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The Iowa Tent

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 15, 1871

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 38, No. 9.

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The Iowa Tent.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

We have this day taken down our tent, after a stay of five weeks. We have never enjoyed so fine weather during an entire meeting as here. Not one meeting has been broken up by rain. Most of the time the attendance has been good. The last week, however, it was small, till the last two days. Probably not less than a thousand people in all have heard us, more or less. Coming from all parts of the country, it has created an interest in every direction, to hear. Five villages within twelve miles of here are open for us, and we now intend to lecture in them as fast as we can. We consider them all good openings. Money is exceedingly scarce, so that we have sold but few books, and obtained but few subscribers for the REVIEW. Financially this is a poor section of the State for people to move to. Those who are well located north of here might better stay there.
About thirty are now keeping the Sabbath here as the result of the meetings. So far as we can judge, most of these are substantial men and women who will be likely to hold on and honor the cause. As is usual, besides these, there is a large number who are nearly convinced and are friendly. We expect to gather in some of these yet, and shall probably lose some who have now started. We have obtained a good place for meetings, and one of us shall be here more or less to keep up the interest. We have never met with more determined opposition anywhere than here. All the ministers of the place have attended largely and taken advantage of the liberty which we usually give of asking questions and making remarks at the close of the meetings. They raised objections, argued their points, &c. By this means they succeeded to some extent in confusing the minds of the people; but more particularly in destroying the impression and solemnity of our discourses. We are satisfied that it is not wisdom to allow such things every night. The best way we think would be to appoint one evening in the week for the purpose of answering questions, objections, &c. Especially it is bad to have the impression obtained in the community that we are simply a contentious, debating class of people. Such a feeling never leads solid people to action. People may be convinced of the truth of our position, and even defend our side, yet unless a solemn sense of responsibility to God can be made to rest upon them they will never act. We are of the impression that we can improve in this matter.
Eld. Cornell, disciple minister, came, and we discussed with him four days on the Sabbath and Law. We pressed him in every manner to maintain some proposition with regard to Sunday; but he would not do it. His position and arguments on the law are simply what we meet everywhere. He advanced nothing new, but manifested great caution in taking any position of his own whatever. We are sure that God helped us in defending his truth. The great mass of the people, except some radical members of his own church, unanimously agree that he utterly failed to meet our arguments. As soon as the debate closed, the opposition party staid away from our meetings mostly. Then all manner of slanders were most freely circulated against us, especial capital was made out of the visions, Systematic Benevolence, health reform, &c. In short, not a stone has been left unturned to oppose the truth. This has satisfied us of another thing; viz., that it is neither wisdom nor duty to hold a discussion in the midst of a course of lectures. We have tried this several times, and the same result always follows. It largely kills the interest of our meetings, from this reason: People think now we have heard both sides, and have heard all there is to it, and hence unless they are fully decided to obey the truth, they feel little interest to come afterwards; and farther, those who are opposed will not come to hear any farther after the debate is over. It makes no matter how thorough a victory you may gain, the result is the same with those who are not fully decided to obey; and again, before the people have heard our arguments in favor of the truth, an objector can bewilder them much easier than afterward. And farther still, when people are nearly convinced and are halting at the cross, if they can find even the slightest evidence in favor of their old position, or can even make themselves believe they are confused, and do not exactly know what truth is, they will settle down in their old practices, and very likely never obey the truth. We are satisfied that this is the case with some in this community.
When we go into a town to preach the truth the community has heard all of their lives upon the other side. It is but justice that we should give our side for a few weeks, in order to have any show of equality. The ministers of the place have regular congregations, and houses in which to preach. If they wish to defend their side, let them do it there. Or, let them preach a sermon or two in our tent, and then we will reply. We believe this is a fair and proper course to take. After we have gotten our views fairly before the people, then at the close of the course of lectures, if they wish to debate the question, we are willing to do it. We think we shall take this position in the future. After long and prayerfully considering the matter we have moved our tent five miles to Decatur City, intending to stay only two weeks. This will leave us time to hold another thorough course of lectures. There are about a dozen Sabbath-keepers there now, and many others are nearly convinced. We hope to gather in enough more to form a little church.
D. M. CANRIGHT.
Leon, Iowa, Aug. 8, 1871.