Things in Europe by John Nevins Andrews

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 11, 1878

Things in Europe.

By John Nevins Andrews

THE situation of the people of Europe, so far as my observation has extended, is by no means favorable for the reception of the truth. The prevalence of false ideas concerning our duty toward God is something alarming. Those who profess to be Christians seem to be lulled into the most profound slumber. Many, perhaps the great majority, believe that they are certain of eternal life because they have become members of the church. They have no definite idea of conversion; for they came into the church by infant baptism and by confirmation, but, being in the church, they have no doubt but they are Christians, and they are sure that no Christian can ever be lost. If there are any who do not cherish this idea of the impossibility of apostasy, they hold other ideas that are equally well adapted to cause them to sleep. They believe that faith in Christ is the only thing necessary for salvation, and that if any one insists on the necessity of good works, that person does not trust in Christ for salvation. We have only to believe that Christ died for our sins and to trust in him, and we are sure of eternal life. And so obedience is never insisted upon. On the contrary, it is taught that grace saves those that believe and do not obey; while those that obey are not the subjects of grace, but the slaves of the law.

Then they have equally false ideas of the day of judgment. Instead of being regarded as the day in which God will reward or punish every one according to his works, it is, in the general estimation, the brightest period in the history of the gospel. The work of evangelizing the world will be mainly accomplished after Christ returns. I think there is very little opposition to the doctrine of the near advent of Christ. In fact, the doctrine that Christ will soon come is prevalent. But Satan has been able to pervert this doctrine to such an extent that it lulls men to sleep in sin, instead of arousing them to repentance.

When our brethren in America preach the truth, or when they distribute publications, they find some degree of preparation on the part of the people to receive their teachings. The necessity of obedience on the part of those that believe in Christ is very generally understood. Also in America men understand that there is no time for repentance after the Son of God descends to execute the judgment. Here we labor under great disadvantage on account of the prevalence of such ideas as render men quite incapable of receiving the truth.

This profound sleep of death is the result of unfaithfulness and false teaching on the part of the ministers. They never reprove in their discourses, and because people have never received reproof they are wholly unprepared to receive it. They can hardly distinguish between reproof and insult.

A Swiss minister, writing against our paper, says that we deny salvation by Christ, because we teach that obedience must be added to faith in Christ. A French minister who has written a pamphlet against our doctrine makes a special point against us because we teach that men must "overcome their sins." He is shocked at the idea, and says that we destroy "the peaceable repose of good Christians" by this most unwelcome declaration.

These things are painful to mention, but they do not discourage us. They are serious hindrances, but they are not insurmountable difficulties. There is power in the truth of God to overcome error. The light can shine in the midst of dense darkness. If it is caused to shine in the darkness, it will prevail against the darkness. Our paper does exert an influence which causes it to be feared by our enemies. The religious journals warn their readers against our paper and our publications. To do it they resort to misrepresentation and ridicule. Two things are evident: 1. That they fear the influence of our publications; 2. That they cannot give them a fair and reasonable answer. "The peaceable repose" of these sleeping ministers begins to be rudely disturbed, and they are much troubled for fear that their best members will leave them. The fear is well founded, and will be realized.

We have now such helpers at Bâle as render it possible for me to be absent nearly all the time. The past six weeks I have given to the tract and missionary work among the churches. I think that our friends will persevere in this work with zeal and with judgment. Everything has that appearance now. They are very much encouraged, and have made a good commencement. If the work is carried forward as it is begun, it will cause a large number of publications to be scattered over Europe, and it will extend the circulation of our paper. As soon as I have finished this effort among the brethren, which will be in a few days, I hope to join Brother Bourdeau in a new field of labor.

There came to our meeting in this place last Sabbath, from an adjacent village, a teacher and his wife and another lady. These persons have been reading our paper for some time, and are convinced that it publishes the truth. The teacher and his wife each understand four or five of the languages of Europe. They do not appear to know anything of Christian experience, but are so fully convinced of the truth that they are talking seriously of obeying. The lady who accompanied them seems to be a real Christian, and she has already begun to keep the Sabbath. So far as I know, in every place where our paper has been read for any length of time, it has not failed to convince its readers that it publishes the truth.

In the first volume of our paper there was a discussion on the subject of the Sabbath with M. Corcode, a Baptist minister at Rome. This was read by Brother Bertola at Alexandria, Egypt, and convinced him of the truth of the Sabbath. He gave us the address of a number of persons at Alexandria and Cairo. We have been sending them the paper, and Brother Bertola, who is a commercial traveling agent, has preached to them occasionally. Now there are twelve or thirteen in each of these cities who have decided in favor of the fourth commandment, and who have addressed to Brother Ribton an earnest entreaty that he will come and preach to them concerning the Sabbath, and the near advent of Christ. A considerable number of persons at Alexandria, who have not yet decided in favor of the Sabbath, have decided, from our publications, that the coming of Christ is at hand. It seems that something should be done immediately for these persons.

Brother Bourdeau has made a visit at Valence to encourage our friends there. He has also spent some time in a new field, near Lyons, with Brother Gabert. There are a few persons in this place who are keeping the Sabbath. Sister Bourdeau is gradually recovering from her dangerous sickness. Brother B. will immediately commence in a new field in Southern Switzerland, and I hope to join him after a few days. I shall try to do my writing and proof-reading while thus at work with Brother B.

Brother Ertzenberger has given much time for some months past to the revision of our German publications, and we have now nearly finished the printing of his entire list of fifteen different tracts. This gives him a good assortment for a new field. He has done much to instruct and establish the churches at Vohwinkel and Solingen, and they will be able to prosper in his absence. He has now removed from them to a new field of labor, but I have no news of his present location. Brother Ings has gone to labor for a time among his relatives in England.

We are grateful for the deep interest manifested by our friends in America for our work in Europe. I have sought in this letter to give as just an idea as possible of the condition of things in this part of the world. I can assure our brethren that we are laboring earnestly to bring the truth to the knowledge of our fellowmen. It can be seen that the labor necessary to instruct men in the truth is greater here than in America; but we have confidence that God is faithful to help, and our hope in him is steadfast. J. N. ANDREWS. Bienne, Switzerland, June 7, 1878.