NEW YORK | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 26, 1877

NEW YORK.

Parma.

Our report is most encouraging. The Methodist minister, spoken of in my last report, came on with several of his brethren, and succeeded in confirming the believers and satisfying others that Sunday-keeping has no foundation in the Bible. He was present to hear my reply, after which he made some remarks calculated, as he thought, to destroy the force of all that I had said. But when he had closed, the resident physician, an English gentleman of more than ordinary intelligence and ability, arose and said he thought the time had come when an expression of some kind was due with reference to what they had been listening to, and requested those who had been favorably impressed with Eld. Whitney’s preaching to rise up, when the audience sprang to their feet en masse, as if electrified. Only two or three kept their seats, and when the contrary expression was called for not one got up.

The leading merchant, another fine English gentleman, closed his store on Friday night, and bore a good testimony in our meeting Sabbath, which was one of the best meetings I have ever attended. Another gentleman who is prominent in the community as a counselor at law, and who has been a backslider for many years, wept freely, and spoke with some feeling. There are now about twenty keeping the Sabbath, and others are very hopeful.

The Baptist evangelist is still waging his warfare upon us; but, like a horse struggling in the mire, every effort gets him deeper into difficulty. He preached on immortality yesterday morning, and I replied to him last evening, with freedom, before a good house. Perhaps I ought to say in justice to the pastor of the Baptist church, that he is not in sympathy with the course they are pursuing toward us. Opposition is strong and bitter on the part of some, but is not general.

S. B. WHITNEY.

Pine Meadow, in Orwell, Oswego Co.

I commenced labor here Apr. 1st. An interest to hear had been awakened by the judicious missionary labor of Bro. E. C. Hoxie; so we began with a full house, and the attendance has continued excellent for a country place, our congregations ranging from forty to sixty. We have examined the prophecies, and the Sabbath in part. Three have already taken their stand, others are in the valley of decision. Pray for us.

M. H. BROWN.