Belvidere, Iowa | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 6, 1873

Belvidere, Iowa.

A brother writes from Onawa City, Iowa, that Bro. Bartlett is doing a good work in that vicinity. The following item, clipped from the paper of that county, will be of interest to the readers of the REVIEW:—

EDITORS PRESS:

I went to Belvidere last Sabbath to hear a discussion on religious matters. Mr. West, a citizen, had challenged an Advent preacher by the name of Bartlett, who is now preaching at Belvidere, to debate upon religious topics that Bartlett had introduced through the course of his lecture, while lecturing in that vicinity. Mr. West took the speaker's stand, assisted by Mr. Dorward, of that place, and commenced to abuse Mr. Bartlett in a rough and ungentlemanly manner, or a manner unbecoming a Christian. They spoke for sometime, alternately; making use of rather bad English, and quoting Campbell and other authors. Their discourse was rather dry, and the audience restless. Mr. Bartlett did not reply to them, nor did they wish him to do so. They threatened to lock up the house and drive him off, and not allow him to preach any more, because they were afraid he would be the means of breaking up the harmony that has hitherto existed in the Methodist and Baptist churches in that vicinity, notwithstanding they couldn't prove him an imposter. Mr. Bartlett preached there that evening, and I can say that I never heard a sermon in all my life that would equal it for sound sense; and I can further say that neither Mr. West nor Mr. Dorward are able to cope with him in an argument. CITIZEN.