p. 52 | SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 13, 1879

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND.

By John Norton Loughborough

Another week has passed, giving us still further opportunity to learn the situation, and to do a little missionary work. It has been the coldest week known in this part of England for thirty years, still we have been able to do something. We realize to some extent the importance of improving the time in our Master’s cause.

We find almost as great a variety of sects in England as in America, although they are of a different kind, and have different names. Some of these sects, near Southampton at least, seem to be passing through a state of fusion just at present, and some of their devoted members are specially interested in the present truth. There is much complaint in England of a lack of audiences at the churches; but the people say there is a lack of imparting instruction on the part of the ministers. The following, clipped from The Week, an English paper, will speak for itself:—

“Clergymen complain more and more of the tendency of the male portion of their flocks to absent themselves from church. This they attribute to a want of ‘spiritual-mindedness,’ whereas—painful as it is to say so—it is largely owing to their own want of sincerity or their incapacity. Men like Dean Stanley in the church or Mr. Spurgeon out of it have never lacked hearers. But men who cannot express what they have to say so that another person can understand it, who insult their hearers by repeating empty platitudes and foolish common-places, who cannot even read a chapter out of the Bible distinctly, who make mannerisms of the prayers, who treat religion as a plaything, and whose first and last thought is to trick themselves out in fine clothes so as to impress the ‘silly women’—what right have such persons to expect rational men to place themselves under their tuition? If religion suffers, is it not in too many cases through the direct or indirect acts of ministers of religion? Men will not go to church to listen to sermons which are beneath the level of schoolboys’ exercises, especially when the prayers are rendered unintelligible by reason of elaborate accompaniments and loud-mouthed choirs. This being the time of year for sermons, we would be glad if some of the preachers would ponder over the foregoing short discourse.”

During the past week, Bro. Ings has visited about two hundred and fifty families, and left tracts and papers with them. Among these he found another person, an intelligent lady, who had commenced the observance of the Sabbath as the result of reading, since his visits last summer. Last night we received a letter from a sister twelve miles away who had brought another into the truth by loaning her books and papers. The willingness of those who are embracing the truth, and of those who are interested but have not fully taken their stand with us to help us circulate tracts and papers, and to supply us with names of those who, they think, would be interested readers, is encouraging to us. There seems to be the greatest eagerness here to read the Signs, and it is pronounced by many the best and most instructive paper they ever saw. We are anxious to get the supply of papers we have ordered. It is a grief to us to have the people literally begging for them when we have none for them. One of our sisters loaned her Signs to a minister in Southampton, and his verdict was, “Those papers are marvelous.” Especially do the readers speak in the highest terms of Sister White’s articles in the papers, pronouncing them “wonderful.”

Last Sabbath, Jan. 11, we held our first Sabbath meeting in our own house, “Stanley Cottage.” It was a very bleak day, the coldest of the week, still a few came in. After a brief discourse upon the work of Christ, and the Way of Life picture, encouraging responses were made by those present.

There is much sickness in these parts, and several of the sisters who are keeping the Sabbath have large families to care for, and could not meet with us. We expect more next Sabbath, and as the weather gets more mild we hope for much larger Sabbath congregations. We shall do all we can to help those who are interested, and those who are taking their stand with us. We labor in hope, knowing that our “labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Our place of residence borders on the line of Shirley, which with its two villages, Old and New Shirley, contains six thousand inhabitants. Last Saturday evening we engaged the Shirley hall for two evenings per week. We regretted that we could not find a place to occupy on Sunday evenings, but we thought it better to hold meetings Monday and Wednesday evenings than not to hold any. The hall we have rented is one-half mile from our place of residence. It is a good hall near the center of New Shirley, with seating capacity for two hundred and fifty. We pay for the hall, heated, and well lighted with gas, $1.00 each evening. Next week we can have it three evenings, and we are in hopes to get in once in a while a Sunday evening discourse.

Monday evening, on short notice, we held our first meeting in the hall. Notwithstanding it was very dark, and so foggy that some lost their way in getting to the place of meeting, we had a fair audience, and marked attention was given as we spoke from Dan. 2. On Wednesday evening we had an increase in our audience, as well as an increase in the interest on the part of the people. We are forming some interesting acquaintances. Those who are keeping the Sabbath are becoming more and more settled in the truth.

We have gathered up nearly two hundred names during the past week for our T. and M. societies. We expect that some out of this number will obey the truth. We feel more and more need of daily help from God, that we may rightly perform our part in this last message of mercy, knowing that the Lord on his part is ready to bless when we come into a position where he can bless us.

Jan. 16. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.