Mission to Europe by John Nevins Andrews

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 8, 1875

Mission to Europe.

By John Nevins Andrews

SINCE my return from Germany I have given much labor to French grammar. I could make greater advancement in speaking the language to pay less attention to grammar and to take more time to mingle with those who speak the language. But my convictions are that the first great necessity for the work here is a paper in French, and I dare not bear the responsibility of such publication without sufficient knowledge of French to judge of the correctness of what is printed. I do not expect to avoid all mistakes, but I wish to know with some degree of certainty what I am doing. I have grudged each hour that I have given to this kind of work, when I have looked at the sad state of things in the people around. Yet it has appeared to me that this is the course to which the Spirit and the Providence of God both plainly lead me. I have tried to make every day count, and I have never considered my day's work finished till I have fully used up the strength of the day. I speak freely that those who bear responsibility in the work may know how to advise me. I hope that I have been able thus far to avoid extremes and to shun bad mistakes.

It has been my hope that God will raise up competent French scholars here in Europe who will render the assistance necessary in the grammar of the language. In a former report I spoke of those who had responded to my advertisement in the Journal of Geneva. With M. de C. I have had a very interesting correspondence, and have twice visited him at Geneva. Himself and wife acknowledge the claims of the Sabbath, but do not as yet observe it. He is learned in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, German, English, and French. His wife was for years the head of an institution for young ladies in Lausanne. She has command of German and English as well as French. Both these persons appear to fear God, and to know something of his Spirit. He is a member of several learned societies in Geneva and in Paris. He has given his life to the cause of total abstinence, a cause which he tells me has no adherents in Continental Europe, except a few societies in Holland, and here and there an individual who walks by the rule of "touch not, taste not, handle not." He is an ordained pastor, but because of his opposition to the use of wine he has been compelled to leave his pastorate. He has expressed much gratitude for the pains I have taken in his behalf, saying he thought there was not another man in Europe who would do as much for him. He has expressed his purpose to commence shortly to hallow the Sabbath. Of course I have as many fears as hopes, seeing he has not begun without delay. The condition of the churches in Geneva, as he states the case to me, is most deplorable. He says that infidelity as to the Bible and the Christian religion is fearfully prevalent, not simply with the members of the churches, but with the pastors themselves. Custom in this country requires each person on leaving church to put something into the treasury, or at least to seem to do so. M. de C. states the extent of the spirit of sacrifice by saying that to his personal knowledge the offerings of a congregation of 2,000 persons do not exceed four francs or eighty cents, and often are less. Nearly every one puts in something, but those who contribute money put in a centime (the fifth part of an American cent), and many put in buttons.

Geneva is a city beautiful for situation. It is surrounded by an amphitheatre of mountains; those on the south side once belonged to Italy, and those on the west, to France. Now it is French territory in every direction but one. The canton of Geneva is only a small spur of land extending a few miles south from the foot of the lake into French territory. So narrow is this canton that a cannon ball can be fired over the city from one French mountain to another. The water of the Rhone as it issues from the lake is a deep blue like the blue of the sky, and the bottom of the river can be plainly seen in its deepest part from the bridge. A little below comes in the Arve from Mount Blanc, and this is all roil. It is curious to see how the two kinds of water refuse to unite. In visiting Geneva I passed through Lausanne where Gibbon wrote his "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire;" and Nyon, the birth place of John Fletcher, a man of apostolic piety, and one whose writings are of inestimable value as an answer to the errors of Calvin, and to the doctrines of grace without obedience which are so prevalent in our time, especially in Europe.

Advertising in Holland has brought a considerable number of letters from persons interested to understand concerning the Bible Sabbath. Some avow Sabbatarian sentiments, and one or two may, I think, be Sabbath-keepers. I will speak further of Holland soon. Bro. Ertzenberger has labored very faithfully in Germany and has had much help from God. He has had to contend with Satan. I have had much correspondence with him. In due time I will report the progress of the work there. We have had an interesting general meeting at this place. Twelve persons were baptized by Bro. Albert Vuilleumier. In a few days, three more will be baptized. These are a Methodist local preacher and his wife, and a young man. These three have embraced the Bible Sabbath and the faith of Christ's near advent, within a few weeks last past. We have some especial tokens of good.

J. N. ANDREWS. La Coudre, Neuchatel, June 2, 1875.