DEAR BRO. WHITE :—Since I left Rochester, I have been laboring in Barre, Mill Grove, Lancaster, Olcott, and Orangeport, N. Y. Honest souls cease not to inquire for the truth. At our meetings in Mill Grove three gladly embraced the Sabbath in the message, and four were baptized in obedience to the command of the Great Head of the Church.
The Churches in Barre and Orangeport have of late been much tried, and embarrassed with the proceedings of Messrs. Ira Wyman and R. R. Chapin. Their vain boasting, and misrepresentations have opened the eyes of some that had in part sympathized with them. They now see that their motions were wrong, and continually tending to distraction and disunion. They now with but one exception, (and that a doubtful one,) concur with the Conference at Rochester; particularly in the case of Ira Wyman, as published in Review, Vol. V. No. 22.
These things have more fully convinced these Brn. of the necessity of having gospel order in the Church: such order as was established by the Great Head of the Church and practiced by his immediate followers in the apostolic age. See Acts vi, 1-6; 1 Tim. iii, 1-13; Titus i, 4-11; Acts xiv, 22, 23; xx, 17, 18, 28-31.
This has been attended to by the three churches in this quarter, so that they now have an Elder to watch over, and care for them; and we believe that the "Holy Ghost hath made them overseers, to feed the Church of God." Bro. R. F. Cottrell has labored with me in Mill Grove and Barre.
Yours in love.
Joseph Bates.
Orangeport Aug., 1st, 1854.