Life of Heber C. Kimball, an apostle

by Orson F. Whitney

SATAN ALARMED—THE POWERS OF EVIL CONSPIRE AGAINST THE ELDERS—CHAPELS AND CHURCHES CLOSED AGAINST THEM—THE REVEREND MR. FIELDING IN HIS REAL COLORS—THE WORK CONTINUES TO SPREAD—AN ARMY OF DEMONS ATTACK THE ELDERS—THE DAWN AND VICTORY.

Meanwhile, the powers of darkness had taken counsel against these servants of the Lord. Not without a struggle would Satan loose his hold, and permit the gates of salvation to open for the eastern, as they had already opened for the western hemisphere. The evil one had seen that the Church in America was trembling on the verge of dissolution. To give it fresh impetus, and infuse new life into the seemingly sinking system, was the object of the Apostles' mission to the shores of Albion. The opening of that mission it was Satan's fell purpose to thwart, and for which he was now gathering, far and near, the embattled hosts of hell.

The Elders might be said to have "stolen a march" on the Adversary, in securing, already, three hearings at Vauxhall Chapel, with the favorable results before noted. This much could not be retrieved, but the enemy of righteousness hoped to prevent a repetition of such scenes, and to hinder those who believed, from obeying the Gospel by going down into the waters of baptism. For know, O reader—if thou art a stranger to this truth—that Satan is well satisfied with their condition who "only believe" in Jesus, if they are not "born of the water" according to His righteous example and holy will.

[Illustration: Vauxhall Chapel, 1875.]

Acting on the principle, it may be presumed, that a thing to be recovered should first be sought for where it was lost, the evil one determined to use for his purpose the Reverend James Fielding, the very man who had befriended the Elders, and given them their first public opportunity of declaring the message they had been sent to deliver. Strange enough after what had passed—though sufficiently frequent, in similar phases, since those days, to be no longer a cause of wonderment—he found that reverend gentleman in precisely the mood best suited to his dark design. Like all who fear man more than they love the Lord, preferring the praise and honors of the world to the approval of a good conscience and the favor of their Maker, the Reverend James Fielding, when he had noticed the marvelous effect of the Elders' preaching, and contemplated the present and prospective results, in the leading away of his flock to drink at other fountains and browse in other pastures, shrank back appalled from the picture presented to his view. Willing to sate his appetite for the new and marvelous, and even obey a doctrine which promised worldly honors and emoluments, he was not willing to humble himself "even as a little child" and seek the kingdom of God at the sacrifice of every earthly consideration.

Had he forgotten the text which, perchance, he had a hundred times preached glibly from: "He that taketh not his cross and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me"? Or, like many other Christian divines, "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof," was he satisfied to believe that those words had lost their meaning for this generation? Be it as it may, here is the record that will meet him at the day of judgment:

"The Rev. James Fielding, who had so kindly invited us to preach in his chapel, learning that a number of his members believed our testimony, and that some had requested to be baptized, shut his doors against us and would not suffer us to preach in his chapel any more; alleging for an excuse that we had preached the doctrine of baptism for the remission of sins, contrary to our arrangement with him.

"I need scarcely assure my friends that nothing was said to him from which any inference could be drawn that we should suppress the doctrine of baptism. We deem it too important a doctrine to lay aside for any privilege we could receive from mortals. Mr. Fielding had been apprised of our doctrines before we saw him, having received several communications from his brother Joseph, and his two sisters, Mary and Mercy, who wrote to him from Canada, in which letters our doctrines were clearly laid down. We likewise conversed with him on the subject at our interview. He, having been traditioned to believe in infant baptism, and having preached and practised the same a number of years, saw the situation he would be placed in if he obeyed the Gospel; that notwithstanding his talents and standing in society, he would have to come into the sheepfold by the door, and after all his preaching to others, have to be baptized himself for the remission of sins by those who were ordained to that power. These considerations no doubt had their weight upon his mind, which caused him to act as he did; and notwithstanding his former kindness he soon became one of our most violent opposers.

"However, his congregation did not follow his example, they having some time been praying for our coming, and having been assured by Mr. Fielding that he could not place more confidence in an angel than he did in the statements of his brother Joseph, respecting this people; consequently they were in a great measure prepared for the reception of the Gospel, probably as much so as Cornelius was anciently.

"Having now no public place to preach in, we began to preach at night in private houses, which were opened in every direction, when numbers came to hear and believed the Gospel."