Appeal for Burden Bearers
21
Reformer stronger than he otherwise would have done, in discarding
milk, sugar, and salt. The position to entirely discontinue the use of
these things may be right in its order; but the time had not come to
take a general stand upon these points. And those who do take their
position, and advocate the entire disuse of milk, butter, and sugar,
should have their own tables free from these things. Brother B, even
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while taking his stand in the Reformer with Dr. Trall in regard to the
injurious effects of salt, milk, and sugar, did not practice the things he
taught. Upon his own table these things were used daily.
Many of our people had lost their interest in the Reformer, and
letters were daily received with this discouraging request: “Please
discontinue my Reformer.” Letters were received from the West, where
the country is new and fruit scarce, inquiring: “How do the friends of
health reform live at Battle Creek? Do they dispense with salt entirely?
If so, we cannot at present adopt the health reform. We can get but little
fruit, and we have left off the use of meat, tea, coffee, and tobacco; but
we must have something to sustain life.”
We had spent some time in the West, and knew the scarcity of
fruit, and we sympathized with our brethren who were conscientiously
seeking to be in harmony with the body of Sabbathkeeping Adventists.
They were becoming discouraged, and some were backsliding upon
the health reform, fearing that at Battle Creek they were radical and
fanatical. We could not raise an interest anywhere in the West to obtain
subscribers for the Health Reformer. We saw that the writers in the
Reformer were going away from the people and leaving them behind.
If we take positions that conscientious Christians, who are indeed
reformers, cannot adopt, how can we expect to benefit that class whom
we can reach only from a health standpoint?
We must go no faster than we can take those with us whose con-
sciences and intellects are convinced of the truths we advocate. We
must meet the people where they are. Some of us have been many
years in arriving at our present position in health reform. It is slow
work to obtain a reform in diet. We have powerful appetites to meet;
for the world is given to gluttony. If we should allow the people as
much time as we have required to come up to the present advanced
state in reform, we would be very patient with them, and allow them
to advance step by step, as we have done, until their feet are firmly
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established upon the health reform platform. But we should be very