p. 70 | REPORT FROM RICHMOND, MAINE

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 23, 1869

REPORT FROM RICHMOND, MAINE.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

We have already reported some of our meetings at this place. We were shut out of the meeting-house which was held by the first-day Adventists; so we have had our meetings in a school-house. The attendance was not large, as those opposed stayed away and kept away as many more as they could. Still there were some twenty-five who attended quite regularly, though often our congregation was smaller than that. I believe that nearly every one who attended any length of time confessed that we had the truth on the Sabbath. Quite a number of them were professed Adventists. As they saw the truth and something of the preparation necessary to meet the Lord, they said that they were not prepared for his coming; they needed converting all over, &c. Yet they would not move out and take a stand on the truth and lift the cross. So we had to hold on week after week when they were all convinced of the truth. One thing, however, stood in their way besides the cross: An Advent-ministerial Conference was appointed to sit here Jan. 12. Most of the Advent ministers of Maine were to be here. All of course expected that the subject of the Sabbath would come up then, and perhaps there would be a discussion, or something of the kind. So they did not wish to commit themselves till they had heard both sides. So we waited and attended the Conference. The business sessions came first, and as no one objected, we attended all through. What shall we say of what we saw and heard? We will state a few facts, though not near all that might be said. There were about seventeen ministers present. Paul says, Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Cor. i, 10. Jesus prayed that his disciples might be one even as he and his Father were one. Jno. xvii, 22. Isaiah said that the watchmen should “see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” Chap. iii, 8. Here were the professed watchman of God claiming to be preparing a people for the coming of the Lord, the event which Isaiah mentions. Of course we would expect that unity, harmony, and oneness of judgment would prevail among them, and that contentions and strife would be all laid aside. But alas! for the Advent name, it was just the opposite. Scarcely a question was raised during the three days, upon which there was any harmony or agreement among them. Some were in favor of church organization, and as many were opposed to it; some thought that the Maine tent had been rightly managed, and as many thought not so; some thought that they were going on unto perfection, and others thought they were going back to creeds and formalism, the same way that the old churches had gone before them. Some thought it best to take one course, and some another. Finally four declared that they could go with such work no further, and so withdrew from the Conference. Whoever is right in the matter, one thing is manifest; viz., that they never can secure order and unity in the action of their ministers or churches. Confusion is their inevitable lot: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” They seem not to have the least idea of obeying the apostle’s injunction, “All of you be subject one to another.” 1 Pet. v, 5. By no means. Each one claims to be “God’s free man,” and to have a perfect right; as one minister often expressed himself, “to run his own thinking machine!” They call this gospel liberty; we call it anarchy. We pray to be led in a better way. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”

In their social meetings we were sorry to see them take the same course to throw out against the law which others so often do against the mortality of man and the sleep of the dead. We often hear the believers in the soul’s immortality get up and say, “I thank God that I have got a soul,” “I believe a man is better than a brute,” &c. What is this said for? To insinuate that the opponents do not believe that a man has a soul, or is any better than a brute. Adventists always deny the charge and say that it is an unjust and an uncandid insinuation. But here we saw them playing the same game themselves. One would get up and say, “I thank God that I have got a Saviour to save me. I believe in Jesus Christ. I do not expect to be saved by my good works!” Another says, “I do not expect to be saved by the law, but by faith,” &c. What was all this for? Why, to insinuate that we do not believe in Christ; that we expect to be saved by the law and not by faith. This we say is an unjust and an uncandid insinuation. They know better, or ought to know. We do not expect to be saved by the deeds of the law. Christ is our only hope. Yet we do not think that we are therefore at liberty to break the law.

Saturday evening Elder Williams in his sermon on the plan of redemption, took up the law and the covenants, and of course labored to show that we are no longer under the ten commandments, as they were abolished at the cross. He said that they were given to Adam in Eden. Adam transgressed them and hence came under the sentence of death with all his posterity. They were given to the Jews at Sinai as the civil constitution of that nation, and then all their other laws grew out of them as by-laws, &c.

Sunday morning Eld. Carr spoke on the two covenants. The ten commandments was the old covenant. It was made at Sinai and not with the fathers. It had its origin there. Eld. Williams said it had its origin in Eden. Of course he and Eld. Williams agreed exactly, with the slight difference of about 2500 years between them! Well, it is often a good plan to have a variety so that all tastes can be gratified!

Seventh-day Adventists were often accused during the meeting of making a hobby of the Sabbath and of losing sight of the coming of the Lord. We deny it. But what of the other Adventists? During this whole meeting not one evidence was presented showing that the coming of the Lord was near; not one fact that would convince an unbeliever, or that even faith could lay hold of; nothing about the work of preparation necessary to meet him in peace. Take those who have listened to the ministers here in Maine for years and they are almost totally ignorant of the prophecies and of the signs of the times. Come to talk to them about the prophecies and they are as ignorant of them as those who are not Adventists. These ministers say that they believe the Lord is coming, but there is neither proof nor conviction that goes with it. There is no Advent faith or testimony in them. They have lost their whereabouts and are in the dark and confusion.

At the close of the meetings we requested the privilege of reviewing the two sermons in the meeting-house, where the people might all come and hear; but it was not granted us. So we gave out to review them in the school-house. Not only did they shut their house against us, but they would not come and hear their positions reviewed. Thus they took the same course which they have so often and so severely condemned in others. The lock-and-key and stay-away arguments were the only ones they could use safely. Some of them, however, did use a more shameful argument than this; they went around in private and tried to poison the minds of people with slanderous reports about Sabbath-keepers. This is always the last resort of those who can not oppose the truth with argument. May the Lord judge between them and us. When the house was refused us it made many of the people indignant at them.

Bro. Waggoner enjoyed a free time in reviewing them, and the people listened with candor. We think it will do good in the end. The next Sabbath we had a good meeting, and a number took their stand on the truth.

We see in the Crisis they report the cause generally in a healthy condition! Those who know the state of feeling among the ministers, the spirit of strife and contention prevailing, will know how to judge of this report. But it is not likely they are all aware of the condition they are in; they are blinded by rejecting the truth. While they talk much of the coming of the Lord, they have no realizing sense of the perils and troubles which will precede the advent, nor of the preparation necessary to meet the Lord. May the Lord in mercy keep the honest, true-hearted Adventists from such a distracting influence, and bring them to the unity of the faith, and to keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

D. M. CANRIGHT.