Editorial Correspondence.
By John Nevins Andrews
Our meeting at Chaux-de-Fonds closed on first-day evening about dark, and we returned immediately to Neuchatel. The way was now open to visit the Sabbath-keepers in Prussia, and I thought that the next train for the north should see us on the way. Before sleeping that night our preparations for the journey were completed, and in the earliest light of the morning we were on our way. Our course for the entire journey has been almost directly north. The first day we were in the valley of the river Aar, a branch of the Rhine, which receives the water of lake Neuchatel. On our left hand were the Jura mountains; on our right were high hills which hid the Alps from our view. The valley of the Aar is several miles in breadth, very level, and evidently very fertile, and almost wholly without fences, the division of the lands between the different owners being indicated by stone posts. In this valley there is little appearance of winter, but you can see on the sides of the mountains where winter commences. I noticed that the alders in the valley were in full blossom. When we reached Olten we left the valley of the Aar and through a tunnel nearly two miles in length, we passed under the mountain into the canton which the French call Bale Campagne, and the Germans, Baselland. When this tunnel was excavated an accident by fire caused the suffocation of sixty-two persons. We remained at Buckten in this canton till noon of the next day in order to give Bro. E. time to arrange his affairs for the mission to Prussia. Then we started on our way again; but at Basel we spent an hour in conferring with a printer who has done some work heretofore for Bro. E. This printer understands French and German and Italian. His wife understands also the English language. These persons have some interest in the Advent faith, and seem to fear God. We left Basel about 7:30 P. M. for Strasbourg, which place we reached about midnight. We wandered some time in its dark, narrow, crooked streets before we could find a hotel. On leaving the cars at night we found ourselves each time much chilled, and of course at the hotels had to take a cold room, and beds which seemed to be a little damp. But we have experienced no lasting injury. Everywhere in Europe the covering of the beds is simply a feather bed. In America where the feather bed is to lie on and not under, I have found it easy to dispose of the article; but in Europe where it is the covering to protect one from the cold there is only one thing to do, and that is to accept the situation. The train which we wished to take from Strasbourg did not leave till one in the afternoon. This gave us an opportunity to see something of the city. It is situated a little way from the Rhine, on its west side, and though a very strongly fortified town, it is in a country that is very flat. It is surrounded by walls of stone some thirty feet in height, and outside this is a deep ditch filled with water. This stone wall is backed by a very heavy bank of earth and under this bank of earth and within the wall itself are places for the soldiers who defend the city. But outside the regular walls of the city are walls and earthworks and ditches covering the fields for a long distance from the city. Here we saw many Prussian soldiers. In fact every Prussian city through which we have come has many soldiers drilling all the time. These cities seem like our northern cities during the great rebellion. When a child I read of the wonderful clock in the cathedral of Strasbourg. I will not speak of its wonders in general, but only of what we saw during the half hour that we observed it. At noon the figure of death walks out in front of the dial and strikes the hour. Then a door opens and the twelve apostles in a stately procession with Peter at the head and John next walk out and pass in front of Christ. Each apostle in passing the Saviour turns and bows to him in a reverent manner, and the Saviour lifts his hands as in the act of blessing them. But what made a deeper impression upon my mind than anything of this was the solemn reminder of Peter’s denial of Christ. At the left hand of the clock and somewhat higher than the place of the apostles is perched a cock. The appearance of Peter is the signal for this cock to flap his wings, lift his head, and curve his neck, and crow with a loud, shrill voice; all of which was a very perfect imitation of nature. This was done three times while the procession of the apostles walked slowly in front of Christ. There was a large crowd of the people of Strasbourg to witness this sight, which shows that though of every-day occurrence it does not lose its interest to them. The country from Basel where we leave Switzerland to Strasbourg is very level, and it continues to be such all the way to Mainz. It is principally devoted to the raising of hops and to vineyards. At a considerable distance to the west, as we came through the territory conquered by the Prussians from the French, we could see the Vosges mountains which constitute the new frontier between France and Germany, and in the passes of which mountains the Prussians are building a chain of fortresses which they hope will render a French invasion impossible. About 6 o’clock on Wednesday evening we passed through the town of Worms where Luther so courageously met the emperor of Germany and the dignitaries of the church of Rome. It was too dark to see the town, and we had only a moment to spend; but I stepped out of the car to get at least a glimpse of the town rendered so memorable by the firmness and moral heroism of Martin Luther. We remained at Mainz for the night, and the following day came down the left bank of the Rhine to Cologne, and thence to this place. Between Mainz and Cologne, the Rhine passes through the mountains, and the scenery is very grand. On the cliffs may be seen the ruined castles of the old robbers who called themselves great lords. Occasionally also may be seen castles not yet ruined, but which, no doubt, deserve to be leveled with the dust. At Cologne, we crossed the Rhine, and in about two hours we reached Elberfeld, our place of destination, a city of about 70,000 inhabitants. I have spoken, perhaps, too largely of matters of little consequence. I will now speak of things in which I feel a deeper interest. Sometime since, a beggar called at the house in Buckten, Switzerland, where Bro. Ertzenberger has made his home. This man told Bro. E. that there were Sabbath-keepers in Prussia, and gave him their address. Bro. E. opened a correspondence with them, and found that the beggar had told the truth. Bro. E. gave me information concerning this people, and from that day forward I have labored earnestly to make preparation for this mission. The very hour there was evidence that our way was prepared of the Lord, we set out. We suffered plenty of discomfort in coming; but we could not complain, for we felt the angel of God to be present all the way. On arriving here, we find forty-six adult Sabbath-keepers scattered over a territory some fifty miles across. We have now spent one Sabbath with them, and have had a very interesting meeting. They speak a very pure German, but know neither French nor English. Of course, Bro. E. is at home in this language, and I find him an excellent interpreter. I spoke to them Sabbath forenoon from 2 Pet. 3, and had much help from the Spirit of God. The words seemed to take deep hold upon them. In the afternoon, we each gave them an account of the work of God in America. Only a short time since, they had no knowledge that there were any Christians in the world observing the seventh day except themselves. They thought indeed that there must be others, but they knew of none. As we gave them an account of the Sabbath-keepers of America, and of those of other countries of which we have knowledge, they were made to rejoice, and the tears stood in many eyes. This work seems to have originated with Bro. J. H. Linderman. He belonged in early life to the national church, as indeed almost every one does in this country who is not a Catholic. But in 1842 he was converted to God, though at that time ignorant of the truth only as he learned it imperfectly from the national church. But his mind now turned to the Bible as the great fountain of truth. In 1850 he became satisfied that infant baptism, the universal custom of the national church, was not of God, and that the burial of penitent believers in the watery grave is the only scriptural baptism. Now he was in trouble; for there were no Baptists in this part of the world. After a considerable time, however, he was able to find a suitable administrator, and he was baptized. In the course of years, the Baptists became comparatively numerous. But as Bro. L. continued to study the Scriptures, he learned that the Bible Sabbath had been lost as well as Bible baptism. So it came to pass that in 1860 he began to hallow the Sabbath of the Lord. And now many of his dear Baptist brethren, with whom he had suffered much, became wholly alienated from him. Three years he observed the Sabbath all alone. Since that time, God has blessed his labors in leading this body of Christians to the Sabbath. He is now seventy years of age. I will now speak of this people as far as my observation and inquiry have extended. They are believers in the near coming of Christ. They have banished tobacco from their ranks. Their dress is plain, but it is very neat and in good taste, and they are very cleanly in their habits. They are a sensible, substantial-looking class of people, and I think they truly fear God. I do not discover that they hold any serious errors, or that they are fanatical in their worship. Probably they attach undue importance to some minor or indifferent points. When we first came, though they received us very cordially, it was plain that they were somewhat afraid of us. Nor did this fear very much abate till our Sabbath meeting. It happened to be the time of general meeting with them, so that the larger part of their company was present. They requested us to manage the meeting in our own way. We sought the help of God, and we had it, I am very certain. When our meeting closed, their fears were gone, and they were not slow to say so. We showed them our credentials from America and from Switzerland, but they said they had no further occasion for them. I have come here to aid Bro. Ertzenberger in commencing the work in Prussia. We shall visit these Sabbath-keepers at their own homes, in the77different towns where they reside, and shall have many meetings with them, and with the people who may be willing to hear. Probably I shall not remain more than two weeks; but this will be determined by providential circumstances. But I think here is a very excellent opening for labor before Bro. Ertzenberger. God is greatly blessing him, and he is a free man in the Lord. But nothing will be accomplished here without faithful, painstaking labor, and this must be under the direction and with the help of the Holy Spirit. Who is sufficient for these things? Our brethren will not forget to pray for us. God is our helper, and it is in answer to prayer that his blessing is given. On returning to Switzerland, we shall print at Neuchatel several of the tracts that have been prepared for translation into foreign languages. We have means raised to pay for this work, and have ascertained that at present we can have the best terms at N. I think hereafter we may be able to do better at Basel with the printer of whom I have spoken. We shall contract no debts. We mean to keep our funds good by paying for the tracts as we circulate them. It is proper, perhaps, that I should say that our means are limited. The brethren cheerfully raised 300 francs to send us on this mission to Prussia. And in coming here, we practiced the most rigid economy in the matter of expense. Perhaps the brethren in America may think it proper to replace this sum in the Swiss treasury. I speak the more freely as I have not hesitated to use my own means to help forward the work, in addition to that placed in my hands by the General Conference Committee. The few Sabbath-keepers in Italy must soon have help. I think there are seventh-day Christians in the Austrian empire, especially in Hungary. Bro. Jones of London told me that he had heard there were Sabbath-keepers in Holland. Now I wish to advertise in one of the best papers in each of these countries; also to do the same in Russia. I have felt that I would not invite the aid of others till I had done all that my own means would enable me to do. I have now come to this point, and therefore now submit the work to the judgment of those in America that God has called to fill the places of chief responsibility in the cause. I shall do nothing in Europe without laying all open before the brethren in America. Nor shall I act here without the knowledge and approval of our experienced brethren in Switzerland. I hope to stand in the counsel of God, and neither to step ahead of the providence of God, nor yet to fall behind. What it is possible to do, I mean to try hard to accomplish. Hitherto the Lord has helped us. The brethren in Prussia send greeting to the Sabbath-keepers in America. Elberfeld, Prussia, Feb. 7, 1875.