p. 37 | Facts about Celesta by D. Edson Smith

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 27, 1864

Facts about Celesta.

By D. Edson Smith

"WHEREFORE if they shall say unto you, behold, he is in the secret chamber, believe it not. For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible even the elect." Matt. xxiv, 26; Mark xiii, 22.

In the "Day Star," No. 2, is an article from my pen showing how perfectly infatuated I at first was with Celesta. I wish now to undo publicly and privately what I have done in regard to that place. I would say at the outset, I believe P. E. Armstrong is honest in his views, but is led captive by Satan, and the very movement here, is one of the strong "temptations," referred to in the motto of his paper. He thinks I also am honest but deceived. He has stated his side of the question I will now state mine, and leave it with the reader to decide by the word of God and his own conscience, which is right.

In answer to private invitations persons came to Celesta months ago. In a little while they all had left but Giles Russell. I was led to believe from reading No. 1, of the "Day Star" that there were already several families here. On reaching here I was disappointed in not finding any one here but Mr. A's family, Giles Russell, and two men who had arrived four days before me. I had also been led to believe that A. owned a saw mill, but found it owned by a man in New York. I also found his wife strongly opposed to the work, although I believe she enjoys much more religion than he does. His family are all unconverted except the two oldest, and they have no faith that a large gathering will ever be accomplished here, and would give the entire work up were it not for the writings of their father. I was soon greatly surprised in seeing his lack of government. He does not govern his house well, but allows his children to do about as they please, and one or two of the boys are greatly disliked by all who have been here this fall.

Next I saw a slackness in providing for even his own house which caused me to doubt as to such a man's being called of God to act as steward for a large gathering. The family worship and all meetings were

insipid and formal, and I wondered why it was so, if God was in the work. Soon I frequently heard loud disputes between him and Giles, and a spirit manifested far from what I conceived to be Christlike. He also soon showed a peculiar method of interpreting Scripture claiming it as possible for him to be the one on whom the church is to be built, and whatsoever he should bind on earth should be bound in Heaven, &c.

Again he leads people, by private letters to believe things are more comfortable here than they are; and all who have come here since July have in my presence expressed dissatisfaction on this point. He writes to people to bring nothing from a distance except bedding and a few light articles: knowing at the same time that this place is destitute of crockery, tin ware, iron ware, and for lack of help and machinery, chairs, tubs, pails, &c., are not to be had. Celesta is twenty-four miles from the R. R. and A. having no good team, and not possessing the requisite energy, as yet, to get one, persons have to wait months before getting their goods. He also claims the right, and wishes it so understood, to break into trunks and letters against the owners' wishes, at the same time claiming to be a non-resistant. I claim that he acts in this, on the same principle as the man who forces you at the point of the bayonet. To be sure he gives others the privilege of opening his letters, but that does not make it right to open other's contrary to their wishes. I did not come here with the impression that I had got to quietly bow to, and believe, all his ideas. But a short time ago, because I expressed to him my doubts about his theory of "My Lord delayeth his coming," he told me I had better leave, and that if I doubted I was damned; and because I wished him to state in the paper that his wife was not in the work, and that some had left, he thought I had better take the editorship of the paper. A brother was witness to this conversation and will testify to this and more of a similar nature.

I at that time saw the spirit of Satan so plainly that I cannot doubt any longer. And Satan soon saw he had driven the man too far, and attempted to palliate the matter; but the scales were removed from my eyes, and I could see that he wished to keep me merely for bait. He said "If you go away now, it will hinder the work, for others will think that if you cannot live here, they surely cannot. After there is a large number here one or two leaving will be but a particle of dust to a fly wheel." I told him if the work here was of God nothing could retard it. I told him also that when I came, it was "On the broad liberal platform of simply loving the appearing of Jesus" as stated in the first number of the "Day Star," and he told me after I had been here a few weeks that he thought he and I could live happily together in common interest even though Gentile times are not ended. But he now renounces that position, and declares that if Gentile times are not ended he will not live in common interest, and he will either open a large store here or go back to what he is pleased to term Babylon. Let those who are preparing to come here remember this, and that he twits the poor of the fact of their being poor.

But the most conclusive evidence is, that all who have come here see the matter in a somewhat similar light with myself; even his own son, George, the most Christlike of any here, says "that he would not believe his father had any religion, were it not for his writing." One of the men who was here when I came, as good a man as you will often see, expressed a hope that Jesus would come in 1868. He longed to see Jesus coming. But because he showed a lack of faith in some of A's views, and failing to see the Spirit of Christ in A., and not wishing to put in his money too hastily, was told he had better leave till he had more faith in the work; and leave he did. After a while a Bro. Rogers and wife came. They with Giles Russell have now left the place and are staying in the woods in a rude house of poles and hemlock boughs. Bro. and sister Rogers both condemn P. E. A. as having no religion. Giles has gone so far that he dislikes to denounce the whole thing, but he told A. the other day in my presence that his eyes had been "dusted, blinded," &c. The remaining one of the two men first mentioned left near the 1st of Nov. His name was A. Boynton. The 7th of Oct., George Hart and wife and Sanford Hart came here. Sanford soon discovered what he termed a "wolf in sheep's clothing," and he stayed about four weeks.

His brother George and wife, live here with me. A brother Manly came soon after I did and he expects to leave soon. A sister Heaton came when the Brn. Hart did. I know nothing of her feelings except she once said she had about as lief be in the world, but she spent her all in getting here, and will have to be helped away if she wishes to go. Next came a Bro. Lathrop, but as he has been here but a short time, his mind is not decided, although he admits he sees things different from what he was led to expect. Mr. A. can make things appear so nice that when once under his influence it is hard to break away until time has demonstrated again and again that the Spirit of Christ is not here. The last arrival was a Bro. Tinkham and son. He says he shall not stay here.

In reply to all this P. E. A. will say, "Wait till God condemns." But God will not work a miracle. If we will not believe Christ and the prophets, we will not believe though one rose from the dead. In the last days, Satan is to do lying wonders. So if the inhabitants of Celesta escape the draft, taxation, and death, it to my mind will appear the attempt of Satan to deceive the very elect. Satan has the power of death till he is destroyed. Heb. ii, 14. A release from taxation is a simple matter of justice if no favors or protection of the government is asked, and Irish Catholic professors in St. Louis, have been released on parole of honor lately, in the same manner as Giles Russell of this place was.

Look at this candidly, dear reader, and compare it with the Bible. I believe I was led here to become an humble instrument in God's hands of exposing this deception.

Yours for truth. D. EDSON SMITH. Celesta, Pa.