MEETINGS IN ILLS. AND WIS by Wm. S. Ingraham; I. Sanborn

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 8, 1859

MEETINGS IN ILLS. AND WIS.

By Wm. S. Ingraham; I. Sanborn

DEAR BRO. SMITH: I suppose you have been anxiously looking for a report of our last tent-meeting. According to appointment our tent was pitched in Oneco, Ills. We tarried in this place over three Sabbaths. Our meetings were well attended. Good order and attention prevailed. The interest of this meeting was quite extensive, notwithstanding only four publicly expressed their determination to obey God in keeping all his commandments. At our last meeting, feeling a desire to know how many were satisfied we had the truth in relation to the Sabbath, we took an expression of the congregation. About forty arose, thus far testifying in favor of God's holy law.

An Elder from Orangeville being present, and being somewhat stirred in his feelings to see so many decide in favor of our position, requested us to call a vote on the other side to see how many were in favor of the first day. The following proposition was made: All who believe the Bible teaches that the first day of the week is the Christian Sabbath, and ought to be kept, manifest it by rising. Only three arose in a congregation of about eight hundred people. We have strong confidence to believe that others in this place will soon decide to go with us to mount Zion.

From this we removed to Juda, Wis., about sixteen miles distant, where we located our tent in the midst of a large society of Baptists. In this place we had to meet much opposition. Being aware that the preachers in this vicinity were calculating to oppose us, we invited them to occupy the tent; but this they would not consent to do. However, the Methodist minister said he would preach on the subject of the kingdom in the tent if we would agree not to review his sermon. We could not make any such engagement, but told him if he preached against us, no matter where he did it, we should review him if we could get at him. The people put him up to preach against us on this subject. He did so and was reviewed in the tent. After this he was very still. Great excitement prevailed among the people. Some of the Baptists were so enraged that they could not (or did not) behave well in our meetings. This was the cause of some trouble in their church. Some of their brethren were much tried with them, and sharply reproved them for their ill manners.

Some of the Baptists said if they could only have the control of things they would give us so long a time to leave, and if we were not off our tent would come down. Others in the place talked about eggs and stones, &c.; but these things did not move us. The Baptist preacher was requested to preach against us. He delivered three discourses in the meeting-house on the Sabbath question, and was reviewed in the tent. His arguments were so far from Bible truth that his church were not satisfied with his position. After the review it was evident to every honest mind that he had made a failure.

Eld. Smith, a so-called learned Baptist minister, was requested to commence a fire upon us; but it was easy to be perceived that he loaded his gun so heavy that it shot wrong end foremost, and the Eld. got badly wounded. He gave out an appointment to deliver a discourse on the rise and progress of Adventism in the United States, and also on the immortality of the soul. His first sermon was very abusive, and mixed and mingled with falsehood. He spoke of some deluded persons that transgressed the seventh commandment, and then gave the whole body the same character, by declaring after my review that he had nothing to take back. He spoke in relation to the body. This was not the only false statement he made. He said ascension ashes, at the time we were expecting the Lord, were as common as Adventism itself, and then referred to N. Y., and mentioned the following places: Pennyan, Utica, Ithaca, and the city of Rochester.

After reproaching the Advent people as a body, his attention was turned to the tent. He said we had not preached faith and repentance since we had been in the place. This was proved to be false by our appealing to the congregation in the review of his discourse. He denied saying it; we called for an expression of the congregation and proved it. Another point denied by the Eld. and proved against him, clearly manifested his hypocrisy. In his sermon on the immortality of the soul, in the main he followed Luther Lee. When he first introduced his system of arrangement, I spoke to a friend and told him I thought the Eld. had Lee on hand. He had spoken but a few moments before he took up the book and gave us Lee. In my reply I remarked that the Eld.'s arguments were not new to us, for he had followed Luther Lee, and when the Eld. commenced his discourse I was confident he had Lee's work on hand. After I got through, liberty was given for any to speak that wished to. Eld. Patten first spoke. Nothing very objectionable was said. He gave some good advice, providing he makes the application to himself, or a good share of it. He was followed by Eld. Smith. He said he had been misrepresented, for I had said in the presence of the congregation that he drew his arguments from Luther Lee's work, when he had read from his manuscript, but if any one would favor him with Lee's work he would read it. To have such a deception palmed off on the people, and lay me in a falsehood, I thought was too much to bear. Consequently the following question was put: "Eld. Smith, did you not read from Luther Lee's work on the immortality of the soul, in the pulpit this afternoon?" We told him not to quibble with the question, but give a definite answer. Silence prevailed. I was about to put the question again, when he acknowledged he read from Luther Lee's work in his sermon. Here he was condemned out of his own mouth. Some of his own brethren forsook him at this point, and declared that they had heard him preach for the last time until these things were removed. Some have commenced keeping the Sabbath. Others believe and stand trembling. May the Lord enable them to live out the truth, knowing if they are reproached and suffer for Christ's sake, great will be their reward in heaven.

Dear brother, pray for us that great success may attend the proclamation of the truth.

Yours in hope of eternal life.

WM. S. INGRAHAM.

I. SANBORN.