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

Post-Camp Meeting Evangelistic Meetings

Interest was high when the camp meeting closed. Many requested that the services should not close, so it was decided to move the tent to another location, about a mile distant but with rail connections more convenient to several of the suburbs of Sydney. Corliss and McCullagh were commissioned to continue with meetings nightly; these were well attended. Other workers were drawn in to visit the people in their homes and conduct Bible readings (The Bible Echo, December 3, 1894). 4BIO 172.2

As various individuals took their stand for the Sabbath, the ire of the Protestant ministers, particularly Wesleyan and Church of England, was stirred up. Ellen White wrote of it: 4BIO 172.3

Most bitter opposition has been manifested, and the ministers put forth an organized effort to visit every family. They were in possession of Canright's books, [Books written by D. M. Canright, an apostate Seventh-day Adventist Minister.] and used them to the utmost to turn away the ears of the people from the truth. There was a meeting appointed, and one of their ministers thought that he had exploded the truth concerning the Sabbath. Our brethren were present to take notes. 4BIO 172.4

Another meeting was appointed in which the ministers, church officials, and those who were troubled over the Sabbath question were invited to assemble.... The ministers were ridiculing passages from the Bible which had a bearing on the subject.... Brother McCullagh asked if he might speak a few words, and permission was granted. He gave the true interpretation of the Scriptures which they had garbled. 4BIO 172.5

Then a man by the name of Picton, a Campbellite minister, who was a trained debater, and according to his own opinion, a man of intellectual superiority, challenged our people to meet him in debate on the Sabbath question. We felt very sorry to enter into a discussion on this matter, for generally it leaves an excited state of feeling, but there was no evading the matter. The man boasted that he would wipe out the Seventh-day Adventists, and as God would be dishonored if this proud, boasting Goliath was left to defy Israel, the terms of the debate were agreed upon.—Letter 123, 1894. 4BIO 173.1