school at the present time, I often think of the advantages our children have over those of us who lived in the early days of our message. I shall always remember the first Sabbath-school I ever attended, and how the teacher simply took his Bible and opened to the chapter, and then explained verse after verse, and gave us all a chance to ask questions as we passed along. We did not have any of the helps we now have. The lessons brought out from the Word have always remained, and frequently when reading them over, my mind goes back to the days long ago.
It was very seldom in those early days that we had preaching, for we all believed the Lord was soon coming, and were anxious for the few messengers to put in their time in going into new places and giving the truth to those who had never heard it. Once in a great while we had a minister, and it was truly a feast for us to listen to the present truth.
To the best of my memory every Seventh-day Adventist always had family prayers night and morning, and especially at night all members of the family took part, and as the parents and children prayed for the messengers who were out in new fields, that the truth might be presented in its purity and search out the honest hearts, the Lord did certainly come near and greatly bless in our family devotions.
We expected nothing else than that as soon as the children were old enough, they would be baptized and unite with the church, and many of our active ministers of to-day are simply some of those children who grew up under those influences.
My heart has been made sad many times as I have visited churches in my own conference, where I have lived most of the time for over twenty years, to find, in some families, all the children that were brought up in the truth drifting into the world and making no profession of the truth. As I see these things, I can but believe there is a reason for it, and I know there must be a lack somewhere. The Lord’s people are spoken of as a “holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.”
Brethren, if our children are not in the truth, there certainly must be a reason, and we do well carefully and prayerfully to study what may have been that reason.
“We are living in an unfortunate age for children. A heavy current is setting downward to perdition, and more than childhood’s experience and strength is needed to stand against this current, and not be borne down by it.”
“Parents, help your children. Arouse from the lethargy which has been upon you. By earnest prayer and living faith, great victories will be gained. Some parents have not realized the responsibilities resting upon them, and have neglected the religious education of their children. In the morning the Christian’s first thoughts should be upon God. Worldly labor and self-interest should be secondary.”
This counsel was first given us over forty years ago, and it is certainly timely, for it is a fact that in many homes of those who profess this truth there is not so much time spent in prayer as there once was. If the downward influence was so strong over forty years ago, how must it be now when we are just that much nearer the coming of Christ? I know the timely counsel of my mother has had much to do in holding me in the hour of temptation, and as I think of the many earnest prayers in behalf of us children, I know that the hour of family worship has been a wall about my whole life. This is a duty that we as a people owe our children in this degenerate age.
Cedaredge, Colo.

How to Prepare to Begin Work

By W. H. Granger

Methods for Working Our Large Cities—No. 2

How to Prepare to Begin Work

W. H. GRANGER
In the Review of October 25, the word is given that “just at this time we must make special efforts to bring the truth before the people who live in our cities.” I do not believe this means a spasmodic effort, but an effort that will increase in intensity until the work is finished. The making of such an effort demands that the work in our cities be placed on a basis that will be equal to the task before us. This does not necessarily require that the present number of conference workers in our cities be largely increased, but rather that the talent already there be organized and put into active operation. This is a duty that belongs to the workers and church officers. They must be the leaders. Unless they do lead out in this work, but little can or will be accomplished. A lifeless church is a direct reflection on its leaders.
To attempt to preach life into a church is a waste of time. The only remedy is to enlist every member in active service. But those at the head of the work can not do this by saying and not doing. They must inspire the church to activity by their own example.
The first essential, therefore, in placing the work in our cities on a basis such as the Lord demands “just at this time,” is for the workers and church officers located in our cities to arouse themselves to the duties which confront them. Following this comes organization. If the church is large, I would advise that it be organized into companies of about twenty-five each, and that some good, energetic person be placed at the head of each company. The duty of these leaders would be, not only to be examples to their respective companies in leading out in the work, but to see that all the members of their company are kept actively engaged in some branch of the work to the extent of their time and ability.
Besides this, there should be a general officer whose duty would be to see that the leaders of the respective companies are faithful to their charge, and to receive from them itemized monthly reports of the work being done in their companies. The fourth Sabbath should be the day for rendering these reports, the aggregate of which should, in turn, be sent to the local conference paper for monthly publication.
The organization having thus been effected, the next question to be considered is methods of work. At this point I will consider only such methods as may be successfully carried on by the church, independent of conference workers. And for such, I believe house-to-house work with our literature, combined with personal instruction in the homes of the people, to be by far the best method: first, because the majority of people will gladly read literature on Bible topics if it is brought to them in the proper way; and second, all our people can engage in this kind of work (while but few are fitted to give personal Bible readings, all can hand literature to a few regular readers each week); and third, because in this way the truth can be taught to thousands of people to whom access could be had in no other way. And besides this, it enables us to reach a larger number of people in a shorter time than by any other method.
The literature to be used in this work must depend somewhat upon the choice of the individual. For my part, I believe the course of printed Bible lessons known as The Family Bible Teacher to be the ideal literature with which to open up the work. These lessons were prepared specially for house-to-house work, and are so arranged as to place before the readers, in consecutive order, the testing truths of the third angel’s message. Each lesson, while short and to the point, sets before the reader in clear and simple language the main facts on the subject. Another advantage is that they can be had in all the leading languages of the country—the English, German, Danish-Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, and are now being translated into the Italian and Portuguese languages. Furthermore, these lessons can be had through any of our tract societies at the extraordinarily cheap rate of two dollars a thousand, which is a very important feature, especially so where the lessons must needs be given away.
After organizing, it should then be determined just how many lessons each member will pledge himself to use. What each member can do depends largely on the amount of time he is willing to give to the work. If one can spend one hour each week in the work, he can handle at least twenty-five lessons a week. We usually visit on an average about thirty-five families an hour in our work. Some can not spend an hour each week in the work, but the majority can spend much more. But suppose a church of one hundred members were each to visit regularly each week an average of ten families, with the lessons—what a work! One thousand families would thus be reached with the message, each church-member spending on an average about fifteen minutes a week in actual work. Is there a church that can not do so little? I know that all can do much more when once aroused to duty. However, let each member weigh carefully what he is willing to begin with and patiently and persistently follow up; for remember that work with this course of printed lessons can not be done spasmodically. When once begun, it takes months to finish the course, there being twenty-eight lessons to be distributed to each reader.
In deciding this question, care will also need to be had lest some, on the inspiration of the moment, agree to do more than they afterward will do. Each should begin with no more than he is willing to finish. This, however, should not be taken as an excuse for doing practically nothing, but let each do his full duty. After one gets started, if he finds he can handle more readers, he can easily increase his class. But let no one forget that it is persistent and patient work that brings the desired results.
When the exact number of sets of lessons each member will use has been ascertained, the sum total can be ordered through the local tract society. In case the order is a large one, demanding a considerable outlay of money, the course of lessons may be ordered in two lots. For instance, in the first order the first fourteen lessons of the course may be secured. Then the second order for the last half of the course may be placed just in time so as to have them on hand when the first half of the course is exhausted. In placing large orders always order in package form, not in sets. A package contains one hundred lessons of a certain number; whereas a set contains the entire course from lesson No. 1 to lesson No. 28. The sets are put up in large envelopes, and cost seven cents each, or at the rate of $2.50 per one thousand lessons; whereas, by securing the lessons in bulk, or package form, the cost is $2 per one-thousand lessons. Those not acquainted with this course of lessons can secure a set of the same, post-paid, by sending ten cents to their tract society. The next article will tell how to take out a class of readers and follow up the work.
Columbus, Ohio.
Continue reading: H. J. FARMAN