Untitled article by Dudley Marvin Canright

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · December 17, 1867

FALSE CHARITY.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

I FIND the following remarks in the Introduction to Bower's History of the Popes: “Many nominal Protestants are not half Protestants—nor half Christians, as the consequence. They have a wonderful elastic “charity,” which ignorantly includes among its objects especially all manner of sin, and error, and absurdity, and falsehood. Just as if the genuine charity of the New Testament was a silly, indiscriminate, or alterable affection; as if it had no eyes and did not rejoice in the truth. Such persons have ordinarily no charity for God; hence, to contradict him, or, as he represents it, to make him a liar, is a very easy affair, and a cheap reckoning to their consciences. The time is come when enlightened and Christian Protestants and patriots in this country, must not only hold the truth, but hold it fast.”

When we expose the corruptions of the false religion of the day, men cry out that we lack charity, for charity covers a multitude of sins. They seem to think that charity consists in covering up sins and brothering everybody and everything. But “charity rejoiceth in the truth,” not in a falsehood. Hence, true charity can have no fellowship with anything that is contrary to the truth. Can any one doubt that John, the beloved disciple, possessed true charity? No. Then let us hear him: “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him.” 1 Jno. ii, 4. Again, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God-speed.” 2 Jno. 10. Now hear Paul: “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha.” 1 Cor. xvi, 22. “Anathema maranatha,” that is, “Let him be accursed; our Lord cometh.” This is strong food for our lukewarm-charity-loving friends. Now listen to John the Baptist, as he talked with the worldly-minded professors of his day: “But when he

saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Matt. iii, 7. Even our blessed Lord had a very hard, uncharitable spirit, according to the ideas of these times. How often he exclaims, Woe unto you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites! and tells them plainly how they appear in the sight of God. This is true charity. Those who lack this charity have no charity for God. In the Judgment, they will censure God as lacking charity for those whom he condemns to perdition.

D. M. CANRIGHT. Norridgewock, Me.