p. 252 | Untitled article by W. C. G.

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, October 1, 1867.

THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH.

By W. C. G.

The following article under the above heading appears in the last issue of the Voice of the West:

“There is much looseness in the Church as well as in the world on Sabbath-keeping; and we are glad of the agitation of this question by the Seventh-day Baptists, as thereby the attention of the Church is specially called to the consideration of the subject.

“Bro. Prehle’s new work on The First-day Sabbath is now out. It is not only an important work, but the only work among us that treats the subject at length, in connection with a triumphant review of seventh-day Sabbath critics. Our people should get this book and post themselves on this question. They owe it to the cause of truth to do it; they owe it to the Churches to do it, in order to meet those seventh-day keepers who stir up strife, and in days past have even broken up our Churches. Hitherto our people have not been prepared to meet the questions in dispute. We must as a matter of duty give attention to this question. Have we a Sabbath? Is it the first day of the week, or the seventh? We should settle these questions, and be prepared to give a reason for the faith we hold.

“As Bro. Prehle has now placed within our reach what appears to him the Scriptural argument, with a critical review of seventh-day writers, we cannot do better than to procure this work and give it a thorough examination. And let our brother be sustained in his labor and sacrifice for the cause of truth.”

Verily, “there is much looseness” in the matter of Sabbath-keeping; and we can rejoice with the Editor of the Voice on account of “the agitation of this question by the Seventh-day Baptists.” But can he also rejoice with us at the much greater agitation by Seventh-day Adventists? Or is that the kind which “stirs up strife,” and has “even broken up churches?” If a little agitation of the matter is commendable, certainly a thorough stirring up in regard to it must be very desirable, especially in view of the “much looseness in the church” which renders Eld. Prehle’s work so important. If we are rapidly nearing the final consummation, as the Voice and Review both unite in teaching, it certainly is important that looseness in the matter of duty, and especially so important a duty as obedience to God’s commandments, be no longer a characteristic of second-advent believers.

It is not a little amusing to see the reluctance manifested on the part of the Voice in endorsing Eld. Prehle’s positions: “Bro. Prehle has now placed within our reach what appears to him the Scriptural argument.” As the readers of the Review have had occasion to notice, what appears to Eld. P. as Scriptural sometimes proves to be very unscriptural, and we are waiting with considerable interest to see how generally his new work will be endorsed.

Perhaps this hesitancy on the part of the Voice may be accounted for when we recollect that it has also very favorably commended one or two other works on the same subject issued by the same Association, which endeavors to prove the entire abolition of the Sabbath. Which of these two positions will it endorse as Scriptural? Certainly not both.

We would also in this connection take occasion to gently remind the Voice that the request to publish the prospectus of this work in the Review which we complied with some time since, was accompanied with a declaration that they would be happy to send us a copy as soon as issued. We have not yet seen it, and hope it has not been lost by mail. Perhaps our advertisement of it has not greatly assisted in the sale of the work, but it certainly is no fault of ours, as we should be glad to have every Sabbath-keeper possess a copy if able, for unless it vastly surpasses any of Eld. P.’s former efforts, the Sabbath cause has nothing to fear from it, but rather will be aided by its publication and circulation.

W. C. G.