Preaching the Sabbath in Portland, Maine, Arouses Opposition
By K. C. RUSSELL
SINCE the sermons on the Sabbath question in our present series of meetings in Portland, Maine, were given, some of the ministers of that city have manifested quite a degree of opposition to this feature of the message. We have not attempted any public reply, but have continued to preach the truth and to write articles on it for the public press. It seemed to us better to pass the attacks unnoticed, especially as we are permitted to publish quite full reports twice each week in the three daily papers. It is estimated that the aggregate number of readers for the three papers each day is more than one hundred thousand, thus enabling us, when the sermons are published by all three of the papers, to reach this immense number of readers twice each week. The publishing of our sermons so continuously and so fully in these papers stirred up one of the leading ministers of the city to write a letter to one of the papers, covering more than a column of space, in which he, besides attacking the truth, strongly rebuked the paper for publishing our sermons. The following are a few of the drastic statements made by this minister:— “I am sorry when it [the Press] makes a serious mistake, as it undoubtedly did in its recent extensive propaganda of the Saturday-Sabbath fad.” “The only effect of such a propaganda as that referred to is to unsettle the minds of the less stable and introduce a spirit of anarchy.” From these statements it seems evident that the writer’s purpose was to influence the editor to refrain from publishing our sermons. This experience shows that the Roman Catholics are not the only ones who are seeking to suppress the freedom of the press. The accusation made in one of the foregoing statements, that our propaganda introduces “a spirit of anarchy,” seems a fulfilment of what the servant of the Lord said in The Great Controversy, page 592, which reads as follows: “Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order, as breaking down the moral restraints of society, causing anarchy and corruption, and calling down the judgments of God upon the earth.” The most remarkable statement made by this minister was relative to the origin of the Sunday sabbath. He said: “The so-called ‘Christian sabbath’ was not originated by the church. It was originated by Constantine, and was a political measure.” This, to say the least, is a remarkable acknowledgment by one who is attempting to defend Sunday observance. Following the publication of the letter by this minister, there appeared the following reply to it, which was written by an influential citizen of Portland:— “To the Editor of the ‘Press.’: “When I was a boy there was a Seventh-day Adventist church near where I lived. I thought that the Seventh-day Adventists were a very strange people indeed, because they ‘kept Saturday for Sunday.’ That was the way the thing was put, and that was the way every one but the Adventists looked at it. “At that time I didn’t know any better. I was honest, but ignorant upon the Sunday question. A great many people were in the same condition as myself, and a great many are in that same condition today. “Time has somewhat lessened my ignorance; and while I am not an Adventist, I have learned to have great respect for them as good citizens and genuine Americans. “These people actually believe in religious liberty, and in complete separation of church and state. “I do not want to be unfair to any other sect, but if there is another one in the United States that really believes this, it has escaped my observation. “The Reverend — deprecates the publication of anything which compares the authority for Sunday keeping with the authority for keeping the Biblical Sabbath. Why does Reverend — desire to suppress the citations and arguments of those who believe that they must keep the Biblical Sabbath or do violence to a command of God? “Truth and sincerity never seek to suppress or coerce. Truth only asks that the full and undiminished light may be allowed to shine, that men may see clearly the way of life. “If either the Sabbath keeper or the Sunday keeper is right, then the other is wrong; the question therefore is of great importance to mankind. “If the seventh day is of divine origin and its keeping is a divine command, then those who disregard it must suffer the consequences. “If Sunday is of divine origin and a day set apart by God for the observance of mankind, then it is important that people should be shown when and how it was done, that they may not err through ignorance. Therefore, for the enlightenment of our people and that the truth may appear, we suggest that the Reverend — and the Rev. K. C. Russell meet in the city hall in joint debate of this question. “Any form of the question satisfactory to the disputants will doubtless be satisfactory to the public, but I will suggest the following: ‘How did the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, originate? and does its observance rest upon the Bible, or a command of God?’ “If either of the disputants declines to participate in such a discussion, the public will regard it as due to a conscious lack of ability on the part of the one so declining to support his faith by fact. Come, ‘let us reason together.’ ‘And the truth shall make you free.’ The foregoing reply to Reverend — would seem to render unnecessary any further answer to the attack. At the present writing there is in progress the Second Maine State Exposition, here in Portland. We have secured a central booth in the magnificent exposition building, where our literature is on exhibit. We are also demonstrating our principles in hygienic cookery and our rational methods of treating the sick. This exposition seemed to come at the opportune time; that is, during the special effort we are now conducting in this city. Some have taken their stand for the truth since our last report. We desire the continual prayers of our people for the success of the work in this important place.