p. 552 | An Answer Promised? by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 6, 1883

An Answer Promised?

By Editor

Not exactly. We clip the following from the Herald of Truth:—

"Rev. J. B. Tombes, D. D., pastor of the Baptist Church in Downey City, has recently, by request, delivered a discourse upon 'The Sabbath Question,' making the following three points: First, The Patriarchal Sabbath. Second, The Mosaic Sabbath, and its relations to the Moral Law, and its generic use in the Jewish service. Third, The Sabbath as it was observed and altered by Christ and his apostles. Dr. Tombes, writing to us, says: 'I am quite disposed to the belief that Christ restored the patriarchal Sabbath, by its change to the first day.' We expect an article from him on this point. When our contributors on this point have all been heard from, we shall be ready to be questioned by the Signs of the Times as to the accepted convictions of Baptists in the United States."

When its contributors have all been heard from—which may be in this generation, or the next, if it ever comes, then, what? the Herald will be ready to answer our question? It does not say so: it will "be ready to be questioned." If the Herald will read Rev. 14:12 it will learn why we are patient in this as in all other matters.

When Dr. Tombes speaks we are given to understand that we shall learn that when Moses wrote that God sanctified the seventh day he did not mean the seventh day at all; or, otherwise, when the evangelists said "the first day of the week," they did not mean the first day of the week at all, but some other day of the week. When the Baptists resort to such devices we know not why they should not admit that when the same evangelists wrote "baptize" they did not mean baptize at all, but sprinkle. Where shall we look for consistent Bible faith?