COMMUNICATIONS by Joseph Bates

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Jul 4, 1854

COMMUNICATIONS.

By Joseph Bates

From Bro. Bates.

DEAR BRO. WHITE:—The Harbinger for June 3d, 1854, contains an article from the pen of N. A. Hitchcock of Exeter, Wis., against a letter which I wrote from Pleasant Valley, Jo Daviess Co., Ill., March 1st, and published in the Review March 14th 1854. He quotes from the letter as follows:

"I have spent about two weeks at Adaline, and Crane's Grove, where some six professed ministers arrayed themselves against the truth at several of our meetings, four of them laboring for days to put it down with their no-commandment and no-Sabbath arguments. Notwithstanding all their opposition, the Lord wrought for Israel, and many souls got their eyes open to see the position their teachers occupied, and the difference between truth and error, and has also caused the sound of the last message of mercy to spread more extensively throughout this region of country."

And then says, "The facts are, first, that no six professed ministers arrayed themselves at several of his meetings against the truth or his views of it."

My statement (as above) is, that six professed ministers arrayed themselves against the truth at our several meetings. Four of them laboring for days to put it down, &c. Now for the proof of my statement in the Review.

My first meeting at Crane's Grove, was on the evening of Feb. 9th, at Mr. Newton's. At the close of the meeting, I stated the object of my visit among them, and said if the way was open I should like to give them a few lectures on the present truth. Mr. Jacob Berry invited me to go home with him as he wished to hear me further. He opened the way by appointing for me a meeting on the evening of the 10th, and said to me very pleasantly that he would prove me whether I gave them the truth, but should not trust it wholly to his own judgment. He therefore sent off a messenger several miles to invite three of his favorite ministers to attend my meetings, viz., Messrs. Jacobs, Collins and Spear. The two last came, and the opposition commenced the same evening. Mr. J. Berry appointed for me to preach at his house the next day, [Sabbath.] Here Mr. Collins opposed the Sabbath and the law of God most vehemently. During one Sabbath meeting Mr. Hitchcock came. In the evening the meeting was in the school-house the three ministers present. I invited them to sit with me in the desk. Mr. H. accepted, and opened the meeting with prayer. My subject was the cleansing of the Sanctuary at the ending of the 2000 days of Daniel's vision. As soon as I had closed Mr. C. said, Bro. Hitchcock I wish you would make some remarks. He did so, by raising his objections against my views again, and the subject then presented, and more particularly against Advent Sabbath-keepers in general. After this, at the house of Bro. J. Berry, Mr. H. and C. labored hard to show that I was teaching false doctrine, after which Mr. H. left for Wisconsin. My lecture that followed in explanation of our position was acknowledged by some of the Brn. to be clear and satisfactory. Mr. C. did not stop to hear. From this I passed to Adaline, distant about seven miles; where by invitation I gave several lectures, principally in the school-house. Here Mr. Jacobs attended and presented his objections against the Sabbath question, and taught the abolition of the whole law, and said that Mr. Bates' position was false. Messrs. Collins and Spear united with him against my teachings, and taught the people how they should understand it. At a subsequent meeting at Bro. Berry's I was introduced by him to two ministers, one an Adventist, the other a Methodist, both of which opposed my subject at the close of the meeting. Independent of meetings which I attended to hear the first four named ministers present their views, they attended mine as follows: Mr. Spear, four or five, Mr. Collins, five, Dr. S. Jacobs, six, Mr. Hitchcock as above stated.

These are the four ministers that labored for days with their no-Sabbath, no-commandment doctrine. The other two make the six. Many witnesses could be cited to prove my statements. The reader will now judge whether my former statements were true or not.

Mr. H. cites two more circumstances to prove that the course I pursued "would ruin a good cause, or at least, bring it into disrepute."

1. He charges me with baptizing three persons that Mr. Collins had baptized some time previous. I cannot spend the time now to meet all the objections of Mr. H. on this point; but will refer him to Acts xix, 1-7, where the apostle Paul re-baptized twelve, and God approbated the work. As there was a necessity for re-baptism then, so there may be now, even until the work of atonement is finished. Those that were baptized then were satisfied with the Bible argument that we presented.

2. "Before Mr. Bates left, he called two secret meetings, one continued till about eleven o'clock, and the other all night. I was told that these meetings were perfect Babels of confusion."

Our reply to this charge is as follows: The Plumb River Conference was the last series of meetings that had been appointed to be held in that section of country. The brethren were scattered within a circle of about ten miles, and all wished to return home as soon as the meeting closed. They saw that there were difficulties existing with some of the members that would require them to convene a church meeting to settle. A place was sought for, and Bro. S. Myers offered his chamber. The Church continued their session there from about one P. M. until two or meeting time, say about one hour. The church meeting was then adjourned to convene again after the evening meeting. About ten o'clock P. M. the church convened again in the same house but did not proceed to business until about midnight. Because of a certain person, brother to one of the members under dealings being invited by him, and required to stay in the church meeting with us. All the arguments the church could present, such as that their business was church business, to investigate the various statements of improper conduct against some of their members, and that it was their business alone to attend to it, without the aid of such as were not in the truth with them, seemed to avail nothing, until they learned that the principal part of the members were about to leave the meeting. After this, the man withdrew. The church then proceeded to transact their business. But did not come to a decision until the morning. If this was a secret meeting, then all church meetings are such. Mr. H. says, that one of "our number told him that it was too much like masonry." As I never was acquainted with masonry I am unable to make the comparison, but this I will venture to say, that not one of the members who labored to have things made right during that church meeting, ever made such a remark to Mr. H.

Again, Mr. H. says, "at Adaline where he gave from five to eight lectures, about his last testimony was and with great vociferation. The devil has come down in great wrath at Adaline, and the devil has followed me in great wrath ever since I came to Adaline. I know not of an isolated individual that embraced his views."

I do not remember on what occasion, or for what, I quoted the text, "the devil has come down, &c.; but I have not the most remote idea of ever uttering in A. or any where else, the sentence I am here charged with, viz., The devil has followed me in great wrath, &c. Mr. H. was not at A. when I lectured there. The foregoing statements show that my intercourse with him was the week previous at Crane's Grove. Hence this last charge is from common report. As I am answering for myself, it may not be amiss to state a few facts in relation to the circumstances which he refers to respecting my last testimony.

Mr. Black, who was a stranger to me, at the close of my first lecture, very kindly invited me to the hospitalities of his house during my stay in A. And on the last evening of our series of meetings invited me to lecture in the house, as the school-house was to be occupied for a school. My subject was the Sanctuary and the end of the 2000 days. As soon as I closed, one of the two ministers present commenced upon me, and my subject in such an unceremonious, unchristian manner, that Mr. Black requested him to stop, and then stated something like the following: If this is the manner in which your investigation is to proceed, it cannot be done in my house. After a few explanations it was settled that the meeting could proceed no farther. The other minister showed an utter unwillingness to close without an investigation, and hence proposed that the meeting be adjourned to his house across the street, and wished to know if I would go with them and defend my views; and because I questioned whether it was my duty to follow them, and listen any further to their unscriptural arguments, especially at that late hour of the night, [10 o'clock,] I was told it was because the doctrine which I had presented was false, and it was evident that I was unwilling to have it fairly investigated. I replied, if you will choose a moderator to keep order I will go. The adjourned meeting was then convened. The ministers then commenced, first, to present their views of the sealing of the 144000, which I replied to. And then in various ways attempted to show that the commandments of God were abolished at the crucifixion, and especially the seventh-day Sabbath, but no investigation of my evening subject. The ministers insisted on choosing two moderators. I replied that one was sufficient. The principal one that accepted the office, was recommendable by them in every way qualified to fill this station. They said he was a good, moral, upright man, professing no religion whatever and of course would not be liable to misjudge. This meeting closed after a tedious session of several hours, without deciding on any one thing which was thought to be accomplished. At a subsequent interview with the Moderator, he acknowledged the whole truth, and said that the commandments and Sabbath were binding, and wondered how any one could show otherwise. To show how much he wished for further instruction he gave me his name for the Review and Sabbath Herald, and took books to go into a farther examination of the subject. Two others which attended that meeting gave me their names also, for the paper; and one other said to me, the Sabbath is true and I intend to keep it. Four in Adaline and four in Crane's Grove, gave me their names for the Review. Honest souls in both places were deeply convicted of the importance of keeping the commandments of God, and those persons who have in any way hindered them by opposite teachings, I would recommend them with Mr. H. to commit to memory that portion of our Saviour's sermon on the mount embraced in Matt. v, 19, and practice the last part.

It was not my wish to make this extended statement; as the reader may readily see by reading the article what Mr. H. has objected too. But the suffering cause in which we are voluntarily engaged seemed to demand it.

Will the Harbinger also publish this, that its readers may have both sides.

JOSEPH BATES. Dorsyter, N. Y., June 20th, 1854.