Austria by J. WOLFGARTEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 8, 1909

Austria

By J. WOLFGARTEN

J. WOLFGARTEN

“The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” The readers of the REVIEW may be interested to know what progress the last message of mercy is making in this dark land. After we had organized our society during the latter part of December, 1907, we began in the early part of January of this year [1908] with our public lectures. There was a small attendance at first, but after a while it became larger, until an average of fifty or sixty friends and enemies were present. The Lord ever held his protecting hand over us; and “if God be for us, who can be against us?” Up to the end of September, we were permitted to baptize fifteen souls. Several others are preparing to be baptized sometime during the coming November [1908]. Brother F. Gruber assisted me in the work.

The last of June I visited Gratz, the capital of Styria. This city has over one hundred fifty thousand inhabitants. We have here six believers in the present truth. I made some preparations for the work we were to undertake during the autumn. While in Gratz, the riots of 1890, the students took place. Late in the evening, the students seeking for liberty, protested in a street gathering against the attacks and encroachments of the clerical faction.

On July 2 I was permitted to baptize a dear soul in the Danube. This sister had previously heard the truth in Germany. Linz is the capital of Upper Austria, and has more than eighty thousand inhabitants. The sister who was baptized is the only Adventist in that province.

In the newly built cathedral at Linz, there is a statue of St. Peter, with the following inscription: “This statue of the holy Peter is of the same shape and size as the one that comes down to us from the fifth century and is venerated in St. Peter’s at Rome. Pope Pius IX, in a brief of May 15, 1857, granted an indulgence of fifty days to all who devoutly kissed the foot of this statue of St. Peter, and prayed for the unity of the Christian princes, and for the extirpation of heresies, and for the exaltation of the holy church. Pope Leo XIII granted a similar indulgence on April 24, 1890, for all times to come, to the believers who venerated the statue of the holy Peter in the cathedral at Linz in the same way.”

Soon the day must come when a better gospel will be preached in this city, where Catholicism reigns supreme, in order that the upright in heart may be led out. Brethren, remember in your prayers the work that must be done in these dark places; for the “effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

At present I am holding lectures in Gratz, which are well attended, but I will give a report of these later on.

Please send the Hausfreund to your relatives and acquaintances, your friends and enemies, in this country, and let us have their addresses if we are to look them up.