J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH by John Norton Loughborough

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Nov 26, 1914

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

By John Norton Loughborough

The Second Advent Movement — No. 16

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

“Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest.” Jer. 31:21. If it was profitable that for the tribe of Ephraim to remember the special dealing of the Lord with them, and set up standards to mark special victories, it is just as important in this last great world-wide movement.

Those who first accepted the third angel’s message were mostly persons who had spent their all in the first and second messages. Brother Bates, who was the first to proclaim the third angel’s message, had $11,000 when he left the high seas; but in 1845, when he decided to publish a tract on the Sabbath question, he had only one shilling left. He moved out by faith; and as he took his copy to the printer and got his galley proofs, he received money through the mail, from unsolicited sources. In this way, on the day his book was completed, all the bills were paid. This experience, in the very start of the work, gave assurance that those who would move out by faith to proclaim the truth should see the way opened by the Lord.

After the disappointment in 1844, it needed independence to face the opposition. Independence is a good thing if it does not lead to stubbornness. Until the disappointed ones received the light on the third angel’s message, and the explanation of the past, they were in danger of imbibing errors. Some did this; and although they accepted the message and the Sabbath, they were anxious to promulgate their pet theories. Such a course caused confusion. The Lord gave some excellent instruction to Sister White, which led to the correction of the confusion. An account of this is given in “Early Writings.” Reference is there made to what the apostles did to guard the church from false teachers, and we are instructed that we should do the same; that those approved as teachers be recommended by leading ministers who are known to be sound in the faith. As a sample of what was done, I quote the writing given to me in 1853:—

“Brother Loughborough, of Rochester, N. Y., is one whom we recommend to the brethren where he may travel. “JOSEPH BATES, “JAMES WHITE, “Leading Ministers.”

The independent ones began to rebel. They said that taking such a course was “restraining their liberty;” that “every one should get his commission from the Lord,” etc. Up to this time our work had been almost exclusively to reach those who had been in the former movement, but suddenly a change came: In 1854 these independent ones drew off by themselves, got a second-hand press and type, and started a paper, claiming that they would get the gift of Mrs. White out of the way, and then the message would go with a loud cry, etc. Just then, under sanction of the Testimony, we secured a tent, and began tent meetings. What a sudden change! The people, by hundreds, crowded our tent to hear the truth preached. The message began to rise. We were counseled to give our whole time to the proclamation of the truth, and let the opposition party alone; that soon their paper would go down, and that then we should find that our ranks had doubled. When their paper started, there were about 1,000 Seventh-day Adventists. In 1856 their paper died for lack of support, and the Testimony was accurately fulfilled, there being then over 2,000 staunch Seventh-day Adventists.

As yet we had no financial system for sustaining the ministry. If any one felt disposed to give to the minister, he did so. If the minister lacked, he worked with his hands for sustenance. With the increasing public interest, it was important that the ministers give their whole time to the ministry. Just then came a Testimony saying that if the ministers would hold a Bible class on the subject, they would find that the Bible taught a complete system for sustaining the ministry. The study was conducted in Battle Creek, Mich., in April, 1858, by J. N. Andrews, and resulted in the establishment of the tithing system among this people.

About this time a Michigan farmer secured the laid-up second-hand press and type, and started a paper which he called the Hope of Israel. That paper, also, soon failed for lack of support. Meanwhile, the third angel’s message was making rapid strides.

Then arose the question with reference to the organization of our churches, and the formation of a legal organization for the holding of our publishing house and meetinghouses. It resulted, in 1861, in the organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, which held thereafter the title of the Review and Herald property. Next came instruction, through a Testimony, that the ministers and laymen in each State should meet for counsel respecting ministerial labor in the State. This resulted, in 1862, in the formation of State conferences, Michigan being the first to organize. Then came instruction in reference to harmonious action of the several States. This, in 1863, resulted in the formation of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

On June 3, 1863, the great vision on the health question was given to Sister White, at Otsego, Mich. This was followed by a grand effort by our ministers to teach these health principles to our people. It was not, however, the purpose of the Lord that this light should be simply for our people. In May, 1866, at the General Conference in Battle Creek, Mich., this instruction was given: “We must have a health institution of our own, for the treatment of disease.” In August of that year our first sanitarium [the Health Institute] was opened in Battle Creek, Mich. We were then told that people would accept the truth as the result of a sojourn at sanitariums, and this has been fulfilled in hundreds of cases.

Next came instruction that we must have schools of our own, where the Bible should be the standard of education, and the restoration of the image of God in the soul the goal to be attained. G. H. Bell, one of the first patients who accepted the truth at the Health Institute, opened such a school; and from this small beginning, guided by continuous instruction from the Testimonies, has come our present educational system, operating throughout the world.

In 1879 the attention of this people was called, by Testimony, to the matter of instructing canvassers to sell our publications in the homes of the people. As the result of the vast amount of instruction from the Testimonies, the canvassing work has become a mighty agent in extending the message. So, looking at all this which has been brought about

through the gift of prophecy as manifested through Sister White, we can say, Here is the fruit of a true gift. Surely it has been a mighty power in the building up of the church, and it must be “the testimony of Jesus” that was to be connected with the “remnant” church. Rev. 12: 17.

Lodi, Cal.