FOURTH SESSION | AdventAI

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 23, 1860

FOURTH SESSION.

Monday morning Oct. 1, 1860.

The Conference again assembled at the appointed hour, and joined in singing the 260th hymn. Prayer by Bro. Lawrence. Bro. White followed with remarks, expressing his gratitude for the candor and good feeling and unity and regard for the principles of right, manifested by those present.

Report of committee was called for, whereupon they presented the following Constitution for a Publishing Association.

CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE I.

This Association shall be denominated The Advent Review Publishing Association, the object of which shall be the publication of periodicals, books, and tracts, calculated to convey instruction on Bible truth, especially the fulfillment of prophecy the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

ARTICLE II.

This Association shall be located in the city of Battle Creek, Michigan.

ARTICLE III.

The Officers of this Association shall consist of a Business Agent, a Committee on Publication, a Treasurer who shall also act as Secretary, and an Auditor, who together shall constitute a Board of Managers, and be elected annually.

ARTICLE IV.

Any person keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, may become a member of this Association for life on the payment into its treasury, of twenty dollars, or a member for one year on the payment of one dollar.

ARTICLE V.

There shall be a yearly meeting of this Association held in one of the autumnal months, at such time and place as shall be designated at the previous annual meeting, of which due notice shall be given in the Advent Review.

ARTICLE VI.

A special meeting of this Association may be called at any time by a majority of the Board of managers, of which due notice shall also be given in the Review.

ARTICLE VII.

Section 1. The Business Agent shall be Chairman of the Committee on Publication, and shall have the oversight of all the financial affairs of the Association, and preside over all its deliberations.

Section 2. The Committee on Publication shall decide upon the merits of all works proposed to be issued, and shall constitute a Committee of Revision, and an Advisory Board, to whom the Business agent and Editor or Editors may refer important matters.

Section 3. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to take charge of all the monies of the Association, and to keep an accurate account of the receipts and disbursements of the same, and report semi-annually through the Review. As Secretary he shall keep a faithful record of all the doings of the Association.

Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Auditor to carefully examine all the accounts and account books of the Association, and report upon their correctness to the Association at its annual meeting.

Section 5. The Board of Managers shall have power to purchase and hold real estate, and to erect such buildings as may be necessary for the use of the Association.

ARTICLE VIII.

The Association shall annually elect its Editor or Editors.

ARTICLE IX.

The whole amount obtained by donations, subscriptions, sales of publications or otherwise, shall be expended in the publication of periodicals books and tracts, and for charitable and benevolent purposes.

ARTICLE X.

This constitution may be amended by a vote of two thirds of those present at any meeting of the Association, provided that two months' previous notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given in the Review.

It was then moved that the report of the Committee be accepted. Motion carried.

Bro. Loughborough moves the adoption of the constitution.—Unanimously carried.

The following names were then presented to the Conference as the first seven brethren to form the commencement of the association, and make application to the Legislature: Jas. White, J. H. Waggoner, J. N. Loughborough, G. W. Amadon, U. Smith, Geo. T. Lay, and D. R. Palmer. These nominations were ratified by the Conference.

BRO. HULL. I move that the Conference recommend to the Association to retain the present Editors of the Review and Youth's Instructor till another year.

BRO. WHITE. I see no necessity for this motion. The Editors have already been chosen by a conference, and there they stand. There might difficulty grow out of it.

BRO. ANDREWS. The necessity of this motion arises, as I understand, from this fact: that from the very time that this Association shall be incorporated, it has power to remove at pleasure the Editors; and this motion is designed to give a guarantee to our brethren that the present Editors shall be retained during the few months that these seven brethren have the matter in their hands alone.

The question was put and unanimously carried.

BRO. WHITE. What shall be done with the present Review Office? The building is now the property of three brethren. I would propose that by the sanction of this conference, I will borrow money and purchase this building and lot, giving the owners the original cost, and wait till the Association is prepared to receive it.

After some remarks it was moved that this Conference requests and empowers Bro. White to act in its behalf in the purchase of the Review Office and lot, to repair or erect such buildings as may be necessary to carry on the work of publication.—Carried.

BRO. WAGGONER. I have a matter of business as I stated last evening to bring before the Conference. The vote of recommendation adopted by yesterday morning's session was not unanimous; I therefore move that it be rescinded.—Carried.

BRO. BRACKET. I now move that we adopt a name, as we must have a name if we are to organize so as to hold property legally.—Seconded.

BRO. POOLE. The reason I should have against the adoption of a general name by the body is, that our influence would be hurt as a people; and our object would be likely to be to advance our denomination among the denominations, and not to advance the cause of truth.

BRO. FRISBIE. I have been opposed to a sectarian name; but to having a variety of names among us, I am equally opposed. There seems to be a necessity for a uniformity.

BRO. HULL. If we could have the church

designated by their locality I should like it better, or, as the church worshiping on the seventh day in such and such places.

BRO. WHITE. This is a point in which I am extremely interested. I do not see how we can get along without some name. If we do not take one, we shall have a variety applied to us. And it is not possible for us to hold property without a name. The law specifies upon this point. As to being reckoned a part of Babylon, I have preached considerable about Babylon, but never found any fault with them because they have a name. I see nothing unscriptural in their having a name. But it is objected that we shall be classed among the denominations. We are classed with them already, and I do not know that we can prevent it, unless we disband and scatter, and give up the thing altogether.

BRO. CORNELL. There are three churches in Iowa, waiting to go forward immediately to build meeting-houses; but they are waiting the action of this Conference. Something should be done; it is expected. When the brethren speak of our going into Babylon because of the name, it seems to me they lose sight of the aid and assistance that God has given us as a people. The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, is a distinguishing feature between us and the other denominations; and so sure as they are Babylon, and in the enemy's hand, the enemy will stir them up to war against us. It looks to me too that the gifts of the church are lost sight of, and are not held in so important a light as they should be, if we give way to so much fear of our becoming Babylon merely by adopting a name. There is confusion in the names already chosen; and if something is not done here, churches will go on choosing different names still. A general name will bring us into unity and not confusion.

BRO. BUTLER. The objections which formerly had weight upon my mind, do not now have the weight they had. I think they may be surmounted. What do we profess to be here? Is it not a fact that we profess to be, and are striving to be, that lively material that the apostle speaks of, striving to be built up a holy temple, &c. This being the fact, what does the Lord himself, the great Framer and Deviser of this building, declare it to be? This same building is declared to be the church of God. If God has named us as parents have a right to name their children, does it not denote a lack of modesty to try to slip out and take no name, or another?

The discussion on this subject was prolonged till eleven o'clock when it was Voted, To adjourn one hour.

FIFTH SESSION.

Monday, October 1, 1860.

Meeting opened by prayer by Brn. White and the Chairman. The question again brought before the meeting, "Shall we adopt some name?" Some who had previously been averse to such a step, here signified their change of opinion, and their readiness to co-operate with their brethren in this course.

BRO. SPERRY. It looks to me that it is perfectly right and pleasing to the Lord, if we are not in harmony on this subject, to talk the matter over in the Spirit of the Lord. I have this confidence in the Spirit of the Lord that it will lead us into the same mind and judgment. And these brethren that can see the matter clearly, are prepared to enlighten us who cannot see it so plainly. I believe that when we touch the right thing, and move in harmony with the Spirit of God, his blessing will follow our action. My mind was enlightened somewhat this forenoon in regard to it. My prejudices have been great; but in order to get light, I wish to lay my prejudices on the subject on the altar. I hope we shall not be hasty in the matter, but help each other on these points as we did last night. I believe God will give wisdom. I understand that at some time God's people will have a name; for John saw them having their Father's name on their foreheads.

BRO. BELDEN. Going without a name, would, in my opinion, be like publishing books without titles, or sending out a paper without a heading.

Bro. White followed with remarks apologizing for some of his brethren who seemed to be afraid of a name. He had been in the same position once. In times past when we were comparatively few, he did not see the necessity of any such steps. But now large bodies of intelligent brethren are being raised up, and without some regulation of this kind will be thrown into confusion. He then gave a review of the past, mentioning the opposition which had been manifested by some all the way along, first against publishing a paper, then against issuing pamphlets, then against having an office, then against the sale of publications, then against church order, then against having a power press. It had been hard to bring the minds of some of the brethren to the necessity of these things; but they had all been essential to the prosperity of the cause. He thought the opposition to the steps here proposed of the same nature precisely.

The question, Shall we adopt a name was then called for. The motion was put and carried. None dissented, though a few declined to vote.

BRO. INGRAHAM. I remarked that though he did not feel perfectly clear, he was so far inclined to the position taken, that if compelled to vote, he should vote in favor of a name.

Having voted to adopt a name, the discussion now turned on what that name should be. The name Church of God was proposed and zealously advocated by some. It was objected that that name was already in use by some denominations, and on this account, was indefinite, besides having to the world an appearance of presumption. Bro. White remarked that the name taken should be one which would be the least objectionable to the world at large. The name Seventh-day Adventists, was proposed as a simple name and one expressive of our faith and position. After some further remarks, Bro. Hewitt offered the following resolution:—

Resolved, That we take the name of Seventh-day Adventists.

This resolution was freely discussed, but was finally withdrawn to make room for the following from Bro. Poole:—

Resolved, That we call ourselves Seventh-day Adventists.

After a somewhat lengthy discussion, the question was called for, and the resolution adopted, Bro. Butler dissenting, and Brn. Lawrence, Sperry, Andrews and Ingraham not voting. On explanation that this resolution had reference only to those present, Bro. Sperry gave his vote in favor of the resolution, and Brn. Andrews signified his assent, to the same.

Moved by Bro. Hull that we recommend the name we have chosen to the churches generally.—Carried, Bro. Butler dissenting.

Moved, That the proceedings of this meeting be published in the Advent Review.—Carried.

Moved, To adjourn, sine die.—Carried.

JOSEPH BATES, Chairman. URIAH SMITH, Secretary.