CONFERENCE ADDRESS by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 14, 1878

CONFERENCE ADDRESS.

By James White

TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS CONVENED AT BATTLE CREEK, MICH., MARCH 1, 1878.

BY ELDER JAMES WHITE.

Dear Brethren: For the first time since our Conference was organized we are deprived of the pleasure of meeting you and taking part in our annual council. And as it seems necessary that we should remain on the Pacific Coast this season we briefly address you relative to the rapidly growing cause to which we have given our life. Matters of grave importance will come before you. God give you wisdom in all your councils, and grace to deliberate to his glory in laying plans wisely and as broad as the cause demands.

It requires but a glance at our past brief history to see that we as a people have taken too narrow views of the work to be accomplished by the message of the third angel, consequently our sacrifices have been small, our offerings stinted, and the results of our feeble labors have corresponded with our efforts. This has resulted from want of real faith in the last message. True faith, to the possessor, is as good as knowledge. At least, if he has real faith he will act the same as if he knew. No man can act as God would have him act in the closing message unless his course is the same as if he knew that the present period was the time for this work, and that it is really being accomplished.

We have no need to call your attention to the evidences of our position. These you understand. You will agree with me that proofs are not wanting, that evidences are sufficient.

You have often reviewed these, and as the result, each time you have come to the conclusion that additional proofs would not add to the strength of our positions. Those that we have are complete. You have not assembled to search for a position as a body of Christians, but to act upon the one you have, and discharge those obligations which you have assumed in consenting to become the proclaimers and guardians of the last message.

Our people have chosen you to act. They acknowledge you to be the highest earthly authority. They confide much to you. They virtually say, Let the General Conference lay plans, and we will act the part God has assigned to us in their execution. Let me, therefore, as a father, admonish you to beware of taking too narrow views of the great work before us, lest in the very act you raise doubt in the minds of our people. They see as well as you that the work is vast, and that broader plans and increased facilities will ever be demanded in order to keep pace with the opening providence of God. If you lay plans in faith they will act in faith. If you plan feebly and in doubt, they will put forth corresponding action.

You are aware that for more than a quarter of a century the publishing department has claimed our first attention; and we rank this as first in importance among our institutions. Men who are called of God to be Christ’s embassadors hold the first rank in the church. They are God’s precious instrumentalities. But experience has proved to you that the preacher can do but little without publications; and it is as true that publications can accomplish but little without the living teacher of the word. The preacher who furnishes the people with books, who urges them and our periodicals on the people wherever he labors, adds nine-tenths to his usefulness. God bless the dear ministers of Jesus. They should preach with their hands in scattering the books and in obtaining subscribers for our periodicals, and not overwork their speaking organs.

We rejoice in the prosperity of our Offices of publication at Battle Creek, Mich., at Oakland, Cal., and in Europe. One of the greatest levers of the age to lift along society is steam, and thank God that it can be utilized in preaching the last message. Why go on foot twenty miles per day when the cars, impelled by steam, will take you two hundred?

Our publications are a power in the land. The writers of them have not aimed at popular style, but with the book of God in hand they have sought wisdom from Heaven. They are books of ideas expressed in earnest words of simple style. Here lies the power of preaching the gospel. Here is the power of our publications. Paul would not preach the gospel with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ be of none effect. 1 Cor. 1:17. Let the facts of the cross be laid upon the sinner’s conscience in all our sermons and in print. The figure of the cross, whether it be brought out by the touch of the painter’s brush, the artist’s pencil, or engraven, or in fabric, always looks best plain. There is a fitness in things. What! dress up a figure of the cruel cross upon which my Lord died in agony? Ornamentation illy represents the bloody agony of Calvary.

Those preachers who spend a life in pleasing their people with beauty of style and wisdom of words could do nothing with the plain message God has committed to us, if they would; but they will not come up to the help of the Lord. Hence God has called farmers and mechanics, school-teachers, and men of other professions, to declare the solemn warning of the third angel of Rev. 14:9–12. These men of good natural powers and some education have taken to their Bibles and their knees, and have become strong in God and in his work. They would not use what the world calls fine style, and display what is called pulpit oratory, if they could. No; in harmony with the style of our publications, they seek to pour forth the living truth of God from a warm heart, in earnest words such as the common people can understand.

Was not Christ the greatest preacher the world ever knew? His style was plain. The Holy Ghost, which inspired the four apostles to make record of what the Master said, dictated a simple manner of expression. Why is it that when you sit down to read chapters in the Gospels you do not put Webster’s or Worcester’s dictionary by your side that you may turn to the definitions of the hard words? Ah! it is because they are not there. Christ never used them. Paul would be like his Master. Though a profound scholar, and a man of great eloquence, when preaching the cross of Christ he would not spoil the effect in stooping to popular style.

Thus our books are written, and thus our preachers go forth with the gospel message, and the Spirit of God, which has clothed the great truths of our blessed Bible in garments of simplicity, goes with them, and gives them abundant harvest. Even men who are ignorant of the common rules of the English language have gone into the field, by the help of our publications, and have gathered many souls, some of these men of education, who have become abler in the word than were their teachers.

THE REVIEW AND HERALD should be the ablest and most select church paper in the land, and all our people should read it, and thus sustain this old, faithful preacher of truth and holiness. THE YOUTH’S INSTRUCTOR should be more widely circulated. And God bless the Danish and Swedish monthlies, and may they go on their mission to the Scandinavian people in our good country and in Europe by thousands of copies. Untiring efforts should be put forth to circulate THE HEALTH REFORMER, as a sort of John Baptist to prepare the way for the entrance of the message, and also to teach God’s people how to live in order to secure the greatest physical power.

But when we come to our numerous tracts, pamphlets, and bound books, what shall we say? They are of such value and importance to the cause that we have no language in which we can do justice to the subject. Let the steam presses move, and let this right arm of our strength move the people. The greater the circulation of them the greater the demand, and this demand will increase more rapidly until the work shall close.

We mention last, but by no means the least, THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. This paper has reached the great circulation of 10,000. As a pioneer sheet it is adapted to the wants of the missionary field. In its behalf let us plead. We hope you will not only “Resolve” in reference to this paper and the Pacific Office, but that you will appoint suitable men and means to give the SIGNS still greater circulation and usefulness. The stockholders of this Association, and those connected with the Office, are grateful for the support of the General Conference and our Eastern brethren, and pray you that this patronage and support may not only be continued, but that it may be increased with the increase of the work.

Our missionaries in Europe are doing a good and great work. They have thrown the pebble into the waters, and although the tiny circular wave resulting from it is small in circumference now, it will widen until it shall embrace thousands of precious souls in all Europe. The time may be near when the $10,000 we raised for the press there should be invested, and let that press groan with its burden of silent gospel in the French, German, and Italian languages. And when we shall have missionaries in Great Britain, and a demand there for publications, they can be issued from the press at Bâle better than from America, until they shall be printed in England.

Second among our institutions is our beloved Battle Creek College. While we as a people should make God our trust, we by no means put a small value upon true education. The first object of our school is the mental and moral improvement of those who are called of God to preach his word. What we have said of plainness and simplicity of style must not be understood as against true education. Would God there was more sanctified learning in our ministry. The times and the work do not call for educated exquisites, but sound men, men of God, men of deep thought, sobriety, prayer, and devotion, such as the Lord can make strong in him. Should we pattern after others, our College would prove a terrible curse. There will ever be a battle. There is so much connected with the popular schools that is false and really superficial that we shall be in danger of drifting in the same direction others have gone. God never designed that our beloved school should raise men so above the people that in order to preach to vulgar sinners they must stoop prodigiously. True education in a real Christian gentleman will cause him to regard the work of leading the sinner to Christ as the most elevated. Feeling himself unworthy for the holy office, he will adopt the words of Paul, “Who is sufficient for these things?”

Mrs. W. and the writer have not pleaded for our school because our country is destitute of schools where men can be educated. No; these abound. But we have felt the importance of a sanctifying influence being thrown around our young men and young women at school, such as can be expected at Battle Creek, to secure a pure education. The standard of moral and religious training must be kept high in the school, and by the church which have the responsibility of having it located in their midst. This maintained, the Battle Creek College will prove a great blessing to the cause. If not maintained, it will prove a curse.

We briefly mention the Sanitarium as an institution of no small importance. We have no appeals to make for our people to take stock in this institution. Properly conducted it will fully sustain itself and in a few years pay its debts. But let the General Conference bear this in mind that at present charity patients cannot be treated at the expense of the institution. It has a heavy debt on its hands, with annual payments and interest to meet. If the worthy poor are to be treated, the church or Conference to which they belong must settle the bills. In view of the continued outlay in fitting up rooms, with the present indebtedness of the Sanitarium, this position should be satisfactory to all the friends of the health reform. But while we say we have no appeal to make to our people to take stock in Western Health Reform Institute we do not wish to convey the idea that we have lost interest in that institution. Although we took this position under the discouraging condition of the institution brought on by unworthy men who professed to fill the position of physicians, we are happy to state that no such

discouragement exists at the present time.

We laid our plans to obtain thoroughly educated young men of mind as principal physicians at the Sanitarium, and have lived to see it accomplished. J. H. Kellogg, M. D., as a Physician and Surgeon, stands at the head of the profession. This is acknowledged by doctors of all schools. And Doctors Fairfield and Sprague return with their diplomas from the highest Medical College on the continent, to take their places beside Doctor Kellogg. Five years since we laid our plans, and thank God that we see them accomplished. These, with Miss Lindsay, M. D., and Miss Lamson, M. D., make up the strong fraternity of physicians at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. These are all Christians, Seventh-day Adventists, looking for the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. While it may be their happy yet laborious task to relieve the body of indisposition and pain, may their task be made joyful indeed in pointing the invalid to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, and to that land upon the very borders of which we are almost treading, where the inhabitants will no more say, “I am sick.”

But, dear brethren, in behalf of our Publishing Houses, especially the one in Europe, we plead that they be fully sustained from the abundance in the hands of our people. It is a fact which should be felt by us, that our missionaries in Europe are not sustained as they should be. Eld. Andrews could do much more if he had means. Eld. Bourdeau is struggling with poor health, in poverty. Eld. Ertzenberger needs German books. And our dear Bro. Ribton, God bless him, is laboring in the most economical manner in Italy, in the territory of the seat of the beast. He calls for a paper and for tracts in the Italian tongue. He must have all the helps we can put into his hands.

The cause in Europe is brightening. The labors of Eld. Bourdeau in France, which for a time seemed discouraging, were fruitful. On the evening of February 25 we received the following cheering note from him:—

“I am sure you will be anxious to know how we are getting along, therefore I hasten to send you these good tidings. Bro. Gabert is having wonderful success in France. God is with him in power. He is near Lyons, the second city in France, and reports that in one week fifteen have been converted to the truth, and he urges me to spend next Sabbath with him to meet three preachers. But next Sabbath we shall hold our first Sabbath meeting here. Satan has tried to hedge up the way; but we will triumph in God.”

Let the Press be established with all the facilities of a complete office, as soon as consistent; and let our people feel that it is their privilege to speak through it in the repetition of millions of copies of precious tracts which have been written and translated with great care.

And may wisdom, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, be with you in all your deliberations, and with all who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, till Christ shall come and reward every man according as his works shall be. Amen.