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Presumptuous Sins

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 9, 1866

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 27, No. 6.

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Presumptuous Sins.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

ALL Sunday-keepers are ready to admit that they have no positive proof that the first day is a holy day, or that the seventh is not. All that is claimed is, that from the example of Christ and his apostles, the conclusion may be drawn that the first day of the week was kept as a holy day instead of the seventh. But no positive command or instruction to keep the first day is ever alleged. Nor do they pretend to point to the text which says that work may be done on the old seventh-day Sabbath. From certain alleged facts they suppose it to be true that the first, and not the seventh, day is now the Sabbath. In other words their position is just what Webster calls PRESUMPTION. Thus he says: "Presume, v. t., To suppose to be true without positive proof."
All can readily see that this is exactly the position occupied by those who have rejected the Sabbath and still hold to Sunday-keeping. Now turn to Num. xv, 30, and see the penalty for daring to do anything presumptuously, or without positive proof. "But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people." Let Sunday-keepers read this and beware. The next verse tells the reason why so severe a penalty is attached to presumptuous sins. "Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandments, that soul shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him." 1. He hath despised the word of God, i. e. does not heed what it says; and 2. as the consequence of this disregard of the word of God, he hath broken the commandment of the Lord. Sunday-keepers despise the word of God by neglecting the day which he has expressly appointed; then, without any positive proof they presume to keep a day of their own choosing. This is presumptuous sin and must receive its penalty.
D. M. CANRIGHT.