Report from Bro. Sanborn.
By Isaac Sanborn
Pursuant to appointment, I commenced meetings at Brodhead, Wis., the second of Dec. I gave about ten lectures, then commenced a discussion with the Methodist Elder, on the following propositions: 1. Does the Bible teach that man has an immortal soul and is conscious between death and the resurrection? 2. Does the Bible teach that the Seventh-day Sabbath was made at creation and is binding in the Christian dispensation? We were to occupy three evenings on each proposition. There being an Age-to-come man in the place who hates everything connected with the third angel's message, and knowing that the Elder engaged would make a poor defence against the Sabbath, sent for J. M. Stephenson, who came to the third session of the discussion keeping himself out of sight, and using Eld. Chadegan as a tool to get me to accept a substitute in his place to discuss the second proposition; but he would not tell who the substitute was. The Methodists were all anxious for me to accept Mr. Stephenson; said they would endorse him, but Elder C. said they could not quite claim him as a member of their church. Here I could scarcely keep from thinking of the prophecy, "Her prophets are light and treacherous persons." Eld. C. and I finally went on with the discussion of the second proposition two evenings, which carried us to Friday evening. He then said he could not discuss any more till Monday evening, as he must have Saturday evening to himself to prepare for his Sunday duties. He then wanted me to let Mr. Stephenson have the hall to preach in, till that time, which I refused to do, as the Methodists had a large meeting-house into which they would not let their own preacher and myself go with the discussion; and as they endorsed Mr. S. I succeeded in driving them back into their own house where he preached three times, Eld. C. having time to hear him Saturday evening. Mr. S. in his raid against the law, and Sabbath, and visions, took their darling Sunday away, and said it was nothing but a custom established by the people. The Methodist Elder tried to follow Stephenson in the last part of our discussion. I continued the meetings one week longer. One was baptized. Some ten or twelve decided that the seventh-day is the Sabbath, and I hope they will keep it with all the rest of the commandments, and the requirements of the gospel, that they may escape the wrath of God that is soon coming on the opposers of God's holy law. In Mr. Stephenson's second sermon which was against our views on the two-horned beast, I was reminded of the scripture, where God says that he taketh the wise in their own craftiness and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong. Job v, 13. He said that William Miller did not preach the first message of Rev. xiv, because he did not preach it in every nation under heaven. But we showed that the angel symbolized a class of people including Miller, who preached that message in every nation at the same time. See "Three Messages," published at the Review Office. He said the two-horned beast of Rev. xiv, could not symbolize the United States because catholicism had not previously ruled it. I showed that the two-horned beast was to perform his wonders in the sight (presence) of the other beast. Mr. S. did not pretend to know what government it did symbolize. He said it might be England. He then said the first message would be fulfilled in connection with the cleansing of the sanctuary or earth, which would take place at the end of the 2300 days, the seventy weeks reaching to the destruction of Jerusalem. He said that the Lord would come and bind the Devil, then the first message would be preached and the nations converted. Then the second and third messages would follow. The second angel says, Babylon is fallen and is become the habitation of devils; and notwithstanding he told us the Devil was chained, the third angel says, If any man worship the beast and his image; and S. says that all this takes place after the nations are converted, which will be after the Lord comes. But Paul says that the man of sin (that is the beast) shall be consumed with the spirit of Christ's mouth, and destroyed by the brightness of his coming. Yet Mr. S. teaches that the world will be converted when the Lord comes, and the two-horned beast which represents England or some other nation, will cause men to worship Catholicism. How surely has God taken him in his own craftiness and carried his counsel headlong. May others take warning and walk while they have the light, lest darkness come upon them also, and they know not where they go. Our Quarterly Meeting at Johnstown Center, has just closed. It has been quite a refreshing to the church here. Bro. Matteson was with us and assisted in preaching. Brethren attended from Little Prairie, and Oakland. Our social meetings were not so spirited and lively as we have had on former occasions. One was added to the church, while others were convinced of their duty. May God bless them and lead them to obey is our prayer.