Sigourney, Iowa by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 11, 1873

Sigourney, Iowa.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Three years ago last summer, Eld. Butler and I came here with the tent, it being my first place of labor in the West. Everything was very unfavorable, as it rained much of the time. The opposition was uncommonly bitter; but about fifteen came out on the start. A few more soon came in, and they began their Sabbath meetings in a room 16x16. We have visited them about once a year since, and preached in the court-house, always with a good hearing, and each time some one or more have embraced the truth, until this fall, when they had increased to about forty. Over a year ago, they moved to a larger room, where they have had an excellent Sabbath-school and Bible-class.

This fall and winter, they have erected a meeting-house, 28x42 ft., costing $2300. It is every way neat and tasty, and well furnished. It is by far the best meeting-house in the city. Very little soliciting of means was done; yet at the dedication it was all paid for, and we had no collection to ask on it. This pleased us much.

Friday, Jan. 17, I began meetings here. The weather was very cold, and the roads so icy that few came from abroad, though many intended to come. Yet the people of the place came out beyond our expectation, and filled the house full and to overflowing, though we put extra seats in the aisles and where there was room.

I remained two Sabbaths, speaking each evening, and twice on each Sabbath and Sunday, fourteen times in all. I think the interest here was never so deep and extensive before. All our old friends are still friendly, and attended regularly, besides a large number of new ones who have lately come to the city. Our audience was composed of many of the best families and leading business men of the place. The last Sabbath, our house was two-thirds full, and we had one of the most solemn, melting seasons I have enjoyed for a long time. After many testimonies had been given, we made an appeal to the unconverted and backslidden to come and seek the Lord, when fifteen came forward. They were mostly young men and women, children of Sabbath-keepers.

At our last meeting, on Sunday night, the house was packed to its utmost capacity; and then many had to go away. Bro. McCoy stated that they had agreed to pay my expenses here and back, for which they wanted about thirty dollars. As the brethren had lifted pretty heavily on the house, these friends could help them on this if they wished to do so. Fifty-two dollars were immediately raised. This, at the end of a sermon on the mark of the beast, was a good expression of the feeling of the people.

It seemed cruel to leave an interest like this. But I came without an invitation from the Iowa Conference, and remained longer than I was advised to. I stayed Monday and Tuesday, and visited all the time. Had a parting meeting of the friends, Tuesday afternoon. So far as we could learn, some seventeen or eighteen had come out decided on the Sabbath. Many more were halting. I am confident that a few more meetings would have brought them over. A sweet and solemn meeting we had that evening. It did my soul good to hear these new friends confess the truth. For many of them we have hoped, and labored, and prayed, for years. No persons in the place stand better than they.

A few who had been keeping the Sabbath, but had been very backward, now took a good stand. The record of this church has been a good one, thus far. They will now, more than ever, need to watch to keep it so.

So closed our meetings here. There are many more things of interest I would like to mention, but will forbear. Bro. and sister McCoy did everything to make me comfortable, and few know how to do it as well as they. The following article from the Sigourney News will be interesting. I now return to Minnesota. D. M. Canright.

Columbus Junction, Jan. 29, 1873.

INTOLERANCE.

The Advent church is now about completed, and will be dedicated on the 18th and 19th inst. Eld. Canright, with, perhaps, the assistance of others, will officiate. The building is a credit to the town, and one of the best church edifices in Sigourney. The interior is neatly finished, and to the members of the society, whose zeal and liberal gifts have added this to the number of Sigourney's public structures, much praise is due. For the willing contributions of the public, they are truly grateful.—Sigourney News.

As an evidence of the folly and superstition of the age, we clip the foregoing item from the Sigourney News, of the 8th inst. These Adventists believe that the soul sleeps until the “great day of resurrection”—recognize Saturday as the Sabbath, and manage to annoy their neighbors in many ways by making unnecessary noises on the day which Christian people observe as Sunday.—Ottumwa Democrat.

As an evidence of the spirit of bigotry and intolerance that actuates some narrow-minded mortals of the present age, we clip the foregoing item from the Ottumwa Democrat of last week. We are not an Adventist, neither is the News an apologist for their peculiar doctrines; but we do recognize the right of all men to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. And we deem the right of the Democrat to sit in judgment over the religious belief of his neighbors, or to denounce those who differ from him on matters of faith, as foolish and superstitious.

The Democrat ought to know that a large number of the most learned Bible scholars, from the time of Moses down to the present, have “recognized Saturday as the Sabbath,” and those who “believe that the soul sleeps till the ‘great day of resurrection,’” base their belief on what they consider, and are ready to maintain, is the plain teaching of the word of God; and we can see no reason why their views are not entitled to the same respect that is accorded to those of others no more intelligent nor conscientious than they. That those who maintain this belief in and around Sigourney, will compare favorably with the editor of the Democrat in point of morality and intelligence, no one in this community will pretend to deny; and instead of seeking to “annoy their neighbors by making unnecessary noise on Sunday,” our experience has been that they are especially careful to avoid giving offense in that particular. We regret that we cannot say that the same Christian spirit of toleration and forbearance has been uniformly extended to them. The religious creed of the Adventists does not differ from that of the so-called orthodox denominations any more widely than the orthodox denominations differ among themselves; and we are constrained to believe that Bro. Evans has intended this as a thrust at the building of churches and the observance of the Lord's day generally, and has selected a weak and unpopular organization on which to break his lance, rather than run a tilt against the more powerful and fashionable churches.

Although we have already given this paragraph more attention than it deserves, yet we are constrained to remind Bro. Evans that some of those who hold this belief are his old neighbors, friends, and business partners, and it is especially unkind in him to brand them as foolish and superstitious, when he knows that they are intelligent and upright men.

From our inmost soul we abhor that spirit which leads a man to assume to lord it over the mind and conscience of his fellows—that which leads him to arrogate to himself all light, all knowledge, all truth, and all goodness, and to denounce all men as dolts, and idiots, who do not see with his eyes, hear with his ears, and believe with his faith.