A Catholic's Opinion of Us by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 25, 1875

A Catholic's Opinion of Us.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

WHILE in California, I became acquainted with an educated Catholic gentleman. This gentleman attended many of our meetings, subscribed for our paper, &c. He became much interested, and attended our late camp-meeting at Fairfax, California. Writing from the camp-ground to a friend of his, he gives his impression of our people. Being permitted to read his letter, I take the liberty to make the following extract from it:—

“But here I wish to say a good word in respect to S. D. Adventism, having with an unprejudiced mind closely watched the workings of the faith of these religionists, at this camp-meeting and elsewhere. There are eighty-eight camp tents on the ground; nevertheless the attendance is not nearly so large as I expected it would be, but the lack in numbers is made up in quiet deportment and respectability. And what sermons! based as they are on the plain meaning of the Bible, and delivered in an earnest and clear manner, they are peculiarly impressive and instructive, and are listened to with profound attention by all hearers. The ministers, or rather, as they are called, the elders, of the church are affable, cheerful, earnest men, whose lives are entirely devoted to preaching the gospel as they find it, editing their denominational papers and tracts, and patiently promulgating the doctrines of their religion, little by little, throughout the world. Inasmuch as I fully believe in the sentiment, ‘Peace and good will toward all mankind,’ and as the ministrations of these elders and their co-laborers clearly point to a better understanding of the Scriptures, on which the Christian religion is founded, and as they perseveringly teach obedience to the ten commandments on all possible occasions, thereby fostering charity, harmony, propriety, uprightness, may God give them—these elders—I pray, all needful inspiration.

“The aged and middle-aged ladies, permanently on the ground, outnumber the young ones. Of the latter, I have not seen a single ill-behaved girl; they are all as sober-minded as their mothers and grandmothers. S. D. Adventism seems to have the effect of rendering sober-minded, but withal cheerful and amiable, all women who embrace that faith. Neither is there an unruly boy on the ground. In short, this religion is a good religion for all classes of society, from the fact that it certainly does have a benign influence over the characters of men. It renders rough natures affable; begets a feeling of brotherly love among the male members; and, wonderful to behold! it casts away fashionable extravagance in apparel among the female members, and creates gentle kindness among them, one toward another. You see, my friend, that I had excellent reasons for coming here. Go and hear the elders whenever you can. You will never regret the time thus spent.”

I hope we may ever so live as to be worthy of the good opinion our friend has formed of us. D. M. CANRIGHT.