Further Labors
185
After the unpleasant interruption in our first two meetings, we felt
that there was no assurance that we could hold other meetings in the
same hall without similar annoyances, as the one who interrupted the
meeting was the owner of the hall. Before the next Sabbath another hall
had been hired, and handbills posted stating that meetings would be
held Friday and Sunday evenings, and Sabbath and Sunday afternoons.
The names of the speakers were not announced, but Eld. Bourdeau’s
name was signed to the bill. Judge of our surprise, the next morning
after our bills were posted, to see other bills, the same size and style,
posted by the side of ours, stating that Eld. Miles Grant would hold a
series of meetings in a hall directly above ours, on the same days but at
different hours. From a remark made by Eld. G. in one of his lectures,
it appears that he came to Torre Pellice the same day that we did; but
for some reason his arrival was kept quiet, and no announcement of
his meetings was made until after our notices had appeared.
Friday evening at seven o’clock I spoke about three-quarters of an
hour from the text, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.” At eight o’clock Eld. G. spoke in the
room above. Eld. Bourdeau attended, also M. K. White, who took
short-hand notes. I did not go, although Eld. G. thought I was present,
and told the people so, which statement, however, he corrected at the
next meeting.
His subject the first evening was sanctification; but he could not
refrain from mentioning my name. He did so, however, in a very
guarded manner. The next night he spoke more freely, and bringing
forth the precious dish of slander that he loves so well, he served up
to the people in his very best style the rare tidbits that he has been
gathering and manufacturing during the last thirty years, as condemn-
ing evidence that the visions of Mrs. White are not of God. During
all these years one of the principal burdens of his work seems to have
been to follow on my track, and spread these statements which have
been manufactured by false witnesses, some of whom had become
disaffected because they had been reproved for their wicked course.
It has been shown again and again, both by pen and voice and by the
testimony of many witnesses, that these reports have no foundation in
truth; but what cares he for this? He loves his falsehoods too well to
give them up. And now we are charitable enough to venture the opin-
ion that having repeated them so many times he really believes many
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