and by posters, and the people came out in great numbers, curious to hear the men against whom their pastors had so earnestly warned them. Among others a Presbyterian deacon attended, purchased some tracts, and announced his intention to keep the Sabbath. His brother, greatly disturbed over the matter, asked his son, a well-educated young man, to reason his uncle out of the delusion; and the son attempted the task, with the result that he, too, became a Sabbath keeper, and in turn

began to labor for his father and mother, the final outcome being that thirteen out of a family of fourteen took their stand for the truth.

The tent was pitched five times during the season from September to May, 1885-86, in four of the suburbs of Melbourne, and in each place there were some who decided to obey the Word of God. Among the converts was a contractor who labored so earnestly for his father, mother, brothers, and sisters that in a short time nine of them had taken their stand for the truth. The contractor was in business in a large way, and employed many hands. These he called together, and informed them that henceforth there would be no work on Saturday. Some objected. These were paid off, and the others were told that if they chose to do so, they might put six days' work into five by working overtime.

The

The contractor was just then engaged on a government contract, and was a little behind with it. The work must be finished by a certain date, or payment would be forfeited. men said they would be obliged to work on Saturday in order to complete the work within contract time. They were told to work on Sunday instead. Some threatened to prosecute the contractor; but a lawyer whom they consulted said to them, "The English laws are founded upon the law of God, and if it should turn out that these men are right in their explanation of that law, it might go hard with you." His advice was that they should not carry the matter further, and it was dropped.

A great interest sprang up in the community, many persons being eager to see the contractor and learn why he worked on Sunday. He accordingly appointed a meeting place, and a crowded house listened attentively while he gave his reasons for observing the Bible Sabbath.

Few families were divided by these early accessions to the Adventist ranks. In most cases all the members of a family heartily embraced the doctrines. The converts were chiefly from the middle class, including school-teachers, printers, foremen of business houses, contractors, and the like. Not one of the early believers was using alcoholic liquors or tobacco at the time he embraced the Adventist doctrines. Thus they were persons who had already taken sides in behalf of certain reform movements, and they wielded a strong influence for good in the community. This fact gave to Adventism at the outset a good standing.

Naturally the loss of a number of members of this type caused not a little uneasiness on the part of the clergy. An effort was made to find a man who would take part in a public debate with Elder Corliss. With a view to preparing for this, several persons provided themselves with a full set of the Adventist books, but after looking them over carefully, they came to the conclusion that it was best not to offer to debate. Nevertheless the opposition continued. Some went so far as to put up flaming posters with the heading, "Christians, beware!" in different parts of the town, and even on the billboards in front of the tent. But the people continued to come, and as the saving truths of the Word were clearly set forth from night to night, those whose hearts God had touched received them gladly.

On Sunday, April 10, 1886, a meeting was held to organize the first Seventh-day Adventist church in Australia. Eighteen persons were present who signed the covenant, seven others. applying for admission by baptism. These were baptized on

the following Sabbath, and on each following Sabbath for some weeks there were additional candidates until the membership of the church was fifty-five. By the end of May the enrolment of church members had reached nearly the hundred mark, besides more than thirty who had signed the covenant. A missionary society was organized, and a club of 200 papers taken for use in active soul-saving work. A church building was rented for Sabbath meetings.

When the tent meetings in the suburbs of Melbourne were closed at the end of April, Elder Corliss called the believers together on a Sunday afternoon, and told them about the tithing system as a means of support for the ministry, and then read a detailed statement of the expenses incurred in the holding of the tent services. The total amount was about £83. A considerable portion of this had already been paid in contributions; but there remained a deficit of £32, which was made up in a few minutes. It was not even necessary to ask the people to give. Immediately after the reading of the statement, some one said: "I will give £5 toward making up the amount." Then one after another responded so rapidly that it was difficult to set down the names.

The same whole-hearted interest was manifested by the members in the building up of the publishing work. It seemed evident from the first that it would be necessary to publish a paper in order to give character to the work, and reach the largest possible number of people whose hearts were open to new truth. As time passed on, the need came to be so urgent that it was decided to move out by faith, without waiting for word from America. The brethren accordingly approached a large dealer, and made known to him their desire to purchase a complete printing outfit. He asked how much money they had, and was told £10. He then inquired when they could pay the remainder of the bill. They replied: "In about four months." "Will you give me your note to be paid in that time?" "We will."

"Are you willing to insure this plant in my favor?"
"We are."

"Then, I am inclined to let you have the outfit; it is not a business way of doing, but I feel impressed to let you have it."

So the office was fitted out with a small gas engine, a large press and a small one, a stitching machine, a paper cutter, type, paper, etc. Two of the young men who had embraced the truth as a result of the Bible studies held by Elder Corliss, sold out their own printing business which they had just started, and

united their interests with the new denominational printing office, which was located in a suburb of Melbourne, about four miles from the post office.

In January, 1886, appeared the first number of the monthly periodical, The Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, with J. O. Corliss as editor. It was sold by regularly appointed agents, and with its well-written articles on vital scriptural truths, its good make-up, and its freedom from advertising matter, it created a favorable impression wherever it was circulated.

In the course of three months, money had come in to pay all that was still owing on the printing outfit. So the dealer who had advanced the engine, presses, and other things which went to make up the equipment, received his money a month before the note was due. He continued to be a stanch friend of the work.

About this time, too, a beginning was made in canvassing for subscription books. William Arnold, who had come to Australia with the first company of workers, was an experienced colporteur, and he had excellent success in introducing the denominational literature. The first Australian to enter the colporteur field was an elderly man by the name of William Wainman. A plasterer and a bricklayer by trade, he was one of the first to accept the truth in the Melbourne tent-meeting. When he had lost his job and could not get another, owing to his observance of the Sabbath, he gave himself to the book work, and in time came to do very well in it.

Meanwhile the evangelistic work had been going on with undiminished vigor. Immediately following the close of the tent campaign in Melbourne, Elder Corliss went to Ballarat, then a city of 15,000 inhabitants, lying forty-five miles northwest of Melbourne. Elder Israel had been there for some time, engaged in house-to-house work, and a good interest had been built up. A meeting place known as Alfred Hall was engaged, and services were held there regularly till the following spring, with the result that forty-five persons signed the covenant.

From Ballarat Elder Corliss moved with his family to Adelaide, and opened a series of meetings in the town hall of one of the suburbs. Somewhat later the tent was brought from Melbourne and pitched in another suburb of Adelaide, where meetings were also held for some weeks. Following these efforts a church was organized, numbering thirty-five members.

In the spring of 1887, Elder Corliss was obliged to return to the States, owing to failing health. In the same year, W. L. H. Baker, W. D. Curtis, and G. C. Tenney entered upon work in

Australia, the two former enjoying success in evangelistic work by means of tent and hall meetings in various towns and cities, while the latter gave himself chiefly to editorial work. In 1888 meetings were held in Hobart, Tasmania, as a result of which a church was established in that place.

In August, 1888, A. G. Daniells, who had left the United States for New Zealand two years before, attended a general meeting in Melbourne which began August 29 and lasted four days. At this meeting the Australian Conference was organ

ECHO PUBLISHING HOUSE EMPLOYEES

ized, G. C. Tenney being elected president and Stephen McCullagh secretary. A Sabbath school association and a tract and missionary society were organized at the same time.

At this general meeting it was decided to erect a suitable building to house the publishing interests, the leased premises not being large enough for the growing work. Pledges were taken for this purpose to the amount of £750. Toward the end of the year the new quarters were occupied, though not entirely finished. About the same time the Bible Echo was changed to a semimonthly. The Echo Publishing Company was organized under the Companies' Act, its capital being placed at £10,000.

In the spring of 1889, Elder and Mrs. Daniells moved from New Zealand to Australia, where they were occupied with evangelistic work in new places and in further instructing the churches and companies already established.