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Defective Religion

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Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jan 9, 1879

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 5, No. 2.

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Defective Religion.

By Editor

A Baptist paper says,—"I know not what is the cause. It may be the teaching of the past. But I do know that there is a pretty general conviction that our highest object here is to have a good time, and hurry on to heaven to meet our kinsfolk." To which a Methodist paper says,—"Who will deny this when he remembers the 'ditties' so common and so dear to our revival singing?"
The truth is apparent to all thoughtful and reverent people that the popular "revival" system, composed of "ditties" and anecdotes and appeals to the feelings, while "the weightier matters of the law" are neglected, is radically defective. We wish that all who see this, would labor for a reform. The most popular revivalist is the one who can work the people up to the highest state of excitement in the shortest time. If people would wait a year and judge by the fruit, they would soon reject this style of revivalism as unscriptural and unprofitable.