HOW IT WORKS | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 12, 1878

HOW IT WORKS.

The following, we suppose, may be taken as a sample of the conduct generated by that type of sanctification which is of late making itself so loud-mouthed and prominent. It is a kind of fruit that does not speak well for the tree. In the Ottawa County Courier of Nov. 23, 1878, published at Spring Lake, Mich., a writer signing himself “Coopersville,” under the head of “Religious,” says:—

“To the Editor of the Courier.

“The religion and politics of Coopersville just now seem a little mixed. Last Sunday evening the pastor of the Free Methodist church, Eld. Russel, was requested to announce an appointment of the Seventh-day Adventists for Eld. E. B. Lane, at Pierce’s Hall, Tuesday night. The Free Methodist Elder, after singing, prayer, and selecting Isaiah 55:7, a text specially applicable to sinners, made the following announcement: ‘Eld. E. B. Lane, a Seventh-day Adventist minister, will commence a course of lectures at Pierce’s Hall, Tuesday night. I will announce this appointment for them, but if they ever want another appointment announced they will have to get some one else to announce it, because I do not recognize them as a Christian organization.’ This seems a little cool, for November, to hear a minister of a denomination who profess entire sanctification, or a life without sin, publicly unchristianize a denomination so large and so well known as the Seventh-day Adventists are in these parts, and whose Christian deportment stands as well, perhaps, in the minds of the thinking public as that of the Free Methodists. Well, we will wait and watch to see if our Seventh-day Adventists have Christian grace enough to ‘love their enemies, and do good to those who despitefully use them.’ If they do, perhaps they will not stand much injured by this public assault.”