p. 381 | SATAN IN THE CAMP by D. F. Newton

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 2, 1868

SATAN IN THE CAMP.

By D. F. Newton

At the thirteenth anniversary of the “Young Men’s Christian Association,” Brooklyn, N. Y., H. W. Beecher made a speech in which he recommended Bowling Alleys and Billiard Tables as necessary to the contemplated building for the Association. He says the times are changed, but how greatly has he himself changed.

Oh! for an angel’s trump to ring peal on peal—louder than seven thunders through the land—from pole to pole, against him who kindles these fires that burn to the lowest hell! The man in the pulpit and out of it, that rides in Satan’s car, writes novels for “Ledgers,” writes novels for theatres—is not he the guilty one that sets the world on fire—scatters firebrands, arrows and death! murders in cold blood?

It is folly here—folly there. It is nonsense here—it is nonsense there—it is Satan here, it is Satan there, wherever novels, romances, silly love tales are tolerated, there you see worldly conformity, foolish talking and jesting, theatres in full blast—and souls rushing on to hell—to fires unquenchable, by millions. And society will have it so. This soul-damning sin is winked at, covered up—looked upon with a smile of complacency by some religious editors, and by some ministering at God’s altar. Is not wrath pending? fearful, terrible, that will cause ears to tingle?

Look at the impetuous rush at the theatre, the opera house, the pleasure party, the billiard room, and to other popular amusements, that kill time and murder the soul, since the placarding through the cities of New York and Brooklyn in large capitals, “H. W. BEECHER AT THE NEW YORK THEATRE SUCH A NIGHT.” “H. W. BEECHER WILL BE AT PIKE’S OPERA HOUSE SUCH A NIGHT.” Was the priest’s office ever more shamefully and wickedly degraded since the four hundred prophets ate at “Jezebel’s table?”

What sympathy hath the spirit of Christ with theatrical and operatic performances—billiard rooms and other unfruitful works of darkness? Wherever you plant the theatre and opera, there, instantaneously, sprouts up a crop of gambling hells, drinking saloons, and brothels. A very godly minister suggested in my hearing, that whenever “Norwood is performed at any of the theatres, the service be opened with one of Mr. Beecher’s devout and beautiful prayers, as recently published, and closed with one of the devotional hymns appended.”

Alas! “How is the gold become dim, how is the most fine gold changed.”

You speak of fine gold, where? Indeed! where has there been any gold, has it not been chaff, hay, wood and stubble from the first, “clouds without water, carried about of winds, trees whose fruit withereth, twice dead, plucked up by the roots?” Jude, 11–13. When has this novel-writing minister ever gone forth weeping, bearing precious seed? When has he ever imitated the meek and lowly Jesus who resisted unto blood, striving against sin? When has been the time he did not advocate worldly conformity in dress and equipage, carnal and popular amusements? When was the time he did not indulge the ludicrous, low witticisms, levity, foolish talking and

jesting in the pulpit and out of it, in direct opposition to the Spirit of Christ?

“’Tis pitiful to court a grin when we should win a soul.” Who is likely on a sick or dying bed, to send for a punning minister, to talk or pray with him? A joking minister will seldom have persons coming to him with tears, to ask what they must do to be saved.

“’Tis not for man to trifle, life is brief.”

Mark also the sustaining of that rebel institution, Washington College, of Virginia, with General Lee at its head, manufacturing traitors and copperheads. Is not this devilish? Could Satan devise a more efficient, successful agent?

“Before his breath the healthy shoots and blooms, Of social joy and happiness decay.”

And yet, strange as it may seem, he has his admirers, that uphold him in his wickedness, succumb to this awful, Heaven-daring, God-defying iniquity! Not a few of both ministers and editors hold on to his skirts. Oh! what blindness!

“They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.” 1 John iii. 5. “Many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.” “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 2 Tim. iii, 13. “But though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Gal. i, 8, 9.

Archippus. True, Sylvanus, every word, and the half is not told, but allow me to make one inquiry. Have you raised the warning voice duly? Spoken out in the face and eyes of this Retrograde, done your duty to him faithfully hitherto? Cleared your own skirts of blood? It is a fearful thing to suffer sin to rest upon our neighbor unrebuked. “The words of the wise are as goads.”

Sylvanus. Sin is gradual, creeps in by degrees. Conscience searing is little by little—Jezebel did not become a Jezebel all at once. A bloody Manasseh did not become a bloody Manasseh all at once. This “Plymouth” man has been nibbling at Satan’s bait a long time; he did not jump into that pit of miry clay, this slough of iniquity all at once.

The truth is, he lacked ballast—he became top-heavy. Popularity killed him! Satan has a powerful intellect, yet he is Devil, and always will be. The very moment I saw the serpent’s tongue darting forth, I cried aloud, Stop, stop! Turn, Turn, for why will ye die? “Cease to do evil, learn to do well.” Why will ye crucify your Lord afresh? First of all I entreated, besought earnestly, weepingly.

I said to him frankly—ere a word was sounded out publicly. Sir, you wrong yourself—the public,—dishonor the cause you profess to love, your dearest and best friends are grieved, and not only grieved, but disgusted at your course in the pulpit and out of it, your siding with the enemy of all righteousness!—Respect you, sir, how can we! “A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so; and what will ye do in the end thereof?” Jer. v, 30, 31. What fearful curses are denounced against apostates, false teachers, and hypocrites, wolves in sheep’s clothing? “But woe unto you, scribes, and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” Matt. xxiii, 13. See also Luke xi, 11, 52; 2 Peter ii, 3. You have friends, not a few, who flatter you, bolster you up in their wickedness; so had the false prophets of old, and those who sat at Jezebel’s table; and what became of them? and what will become of you, without a speedy, heart-felt repentance? Woe to you when the world speaketh well of you; for so did their fathers of the false prophets. You cause Satan to rejoice, and all hell to be in jubilee. God is the same, yesterday, to-day, and forever; and he says: “Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. Your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then shall ye be trodden down by it.” Isa. xxviii, 17, 18.

A. Did you in very deed sound this faithful appeal in the ears of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher?

S. Certainly I did brother, in good faith, in a spirit of the utmost kindness, positive, solemn; solemn as death, fearful as eternity, knowing as I did his downward course to perdition, with multitudes in his train.

A. Go on.

S. Furthermore I said to him, If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves a servant to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Rom. vi, 16. “He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad.” Matt. xii, 30. If Satan is your master, go on, serve him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You profess to be God’s minister, a watchman on the walls of Zion, and yet what multitudes of the rising age will go down to hell, through your example and false teaching. And in whose skirts will their blood be found, if not in yours? Oh! that the shrieks of lost ones might reach your ear ere you meet them with the wailings of the damned—ere the flames of hell gather around you, the hell of hells—the lowest, fiercest of all hells! Those sins of which you are guilty, will come down on your own pate, as certain as there is a God in Heaven, of truth and justice!

“There is a line by us unseen, That crosses every path, The hidden boundary between, God’s patience and his wrath.”

Deem this uncharitable? Not a word of it. We weep over you, shed tears of pity and tender compassion, while we abhor, with perfect loathing, “your garments spotted with the flesh.” The Lord have mercy on you, if any there is for one who has crucified the Lord of glory afresh, and done despite to the word of grace. D. F. NEWTON.