OHIO

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 17, 1879

Staunton, July 7.—We pitched our tent here, and began meetings yesterday. At our first meeting we had a good turnout, and the best of attention was given to the word spoken. I attended the quarterly meeting at Leesburgh. The roll was called, to which all responded with cheering testimonies. After the meeting we went to the water, where two sisters followed their Lord in baptism. Then we celebrated the ordinances.

For the present my P. O. address will be Washington, C. H., Fayette Co., Ohio. E. H. Gates.

Leverings, Corsica, and Belleville.—June 24, Rev. A. Burns, the champion Disciple, received a telegram,—“Come to Leverings by first train;” and after his arrival he announced that he had come to preach the funeral sermon of Adventism, which he tried to do for three nights in succession, maintaining that the ten commandments were abolished at the cross, and that Sunday is the Lord’s day; but he refused to affirm it in public debate, even when pressed upon the point. He was very abusive, and would stop in the midst of his arguments to vomit out his slander upon our people, Sister White in particular. He is not a strong opponent. We reviewed him the Sunday following. Privately he acknowledged the following in substance:—

Question. Were you personally acquainted with Mrs. E. G. White when she was a girl? Answer. No, sir.

Q. Didn’t you know her before she was married? A. No, I never saw her.

Q. Do you personally know her now? A. I have seen her once or twice, but have no personal acquaintance with her.

Q. Then all you know about her is by report? A. Yes, sir.

Then I took these points of conversation and made a statement of them before him in public, and added: (1) I was born in the same State with Sr. White; (2) was brought up there; (3) knew her before I was an Adventist; (4) have lived neighbor to her since; (5) have labored in connection with Bro. and Sr. White; (6) have had an intimate acquaintance with them for many years; (7) I therefore was acquainted with the facts, and knew that all he had said was a miserable slander; (8) that he knew it was, also, but was willing to have it so, and to use such language behind an innocent woman’s back; (9) that a man who would publicly slander Sister White would treat any other lady in the same manner upon the slightest provocation.

Our ministers in Ohio will do well to preserve these statements, as he is a leading man, and whenever and wherever he can find an opportunity to abuse the public mind he will do so; but if they have these acknowledgments, they can kill all he says in a few minutes, and show him to be unprincipled, and given to slander. He will stoop to almost anything to prejudice the public against us.

This effort with the tent will be the means of bringing about twenty into the church, and will restore harmony in all its workings. This church have done all they could to make these meetings a success.

I made a two days’ visit at Corsica, after having been absent for more than two months. Love and harmony prevail among them, and the new ones are coming in. Their Sabbath-school is a grand success. Their new house of worship, which is now ready for plastering, I believe will be a model house.

Our quarterly meeting at Belleville, which is just past, was excellent. Our little house was well filled with S. S. scholars. The Sabbath-school has been much profited by the visit of Bro. Reavis. Three more were added to the church, two of whom were baptized. Bro. L. Lafferty was ordained elder. There are others who will soon unite with this church. Harmony seems to exist among the members.

We begin our tent-meeting in Appleton to-morrow evening. My address, until further notice, will be Appleton, Licking Co., Ohio. A. O. Burrill.

Uniopolis.—Eld. Rupert had his tent here three weeks, and I was with him the last week, July 2-6. He had a large attendance until the beginning of harvest, when the evening congregations became smaller, but on Sundays the tent was crowded. I organized the church two months ago, with only six members. On the Sabbath, as it was church quarterly meeting, we read the names of each one, and called on them to speak. After this, thirteen requested to unite with the church. Each one was examined, and voted into the church, and received the right hand of fellowship. Then we repaired to the water and baptized four. Sunday afternoon the church elected Enos Babcock elder, and we ordained him. Immediately following this, we all took part in the holy communion of the Lord’s supper. It was a sweet and solemn occasion. All present joined the tract society, and some money was pledged. This church now stands fully organized in all parts of the work. They have promptly paid up their tithes, and what is more have been honest with God in giving all that was really due. Now see how God has already blessed them for it. I obtained three names for the REVIEW, and five for the Instructor. The tent now goes about twelve miles east, where there are a few Sabbath-keepers. D. M. Canright.