p. 250 | PURE LIVES; LASTING SUCCESS by E. Lanphear

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, April 15, 1880

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 16

PURE LIVES; LASTING SUCCESS.

By E. Lanphear

EDITOR OF THE REVIEW, DEAR BROTHER: Would it be considered an assumption for one reared a Seventh-day Baptist to make a few suggestions and recommendations? If so, you will not publish this my production.

My experience with the progress of the S. D. Baptist denomination, its success and failures, leads me to these suggestions. The slow progress and many failures of our people have not come from a lack of Bible truth, but from a lack of conformity to the truth in their lives.

It has been truthfully said that “many times truth suffers more from its professed friends than its open enemies.” Thus we fear it has been with S. D. Baptists. The Sabbath and baptism was a Bible foundation for its structure; but allowing a mixture of material to enter into the structure is what has weakened its power. The structure, doubtless, was commenced upon truth; but through anxiety to become popular among other denominations, and to build up faster, they came to using material that only put on a name, while the heart was not in the cause of truth. Had this people ever drawn the line strictly against every evil, its strength and power in the world would to-day have been far greater than it is.

The use of tobacco and rum has never been forbidden by the church. Many resolutions have been passed in our annual gatherings against their use; yet no action has been taken to shut out from membership in the churches those who use these articles. Our Conferences have repeatedly passed resolutions against members uniting with secret societies; yet no permanent action has been taken to prevent them from doing so. In many of the churches there are persons who are Masons, Odd Fellows, or members of some other outside organization; and doubtless some of the churches are controlled by their influence, so that a reform could not be accomplished, if, as a denomination, we desired it. Resolution after resolution has been passed against extravagance in dress and conformity to the world; yet no permanent action has been taken to prohibit these evils. Thus extravagance and failure are among this people as in other fashionable churches in the world.

Resolutions have been passed against Sabbath-breaking and business partnerships with Sunday-keepers, by which professed Sabbath-keepers allow their business to run on the Sabbath; yet no rule is laid down on this subject. So this practice goes on, and it is doubtless the greatest disgrace and the most prolific source of weakness of any one inconsistency practiced by this people, and probably there are more apostasies from the Sabbath on this account than on account of all other inconsistencies combined. These Sabbath-breakers are allowed to become leaders in the churches, and superintendents and teachers in the Sabbath-schools without rebuke.

Theater-going and dancing were originally condemned by Seventh-day Baptists; but of late these practices have become quite popular, especially in the East; and many of the churches have introduced the theater, tea-parties, auction sales, and tableau performances to raise funds for the church and other benevolent purposes, just as other popular churches have done. Is it any wonder that there is no greater growth among this people, while these abominations are allowed in the churches?

I have watched the progress of the S. D. Adventist denomination from its origin, and I attribute its rapid growth and great prosperity as much to its strict adherence to the principles it professes as to the principles themselves. Consistency in life, in practice of professed principles, has more power with sinful men than much preaching without the practice. To this practice I attribute your denominational success. This success is fast bringing your people and principles before the professed Christian church and the world; and as you become better known, and more popular, so-called, men will the more lean toward you and your principles. In view of this tendency, the great need of strengthening your stakes and guarding your borders becomes apparent, and of closing, while you have the power, all these avenues of evil of which I have spoken, that have hindered, and ever will hinder, the progress of the Seventh-day Baptist denomination.

May the watchmen ever be on the watch-tower, warning the people against these abominations, is the wish and prayer of your unworthy correspondent, E. LANPHEAR.