Ellen G. White: The Australian Years: 1891-1900 (vol. 4)

The Trial and Sentence of the Firth Brothers

In a letter written May 2, Ellen White describes an interesting new experience in Australia, the enforcement of ancient Sunday laws: 4BIO 144.2

Two brothers named Firth, who reside in Kellyville, were converted to the truth from the world. The eldest is married. His wife is with him in the faith, and he has one child. He has a small place on a few acres of land upon which he makes his living. He gave the lot on which the church has been built. It is a nice little church, and is a gratification to them, for the people acted a part in building it. 4BIO 144.3

The brothers live quite a distance back from the road in an orchard of orange and lemon trees. We were much surprised to learn that they were summoned last week for working on Sunday.... These men are to come before the police authorities today to answer for the charges against them. They say they will refuse to pay the fine. 4BIO 144.4

Later in the letter she reported: 4BIO 144.5

Our brethren Firth from Kellyville, who were arraigned for breaking the Sunday law, were today sentenced by the court either to pay a fine of five shillings or to be placed in the stocks. They brought an old law made in Charles II's time to bear upon this case of Sundaybreaking. Our brethren refused to pay the fine, and therefore will be put in the stocks.

But as the people have been so well behaved in New South Wales, these instruments of torture have fallen into disuse, and there are no such instruments as stocks at the command of the prosecutors. The stocks will have to be made for the occasion to punish the heinous crime of working on the first day of the week. 4BIO 144.6

... There was quite a representation of our brethren and sisters in the courtroom.... The judge looked at them keenly, as also did his coadjutors.—Letter 79, 1894.

This triggered a whole chain of events. Wide publicity was given to the trial and sentence in the newspapers in the larger cities of Australia under such headlines as “Seventh-day Adventists in Stocks” (see The Bible Echo, May 14, 1894). The Bible Echo from week to week presented the unfolding story. Elders Daniells and Starr, assisted by J. O. Corliss, held well-attended meetings in the Parramatta town hall, and a growing interest in the teachings of Seventh-day Adventists was generated. On May 14, in a letter to C. H. Jones, Mrs. White dwelt on this point: 4BIO 145.1

The persecution of two of our brethren of one of the neighboring churches, and the sentence requiring them to pay a fine or be placed in the stocks, has created such indignation in the public mind that the people are ready to hear, and are calling for the reasons of our faith. This persecution has resulted for the truth rather than against it. Our brethren refused to pay the fine, and the alternative was the stocks, but the authorities have no such instruments of torture. They forced one brother to pay the fine, by seizing upon his horse and cart, leaving him no chance to get home, so he had to hand over the money. The other brother has no property they can attach, and refuses to pay the fine; so here the matter stands.—Letter 40b, 1894. 4BIO 145.2

W. C. White, now carrying the burdens of the new Australasian Union Conference in addition to his other duties, was engaged in a feverish search for a site for the new school. Ellen White followed each move with keen interest. In his room in the Per Ardua home he not only administered the work of the union conference but also collected samples of soil taken from the different properties that he and other members of the locating committee visited. 4BIO 145.3