The Missionary by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 12, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 31.

The Missionary.

By Editor

Progress of the Cause in Central Europe.

THE field occupied by our Central European Mission is a very large one. The laborers are few and most of the time widely separated in their work, and those who would be successful colporters are crippled for the want of a better assortment of books. But the efforts of the few laborers in this mission, during the past six months, have been the means of bringing the truth before many, and in each place where the truth has been presented some have given themselves fully to the Lord, and are striving to keep all of his commandments.

Since the last conference, a dozen or more have been added to the church in Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and six or seven to the church in Tramelan. At Lausanne, a church of twenty-three has been raised up, and at Geneva, Basel, Zurich, and other places, there have been additions of two, three, or four in a place. Besides those who are brought to a knowledge of the truth by the preachers and colporters, we hear of individuals and companies in various parts of the world who have begun to keep the true Sabbath from reading the French and German papers. Thus we learn of a few French Sabbath-keepers in South America, and of a very earnest man in Algiers who, since learning the truth himself, is anxious to do what he can to proclaim it to his own nation, the Spaniards. In France several have begun the observance of the Sabbath, from reading Les Signes and tracts. One of these has labored so earnestly for his neighbors and friends, by distributing reading matter, and visiting from house to house, that six others have taken their stand to keep the Sabbath.

From the Sabbath-keepers in Russia, Elder Conradi has received many encouraging letters, and most earnest appeals that he visit them soon. For some time he has been kept from this field by the work in Switzerland, but the last week in June he left Basel for the Russian field. He planned to stop a short time in Hungary, where it is reported there are a number of Christian Jews keeping the Sabbath; then visit the little company in Roumania, and then go to Southern Russia, where the companies are who have been urging him to visit them.

Along the north shore of the Black Sea there are many German Mennonites who left their own country years ago, on account of religious oppression. After spending several years in Russia, and failing to find there the liberty that they desired, several thousands of them have gone to America to enjoy the religious freedom for which they long. It is among these that our German laborers have been most successful, and that the largest churches of German Sabbath-keepers have been established. After accepting the truth for themselves, they began with zeal to work for the conversion of their friends in Russia. They have sent them papers, and tracts, and many letters, and, as a result of these efforts, there are from fifty to seventy-five German Sabbath-keepers in Russia. We look with interest for the report of Brother Conradi's visit among them.

At the missionary council held at Basel last September, the possibility and advisability of using tents for holding meetings, as our ministers do in America, was discussed at considerable length, and there was a unanimous decision that notwithstanding the many difficulties to be met, it was best to attempt the use of tents. Until within a few years the laws respecting religious meetings have been such in France and Italy that it would have been impossible to hold meetings in this way; but the laws have been so changed, and Providence has so shaped the work, that these strongholds of Catholicism are the first countries of continental Europe where large tents are pitched for the preaching of the Third Angel's Message.

On the third of July, Elders D. T. Bourdeau, J. Ertzenberger, and A. Vuilleumier, with Brethren Comte and Garcide as colporters, began a series of meetings in Nîmes, France, using a forty-foot circular linen tent for the meetings. And just four days later Elder A. C. Bourdeau, with Brethren J. Geymet and P. Audetat as colporters, began meetings in a 30x50 foot tent in the village of Saint-Germain, Piedmont, Italy.

How the meetings prosper in Italy we have not yet heard, but in France there is a deep interest to hear, and a violent opposition. From a private letter received from Brother Whitney, who made a short visit to Nîmes to assist in planning the work, pitching the tent, and beginning the meetings, I shall quote some paragraphs that will give an idea of the difficulties to be met and the situation of the work:—

"You can readily judge that it has not been very easy to get on with our preparations in a strange place, without tools, material scarce and extremely high, and with only two of us who had had any experience in fitting up a tent. As this was the first effort with a tent in France we were anxious to have things in as good shape as possible, and by perseverance we succeeded in being in a tolerable degree of readiness for

the first meeting, which was appointed evening after the Sabbath. One point, however, which we had not regarded as one of any difficulty, but supposed was a matter of mere formality, was left till the last moment, as we were busy with our other preparations. The law requires that the application for holding a public meeting be signed by one or two citizens of the place, and when it came to the case in hand our brethren did not know who would sign this application. Whoever signed it became in a certain sense responsible for the result of the meeting, and that at the present juncture seemed not so very certain. The population of Nîmes, always excitable and turbulent, had just been stirred by a frightful row in the great arena, on the occasion of a recent fête, in which one man was killed and many wounded. When we applied to the man whom we thought would be most likely to sign for us, we found that he was not a citizen; but he recommended us to a Catholic merchant, who was induced to sign, and so at a late hour Thursday we were able to present our petition, and receive the permission to distribute our tent-meeting journal, an eight-page sheet announcing to the people of Nîmes the nature and object of our meetings."

"When the permission was granted, the commissioner of the police was instructed to protect the meeting, so we expected that we should have police on the ground ready to maintain order. When the time for meeting came, the tent was filled with as good a class of people as are to be found in the city, as we have since learned from various sources; and, as might be expected, there were some of the baser sort also on hand. The meeting commenced quietly, but little by little those who had come to make trouble began to talk aloud, and in spite of our best endeavors, created so much disturbance as to greatly annoy the speaker, and to make it almost impossible for the people to hear. When the meeting was dismissed, it broke up in confusion, and the rowdies refused for a while to leave the tent. The people staid apparently to see that no harm was done, and we feared for a time that there would be serious trouble, but they finally left, and we had a quiet night. The next morning we went to the commissioner of the police to ask him for protection. He answered us very promptly that if we wanted order and the good of the city, the way to secure it was to take down our tent and leave the place. He said he could not protect us, and would give no encouragement that he would do anything for us. He said that we might depend upon it that our tent was in danger, and that he would take no responsibility about it. We asked him directly if we had not the right to protection as we had the permission of the Prefect to hold the meetings. Then he claimed that he had not a sufficient force at his command."

"We were surprised afterward to learn that this commissioner and his sub-agent, stationed within ten rods of the tent, were both at the meeting, and did not say a word to check the disturbance. It appears that they were only too glad to see it go on. The commissioner even told us that the mob intended to tear down our tent, and we had good reason to believe that it might be done. Now that we had done all we could, we felt that we had a right to look to the Lord for protection, and you may be sure we prayed most earnestly for it. In good season last night, two policemen came to the tent ready to serve us, and we had a comparatively quiet time. We have reason to thank God for his protecting care, and for the good influence which this meeting left."

From a later letter, we learn that our brethren will print admission cards, and give them to all who are interested in the prosperity of the meetings. Then they will station some one at the gate who will admit only those who have the cards. It is favorable that the lot on which the tent stands is inclosed by a stone wall nine feet high. [By Brother Bourdeau's report it will be seen that there even stone walls are not a first-class protection.—Ed.]