SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS : THEIR HISTORY AND THEIR WORK.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 283, 3 May 1898, Page 4

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS : THEIR HISTORY AND THEIR WORK.

TilK Public Hull, Cambiidec, was filled with an attentive audience when Pastor D. Steed answered the questions put to him concerning the history and work of Seventh Day Adventists. Mr Steed read Acts V., 38th chapter, 39th verse, and in the course of his lecture made the following remarks: If this work is merely a human invention, it will come to nought, but if it is a message, from Heaven it is useless to attempt to overthrow it. Whenever the condition of the church and society has needed reform, men have by the pressure of circumstances and a devotion to the cause of God been pressed forward into that work. The Salvation Army would never have been in existence if the church had been filled with zealous, earnest people. The Seventh Day Adventist would not have an existence if there had been more teaching instead of preaching. The principles and practices of Seventh Day Adventists are no more American than they arc German. This movement did not originate in a single locality, but men with the same thoughts were doing the same work in a number of countries. Seventh Day Adventist workers have found individuals holding similar views to themselves in every country they have gone. The first convention of individuals who had begun to keep the seventh day, because Christ created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, was held in 1852, in the United States. The meeting numbered about forty persons, some of whom had been connected with religious work for many years, and had taken an active part iu the religious revival of 1844. In 1860 a meeting was held, and it was decided to organise a society to be called " The Seventh Day Adventist Church." That nothing less than the Bible in all its fullness should be the limit of their cread; that its conferences should be formed of delegates, elected by the churches, from among their members ; that the money contributed for the support of the workers should be placed inro one fund, for the support of all the Ministers ; that the wealthiest and the poorest church, should have an equal share of ministerial labour ; thac the Ministers' salaries be paid by a committee, appointed by the Conference ; that the principles of true Christian liberty be the basis of Church membership ; and all use his life in an endeavour to uplift his fellow-creature, seeking to procure for every man, the same religious liberty, we wish to enjoy ourselves. In order to educate in hygiene and morals, over 40 periodicals and a large number of works, expounding the Bible advocating health-reform, and teaching the principles of true religious liberty. This work is accomplished by publishing houses. The largest was established in Battle-Creek, Michigan, in 1861, as the result of an invitation by vote, given to this people to settle there. £90,000 is invested there. It employs 270 hands, has 60,000 square feet of floor-space and has an annual output of 260 tons of printing matter, in six languages. The Pacific Press in Oakland, California, has £70,000 invested in it. One at Basle, Switzerland, £15,000 ; at Christhnia, Norway, £11,000; London, £12,000 ; Melbourne, £14,000 ; also Hamburg, Stockholm, Denmark and Toronto, in which over £31,000 is invested. The actual living membership of this denomination is 56,436 with 407 ordained Ministers, 249 licensed Ministers and 1574 churches, having received for the support of their workers, during 1897, £72,683. They also own 12 Sanitoriums, in which arc employed 4S physicians and hundreds of nurses. These institutions are in Battle Creek, Michigan, Chicago, St. Helena, Nebraska, Colorado, Switzerland, Mexico, Portland, U.S.A ; South Africa, Honolulu, Samoa and Sydney. The largest has £135,624 invested iu it. The profits of every institution are used either in foreign mission work or to feed and holp the hungry and abject poor of great cities. For this purpose they have carpet works, a farm settlement, and other industries. Mr Steed here related some touching incidents of distress and of the scene at the dinner counter of one mission, where they feed sometimes 2000 a day and supply 400 with beds. No one employed in the denomination receives more than a remuneration for his services ; everyone feels he is at work to uplift humanity. In this work of helpiDg those who are in poverty every effort is made to do it in a manner that Bhall save them from feeling they are the recipients of charity ; for they are our brethren, however down-trodden, and in the sight of Heaven are on an equality with the richest. The Haskell Orphan Home was the result of a £6OOO gift to Dr J. H. Kellogg by Mrs Haskell for that purpose. The Medical Missionary College at Chicago was started by a gift of £2OOO from Mr Wessels, of South Africa. The same family gave £BOOO to assist the Working Men's Home in Chicago, although they had donated largely to the work in South Africa, i.e., £SOOO to the Sanitorium and Orphanage there, the total value of which is £17,532. Seventh Day Adventists are a small denomination and have nothing to boast of. All that has been done is what " God hath wrought." To a belief in and an obedience to the simple word of God we call men, while we seek to become the friends of humanity and the lovers of true and therefore Christ-like liberty.