Bible Hygiene by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 1, 1875

Bible Hygiene.

By James White

The eccentric Lorenzo Dow once said that prejudice was like a cork in a bottle, which would not let anything out of the bottle, neither would it let anything into it. So blind prejudice will blockade the mind, and not allow errors to pass out, nor the plainest truths to enter in. What shall be done? Shall we say to the people, “Give up your prejudices”? This is asking too much. But few could do this should they try. In fact, they have a right to their prejudices if held subordinate to reason.

A sane condition of the mind is one in which passion and prejudice are controlled by reason. And just so far as reason is controlled by prejudice, passion, and appetite, just so far are men and women insane. There are but few perfectly sane persons in our day. We do not ask men to surrender their prejudices; but in the name of reason and religion, we do invite Christians to so far waive their prejudices as to be qualified to weigh evidence in the scales of reason and justice.

With a large portion of the people, the Bible is the highest and safest authority in all matters of truth and duty. Prove to Christian men and women, who fear God and tremble at his word, that existing reformatory movements are in strict harmony with the teachings of the sacred Scriptures, and they will no longer regard the subject as unworthy of their notice. But the very general impression that the restrictions of the hygienic practice are not sustained by the word of God, has placed many sincere Christians where it is difficult to reach them with the subject. But those who revere God and his holy word can be reached with the plain declarations of the scriptures of the Old and the New Testament. We promise to make it appear that the Bible does not justify Christians in many of the common and fashionable habits of our time, which sustain a close relation to life and health, but that it does demand of them changes from these wrong habits. If we succeed in doing this, it will be considered, by all Bible Christians, that it is highly proper that the attention of the Christian public should be called to the subject from the Bible stand-point.

And when we come to the matter of experience, the cause of health reform has difficulties to overcome. But these are generally the result of ignorance of the real facts in the case.

As an illustration, the objector will sometimes point to feeble persons, who may be advocates of reform in habits of life, as representing the results of changing from common habits. In this they do our cause great injustice, as ninety-nine in one hundred of these persons, in consequence of wrong habits of life, became incurable invalids before they adopted the reform. Had they continued violating the laws of life and health, they would long since have been in their graves. And the reason why there is a considerable number of this class, is, first, because but very few persons feel the necessity of change until they have lost vitality that they never can recover; and, secondly, because the temperate habits of the reform are so in harmony with natural law that these invalids who adopt them linger upon the mortal shore nearly a lifetime. Hence, to point to these as representatives of the health reform is doing the cause we advocate great injustice.

These feeble persons had made themselves hopelessly such by wrong habits of life, and then, in accordance with popular custom, they submitted themselves to the poisonous processes of drug-taking, and when the last ray of hope of recovery in that direction was gone, and they were ready to drop into the grave, they were induced to adopt hygienic habits, the beneficial effects of which are prolonging their existence in a condition of comparative freedom from pain, and the enjoyment of a good degree of happiness. In view of the real facts in the case we point to these very persons as showing the value of the reform.

But we are happy to state that there are thousands of men and women within our personal knowledge, who, in comfortable health, adopted the principles of Christian temperance, and are now reaping the beneficial results. These have abandoned tobacco, tea, coffee, drugs, flesh-meats, and the third meal, and now, without a dissenting voice, report greatly improved health. Most of these are hard-working people, and report that they can do more work, and with far greater ease, than before they made these changes.

Now, in order to put this matter fairly to the test, we invite the objector to point to a single person who adopted these changes in the strength of manhood or womanhood, and who has run down in strength and health, and become feeble, while pursuing in all respects a temperate and consistent course. Here let the matter be fairly tested. When one such person can be found, then we will examine the matter more closely.

The world is moving. The spirit of investigation is out. The old foundations of error and superstition are being broken up. Let the world march along, notwithstanding it may not travel just as we may have marked out. We need not say that he who would stop the wheels of reform because they do not exactly track his hand cart is a bigot. This spirit was ruling, and ruining the influence of the disciples of Christ, until the Master taught them better. One of them said, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not; for he that is not against us is for us.”

While we would be true to the pure principles of health reform, and would ever hold them before the people as important, both to this life, and to that which is to come, we hope to be so far liberal in our views and feelings as to give those who are reforming credit for what changes they are making, and sustain such friendly relations to them as to cheer them on in the good work.

A quarter of a century since, in the ardor and inexperience of younger days, we sometimes detected in our efforts in dealing with minds an inclination to the old mental cramming system. We mean, by this, simply the barbarous practice of crowding our theories and views upon minds, that may be as independent as our own, in a style to impress sensible people with the idea that we are narrow and overbearing. This course raises the combativeness of men of taste and good sense, and prejudices the very persons who, otherwise, might be reached, and might become ornaments to any reformatory movement. This course will gather minds, many of whom may unfortunately be of the same stamp of their teachers, or of that lower grade that will be quite as well pleased with the plan of mental stuffing as to take the trouble of thinking and deciding for themselves.

The mind of every true convert must travel over every foot of ground on the highway of reformation, until it shall reach the very summit of reform. It is our duty as reformers to deal in principles, in the spirit of true Christian courtesy; or, at least, with the spirit of real philanthropy. We can let the true light shine out to the world by precept and by example. This, well done, our duty is done. Let the world move on. J. W.