Labor for the Church
The Sabbath, as well as each evening during the week, was es-
pecially devoted to meetings with the Christiania church. When the
mission fields in this new country were opened before me, I was shown
that some things in every branch of the mission needed a different
mold; there was need of exalting the standard in this church, before
a correct and saving influence could go forth to other places. There
was precious talent in the church at Christiania, but God could not
use these brethren until they were converted. There were some who
had capabilities to help the church, but who needed first to set their
own hearts in order. Some had been bringing in false tests, and had
made their own ideas and notions a criterion, magnifying matters of
little importance into tests of Christian fellowship, and binding heavy
burdens upon others. Thus a spirit of criticism, fault-finding, and
dissension had come in, which had been a great injury to the church.
And the impression was given to unbelievers that Sabbath-keeping
Adventists were a set of fanatics and extremists, and that their peculiar
faith rendered them unkind, uncourteous, and really unchristian in
character. Thus the course of a few extremists prevented the influence
of the truth from reaching the people.
Some were making the matter of dress of first importance, criticis-
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ing articles of dress worn by others, and standing ready to condemn
every one who did not exactly meet their ideas. A few condemned
pictures, urging that they are prohibited by the second commandment,
and that everything of this kind should be destroyed.
These one-idea men can see nothing except to press the one thing
that presents itself to their minds. Years ago we had to meet this
same spirit and work. Men arose claiming to have been sent with
a message condemning pictures, and urging that every likeness of
anything should be destroyed. They went to such lengths as even to
condemn clocks which had figures, or “pictures,” upon them. Now
we read in the Bible of a good conscience; and there are not only
good but bad consciences. There is a conscientiousness that will carry
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