Report of Meetings by Joseph Bates

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 14, 1858

Report of Meetings.

By Joseph Bates

BRO. SMITH: We commenced a series of meetings in a school-house on Grand Prairie, Kalamazoo Co., Mich., on the 26th, Dec. The general attention to our subjects was good, with one exception. This was a Mr. Strong, who, as I learned, had been a Congregational preacher in the State of New York, of the school of Perfectionists. He seemed to think it was his prerogative to raise objections, and ask questions, and reply frequently during our discourses.

The subject of the Sanctuary was presented the last evening. To show the absurd views with which his mind was filled, we will here state four of them, with which he endeavored with manifest zeal to impress the minds of the audience at the close of the meeting.

1. In reply to my quotation from Isa. lxvi, 22, 23, he said that did not mean to worship God on the Sabbath-days, but all the days between, from one Sabbath to another. Thus he would have it that all flesh would come to worship before God all the days but the Sabbath-days; for, said he, the Scriptures do not teach that there shall be any assembling on the Sabbath-day. I read Lev. xxiii, 3, respecting the holy convocation on the Sabbath. He still declared that there was none, and

2. To strengthen his argument he said Paul had three Sabbaths, and commenced with Heb. iv, 4, 7-9, that Sabbath means rest, &c. I endeavored in a few words to show that the 4th verse referred merely to God's Rest-day on the first seventh day from creation, and the 7th verse was in reference to the offer of salvation every day; viz., "To-day if ye will hear his voice." See chap. iii, 7, 13, 15, and the 9th verse referred to a rest for God's people yet future, which included all days; hence the two last mentioned days did not refer to the rest on the seventh day of the week.

3. Said he, The praying time is past, and now is the believing time. We called on him for chapter and verse, but to no effect. It was so, and that was

enough. He seemed to have lost all idea with respect to the universal prayer-meeting yet future; Rom. xiv, 11; Rev. vi, 15-17.

4. He also objected to Christ's entering the Holy Place in heaven with his own blood, [Heb. ix, 12,] and insisted that Christ's blood was not spilt on the earth until we read John xix, 34. Then he said that that was human blood that was shed on Calvary, but his divine blood was spilt in heaven before the Tabernacle by himself. We asked for chapter and verse. There was no need of any; these things were evident. There was no other way by which his blood could be found in heaven. I proposed again that we dismiss. Said he, You have closed your meeting; this is my time. As we were passing out a few moments afterwards, one of the hearers said to him, I never knew your position before. You have now shown what you believe. I was informed that it was his universal practice to disturb any religious meeting, but he never would state his own views before.

We also held a meeting in Ostemo, and on the evening of Dec. 31st, we took the cars for Michigan City, and thence to La Porte, Ind. Here we find a little company of Sabbath-keepers. Our meetings commenced on the 2d of January. We have a very convenient hall for our public meetings in the business part of the town. Those that come have been very attentive.

Last evening at the close, we gave liberty. One gentleman very much excited arose and asked if we believed in the immutability of God. We answered, Yes. Then said he, You have destroyed it; for you have been trying to prove that he changed the administration of his government in heaven at the end of the 2300 days of Dan. in 1844; therefore you have proved that God changed. I endeavored to show him that it was the fulfillment of a prophecy which was made clear from the several testimonies which I had quoted. But he persisted in his statement. I replied that God no more changed his immutability in passing from the Holy to the Most Holy Place in the heavenly Sanctuary, than he (the man) had changed his nature by passing from the street into this hall to attend our meeting. He then began to qualify, &c., and finally did not know but he should come again, and hear further. We are hoping our series of meetings will result favorably for the cause.

Yours in the blessed hope. JOSEPH BATES.

La Porte, Ind., Jan. 5th, 1858.