MISSOURI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 24, 1879

Salisbury.—Since my last report we have had lively times in Salisbury. Dr. Jacob Ditzler, “the eminent divine,” as his bills have it, has been here, and has preached four discourses against the views held by Adventists, and one against infidelity, to large congregations. Dr. D. has a high reputation as a debater and a scholar. He is a minister of the M. E. Church South, and has traveled extensively in Europe. He lectures on infidelity in the large cities of the South, and has debated with Underwood the infidel, as well as with the most prominent debaters of the Disciple Church. He held one debate in Louisville, Ky., lasting twenty-one days, and is a sort of champion of his church, to go here and there to meet opposers. He is said to understand many languages, and has a library of many rare books. He is a shrewd, keen, foxy man, and a rapid, forcible speaker. He is not at all lacking in assurance, and in estimation of his own abilities. He throws all his might into his speaking, and makes very positive assertions. On the whole, I have never seen a more able opponent of the truth, nor hardly his equal.

He spoke the first evening on the condition of man in death. His discourse seemed quite commonplace and tame, and he did not do nearly as well as the people expected him to do, and the comments of the people were generally unfavorable. They were much disappointed. The next evening he took up the Sabbath question. For some reason he seemed like an entirely different man. His discourse made a powerful impression. His argument from the Scriptures was not strong at all; but he managed the matter so shrewdly, and brought in his appeals to the prejudices and feelings of the majority of his audience in such a cunning and forcible way, that it seemed as though he would sweep everything before him for a time. It was wonderful how he managed it, though our warmest friends were disgusted with the unfairness of his course, and the cool-headed, candid people saw through it all. His Scriptural argument was not at all hard to answer. He claimed that the Sabbath was first given to man as recorded in Ex. 16; that the original commandment was given in Deut. 5:15: “Remember that thou wast a servant in Egypt,” etc.; that the Sabbath was wholly Jewish, a sign between God and the Jews; that the Sabbath was not only a memorial of deliverance from Egypt, but a type of future rest; that it was enforced by the death penalty, and hence not to be a Sabbath in the Christian dispensation; and that any day of the week might be a Sabbath if God chose to make it one, and as proof he referred to the annual sabbaths mentioned in Lev. 23.

He took up the New Testament, and tried to show that everything typical and shadowy was done away, quoting Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14–16; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 9:10, and claiming that the Sabbath of the Lord belonged to these, though he did not say the ten commandments were done away, but claimed that the Sabbath was. He brought up the usual first-day texts, but handled them very mildly, making strong assertions of what he had shown, instead of giving the proof. Then he made a bitter attack on Bro. Andrews’ History of the Sabbath, and tried to show that it was unfair, repeating a sentence or two here and there, and making comments of a contemptuous character. His arguments would mislead those who were not informed, but no others.

His great effort was to belittle our efforts and issues, and to make them appear to be of small consequence in comparison with the work the churches were doing. He would have us fight infidelity, whisky, and crime of all kinds, which were so alarmingly on the increase, and save souls, instead of giving our attention to these “visionary” matters, and disturbing the efforts of the faithful churches, that were trying to do their utmost to save souls. He could not “come down” to such little themes. When he had his audience worked up to a high pitch, he illustrated our work by a man whose house was full of rattlesnakes, but who, instead of trying to kill them, went to hunting roaches, bed-bugs, etc., acting it out in a manner to fill his prejudiced hearers with great delight. It seemed to me like a mighty effort of Satan to ride over us, and sweep the board. It was something wonderful, though miserably unjust, and out of place in the pulpit. He spoke nearly one and one-half hours. He also spoke on the Sabbath question Sunday forenoon, and on the punishment of the wicked he gave one discourse. On the whole, he managed his case very shrewdly. Monday we got out handbills for a review. We could not get a church, the prejudice was so

strong, but we had a crowded hall. I reviewed both of his discourses on the Sabbath question in one discourse, and spoke over two hours. If ever God helped me to expose error and show up a man, he did in this case. Many prominent citizens were present, and the resident Methodist minister and a Presbyterian minister. We had a most triumphant victory. Outsiders and bitter opposers admitted it, and our cause stands higher than ever in Salisbury. The Methodist minister had stated to several that if I reviewed these discourses they should challenge me to debate, and Mr. Ditzler intimated nearly as much from the stand, but we have heard nothing more about it since my review of him. I gave three discourses in review on the Sabbath, the sleep of the dead, and future punishment. Our friends are stronger than ever, and others are interested. Eld. Berry, Baptist, commences a series of discourses on these points next Tuesday evening. Bro. Hollenbeck will stay, and follow him up.

Seventeen persons have signed the covenant, part of whom were keeping the Sabbath before. There are from fifteen to twenty more who are “almost persuaded,” and some are keeping the Sabbath, at least partially. I shall be disappointed if there are not as many as thirty Sabbath-keepers here in a few weeks; but while our opponents are making these attacks, and debates are threatened, they put off the final decision. But they are very friendly. They have given nearly $25 toward our expenses, and their sympathies are with us very warmly. I was never before in a course of lectures where it seemed that Satan disputed every inch of ground as he has done in Salisbury; but I believe God will give the victory. In this attack I realized more fully than ever before how Satan, in the near future, will bring to bear against the truth the great men, the learned, and the talented; but the Lord can use the weak things to confound them. His truth is mighty, and will prevail. GEO. L. BUTLER.

Henry Co., April 16.—The most of the time since about the last of March I have been preaching at Bee Branch school-house, in the northwest corner of Henry county. I have given forty-three discourses, and eleven have signed the covenant to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Others are fully convinced of the truthfulness of our positions. I obtained three subscribers for the Review, and two for the weekly Instructor. The Lord gave me great freedom, for which I praise his holy name. J. G. WOOD.