JOSEPH BATES JOSEPH BATES B i r t h : 1792 Fairhaven, Massachusetts Death: 1872 Family: Wife - Prudence Nye Accomplishments: Sea c a p t a i n , preacher , a founder

o f SDA c h u r c h , t e m p e r a n c e advocate who s e t up a temperance s o c i e t y , w r i t e r and p u b l i s h e r of t h e < ; a c t T h e S e v e n t h Day S a b b a t h , A P e r p e t u a l S*, c o u n s e l o r

JOSEPH BATES APOSTLE OF THE SABBATH TRUTH

July 8,1792 - March 19,1872

Fairhaven, Massachusetts, is a quiet little city across the Acushnet River from the old whaling town of New Bedford. To this New England community came the parents of Joseph Bates to settle on a little Farm when Joseph was an infant. Here the future church pioneer spent his childhood. Here the love of the sea penetrated his blood. At the age of fifteen he "shipped" on a commercial vessel, and for the next twenty-one years lived the life of a sailor. His thrilling adventures at sea and the colorful story of his life are told in Virgil Robinson's book Cnbilz Boy to Adverlf C~usndrr (Southern Publisliing Association, 1960).

Bates returned to civilian life in 1828 with a small fortune. He became involved in the abolitionist cause and was known as a man of courage and conviction. Bates was working to develop a property for an industrial school when lie accepted William Miller's views on the speedy advent of Christ. Within a year or so, the retired sea captain became a respected evan- gelist and spiritual leader among the Adventists. He presided at one of the early advent con- ferences.

In early 1845, Bates was providentially led to an understanding of the truth concerning the seventh-day Sabbath. He visited Washington, New Hampshire, where a group of Adventists had begun to observe the seventh day. Fortified by this experience, he became the apostle of this new-found doctrine. In 1846 he published a 48-page tract on the subject. Captain Bates was present at tlie Sabbath Co~iferences of 1848 where important Bible teachings were unear- thed from the gold mine of Scripture by the Sabbathkeeping Adventists. These new-found doctrines became the platCorm or the Seventh-day Adventist faith.

'I'he respected Captain was the oldest member of our church pioneers, and he became tlie first Seventh-day Adventist local cor~ference president (Michigan, 1861). He lived to a ripe old age. One reasclri for his physical endurance, in spite of many sacrifices, was his simple diet and temperate habits. He organized one of the first temperance societies in the Unitedstates. Cap- tain Bates was a spiritual nian with clear-cutviews and courageous asalion. He did not hesitate to sacrifice when the need arose. Let us thank God for the venerable Captain--apostle of the Sabbath truth.

A Story About Captain Joseph Bates

Whatever Captain Bates did, he did well. Hewas no half-hearted worker. When he served as a sea captain, he determined to be the most efficient "skipper" that "sailed the seven seas." When he discarded tobacco and alcoholic beverages, he gave them up forever. He did not take one backward step. When he accepted the views of William Miller and began to preach the advent of Christ, he put all of liis money and all of his heart into his preaching. When he saw the light 011 the Sabbath of tlie fourth commandment, he observed the next Sabbath.

Joseph's wife, Prudence, thought that he was impulsive and overly enthusiastic about things. She was always years behind her energetic husband, but eventually she caught up to him. This was true of her acceptance of the advent message and also the Sabbath truth.

It wasn't long after Joseph Bates was first exposed to the Sabbath truth (in an article by 'T. M. Preble in the "Hope of Israel," Marcl~, 1845) that he heard about a little compariy of Sabbath- keepers up in the mountains of New Hampshire, in a little town called Washington. The leader was Frederick Wheeler. Joseph Bates felt a burning desire to see these people and to talk to them about the faith. So he bought a ticket on a train, and after he had gone as far as the trair~ could take him, he bought a ticket or1 a stage, and after he had gone as far as the stage could take him, he went the rest of tlie way on foot. H e arrived at Wheelers' farmhouse late at night. The lights were out aud the first Adventist minister to keep the true Sabbath was in bed. Bates didn't hesitate to awaken him, and they talked most of the night. Wheeler's eleven-year-old

I son, George, overheard the conversation and later divulged the story. The following day, George and the hired man went to tlie fields to work wliile Elder Wheeler took Captain Bates to Cyrus Farnswortli's home on Millen Pond near the little church where the Sabbath-keep- irig Adventists met. And there, under the maple trees, Frederick Wheeler, Cyrus Farnsworth, liis brother, William, and Joseph Bates sat down and talked about the Sabbath.

After this meeting, really the first Seventh-day Adventist conference ever held, Bates returned to Fairhaven. His ~ilind was convinced. His spirits were elated, and lie was full of zeal to preach the truth. "0 how I love this Sabbath," he exclaimed.

Back in Fairhaven, a friend of his and a fellow Adventist, James Madison Monroe Hall, met the old sea captain on the old bridge across the Acushnet River, and cried out, "Captain Bates, what is the news'?" Brother Bates' triumphant reply was, "The news is that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God!' Hall was not easy to convince, but Captain Bates' argu- ments were convincing, and Hall became a convert to the Sabbath doctrine (he kept the next Sabbath) and joined Bates in his new-found faith. Shortly after this, Bates wrote a tract on the subject which was ir~strumental in leading James and Ellen White to accept the light.

And now you see why we call Captain Bates the apostle of the Sabbath truth.

JOSEPI1 BATES ldAS SUliE GOD WOULD PROVJDE ----- By A . W . Spalding

To begin t h i s s t o r y , we must ~o back t o t h e y e a r 10114. In t h e town of Washington, New Hampshire, t h e r e was an e a r n e s t company of Adventists, They were not sat is l ' ied , jus t t o l le l ieve f o r themu~~lves t l ~ a t ~ lesus was coming soon: they must have t h e i r n t ! i~hbors know it, and persuade a l l t hey could t o j o i n them i n g e t t i n g ready f o r H i m .

5. 1

One day t h e young lady wlio tau1:tt school i n the v i l l a ~ e announced t h a t he r mother was coming from New Yorlc t o v i s i t her . Of course Lhey a l l were very lad t o s e e t h i s l ady whose name was Mrs. Rachel Ualtes, and they made h e r f e e l very much a t lion~c! among them. And it was very n a t u r a l t h a t a s they t a l k e d wi th h e r t h e ho11e t h a t was i n t h e i r h e a r t s should come uppermost. So Rachel Oakes had no t been t h e r e a day be fo re she knew Lhat they were e a g e r l y looking f o r t h e I r r d Jesus t o corne. Af ter she had l i s t e n e d t o t n e i r arguments and ex[,larlations, she s a i d q u i e t l y , "I t h i n k you a r e r i g h t . Now I want t o ask you one ques t ion . Why do you keep Sunday f o r t h e Sabbath?"

I1Why,l8 answered William Farnsworth, I 1 i s n 1 t it t h e Sabbath?"

"No, indeed," s a i d Rachel Oalces. And then she took he r Bible, a s t h e y had taken t h e i r s t o teach h e r the message of Jesus1 coming, and s h e taught them t h e t r u t h of t h e Sabbath. For Rachel Oakes was a Seventh-day Bap t i s t , and t h e Seventh-day B a p t i s t s had kept t h e Sabbath f o r hundreds of years.

After hear ing what Rachel Oakes t o l d them, t h e Adventis ts were much concerned about t h e i r duty i n t h i s matter. William Farnsworth took h i s s tand f o r t h e Sabbath, Freder ick Wheeler and o thers soon fol loued, and s o began t h e first Sabbath-keeping arnonl: t he Adventis ts .

Other Adventis ts i n nearby towr~s learned of the SabbaLh from t h e b e l i e v e r s i n Washington, New Hampshire. One of these was a minis ter named T. M. Preble. Ile was a very eloquent man, and the Adventis ts far and wide thought very much of him. He made up h i s mind t h a t the Sabbath should be brought t o t h e atLention of t h e Adventist people more widely. So he wrote about it, and l ~ i s a r t i c l e was published i n an Adventist paper c a l l e d , "The lloge 01' I s r ae l . " 'This was i n la'ebruaq, 11145.

Joseph Bates received a copy of' t h i s paper, and read what Preble had t o say about t h e Sabbath. Ife s e t t o work t o study it, and he made up h i s mind t h a t t h e seventh day was the o n l y day God ever se t a p a r t f o r t h e Sabbath, and t h e r e f o r e L l~a t it was l,l~e Sabbath s t i l l .

But tie wanted t o s e e t h e bret111.eri and s i s t e r s who first began t o teach it; s o he took a journty from h i s home i n blew lledford up t o Washington, New Hampshire. There I I C met tlle Sabbath-keeping Adventis ts ; and studying t h e matter with L ~ I P I I I , lte l,ecarne very su re t t~aL the Sabbath t r u t h was one God nlearlt t h e Adver~Lirit people t o know and t o receive. Back, the re fo re , he went t o I J c r l , l'u11 of the (:reat news.

The next day a f t e r reachirly: itoine, a s tie wa:; c ros s ing a 11riclr:e over a nearby r i v e r on h i s way t o v i s i t r r iends , 11e t n e t an acquai~i tance , Captain lIa1.l.

"Good morning, Captain Ilates," sang o u t Captain I lal l , "what 's t h e news t h i s mornjng?"

"The news is ," answered Captain Hates, " t h ? t t h e sev rn th day i s t h e Sabbath of t h e Lord." And he began t o t e l l h i s I'rierid what tie had learned . Captain Ha l l went s t r a i g h t home, c a l l e d h i s w i f r . , and they s a t down t o s tudy t h e ques t ion . It was not lony: before they calne t o t h e conclusion t h a t Captain Bates was r l c h t , and t h e y began t o keep t h e Sabbath too.

Thus Joseph Bates went on, t e l l i n g t h e t r u l h ol' t h e Sabbath wherever he went, and t h u s it was t h a t wlieu he was c a l l f ' ~ l t o t h e confe re~ lce a t Hiram Edson's i n western Plew Ynrk, he c a r r i e d with him the t r u t h of t h e Sabbath.

But .Joseph Hates knew tie could send t h i s t r u t h much b e t t e r i f he had it p r i n t e d ; f o r books could co t o a thousand p laces while he was goi.ng t o one. And he detrrmined he wo~ild iwi t e a pamphlet about the Sabbath t r u t h . Yet how could he? f o r he idas a s poor a s llimes, when t h e :iir!ns of -- t h e 'Times was s t a r t e d . Perhaps he was poorer ; he had only a s h i l l i n ~ , - - -- twelve and a h a l f cen t s . When he accepted t h e F i r s t Anc,ells Vessage, he was worth about eleven thousand d o l l a r s ; but , be l i ev ing w'ith a l l h i s h e a r t t h a t Jesus was comina soon, he s o l d o f f h i s proper ty and used t h e money i n g iv ing t h e message. And now lie hat1 nolh ing l e f t but t h i s York s h i l l i n g .

However, he prayed about t h e matter , and he fe1.t assured t h a t Ood wanted him t o write t h e 1 j . t t l e hook about t l ie Sabbath. So he s a t down a t h i s desk, with h5.s Bible before him, and becnn t o wr i t e . Ile had not g o t t e n very f a r i n h i s w r i t i n g idhen h i s wife, comjng j n from t h e k i tchen , opened t h e door and s a i d , "~Josepti, 1 haven ' t e n o u ~ h f l o u r t o f in i . s l~ t h e baking.

I1!fow much f l o u r do you l a c k , " aslted her hushand.

llAt)out Your pounds," she s a i d .

"\lery wc l l , " s a i d tie. And c e t t i n f : up, 11r took a six-qi1ar.t tnilk-pan front the ki tchon s l i e l f , went o u t t o (.he i:rocerj : : tore, arid boi~[:lit a pallrul of r1011r. Ile took i . t home, anrl wont h:i~:Ir t o h i s wr j tinr:.

T ~ I no time "Irs. Tlates came jn n1:nin. "tlozel~h, ' l s a i d she, "where [lid t h i s f l o u r come from?"

tll~lhy," s a i d he , " i s n ' t t h e r e enour:h? Y ~ J - s a i d you wanlecl I'oiir pounds."

"Yes," s a i d she, " b l ~ t where d i d you ~ r t it?"

"I bought it," s a i d he.

"Yoil, Captain Bates, a man who Iias s n i l.etl vesse ls out of lblow t~etlrorrl t o a l l p a r t s of t h e world, I I i t i t I l l l i t I'oilr pourill:: 01' ~ l o t ~ r ! "

Joseph Bates was Sure 1:od i~lould I'rovide-3

"Wife," s a i d Joseph na tes , "1 s p e n t J'or Lhat I'lour Ll~e l a s t money I have on earth."

Mrs. Rates threw he r apron up t o he r eyes, and bcs~on Lo cry . :;he had not known before t h a t l~er huslraud hacl :%[lent t l ~ e l a s t ol' l ~ i s money i n t h e cause. Sobbing b i t t e r l y , she e ~ j c d , "What a r e we i:oinp, t o do?I1

Joseph na tes a rose , and standin(: up to h i s f u l l I l e i ~ l ~ t , he s a i d impressively, "1 am ,:oing t o w r i t e a book, 1 am qoinp, t o c i rncu la t e it, and spread t h i s Sabbath t r u t h before t h e world,

llWell, but,I1 s a i d Mrs. Dates, sl ill weepinn, "what a r e we ~ o i n g t o l i v e on?#!

"The Lord is r : o i n ~ t o open the way," answered h e r husband smi1inf:ly.

"Yes, t h e Lord is r~o ing t o open the way," she returned, l l t h a t l s what you always say." And b u r s t i n g i n t o a f r e s h f lood of t e a r s , she l e f t t h e room.

Joseph Bates s a t down and began w r i t i n g again on h i s Sabbath pamphlet. I n about h a l f an hour jt was impr*essed on l ~ i s mind t h a t t h e r e was a l e t t e r a t t h e pos to f f i ce f o r l ~ i r n , and he s I~r , t~ ld f:o and r:et it. 20 he went out , and dor~n t o t h e po:;toffice.

\ "Is there a l e t t e r f o r me, Iblr. IIrew'!l1 he asked.

The postmaster looked. "Yes, t i lere is, Captain Ilates," he sa id ; "postage due, f i v e c e n t s , " In those days people could pay the postage when they s e n t t h e l e t t e r , o r no t , j u s t a s they pleased. I f they d i d n ' t , it had t o be paid by t h e person t o wltorn the l e t t e r was s e n t . And here was the p o s t a ~ e t o he paid, and Uates hadn ' t a cent .

"Mr. Drew," he s a i d t o t h e postmaster, " I am out o r money; I haven ' t even the f i v e cen t s t o pay t h e pos ta l~e . I h t w i l l you l e t me s e e where t h e l e t t e r is from?"

"011, t h a t ' s a l l r i ~ h t , Carrtair~ Ilates," s a i d t h e postmaster, " take it along and pay some o the r time," ~ l l d Ire h a ~ d e d him the 1cLterk.

"i\To," s a i d Nates, "1 w i l l no t t a k e t h e l e t t e r from t h e p o s t o f f i c e u n t i l t h e postar:e i s paid. Pol- i t was a pri nci pie of his no t t o I:O i n t o debt.

D u t h e looked a t t h e l e t t e r , an11 s a i d , l l T f e e l t h a t t l lere is money i n t h i s l e t t e r . " A t d handing it ljoclc Lo the postnlaster, hc asked, " l l i l l you p lease open i t ? I f t he re is money i n it, you t ake the pos ta i~e out; i f not , I w i l l no t read j t ."

The postmaster opened it, and l irst Lhir~f; 1.0 ~neut h i s eye was a tert- d o l l a r b i l l ! He made chant:e, toolc o t ~ t Ll~c ~ro:;t.aece, :tncl Kave the r e s t o r the money, with t h e l e t t e r , over to ,Iuscpl~ lintes. It was fmrn a man who s a i d i n t h e l e t t e r t h a t the Lord lrad i l~rl~rcssed h i s rni r~d Lhat Cnlrtajn 1:ates needed money.

"Yes, Captain," s a i d t h e drayman, "1 w i l 1 , d o j u s t a s you have ordered." P. 5.

Joseph Hates wns Sure God Would provide-h Y ' d 0

* C 01 Then Bates went down to t h e p r i n t i n g o f f i c e , a~ id h i r e d them t o p r i n t ( D c ( Y

one thousand pamphlets f o r him a s q i~ ic l t ly as they could. This was t o be t h e Sabbath book. He s a i d lie r~ould pay a s f a s t a s he yot t h e money, and u c . would t a k e no books from t h e o f f i c e u n t i l a l l were paid f o r . Inlhere he ,F 5 rn

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Joseph Rates walked o f f down town, b o u ~ h t n h a r r ~ l o f f l o u r and some ?j m u

pota toes and sugar and o t h e r t h i n g s , c a l l e d a drayman, and t o l d him t o cl 1 cl "I

t ake t h e t h i n g s up t o h i s house. "Probably t h e woman w i l l t e l l you t h e m a 3 roods d o n ' t belong the re , bu t d o n ' t you pay any a t t e n t i o n t o what she says. u

Unload t h e eoods j u s t a s I have t o l d you, on t h e Lront porch." ? %

would g e t t h e money, he d i d n ' t know, bu t he was s u r e t h e Lord would send it t o him.

x' 3: 'u hl

Z( m '=i

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Ile otopped on h i s way home t o buy some paljer and pens, and hy the time he reached h i s house t h e g roce r i e s had come and were on t h e f r o n t porch. rle went i n a t t h e back door, and s a t down a t h i s desk aqain. I ' re t ty soon i n came h i s wife i n g r e a t excitement, and sa id , "Joseph, j u s t look o u t t h e r e . Where d i d t h a t s t u f f come from? A drayman drove up he re and j u s t would unload it. I t o l d l i i m it d i d n ' t belong here , t h a t we had no money wi th which t o buy such t h i n ~ s , bu t he dec lnred t h i s was t h e exac t number where it was t o be l e f t . And he lef t j t a l l , and drove of f . "

"I~lell ," s a i d her hushand, "1 guess i t ' s a l l r i g h t . "

"But where d i d i t come from?" she pe r s i s t ed .

"Why," s a i d he, ' the Lord s e n t it."

"Oh yes," she answered, " the Lord s e n t it: t h a t ' s r.rhat you always say." r 1% ID m

Then he handed t h e l e t t e r t o her , and s a i d , "Read t h i s , and you w i l l W

l e a r n where it came from." She read it, and t h e n went o u t f o r another cry, b u t t h a t was because she was ashamed of h e r l a c k of f a i t h . And p r e t t y soon she came back and asked h e r husband's f o r ~ i v e n e s s .

Joseph Bates wrote h i s hook, the p r i n t e r p r in t ed it, and the money came i n f o r it, a l l i n good time. II. S. Gurney, who you reme~r~ber wenL 'd with Joseph nates on h i s t r i p i n t h e South, received some money on a debt w he had thought would never be paid, and wit,h a p a r t of t h j s he paid t h e

14 ID

l a s t of t h e p r i n t i n g b i l l . And with t h e book the t r u t h began t o spread 01

more and more. N +- I

So Joseph Bates began t o teach among t h e ndven t i s t s the t r u t h of t h e N 4

Sabbath. And as you s h a l l s ee i n t,he s t o r i r s Lhat follow, t h e Lord b l e s sed h i s s e l f - s a c r i f i c e , and soon brought g r e a t e r l j g h t and power from heaven f o r t h e teaching of t h i s t e s t i n g t r u t h . Anrl t . l~ose who from t h i s t ime on came t o g e t h e r i n t h e f a j t h of t h e 1 ,ordfs coming, t h e heavenly sanctuary s e r v i c e , and t h e seventh-day Sabhath, made Llie f i r s t of t h e people who have come t o be known by t h e name, SevenLh-day Adventis ts .

[Elder A . W. S p a l d i n ~ tel1.s tl1i.s s t o r y i n r:linr~ter 20 (pp. 237-2117) of t h e out -of -pr in t Pioneer -- S t o r i c s (Sot~t l~er r i i'111,l i shin(! Ass In, 1922). Some c o r r e c t i o r ~ s i n t h e h i s t m r i c l l rr?rrat,ivc l~avc: lleen rnnde by A. L. Mliite t o harmonize c e r t a i n detni1.s wjth r a c t s uncovered by l a t e r Spalding r e sea rch and embodied by him i n o t h e r acco r~n t ;~ . ]