p. 116 | Ohio Camp-Meeting by George I. Butler

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 23, 1873

Ohio Camp-Meeting.

By George I. Butler

We reached the camp-ground Thursday at 11 A. M., and found the people generally there waiting for us. Though somewhat weary from past labor, and riding all night in the cars, yet we commenced at once our efforts to lead forward the people in the good work in which we are engaged. There seemed to be a ready response and a willingness to be instructed. The friends of the cause in Ohio have, in some respects, been unfortunate, not having laborers in their midst who could give their time and strength to the work. They have had other gifts from other States, sent to their aid; but much of the time they have not had that labor in their midst that they needed, and their tent has not been run as it otherwise would have been. Besides this, years in the past, discouragements were brought upon the minds of the brethren by the course of some. These and other causes have left things not in as encouraging a shape as they might be. But I could see no reason why the friends of the cause there did not feel like doing their duty as well as elsewhere. There was a readiness to speak in the meetings quite gratifying, and also to regard the wants of the cause, and I could discern no feeling of drawing off from the body or anything like rebellion.

Our preaching was practical, excepting on Sunday, and designed to show what we must be, in order to stand in the Judgment, and of course when our lives are compared closely with the holy principles of God's law, defects will be discovered in them, and a plenty of them too. The way to get out of this condition of things into the light, was also dwelt upon. By Sabbath day, there was a very solemn state of feeling among those who had come to share the benefits of the meeting. Nearly all present rose for prayers, and I do not think I have seen in any camp-meeting, this season or last, as much earnestness manifested as here. Whether this will work permanent good results or not cannot be told.

There seems to be in Ohio, as well as in some other States, an element among the people, caused possibly by the teaching of some denominations, or the prevalence of no-law, no-spirit sentiments, which makes it hard to get the people to feel the importance of heartfelt religion. A cold-hearted, theoretical, head religion seems best to accord with the views and feelings of the people. It is to be feared that this sentiment will cause the eternal loss of thousands of people. Somehow, close, searching, practical religion don't seem to stick; their coat of mail being so firm around their hearts. But nothing else will do but to break in somewhere with such truths as God has given us in his word, showing how people ought to live and must live to inherit eternal life. The keenest and most polished shafts in the Lord's armory are needed to break through the icy bonds and if possible cause a feeling of danger. The debating spirit must be routed, and feelings of love, tenderness, and a hungering and thirsting after righteousness created, or eternal ruin will be the consequence. We labored in our preaching as well as we knew how in this direction, with some encouraging symptoms of success. All day Monday we labored to deepen the impression upon the hearts of the people, made during the previous days of the meeting. More than the usual proportion of brethren and sisters stayed till the very close of the meeting, which was an encouraging feature.

Sunday, there was a large crowd of people present from the surrounding country, some of whom gave good attention to the word spoken. Some over $4,000 were subscribed for the school by this Conference, a large part of it at this meeting, the brethren coming up and taking hold with an increase of interest in this enterprise. The business matters of the Conference and T. and M. society were attended to, Bro. Oliver Mears being elected president of each, and invited, by the Conference, to travel among the churches as much as in his judgment would be best for the interest of the cause.

The Conference also passed a resolution inviting Eld. E. B. Lane to come and labor in their midst, if in the judgment of the General Conference Committee it would be best.

Quite a number would have been baptized at this meeting had a fair opportunity been offered by the circumstances of the case.

We were much annoyed at intervals between our meetings by an individual who goes around from place to place preaching in the street, and wherever he can collect a crowd about him. Not being altogether acquainted with his tactics, and hardly expecting he would carry matters as far as he did, we did not avail ourselves of the only means offered to put a stop to his ungentlemanly and unchristian behavior by summoning an officer and obliging him to leave us in peace. From what we can learn, he goes from place to place, with no other object than to thus interfere with those who are gathered on their own premises, to peacefully attend to their own business. We can see no good reason why one man should thus be permitted to come in and annoy several hundred people, who have come together at their own expense and for one object, by forcing himself in against earnest protest. Should such a case occur again, I should feel perfectly justified in calling an officer and walking the gentleman off, believing the law to be made for the “lawless and disobedient.” This was the only one of our camp-meetings I ever attended where any such disturbance occurred, and most of this was Sunday, when it was too late to do anything. We know this is a very delicate point with many of our people, appealing to the law. But a little common sense in this world is a fine thing, and if anybody can see any in tolerating a person who goes round the country wherever he hears of a gathering, forcing himself in, contrary to proper regulations, and getting upon a stump and calling about him a rabble of disorderly elements, and dealing out slurs and such things as would keep up a commotion, and destroy all solemnity and religious feeling, they can see more than I can. We invite people to our gatherings, decent people, who come to hear what we have to say, and see our behavior. If we thus ask such people, we are under obligations from self-respect, love to the cause, and proper regard to them, to have things quiet and orderly, and no man has any moral right to break in and interfere with our quiet on our own ground. If he wants to draw a crowd, let him go and get one together if he can. What right has he to come in under such circumstances and break into other people's arrangements, gotten up at their own expense, more than he has to go into a man's barn and take his horse and use him?

I made up my mind this time if ever another such case should occur in any meeting with which I had responsibility, the first thing I should do would be to tell such an individual that he could depend upon one of two things—either he must leave us in quiet, or he would be brought to quiet. I don't believe that God is glorified, good men are edified, or that the individual is benefited, by tolerating such behavior. I say these things because an important principle is involved; not because any personal feeling exists in my heart. Some principle must be acted upon in such cases. Doubtless there will be more of them. I am one of the last men that would be for appealing to the law upon any little matter; but where a person persistently comes in, and for days insists on breaking into arrangements where no one wants to hear him, for his own gratification, I would respectfully suggest that he becomes a nuisance that should be abated. For one, I should be for abating it. I am, of course, alone responsible for these sentiments, and ask no other person to sanction them unless he sees good reason.

GEO. I. BUTLER.

Kokomo, Ind., Sept., 17, 1873.