An Interesting Document
By L. R. Conradi
Address of Thanks and Homage to His Majesty, Nicolaus II, Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russians, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Finland, Etc. We, as representatives of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in all the world, and in a special manner as representatives of their churches situated in the empire of Your Majesty, in view of the difficult situation in our fatherland, take pleasure in most respectfully expressing our deep sympathy by uniting our prayers with the prayers of all loyal subjects in the country, hoping that through the help of the Almighty, peace and prosperity may soon prevail again. We are filled with gratitude to God, by whose providence the heart of Your Majesty has been moved to grant the long-desired liberty of conscience to all Christian denominations. We herewith submit an expression of our thanks, by expressing the hope that the full blessings of this liberty may be ours to enjoy. At the same time, we most respectfully submit to Your Majesty the principles of our denomination:— We acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God. We believe in the God therein revealed, and in Jesus Christ his Son, by whom the world was created, and which he still upholds. We believe in redemption through the blood of Christ, and in his speedy return in glory, as well as in the divine power of the Holy Spirit. We see in the law of ten commandments, the law of God laid down, with the seventh day as the Biblical, divine, and perpetual Sabbath. We believe in Biblical baptism, feet washing, and the Lord's supper. We believe in the unity of the faith of the children of God on earth, as revealed in the Bible, and hold to church organization in harmony therewith, having in our midst apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, elders, and deacons. In order to preach the gospel in all the world, and to sustain the ministry, we observe everywhere the Bible rule for its support. As to our relations to the higher powers, we believe that the powers that be are ordained of God, and that we are, in accordance with the Scriptures, obliged to render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsars, as taxes, tribute, fear, and honor, and to pray for those in authority; but we also believe that we are to give to God what is his, in obedience to his commandments. We believe in the Bible doctrine of marriage, and in the Christian education of our children. As we recognize Christ to be the True Physician in things pertaining to the body, we endeavor to follow his counsel with regard to healthful living, and abstain from all intoxicating drinks, as well as from hurtful stimulants. To further these principles, we already possess some fifty sanitariums, conducted on a scientific basis, and located in all parts of the world, as well as a number of flourishing industrial schools for the education of our youth. We also endeavor to enlighten the people in divine things by the publication and circulation of a rich literature. Our denomination numbers eighty thousand, of whom two thousand two hundred members are loyal subjects of Your Majesty. We respectfully submit these statements to Your Majesty, praying that God may prosper Your Majesty for a long time, to the good of our fatherland. Resolved upon at the conference in Petersburg, Oct. 1, 1905, and in Welikoknjaschesk, Oct. 9, 1905. Your Majesty’s most loyal servants, L. R. CONRADI, Vice-Pres. Gen. Conf., Hamburg; O. WILDGRUBE, Petersburg; F. ANDERSON, Helsingfors; H. J. LOBSACK, Welikoknjaschesk; A. M. KAPUSTJANSKI, Armawir; This address was set in the Russian language, and printed on a twenty-two-by-fifteen-inch sheet of parchment paper by our Hamburg house, and then bound in the national color (green) Russian-seal leather, bearing the Russian coat-of-arms. It was sent to our representative in St. Petersburg, Brother O. Wildgrube, who waited upon Count Witte in person, and handed the address to him, and he, in turn, placed it before the czar. As to the effect of the address, the following appears in the government organ, Prawitelstwennу Westnik, No. 17, March 17:— “There was handed an Address of Thanks to His Majesty by the Christian denomination of Seventh-day Adventists, in which that denomination expresses its gratitude and sentiments of true loyalty in view of the gracious evidences shown in the Imperial Decree of April 17, 1905. On this Address, His Imperial Majesty has condescended to write with his own hand, March 11, ‘Most sincere thanks to the denomination for the sentiments herein expressed.’”
This marks a further step of progress in our work in the eastern portion of Europe, for which we can be truly thankful to God, especially as these principles of the message are being made known even before kings. Rev. 10:11.