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Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

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Chapter 78—Extremes in DressWe do not think it in accordance with our faith to dress in <strong>the</strong>American costume, to wear hoops, or to go to an extreme in wearinglong dresses which sweep <strong>the</strong> sidewalks and streets. If women wouldwear <strong>the</strong>ir dresses so as to clear <strong>the</strong> filth of <strong>the</strong> streets an inch or two,<strong>the</strong>ir dresses would be modest, and <strong>the</strong>y could be kept clean much moreeasily, and would wear longer. Such a dress would be in accordancewith our faith. I have received several letters from sisters inquiringmy opinion in regard to wearing corded skirts. These questions wereanswered in a letter which I sent to a sister in Wisconsin. I will give<strong>the</strong> letter here <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> benefit of o<strong>the</strong>rs:“We as a people do not believe it our duty to go out of <strong>the</strong> world tobe out of <strong>the</strong> fashion. If we have a neat, plain, modest, and com<strong>for</strong>tableplan of dress, and worldlings choose to dress as we do, shall we changethis mode of dress in order to be different from <strong>the</strong> world? No, weshould not be odd or singular in our dress <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> sake of differing [425]from <strong>the</strong> world, lest <strong>the</strong>y despise us <strong>for</strong> so doing. Christians are <strong>the</strong>light of <strong>the</strong> world, <strong>the</strong> salt of <strong>the</strong> earth. Their dress should be neat andmodest, <strong>the</strong>ir conversation chaste and heavenly, and <strong>the</strong>ir deportmentblameless.“How shall we dress? If any wore heavy quilts be<strong>for</strong>e <strong>the</strong> introductionof hoops, merely <strong>for</strong> show and not <strong>for</strong> com<strong>for</strong>t, <strong>the</strong>y sinned against<strong>the</strong>mselves by injuring <strong>the</strong>ir health, which it is <strong>the</strong>ir duty to preserve.If any wear <strong>the</strong>m now merely to look like hoops, <strong>the</strong>y commit sin;<strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>y are seeking to imitate a fashion which is disgraceful. Cordedskirts were worn be<strong>for</strong>e hoops were introduced. I have worn a lightcorded skirt since I was fourteen years of age, not <strong>for</strong> show but <strong>for</strong>com<strong>for</strong>t and decency. Because hoops were introduced I did not layoff my corded skirt <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>m. Shall I now throw it aside because <strong>the</strong>fashion of hoops is introduced? No; that would be carrying <strong>the</strong> matterto an extreme.“I should ever bear in mind that I must be an example and <strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>emust not run into this or that fashion, but pursue an even and inde-397

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