Western Tour by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 15, 1870

Western Tour.

By James White

The Seventh-day Adventists of Kansas and Missouri are much scattered. The principal churches in each State, excepting the church at Avilla, Mo., are near each other, while those of Kansas are far distant from those of Missouri. Our brethren from Missouri were one week traveling with their teams to reach the camp-meeting in Kansas, one week on the ground, and one week in returning, making three weeks' time. Add the expenses of three weeks of journey and camp life, and all amounts to a greater sacrifice than the poorer ones were able to make. Therefore, but a portion of our Missouri brethren were at the camp-meeting in Kansas.

But those who were present, expressed great anxiety that on our return we should spend one week at Hamilton, and one at Civil Bend, Mo., for the benefit of their brethren who could not attend the camp-meeting, and their friends and neighbors. We therefore decided to spend the first week after the camp-meeting, at Hamilton, and the second at Civil Bend. As we stepped off the train at

Hamilton, Missouri,

We met a gentleman who was waiting to engage us to attend the funeral of his daughter. He was the husband of our much-esteemed sister Van Slike. The funeral was the next day, at the Methodist church. The attendance was good, and the occasion solemn and favorable. This gave us a good opportunity to announce appointments. Mrs. White spoke in the Good Templar's Hall, Sabbath evening, and the evening after the Sabbath, to good congregations. Her style of earnestly treating practical subjects as solemn realities, deeply interested the people. Our Sabbath-meeting was small, as a portion of the church at Hamilton were absent, holding a little Sabbath-meeting

as they camped by the way on their return from the Kansas camp-meeting.

First-day, we occupied the house of the M. E. church. There was, for several reasons, a remarkable scarcity of ministers in the place on that good Sunday. Neither of the three or four pulpits in the place were supplied by their regular preachers, and we were welcomed to the Methodist house. By this time, prejudice had given way, and we shared largely the confidence and respect of the people. We spoke in the morning, and Mrs. W. in the afternoon.

As bad work had been made in this part of the country by some of our good preachers in handling the subject of health reform, and touching some delicate points that should be handled only in our publications, much prejudice existed in the place, especially against Mrs. W. She therefore decided to speak to the people, Sunday evening, and represent the health question herself. And not wishing to injure the feelings of the Methodist people, who had kindly opened their house for our meeting in the day-time, by introducing the sensitive question of the restriction of the appetite, in their house, we decided to return to the hall.

And, by the way, those who must turn lecturers on “secret vice and the excesses of the marriage relation,” should announce the subject for the hour, call a congregation of men and boys, and then do their duty faithfully. But for a minister to take up these subjects in the midst of a series of religious meetings in a promiscuous crowd of men, women and children, is a bad mistake.

No; let these subjects be handled in a proper way in print. For this purpose, we prepared that work, approved by all, entitled, Solemn Appeal. Brethren and friends, let it circulate everywhere.

But, at an early hour, it was ascertained that the hall would not hold more than half the people who wished to hear. The Methodist church was opened for us, and immediately crowded. Mrs. W. spoke with clearness and freedom, and the impression was decidedly good. She spoke in the hall, the following evening, to an attentive congregation. And thus our labors in that village closed.

Civil Bend.

As soon as our brethren of the Civil Bend church learned that we were at Hamilton, two of them came sixteen miles to consult with us relative to arrangements for meetings at that place. We decided to meet them at their fourth-day evening prayer-meeting, and then give further appointments.

At this meeting it was decided to pitch the old tent, and continue meetings fifth-day and sixth-day afternoon and evening, and hold three meetings on Sabbath and first-day.

The weather was fine, and these meetings continued with a deep interest, and increasing congregations, till the Sabbath, when a terrible rain set in. This nearly broke up our meetings on the Sabbath and first-day. A few, however, mostly friends of the cause, met at the house of Bro. Mallory, to whom we spoke with freedom. First-day afternoon, the rain abated, and the people came in so that but a small part of them could get into the house, and we went to the tent.

In the evening, we spoke in the Fairview school-house, which was literally crowded with people, after a portion had gone home, not being able to enter the door. God gave us the ears of the people, and we enjoyed great freedom of spirit all the time, notwithstanding the great disappointment in consequence of the rain. From what we saw of the interest to hear, and from reliable statements, we judge that if the weather had been favorable on first-day, the crowd would have been immense.

Probably in no part of the country has Mrs. W. been held up before the people in a false light, and been the subject of ridicule, reproachful statements, scorn and hate, more than in this part of Missouri.

Elder J. C. Bywater for a time flourished in these parts, and formed a small organization of first-day Adventists. He, of course, in his efforts to crush the cause of the Sabbath, felt called upon to say many bitter things concerning Eld. White and his wife, of which he was as ignorant as a Missouri mule.

And then, B. F. Snook, after using the influence given him by the REVIEW and its supporters, to tear the churches in Iowa from the body, and who has in his apostasy run from bad to worse, until he is now preaching universal salvation, visited this part of Missouri about two years since, with a burden of smut and blacking.

Before crowded houses, this bold slanderer pleased the ungodly with misrepresentations and false statements calculated to create a deep and angry prejudice against us. Mrs. W. was held up in such a light, that all those susceptible to a prejudicial influence, had associated her in their minds with all that was strange, odd and ugly.

And it is humiliating to state that in consequence, in part at least, of a great want of wisdom on the part of some of our ministers who have visited this part of the State, especially those who organized a part of the Sabbath-keepers in the vicinity of Civil Bend, some four years since, leaving a good proportion of numbers, intelligence and piety, out of the church, there have been two congregations of Sabbath-keepers in the place for several years. This has given such men as Bywater and Snook great boldness to slander us. And in addition to these things, the influence of the constant, feeble, yet persevering, fire from the surviving remnant of the Snook and Brinkerhoof camp in Iowa, has had some influence in this region.

In this state of things our appointments were widely circulated, and every body at once decided to turn out and hear these strange creatures from Michigan. The rain had fallen in torrents, and the roads were almost impassable. And yet the people would turn out in the dense darkness of the night, with neither moon nor stars to give the least ray of light.

God gave Mrs. W. clearness, freedom and power, for the occasion. The people seemed chained to their seats. The baser sort, who would come into the assembly with a sort of hellish grin, would generally soon forget their mean feelings of prejudice, and listen with respect. The reaction in the feelings and opinions of the people was tremendous. In all this we see the wrath of men turned to the praise of God. He can turn the vileness of the slanderer's tongue to his own glory, and the good of his cause. We were faithfully advertised in the community, by those who hated us, so that when our appointments went out, every body felt that they must come, and see, and hear. The representations of us had been so degrading, and contrasted so widely with what the people saw and heard, that they were at once disarmed of prejudice, and prepared to hear with the deepest interest.

God suffers these slanderers to do Satan's meanest work, and resignation on our part is wisest and best. He understands his plans better than we can. And if we are submissive to his will, and cling fast to his arm, in the storm as well as when the moral heavens are clear, he will lead us on safely, and victory will be ours in due time. “It must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” This may be as true in a modern, as in a more ancient, Judas. And these may have a part to act in the advancement of God's work in our day, as verily as Judas had a part to act in God's plan at the first advent of Jesus Christ. In fact, we can hardly see how these contemptible characters, who go about with a burden of smut and blacking with which to soil the reputation of those who have given all for Christ, and the advancement of the cause of truth and righteousness, can be spared from acting their part in connection with the last message.

Cain and Abel both acted a part in connection with the cause of God. Abel's works were righteous, and Cain's were evil. “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3: 10-16.

It has been God's will that the Cain family should be more or less connected with his children through all time. It is said of the wheat and tares, in illustration of the children of the kingdom, and the children of the wicked one, “Let both grow together until the harvest.” It is ours to obey, and trust in Him who will work out the great plan to his own glory, and the good of his trusting people.

But the separation is coming. The “King of kings” will unsheath his sword, and lead on the armies of Heaven to the slaughter. He will also bring rewards of immortal glory for his people. “And, behold, I come quickly,” he saith, “and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” He next points out the two grand classes—separated, however, by the massive walls of the city of God—in a manner, and in such connection, as to show their positions relative to each other in this mortal life.

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Rev. 22: 14, 15.

One class have been doing the commandments of God, and receive the benediction of his dear Son. The other class stand in all the vileness of transgression, having been in the service of Satan, not only in breaking the commandments of God, but in making and loving lies concerning those, as we may safely infer, who have been doing the commandments of God. Thank God, the controversy will end ere long. The wicked will cease to be, while the righteous only will live to praise the Lord. Mark the reward of both classes:

“For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Ps. 37: 10, 11. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.” Rev. 21: 7, 8. Mark the clause—“and all liars.” Not only the common liar will be there, but all liars. Baptized liars will be there. And among the most guilty, the most wretched, of all that immense crowd of liars, who shall writhe in the devouring lake of fire, will be the ordained liar, who, in the name of Christ, has spoken slanderous lies from the sacred desk against those who do and teach the commandments of God.

The interest was such that we decided to spend a second week with our dear friends at Civil Bend. This gave us an opportunity to visit several esteemed families at their homes. Our headquarters all the time were at Bro. J. H. Rogers, who did all in his power for our comfort. We had the pleasure of visiting our afflicted, venerable brother, Eld. Lewis Morrison, and enjoyed a precious season with him and his companion. Bro. Morrison had been an able minister many years in the Disciple church, when he embraced the Sabbath about ten years since. He is past labor, from great infirmities, but is firm in faith. We shall long remember our sweet season of prayer, and our mutual feelings of tenderness, and the tears shed on that occasion. May the Lord deal mercifully and tenderly with his aged servant.

We also enjoyed precious seasons with Bro. A. Long and family, and with Bro. Wm. Rogers and family. These three families, Morrison's, Long's, and Rogers', in all their branches, constitute a large share of those Sabbath-keepers who did not come into the organization four years since. That organization was most

certainly premature, or it was badly managed. But our labors, with the blessing of God, have united the two companies; and our testimony was received on the general principles of our faith alike by all. It may take time for a complete union on all points of doctrine. But they are one in spirit; and we enjoy the happiest union with all. At a general meeting of the Sabbath-keepers in that locality, the following was unanimously passed:

Resolved, That we, the Sabbath-keepers, assembled at the house of Bro. J. H. Rogers, of Jefferson, Daviess Co., Mo., Nov. 2, 1870, acknowledge with shame the spirit of disunion and separation that has been cherished in our midst, and agree to unite together for the worship of God, in the spirit of confession, and of love, and of respect for each other, and to avoid the discussion of points of difference upon Bible questions in our Sabbath meetings, uniting to keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Thank God for so glorious a victory. All seemed very happy in view of the union effected. And even many of the candid people who came out to hear us, frequently congratulated the Sabbath-keepers upon their happy reunion.

The brethren in that part of Missouri are all anxious to have a camp-meeting in that part of the State, the last of May next. They will do their part in paying for a tent for their Conference, and in meeting the expenses of a camp-meeting in Missouri. We held a very encouraging business meeting on the evening of Nov. 6, at the house of Bro. J. H. Rogers, parted with the friends, and early on the morning of the 7th, mounted a farm wagon, with bag and baggage, for Kidder station. At 1 P. M., we took the cars, and at 5 P. M., the next day, we reached Battle Creek.

JAMES WHITE.