MEETINGS AT BRIDGEWATER, MICH by John Norton Loughborough

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 30, 1861

MEETINGS AT BRIDGEWATER, MICH.

By John Norton Loughborough

This meeting, of which we have before spoken in the Review, continued until I had given twenty lectures. Although the weather and roads were bad most of the time during these meetings, yet they were for the most part well attended. The people of the place were mostly bigoted sectarians, and could not think of admitting that there were any necessary truths outside of their creeds. Some, however, gave attention to the word spoken, and when we left some four or more had made up their minds to obey the truth. Several others were investigating, and we hope will take their stand upon the truth. Some who confessed that we had the truth took a very strange position, namely, "There is no other way to creep out of keeping the Sabbath only of two evils to choose the least;" thus making it an evil to keep God's commandments, and a less evil to break them, and all "because it will make disturbance in the neighborhood."

Our last discourse was on the destruction of the wicked. The Lord gave me good liberty in standing for the doctrine of eternal life only through Christ. But church members were very ready after meeting to consign me to an endless hell. They thought men who taught such doctrines as I taught ought to go to such a place anyhow. Some of them could even use profane language as they talked strongly of trying the tar-and-feather argument. Instead of this causing the truth to lose its force, it of course showed to those who could submit to an argument that this was the best weapon our opponents had.

We were glad to learn on our return home that some have come out where I labored in Convis a few weeks since. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.