Tent-Meeting at Santa Clara, Cal by Merritt E. Cornell; Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 25, 1874

Tent-Meeting at Santa Clara, Cal.

By Merritt E. Cornell; Dudley Marvin Canright

By repeated and most earnest request, we finally consented to pitch our tent in this place, and we have now had eleven meetings. The attendance, small at first, has increased to an average of about 200, and a good degree of interest is already manifested in the word spoken.

We found the first-day Adventists had been sadly demoralized by Eld. Miles Grant’s doubtful sanctification doctrine, a portion of them having embraced it, and the others standing in doubt of it. The result was confusion and doubt among the Adventists, and much prejudice in the community against Adventism in general. We found that the preachers had done all they could to prejudice the people against us, and to prevent them from giving us a candid hearing, thus manifesting the same bigotry that they had complained of in others.

The smut and blacking used by Eld. Grant in the World’s Crisis, to frighten people so they would be afraid to hear us, also had its influence with some, yet, notwithstanding all, we are having quite a successful meeting. One, Eld. Dibble, a Campbellite preacher from Missouri, has made their usual drive against the law and Sabbath, but his discourses are being reviewed, and it is all turning out for the truth.

We now have many warm friends, even among the Advent brethren. Books are taken freely, and several have already subscribed for “The Signs of the Times.”

This place is only three miles from San Jose, where our last meeting was held, and where we have a company of twenty-five. Seven were baptized last Sabbath, and several more will go forward next Sabbath.

While at San Jose, during the Local Option excitement, the mass meetings were held at our tent, and not less than 1500 people were gathered in and around the tent every night. The excitement ran high, and many threats were made against the tent by the License men. And we should no doubt have had trouble had it not been for a theological student, who came and gave us timely warning of the intentions of an organized mob. This student had never attended any of our meetings, but the blessing of God followed him, and at Oakland he took his stand for the truth. He is now with us, reading and hearing and growing stronger every day. He is an intelligent young man of excellent spirit, and we all like him much.

The word with us has free course, and we are all of good courage in the Lord.

M. E. CORNELL, D. M. CANRIGHT.

Santa Clara, Aug. 13.