OUR meeting in this place began July 10, and ended Aug. 2. We held three meetings each Sabbath and first-day and a meeting each evening while the tent93stood, with a single exception, caused by a heavy shower. Our experience in this place is perhaps worthy of record. The town of Alfred is peopled almost entirely by Seventh-day Baptists. Perhaps no community in the United States is so nearly composed of Sabbatarians alone as is this one. No other denomination has any house of worship in the town. The village of Alfred Centre is the seat of their University; an institution of high repute for its thorough course of scientific instruction. The professors of the University are mostly Sabbatarian ministers of high standing as scholars; and the several churches in and around Alfred are under the pastoral care of some of the ablest ministers of the denomination.
When our tent meeting at Wellsville was closed, Alfred Centre seemed to be the only opening before us. The extent and bitterness of the prejudice that there prevailed against our views, made us doubt the result; yet it seemed, on the whole, duty to bring before this people the great truths of the present crisis. The most determined effort to hedge up our way was made. We applied for a small piece of open ground, consisting of gravel and stones, and almost destitute of vegetation, and of no possible use to the owner. This he refused us, though a very free-hearted man, simply because told so to do by his religious guides. But we had abundant cause to thank both him and them, and above all the overruling providence of God. For a sudden freshet caused by a single night's heavy rain flooded the ground and would have done us great injury. The best location in the vicinity was however given us by a lawyer, not a member of the church, and lumber for our seats was secured by taking it with us from Wellsville.
It was the purpose of those who preached in the tent to set forth the truth of God with plainness and meekness, and to avoid all that could justly occasion offence. But a single week satisfied us that something should be said in self defence. For our doctrines, and purposes were so effectually and industriously misrepresented that a large part of the people were induced to covenant together not to attend the meetings. The various evil reports that were circulated against us were publicly replied to, and the most important arguments by which we had proved that the day of God is at hand, were publicly rehearsed. Then we called on the professors of the University, and the ministers of the place to answer these arguments and show the people their falsity if they were able, tendering them the use of the tent for that purpose.
No notice was taken of the proposition until the immortality question had been entered upon. One of the professors then requested the privilege of replying to what had been said on this theme; and the following evening was assigned him for this purpose. As it had been given out that Prof. —— was to maintain the immortality of the soul, quite a large audience was in attendance. It was expected on our part at least, and I suppose by the congregation also, that we should have an able philosophical argument for the soul's immortality, and the best Biblical argument therefor, that the nature of the case admitted. So much the high reputation of the professor for ability and learning seemed to warrant. Yet almost the whole evening was devoted to ridicule and sarcasm, while the argument for the soul's immortality was entirely omitted.
To make the doctrine of Christ's near advent, as preached by us, ridiculous in the eyes of the people, he rehearsed some of the events of the dark ages, and named several classes of people who expected that event in their day. Yet in this effort to hold us up to contempt, he committed several historical errors quite inexcusable in a professor of history. A single instance will suffice. In his notice of the fanatical movement that grew out of the expectation that Christ would come in A. D. 1000, he endeavored to fasten the slaughter of the innumerable multitude who fell in the Crusades, upon this expectation of Christ's speedy coming. He informed his hearers that Peter the Hermit who was the original promoter of the Crusades was a believer in the coming of Christ in the year 1000, and that he preached up this movement in order to get the land of Palestine ready for that event. Yet it is a historical fact that Peter the Hermit first preached up the Crusades at the council of Clermont in the year 1095 ; and that that council with the pope at his head originated that terrible war between the nations of Europe and the Mahometans.
See Bower's History of the Popes Vol. 2, and in fact any extended history of that time.
But this was a small matter compared with the ridicule that he cast upon the Bible. He did this, as he said, to show the absurdity of our system of interpretation. Then he told the audience that if Genesis 1, 1 were literally translated it would read thus: "In the beginning the gnarled or knotty ones carved out the heavens and the earth." And he further informed the people that if the books of Moses were taken literally they were nothing but polytheism, i. e., heathenism. He told them also that having heard our arguments from the prophecies he was more convinced than ever that the coming of Christ is many thousand years in the future.
This discourse was replied to the next morning. The professor then proposed a discussion of the immortality subject. I told him that I would accept the proposition but should require him inasmuch as he had informed the people that there was nothing to our view of the nearness of Christ's advent to meet us on the second and seventh of Daniel; and that he might take this either before or after the immortality theme as he should choose. He refused to touch this subject, i. e., the prophecy of the great image, and the four great beasts, saying that he cared nothing for the matter. I replied that he could not be let off in that way; for he had told the people that he had heard us at length on the subject once, and that our views were false. I further said that if he had no reasons to offer for this, if he would frankly acknowledge that fact I would ask no more, but would proceed at once to the discussion of the immortality subject; but that if he had reasons for what he had said on the prophecies we insisted that he should produce those reasons, and that as professor of history he was just the man to do it. He would listen to nothing of the kind, and thus the discussion failed.
One sad impression has been strongly fastened upon my mind, viz., that the S. D. Baptists have not only lost sight of the great mission entrusted to them to hold up to the world the Sabbath of the Lord, but that this work is no longer theirs to do. Alfred Centre with its University and learned professors is the very heart of the denomination. Yet this school of science and theology, that might be so potent in behalf of the downtrodden Sabbath truth, is, for the sake of first-day patronage — tell it not in Gath — pledged to silence on this great theme, the distinguishing truth in the denomination, and this pledge is faithfully kept!
And the able Sabbatarian ministers of this vicinity, as elsewhere in the denomination, though preaching statedley to first-day congregations, "walk with a velvety tread" around the fourth commandment. They fear that our preaching will break up their churches. One thing is evident viz., that if there be not a vital, radical reform with them in these things, such a result would be no very serious calamity to the cause of Sabbath reform.
We found in this place however, quite a number that refused to condemn us without hearing what we had to offer. Of those who heard us through the whole series of lectures, a considerable part are fully decided as to the truth. How well they will obey it remains to be seen. A few first-day people will, it is believed, keep the Sabbath of the Lord. On the whole we trust that our meeting was not in vain in the Lord, and that the fruit of it will be seen in the great day.
Bro. Taylor joined us in the early part of this meeting. Bro. Fuller left soon after this to attend to other urgent duties. Bro. Cottrell remained with the tent through the entire meeting, but is now at his own home.
J. N. ANDREWS.
Wellsville, N. Y. Aug. 4.