Untitled article by Jos. Clarke

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · September 17, 1867

THE WRONG NAME.

By Jos. Clarke

When a person takes that which belongs to another, and applies it to his own use, without the owner's liberty, the act is called theft. When a book is written, and copyrighted by a person, the man who infringes upon his rights by publishing said book in his own name, is said to be guilty of piracy. When a spurious coin or bank note is issued, the offender is said to be guilty of counterfeiting. When another's name is appended to a note without his knowledge, the offender is held for forgery.

These thoughts occurred to the mind of the writer of this, on seeing the name Sabbath used quite freely upon the standards of a certain Sunday School, as they proceeded to attend a collection of schools, and hold a festive day, picnic, &c.

As they passed, you were impressed with the idea that this was a Sabbath School; for the title Sabbath School was prominent upon the standards in large letters.

A feeling of deep sadness came over me, for I knew the effect upon the mind of the young was delusive. I felt that here was a forgery in calling the first day of the week the Sabbath; here was theft in taking this sacred name and applying it to a common day without the consent of the author of the Sabbath: a piracy in infringing upon the copyright of the fourth commandment; a counterfeit in passing off as the genuine Sabbath of the fourth commandment the first day of the week. And what is more lamentable than to know that all the actors on this occasion are so deceived that they are wholly unaware of the crimes alleged. Jos. CLARKE.