LETTERS by John Fisher

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 12, 1858

LETTERS.

By John Fisher

"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another"

From Bro. Fisher.

BRO. SMITH: I would just state to the brethren and sisters in the present truth, that I feel greatly encouraged to go on and persevere in this glorious way. It proves itself to me to be the power of God, and the wisdom of God, which all the adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist. They may rail at it, calling it what they please, but they cannot refute it. They are afraid to handle it, or review it in christian candor, for fear it should cleave unto them; therefore they can only spurn it from them with the blackest malice of heart.

On my way to Battle Creek, I spent last Sabbath and First-day in Northville, town of Plymouth, in the family of my companion's brother. We gave our testimony concerning the true Sabbath, or Lord's day. I left in the family some of our works, supplied them with our latest paper, the Review, and secured it for him for three months to come.

First-day morning I and my companion went to hear the Presbyterian minister, who treated us bountifully with what John Calvin said and thought; but to us it was nothing more than spinning a rope of sand. This Rev. gentleman must have perceived me to be the same person whom he had heard two years previous giving a lecture in that village. This must have so satisfied him at the time, that he by the bare recollection of it, now ventured to invite the stranger to speak for him to his congregation in the afternoon service. And so it was that when I was going down the steps after meeting he followed me out, laid his hand upon my shoulder, and without asking me any questions as to how or what, blandly asking me to preach for him at 1 P. M., it being then 12 o'clock. I as blandly told him that I had no objection. I was granted to enjoy much freedom of speech. I felt some of the demonstration and power of God upon me. I felt no spirit of sarcasm, but of meekness and candor. I had cause to tell him how he had held up Calvin, as it were the pattern of the church; that we had heard no testimony concerning the word of God, only a, Thus saith Calvin; that I wanted a, Thus saith the Lord. I told him my ears had been saluted four or five times by his calling the first day of the week the Sabbath of the Lord. I said, Thus saith Calvin; but, Thus saith the Lord, The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. I exposed John Calvin as bringing the Pope's Sabbath and Infant Sprinkling with him out of spiritual Babylon.

The man, I believe, felt heartily to confess to his people that he had betrayed their innocent blood, by suffering his sacred desk to be polluted with heresy. He fairly trembled as a vanquished foe. I told him further that I would spend the week in the village and give him all the opportunity he wanted to recover from the consternation into which he was seemingly thrown by the stranger, in being thus attacked in his own stronghold; but he judged it best to call my sayings heresy and gross error.

At 5 P. M. I went to hear the Methodists. There I heard nothing but of immortal souls in heaven and hell. There were two in the desk; and when they came out, I went up to them and asked them to explain to me an immortal soul. One told me it was the immortal mind of man. I asked him what he understood when Paul speaks of this mortal's putting on immortality. He said that referred to the body. I asked him what became of the immortal soul in the resurrection. He said it should enter its own body. I told him if it did, man then would consist, according to that doctrine, of two immortalities, an immortal body and an immortal soul, which I thought was absurd to believe. He looked into my face and laughed. I asked whether either of them felt to discuss the matter in public; but it was not accepted.

I leave this my humble testimony to present truth, and the love for it, with the brethren and sisters, leaving them to judge as regards my proceedings in these matters. If I am right, may it encourage others to boldly, but meekly, come forth in defense of present truth; if otherwise, I hope the brethren will show me wherein I have erred, and strayed from the path of duty.

Your brother striving for eternal life.

Battle Creek, Aug. 5th, 1858.