The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. 7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. 9 And it came to pass through
the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. 11 And the LORD
said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. 13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. 21 A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

Jeremiah 3

As we near the close of earth’s history, perils and dangers thicken around us. A mere profession of godliness will not avail. There must be a living connection with God, that we may have spiritual eyesight to discern the wickedness which is in a most artful and secret manner creeping into our
midst through those who make a profession of our faith. The greatest sins are brought in through those who profess to be sanctified and claim that
they cannot sin.

Yet many of this class are sinning daily and are corrupt in heart and life. Such are self-sufficient and self-righteous, making their own standard of righteousness and utterly failing to meet the Bible standard. Notwithstanding their high claims, they are strangers to the covenant of promise.
It is in great mercy that God bears with their perversity and that they are not cut down as cumberers of the ground, but still remain within the
possibilities of forgiveness. The forbearance of God is continually presumed upon and His mercy abused. David in his day thought that men had
exceeded the boundaries of the long-suffering of God, and that He must interfere to vindicate His honor and restrain unrighteousness.

Testimonies to the Church Vol 5 pg 121

When ministers thus take advantage of the confidence the people place in them and lead souls to ruin, they make themselves as much
more guilty than the common sinner as their profession is higher. In the day of God, when the great Ledger of Heaven is opened, it
will be found to contain the names of many ministers who have made pretensions to purity of heart and life and professed to be entrusted
with the gospel of Christ, but who have taken advantage of their position to allure souls to transgress the law of God.

When men and women fall under the corrupting power of Satan, it is almost impossible to recover them out of the horrible snare so that
they will ever again have pure thoughts and clear conceptions of God’s requirements. Sin, to their deluded minds, has been sanctified by the
minister, and it is never again regarded in the loathsome light that God looks upon it. After the moral standard has been lowered in the
minds of men, their judgment becomes perverted, and they look upon sin as righteousness, and righteousness as sin. By associating with
these, whose inclinations and habits are not elevated and pure, others become like them. Their tastes and principles are almost unconsciously
adopted.

Testimonies to the Church Vol 5 pg 124

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily [not openly] shall bring in damnable
heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” The ones here referred to are not those who openly claim to have no faith in Christ, but those who profess to believe the truth and by their vileness of character bring a reproach upon it, causing it to be evil spoken of.

In this age of corruption when our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, I see the necessity
of lifting my voice in warning. “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” There are many who possess brilliant talents who
wickedly devote them to the service of Satan. What warning can I give to a people who profess to have come out from the world and to
have left its works of darkness?

Testimonies to the Church Vol 5 pg 126

As Christ’s ambassador, I entreat you who profess present truth to promptly resent any approach to impurity and forsake the society
of those who breathe an impure suggestion. Loathe these defiling sins with the most intense hatred. Flee from those who would, even
in conversation, let the mind run in such a channel; “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”

As those who practice these defiling sins are steadily increasing in the world and would intrude themselves into our churches, I warn you
to give no place to them. Turn from the seducer. Though a professed follower of Christ, he is Satan in the form of man; he has borrowed the
livery of heaven that he may the better serve his master. You should not for one moment give place to an impure, covert suggestion; for even
this will stain the soul, as impure water defiles the channel through which it passes.

Choose poverty, reproach, separation from friends, or any suffering rather than to defile the soul with sin. Death before dishonor or the
transgression of God’s law should be the motto of every Christian.

Testimonies to the Church Vol 5 pg 127

When the individual members of the church shall act as true followers of the meek and lowly Saviour, there will be less covering up and excusing of sin.
All will strive to act as if in God’s presence. They will realize that His all-seeing eye is ever upon them and that the most secret thought is known to Him. The character, the motives, the desires and purposes, are as clear as the light of the sun to the eye of the Omnipotent. But few bear this in mind. The larger class by far do not realize what a fearful account must be rendered at the bar of God by all the transgressors of His law.

Testimonies to the Church Vol 5 pg 127, 128.

What you have said means nothing. This type of thing does not belong in the church. This is the mixing of truth and error; bringing in profane fire.