Editorial Correspondence.
By John Nevins Andrews
WHAT SHALL BE DONE FOR EUROPE?
I feel the most intense interest to see the work of God advanced in Europe. Here are millions of people who are breaking the commandments of God, and yet are ignorant of the fact. They are trampling in the dust God’s holy Sabbath, and are not conscious of their guilt. For this guilt, however, there is a great weight of responsibility upon those whom God has enlightened with the knowledge of his truth. Moreover, the great day of God is near and hasteth greatly. Few of the vast multitudes of people in Europe have any knowledge of the near advent of Christ. If the day of God comes upon them without their being warned, what account shall we render to God for our neglect to warn them? Shall we plead that our worldly business was so profitable we could not think of neglecting it to carry them the truth, nor even to use our means to send the truth by others who were willing to carry it? Many will have no better plea than this, and so for shame will stand speechless before their Judge. I hope it will be pardoned if I speak very freely. I do it not with a disposition to dictate, but from a heart of intense desire to witness the advancement of this most sacred work. We must give warning to our fellow-men of the swiftly hastening Judgment, and we must lead them to keep the commandments of God. This is our work, and the time in which to do it is brief. Then comes the reckoning, and our business is to meet that with joy and not with sorrow. Our work is to be accomplished partly by the living preacher, but principally by publications. Yet what an immense undertaking is this! It is not simply that there are millions of people to be reached, nor even that these millions do not speak the English language. They speak a great number of different languages, and each nation must have the truth in its own tongue. But with God’s blessing, all this is possible. He will not do our work for us, but if we will do our part he will add his blessing, and that will count. One thing inspires hope, God has gone out before us. The case of the Sabbath-keepers in the vicinity of Elberfeld, Prussia, shows how God is at work. Here are Adventist Sabbath-keepers who have been raised up not only without help from abroad, but even without a preacher among themselves. I have information which I deem authentic of other bodies or companies of Sabbath-keeping Christians in several countries of Europe. It is my conviction that we shall find Sabbath-keepers scattered all over Europe. This indicates that God has set his hand to the work. Another thing which seems to be very providential is, that all these nations of Europe have many of their people in the United States, and that most of these different nationalities are represented in the body of Adventist Sabbath-keepers. These Sabbath-keepers cannot but feel for their own countrymen. They will write them the truth as best they can. Alas! that our excellent publications in the English language cannot be made available by them for the instruction of their friends at home. Without doubt some of these persons will see it their duty to return to their own countrymen. But let none do this who have not first advised with those who fill responsible positions in the work in America. If there are those from the different nations of Europe, now in the United States, who have mastered the English language, and have received a good knowledge of the truth of God, and have a real heart-work, and can express what they have in their hearts, perhaps God will use some of these persons as missionaries to their own countrymen. But I beg of such to take advice from our wisest counselors as to their own fitness for such responsibilities. If we have young men of approved piety, and of good understanding in the Scriptures, and of capacity to teach, who understand no language but the English, I believe that this class may furnish valuable laborers in the various nationalities of Europe. I think that if such young men were willing to give themselves to the work, and if they could set out with the approval of those competent to advise, they would speedily become able to speak the language of the country to which they should go. I think the persons best adapted to teach the speaking of a foreign language are those who understand that language well and do not understand the language of the person they are teaching. The learner cannot use his own language, and cannot fail to learn the pronunciation and use of the language which he hears correctly and distinctly spoken. But let none come to Europe for the romance and sight-seeing of the journey. This kind of poetry will speedily turn to sober prose. The comforts and conveniences of common life in Europe do not compare with those of America, at least not to a person of American ideas. We want those men who are willing to labor, even though they do not find their own tastes and preferences met in their surroundings, and who will never think of quitting the field till the time comes for the laborers to cease their toil, and to bring in their sheaves of well-ripened grain. The chief instrumentality in setting the truth before the people of Europe must no doubt be the press, as we have proved it in America. And here, even with God’s special blessing, and with the marked interposition of his providence, there must be an immense amount of severe toil and painful labor. What is put in print must not only be the truth of God, but it must be according to the grammar and the peculiar idiom of the language used. And here are the many languages which in some form must have the truth in print. How this can be accomplished remains to be seen. But success is certain if we only labor in God. The weapons used by Joshua in the siege of Jericho, and by Gideon in warring upon Midian, show how God can use feeble instrumentalities to accomplish mighty results. But while there are great difficulties in the advancement of the work in continental Europe, we must not overlook the fact that the inhabitants of the British Islands speak the same language with ourselves. Here are many millions of people whom we can reach by our publications just as they issue from our Office in America. And our preachers can enter upon the work in Great Britain and Ireland without the painful labor and the delay necessary in acquiring the use of a foreign language. I think the time has come when I should express the intense desire of my heart concerning the proclamation of the truth in these countries. When in England I made very diligent inquiry after those observing the Sabbath, and those friendly to it. In particular I looked after those whose names I had obtained from friends in America, or from the REVIEW. Here I met painful disappointment. The readers of the REVIEW will remember the letter from an English Methodist minister which was published last summer. I had high hopes of this man. Indeed, I thought if I found him in the same frame of mind as when he wrote that letter, I would perhaps spend two or three weeks in labor in his place. I therefore wrote him a letter the night we landed in Liverpool, and offered to call on him, or, if he chose to do so, invited him to call on me in London. As he did not answer this letter, after some days I wrote him again from London, and this letter also he neglected to answer. I have since learned from Bro. Stillman, of Brookfield, N. Y., that he received my letters, but had concluded that the Sabbath truth would cost him too much, and so had accepted flattering offers from the Methodists, who evidently had begun to fear that they should lose him. My searches after those interested in the Sabbath, through the instrumentality of our publications and of our people in America, came to nothing. I think there are such individuals in England, but I did not find them in the cases I sought them. I felt a very deep interest in the few Seventh-day Baptists of Great Britain. Two of these ancient churches are not yet extinct. The church at Mill Yard, London, and the Natton church in Gloucestershire, have each a remnant holding fast the commandments. At Mill Yard, Bro. Jones is earnestly at work as a preacher, but the circumstances of the case confine his personal labors to that place. He has, however, by advertising, found a few persons, either keeping the Sabbath or ready to receive it from the publications he has sent them. A little Sabbath meeting of these persons was organized in Glasgow at the time of our visit there. And in several places in Great Britain and Ireland, there are scattered Sabbath-keepers. I think there are in all about thirty Sabbath-keeping Christians in these countries. What shall be done for Great Britain? Probably our American Seventh-day Baptist brethren will send one of their most efficient ministers to Glasgow. If so, may God grant him great success in turning men to the commandments of God. How far will this go toward meeting the urgent necessity of the case? A Sabbath-keeping minister in London, and another in Glasgow, with their personal labor confined principally to those two cities, when there should be a hundred faithful men to labor in the different cities and towns of the kingdom. Here is a great harvest field, and hardly any to labor in it. The Sabbath truth was planted in America by an Englishman. In common with the S. D. Baptists, we, as a people, owe a debt of gratitude to the Sabbath cause in England, to the men that were whipped, imprisoned, and put to death, for the truth’s sake. It is time for us to pay some of this indebtedness. The responsibility in this case is not confined to the Seventh-day Baptists. May they discharge their indebtedness, so that it shall not stand against them in the Judgment, and may we do the same thing also. There is room for more commandment-keeping125ministers in Great Britain and Ireland than both bodies can find men to send as missionaries. Nor is there occasion for contention or jealousy between us. God forbid that we should not rejoice in their success in leading men to obey God. Herein our work and theirs are identical. But we have also a work to do which, as yet, they do not share with us. We understand from the prophetic word that the coming of our Lord is at the door. We must give to our fellow-men the solemn warning of a swiftly hastening Judgment. God has connected this warning with the preaching of his commandments in Rev. 14, and especially in the third angel’s message. This most solemn message he has committed to us as a people. We cannot look to others to fulfill this responsibility for us. The people of England must hear upon this great subject. It seems to me that the time has come for us to enter upon this work. We have a vast store of most precious publications that need no work of translating, as here upon the continent, to fit them for use. We have efficient men to take this work in hand, and to make it a great success. Bro. White has spoken of Bro. Loughborough for the English mission. This would be an excellent choice, I am sure. Would that we could send more than one of our experienced ministers to this great field. Perhaps some younger men could be joined with them in the work. I leave all this to the wisdom of our General Conference Committee. But I am sure that we ought not to delay this work longer. Our Lord is coming. How long we shall have a time of quiet for our work we know not. Let us arise and take hold of the work. No greater privilege was ever given to the sons of men than that of sharing in the burdens of the work of God. I hope the time is at hand when we shall see a great work in the British Islands and on the Continent. If we are faithful to the work committed to our trust we shall see the salvation of God. May he bless the cause of truth in the old world. May he put the spirit of labor and of sacrifice into all our hearts. And whatever have been our failures in the past, may it appear in the Judgment that from this time forward, till our work is finished, we have done what we could. La Coudre, Neuchatel, Switzerland, March 19.