p. 244 | EASTERN TOUR by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 17, 1868

EASTERN TOUR.

By James White

Returning from the West, we reached Battle Creek, Oct. 13th, and spent one week with Bro. Andrews in matters of importance relative to the Health Institute, the Publishing Association, the Battle Creek School, religious meetings, besides our own personal interests in book matters, house-building, and fitting up winter clothing. It was a busy week. The Health Institute is prospering. God’s blessing is there. The church is still settling into the work. And the prospect is very encouraging for the establishment of a good school at Battle Creek, where not only the sciences may be taught, but the principles and spirit of the religion of Jesus may be impressed upon the children and youth who may attend it. It is hoped that by the liberalities of all who feel an interest in the proper education of the youth, especially among us, this school may be established on so extensive a plan that our brethren in the several States may consider it an object to send their sons and daughters to it.

As a people it may not be as well to bestow all our liberalities upon one branch only of the work. Our business should be, by all proper means to save souls. All branches of this great and good work should share a portion of our attention, and our means. A good school to save our youth from wrong influence, and to bring them under correct and saving influences, is a branch of the work of no small importance.

We left Battle Creek in company with Bro. Andrews, the 21st, for the New York State Conference. This yearly meeting was unusually large, and was deeply interesting. The demand for books and tracts was great. Of several kinds, especially of the tracts, our supply was not one-fourth the demand. The twenty-five-cent packages containing fifteen of our best tracts, is just what is called for. At no meeting since the Wright camp-meeting have we had more than half enough to supply the demand. Neither have we been able to supply half the demand for the two tracts, Law and Gospel, and God’s Memorial. Our people are waking up everywhere to the important work of circulating tracts and books, and we shall do what we can toward furnishing them in the best possible form.

Sabbath, the 30th, and Nov. 1st, we enjoyed meetings with the friends in Western New York, assembled at Olcott. We needed rest. The labors of this meeting being lighter, and being surrounded with the best of friends, who love to lift with us in the cause, we enjoyed this meeting very much. And again the brethren came for books, and took nearly all my remaining poor assortment. Many books were called for which I could not furnish. As we were about to leave, one of the brethren handed me $53.75 which had been collected at the meeting for our benefit, which is with pleasure put into the benevolent fund, for the benefit of needy widows, orphans, and invalids.

At Rochester we parted, for the present, with our fellow-laborer, Eld. J. N. Andrews, and took the sleeping car, the evening of Nov. 3d, for Albany, and found rest and sleep. We took the train for Springfield at seven in the morning. In the seat behind us a gentleman was reading the Bible. The following conversation, in substance, ensued: “Are you an Adventist, sir?” “I am,” was the reply. “Why do you suppose I ask this question?” “Because it is not common for those who are not Adventists to read the Bible.” “Are you a minister?” “I am.” “Please give your name, sir.” “Grant.” “What! Elder Miles Grant of Boston? the editor of the World’s Crisis?” “The same.” After giving my name, and introducing Mrs. W., we conversed freely, and, perhaps, profitably, several hours till we reached Springfield, where we left the train for Boston, to come to Berlin, Conn. In the course of our conversation Eld. Grant remarked that he could unite with all Christians of whatever

name. He also made the excellent remark, that “nothing should be made a test of fellowship excepting that which is essential to salvation.” True! true! and this is virtually saying that whatever is essential to salvation should be regarded as a test of Christian fellowship.

Eld. G. finds his principal objection to Seventh-day Adventists in what he calls their exclusiveness. They cannot extend the hand of fellowship to those who do not observe the fourth commandment. Seventh-day Adventists believe it essential to salvation to keep all ten of the commandments. Consistent with their position, that the fourth commandment should be obeyed as sacredly as the other nine, they regard Sabbath-keeping essential to salvation; therefore, according to the principle laid down by Eld. G., they cannot fellowship those who violate the law of the Sabbath. If Sabbath-keeping is not essential to salvation, it is a sin for any class of men to agitate the unwelcome subject. If it is essential to salvation, Sabbath-keepers cannot extend the hand of Christian fellowship to those who persist, in the light of God’s word, in violating it.

Eld. G. said to me that he could not fellowship the murderer, the adulterer, and the thief. And why? Because the observance of the sixth, seventh, and eighth, commandments, is a Christian duty. Seventh-day Adventists cannot fellowship Sabbath-breakers, for the simple reason that they regard the observance of the fourth commandment to be a Christian duty. Eld. G. believes that the observance of nine of the ten commandments is a Christian duty; hence he cannot fellowship those who violate them. This is consistent. Seventh-day Adventists believe that in the decalogue there are ten distinct duties for the Christian, as well as the Jew; hence they cannot fellowship those who violate either of these ten precepts. This is just as consistent. The true issue upon this subject relates to the perpetuity of the Sabbath law. If we are correct in theory, we are right in not extending the hand of fellowship to those who, in the light of Heaven, trample upon the fourth commandment. If we are wrong in theory, we are wrong in position toward those who reject the Sabbath.

But wherein Seventh-day Adventists do not “speak the truth in love,” God pity and forgive them. Some have been rash. At an early stage in the Sabbath cause with us, severity marked the course of too many. What if they were tempted to rashness and severity by the wicked course of those who rose up in a bitter spirit to crush them? This was not a sufficient excuse for them to sin. Brethren, the Sabbath cause has suffered in our hands in consequence of the unchristian course of some who have spoken the truth, to say the least, with a want of love. God help us, as a people, to wipe this stain from the cause.

And while we hold the Sabbath a test of Christian fellowship, we do not cast off any one. We labor cheerfully and patiently for all. God tests the people by his truth. We will speak the truth of God in love, and let it do the condemning and testing. We condemn and cast off no man nor woman. We will follow the sinner, whether he be in, or out of, the church, with the voice of truth, until he go where we cannot reach him. We should be courteous and kind to even our bitterest enemies; yet he who blames us for not extending the hand of fellowship to those who break the Sabbath, while we regard Sabbath-keeping essential to salvation, blames us for doing right.

Eld. G. is a thorough health reformer. Our time, while passing over the road from Albany to Springfield, one hundred miles, was well filled with agreeable conversation, upon subjects of mutual interest.

We find Sr. Belden low with what appears to be quick consumption. We have held meetings with the few scattered ones, Sabbath and first-day. The cause is low, but there appeared some good signs of a reviving with some. We go from here to Maine, hoping to see of the work of God. JAMES WHITE. Berlin, Ct., Nov. 10, 1868.