ANOTHER VIEW | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 16, 1877

ANOTHER VIEW.

We copy the following from the Sabbath Recorder of Aug. 2, 1877:—

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SABBATH RECORDER:

In the Minutes of the North-Western Association, recently published in your paper, I find this preamble and resolution, offered by Eld. James Bailey, viz:

Whereas, Eld. James White, of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, gave assurances to the Seventh-day Baptist General Conference at its last session that their laborers be advised not to go into our societies; and,

Whereas, Since that time increasing labors have been performed by them in our churches in Minnesota, to the damage of our cause; therefore,

Resolved, That the pledged faith of the head of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, for fraternal union, has been violated, much to our grief, and prejudicial to our unity with them.

It appears from the record that the preamble and resolution was received, discussed, and adopted by the Association. I apprehend that

Bro. Bailey could not have been well informed in regard to the facts in the case referred to; for had he been, it seems to me that he would not have introduced such a resolution into the Association, and I am confident that if the Association had known the facts, they would not have passed it had it been introduced. It appears to me that justice to all parties demands that a simple statement of the facts in the case should go before the readers of the Recorder, that, after having read them, they may the better judge as to whether any “pledged faith” “has been violated” so as to be a just cause of “grief” to any party, or be “prejudicial to” the “unity” of the two bodies. I therefore beg the privilege of a little space in your columns for this purpose, as it is of labors performed in the Minnesota churches that Bro. Bailey complains.

And first, I will say that, as my home has been in the midst of the Carlton church, I have preached there two or three times within the last year by request of Eld. Backus, and once, as I was about to move away, by request of several of the neighbors. This, with the exception of one discourse by Eld. Babcock one evening last winter as he was passing, is all the labor that has been performed by our ministers in that church.

At Dodge Center, we have a church which holds Sabbath meetings regularly in the village, and also quarterly meetings, some of which are attended by some of our ministers and others not. Thus much for this church.

Two years ago this summer, Bro. Ellis and myself spent some weeks in meetings a few miles from the Transit Seventh-day Baptist church, and some of the members of that church attended once or twice. Several of them attended our last year's camp-meeting, and were very much interested. They requested Bro. Ellis and myself to visit them and hold some meetings with them. They occasionally met with our church at Round Grove, and our brethren, in turn, met with them from time to time.

Last November we visited the Round Grove church, and spent a few days with them and one Sabbath. On the next Sabbath, with a number of our brethren, we attended a meeting with the Transit church, and were invited by the leading members of the church to remain and hold some meetings with them; and we did so, staying over the next Sabbath, presenting some of the leading features of our faith, apparently to their edification and satisfaction. I have never heard that any of the Transit brethren thought that our labors there were “to the damage of their cause,” nor do I believe that they feel so to-day.

From there we went to New Auburn, nine miles distant, a place where Satan had long held sway, and there we labored for upwards of two months, the Lord working with us, and the Seventh-day Baptist brethren living within reach working heartily with us, making common cause without jar or discord. There we subsequently organized a church, consisting at first of six members, but since increased to fourteen, four of whom had been members of the Transit Seventh-day Baptist church. As the result of that labor, eight have been added to the Seventh-day Baptist Church, five or six of them being converts both to Christianity and the Sabbath as the direct fruit of our work at New Auburn.

It is claimed by the S. D. B. brethren there, that what was gained to our church from theirs was no loss to them, while those added to them, as the fruit of our labors, they consider as valuable accessions. (See Eld. Backus's report from New Auburn, in Recorder.)

These being the facts in the case, I can but say that, had Bro. Bailey been well informed in regard to them, I believe he would not have introduced such a preamble and resolution; and had the Association known them, it would not have taken an action that was not only totally uncalled for, but calculated to strengthen prejudices already existing, and to create them where none existed before.

I deeply regret the course taken by the Association, but can only pray the Lord to so overrule it that no hindrance may thereby be interposed to the advancement of the precious cause in which, as his people, we are engaged.

Before concluding, I will say that for a year and a half, the brethren in and around Dodge Center, have been earnestly pleading for help, and in response to those pleadings, Bro. Ellis and myself are now here with our tent, holding meetings every evening, and on Sabbath and first-day, with good congregations and close attention. We shall remain here so long as the interest and prospect of good demands.

D. P. CURTIS.

Dodge Center, Minn., July 18, 1877.