OUR FRENCH PAPER by John Nevins Andrews; D. T. Bourdeau

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 29, 1876

OUR FRENCH PAPER.

By John Nevins Andrews; D. T. Bourdeau

AFTER so long a time we have reached the point at which it seems proper to commence the publication of a paper in the French language. We therefore enter actively upon this work the present week, and hope to have our first number ready for the mail within a short time. After consultation with the General Conference Committee, we decided to have our paper the size of the REVIEW, and to publish it monthly. It will bear the name of our California paper. THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, a name especially revered by us as that of the first Advent journal ever published in America. May as great a measure of God's blessing attend it as attended that journal in the first proclamation of the Advent faith in America, and may it be successful in warning the people of Europe that the hour of God's judgment has come, and in leading many to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Should the blessing of God attend this enterprise, we hope at no distant day to have also an edition of our paper in the German language. But for the present we must be content with an edition in French, or rather must make it do till it shall be possible to have the German also.

We think to publish an edition of 2000 copies. Of course a large part of this edition must be circulated gratuitously. The expense for paper and the work of the printer will be for one number about $54.00. This includes nothing for our own work and nothing for our personal expenses. The General Conference Committee have already sent us means for this work of publication which we hope to use with prudence. But it is our great desire to render our paper self-supporting as soon as possible; though some time must elapse before this can be accomplished. We shall use our best endeavors to make our deficit as small as possible.

We expect to enlist every French friend in Europe, and we hope to do the same in America. We earnestly invite all the friends of the cause who can be benefited by a French paper, or who have friends that read the French language, to co-operate with us in this work by becoming subscribers for our paper. If there are any who are able to send several copies to their French friends, we invite them to do it. We do not

ask this as a favor to us personally, but as an act performed for Christ's sake. This paper is not our personal property, but the interest we feel for it is greater than though it were such. We hope that it may have an extensive circulation among those who speak the French language, whether in the old world or the new, and that it shall give instruction of priceless value concerning the near advent of Christ, and concerning the principles of the law of God, and of the gospel of Christ, and in particular concerning the fourth commandment;—all this, if God shall be pleased to add his blessing.

We propose to furnish a monthly paper as above set forth, to subscribers in America for $1.25 (currency) per volume of twelve numbers, postage paid. To save the trouble and expense necessary for each person to send us a draft for so small a sum we request all who are interested to receive our paper to send their address and the subscription price to the REVIEW Office, if the secretary will consent to act as our agent. And now we ask the prayers of those who are interested in this mission. Our hope of success is in the blessing of God. We believe that with this we shall not fail. And so we give ourselves with good courage to the work before us.

J. N. ANDREWS, D. T. BOURDEAU.

Bâle, Switzerland, June 8, 1876.

P. S. We trust that it is not necessary for us to say that we desire the active co-operation of the several tract societies and of the officers of the several Conferences in obtaining subscribers. We ask this most earnestly, as we also ask the assistance of all the judicious friends of the cause of truth. We shall send to the REVIEW Office and to many of these officers specimen copies of our first number. But we ask that none wait for these, and that none who fail to receive such copies shall regard themselves slighted. J. N. A.