AN INSIDE VIEW OF NOMINAL ADVENTISM.
By James White
SOME have supposed that we were censorious and illiberal in our remarks on the condition of those professed Advent believers who reject the present truth. The following view was presented by Dr. N. Field, and published in the Expositor, after the "North Western Christian Conference" held in Kingsbury, Ind., last August. Among the preachers in attendance were Joseph Marsh, E. Miller jr., Y. Higgins, J. Howell, J. C. Bywater, and L. H. Chase, in all fifteen. Dr. F. says: "I regret to say that I was not very favorably impressed with the aspect of affairs. With a few exceptions, I found the preachers in a bad humor with each other. The disorganizing spirit was conspicuously prominent on that occasion. As usual, every man liveth to himself, and is a church to himself. The spirit of Christ was evidently below zero. Moderation, kindness and courtesy were at a heavy discount. Meekness and charity characteristic of the true Christian were subordinate to self-esteem and intolerance. With people who are looking for the Lord every day we expect to find every christian grace, and we ought to find them." After speaking of the personal difficulties, the "bickerings, evil speakings," and enmity existing between the ministers, he says: "It is evident that the standard of piety is too low. We are rich in theory, but bankrupt in practice. We need practical religion. We are too much addicted to dogmatizing, too disorganizing, too intolerant. We get mad with each other about nothing, fly off in a tangent, and live in a state of repulsion. There are too many hobbies, and too many riding them to death at the expense of the harmony and prosperity of our churches. To doubt or reject a crude and undigested notion, gives offence to some enthusiast, and not infrequently splits the church. We must permit all sorts of things to be forced upon us as articles of faith, or be damned. Our churches must be converted into debating societies for the sake of free discussion. Liberty must be preserved at the expense of decorum and good order. No matter what a brother preaches or writes, we must be silent under pain of provoking his displeasure." "Thus we drift along, looking for the coming of the Lord! I think it fortunate for some that he delays his coming. We must have time to reform, to37settle difficulties and make peace. We need missionaries for the conversion of Adventists to practical godliness, to purity of life, to charity, and to brotherly kindness. Before we can expect to convict sinners we must convert ourselves." Again he says, "But instead of the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, variance, emulation, envy, strife, and divers other works of the flesh seemed to cut a prominent figure. Old grudges and chronic heart-burnings existed, incurable by any remedy known to the gospel." This last sentence is decidedly erroneous. Those who stand in the grace of the gospel walk "with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love: endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." And to such are promised the gifts and influence of the Spirit "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith." Eph. iv. But those who deny the gifts and influence of the Holy Spirit cannot expect to enjoy its benefits or bear its fruits. And he must be blinded as to the nature and power of the gospel, who says that the gospel knows no remedy for these things, when in truth those in whom such works are manifested reject and deny the gospel means of unity in faith and Spirit. As darkness necessarily exists where light is absent, so "the works of the flesh" will be manifest where "the fruit of the Spirit" is not. We hope our brethren and sisters will look at the above picture, and contrast with it the conference season just passed, where love, joy, peace, and sweet union prevailed; and we think they will be ready to join us in thanksgiving to God that he has not left us without a witness of the faithfulness of his promise "in the last days." And we also hope the church will gladly receive the correction of the Spirit, and cherish the gifts conferred till we shall "come behind in no gift," but "grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."
J. H. W.