HOW THEY EXCHANGED NEWS.
By Parrie L. H. Roberson
BY PARRIE L. H. ROBERSON. “Why, how are you, Brother Mason? I’m glad to see you again.” “Well, Brother Wright, I’m always glad when I find time to come over and chat with you awhile. I’ve been quite busy of late, hence my protracted absence; but this afternoon, as I had a little time to spare, I thought I would come over and exchange news with you.” “Yes; well, I’m real glad you came to that conclusion, for it does one good these dull times to find something new and interesting to talk about; and what news have you, Brother Mason?” “Well, I’m sorry to say it is no very good news; perhaps you have heard of that young lecturer down town, how he is stirring up the people, and even some of our own church members are getting unsettled, so that they feel dissatisfied with their religion.” “You mean Elder Cutter, down at the big tent on Oak Avenue.” “Yes, I believe that is his name—he’s nothing but a smooth-faced stripling, however.” “Well, yes, his face is quite youthful, but his tongue rattles off discourses which tell of a pretty well-matured brain; and it is no wonder if his hearers are stirred.” “Ah! so you’ve ventured in to hear him, have you?” “Certainly, Brother Mason, have you not been down to hear for yourself?” “No; Dr. Smythe advised me to remain away from that tent, and to read none of the literature which those people are scattering about.” “Well, Brother Mason, I have always believed that every man would be accountable to God alone for his religion; and I had heard so much about these peculiar seventh-day people and of their being persecuted for following out their religious convictions, that, just through curiosity, I went down to see and hear what they preached anyway.” “Yes, I have heard that they claim to be orderly, law-abiding Christians; but it puzzles me to see how they can make such claims, while at the same time they refuse to obey whatever laws do not agree with their narrow8religious belief. Then, because our courts take measures to enforce the laws of the state, they cry out persecution for conscience’ sake, as tho any Christian’s conscience would tell him to refuse loyalty to his country. It is too provoking to see how thoroughly inconsistent they are!” “Well, perhaps it looks that way to you. I used to see it that way too; but as it has always been my plan to hear before I condemn, I said but little about it; but now, since taking in some of the lectures, and reading up a little on the subject, things appear somewhat different to me.” “Why, Brother Wright, what has come over you?” “Nothing, only the scales have begun to drop from my eyes, and I now see this unpopular little sect as a very conscientious, quiet, law-abiding people, and thoroughly consistent. True, they do refuse obedience to the Sunday laws, laws which any free-born American should declare unreasonable, unjust, tyrannical.” “Brother Wright, you shock me. How can you speak so favorably of this little band of Anarchists who openly declare rebellion to the laws of our noble government? And how dare you, a Christian, speak of our grand Sunday laws as unjust and tyrannical? Don’t you believe the Bible, wherein God has commanded all to keep holy his Sabbath day? Has he not threatened all who transgress his holy law with the terrors of the judgment?” “Yes, indeed, Brother Mason, I do believe the Bible, and in the keeping of God’s holy law; and all who knowingly transgress this law shall be damned.” “And yet you have no condemnation for those who persist in desecrating the Christian sabbath. Now, Brother Wright, let me give you some advice. Keep away from that tent and stop reading their literature. You seem to be losing your reason. It seems to me the Sunday laws are the noblest laws we have, and, if promptly enforced, would accomplish more toward preparing this world for the millennium than any other work we have power to do.” “Brother Mason, the millennium will not be enjoyed in this world; but Christ is coming soon to gather the faithful to himself, and return unto his Father, there to remain a thousand years. But we will discuss this question another time. Did you ever, when reading the fourth commandment, notice that it is the seventh day and not the first day of the week that God set apart and sanctified and commanded us to keep holy?” “O yes, yes; but the Sabbath has been changed, you know!” “Pray tell me when the Sabbath was changed? Who changed it? God did not change it. When did the Creator of the heavens and the earth give finite man power and authority to strip his Sabbath, the day which he set apart to commemorate the completion of the work of creation, of its sacredness, and transfer it to the first day of the week, the day upon which he had begun his work?” “Well, Brother Wright, I don’t see the need of sifting it down so fine. Really it does not make so much difference which day of the week we keep, just so we keep one day in seven holy.” “Do you mean to say God is not particular? Will he justify us in polluting his holy Sabbath, which he set apart and sanctified, and commanded us to keep holy, simply because man has chosen another day for our sabbath? God was particular to give us a certain day as his Sabbath; and can you not see that it is we and not those seventh-day people who have been desecrating the sacred Sabbath of the Lord?” “Now I presume you think, Brother Wright, that you have given some pretty strong points; but you will please take your Bible and turn to the thirteenth chapter of Romans, and read the first few verses: ‘Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.’ That sounds pretty strong on my side, don’t it? Now, what do you say to these Saturday people resisting the powers that be?” “Brother Mason, I will repeat that I believe the Bible, the whole of it; and I believe its Author to be just and holy and good, for my Bible says he is. Therefore I can not believe that he would write a law, and command us to keep it, and then set up rulers over us, and require us to obey them if they command us to break his own holy law. The Lord has at various times in the past called the rulers of this world his anointed, his shepherds, and his servants, tho they often proved to be wicked men. They broke God’s law, and sought to cause others to do the same; yet they were ordained of God.” “In Jer. 25: 9 you may read that God called Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, his servant. Now in Dan. 3: 4-6 we read of this mighty king setting up a great image for all to worship. Death in the fiery furnace was the penalty for all who should dare to disobey his commandment. We may read in Ex. 20: 4-6 what God’s law is concerning the setting up and worshiping of graven images. Had God abolished his law so that Nebuchadnezzar’s law was the ordinance of God? In Dan. 3: 16-18 we may read of three brave souls who dared not to obey this powerful king’s command to transgress the law of their Creator. Were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego anarchists? I’m sure you will not agree to that, for I have heard you speak of them as noble examples for all Christians. Then there was the case of Daniel, another of our Bible heroes, who, after he knew that the decree spoken of in Dan. 6: 7 had been established, continued praying and making supplication to the God of heaven just as he had done before. You know how he was found guilty of opposition to the powers that be, how he was cast into the den of lions, and God miraculously delivered him from harm, because he trusted in him. It seems to me it looks pretty strong on Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, and Daniel’s side.” “I hope, Brother Wright, you are not trying to make a comparison between those seventh-day keepers and these noble Hebrew children. These were exceptional cases; and then we do not read of them going about trying to influence others to resist the ordinances of the king; but, unlike your Sabbatarians, who are busy teaching their peculiar doctrines to others, they quietly obeyed all the king’s laws until they came in conflict with the law of God.” “Just so, Brother Mason; and wherein have these despised seventh-day Christians ever refrained from obeying the laws of our country until there were laws enacted which came in direct conflict with the law of God, wherein he says, ‘Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work’? And, tho we may not read of these servants of God influencing others to resist the king’s unholy ordinances, yet we can not doubt their faithfulness in telling all who would hear of the true God and his requirements.” “Then we have the example of the apostles. After the scribes and rulers had commanded them to speak no more in the name of Christ, Peter and John were imprisoned for disregarding this command; but the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, and, in direct opposition to the scribes and rulers’ charge, told them to go and stand in the temple and speak as they had done before. In this the Lord again showed his approval of disregarding the powers that be when they come in conflict with our duty to him.” “Furthermore, neither did the prophets and apostles, nor do these seventh-day Christians, ever resist civil power. They do not trust in carnal weapons. They believe, with the apostles, that they ‘ought to obey God rather than men.’ If the law conflicts with God’s law, they will not obey it; but they will not resist it by force, nor will they teach others so to do.” “It appears to me, when I think of this little band of Sabbath-keepers meekly yet bravely bearing persecution for disregarding a law which insists upon compelling the conscience, that they compare perfectly with those faithful men spoken of in the Bible who dared to obey God rather than men. You see the true, humble children of God have ever been a constant rebuke to those who cry, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things which he says; so there must be some scheme invented to get rid of these worthies who insist upon obeying the law of the Lord in letter and in spirit, that they may feel better satisfied with themselves.” “Well, I must be going. I didn’t think of finding you in such a mood as this, Brother Wright. I know Dr. Smythe will be grieved to hear of your unsettled state of mind; for he was telling me last evening that some of his flock had become so mixed up that they hardly knew what they did believe. And they have troubled him with so many hard, unreasonable questions, and annoyed him in various ways, until he is somewhat muddled up himself; and now he will have to send off for help, and start up a revival, in order to draw the church members back; and that little upstart of a Cutter is the cause of it all. For my part, I feel sorry for our minister, and would not be guilty of adding a straw’s weight to his burden.” “Well, I am sorry, too, if he is being worried so; but why should he be annoyed or muddled up if he is walking in the light? If he would cast his burden upon the Lord, and take the word of God as it reads, he would soon be all straight without the help of man. And, Brother Mason, if our pastor is so easily bewildered, is it not time that we were looking higher, to the great Shepherd of Israel, for guidance? He has left us a guide-book for our instruction. He has shown us that there is but one door, one strait and narrow way, and through this the true Shepherd will lead his flock. All that would climb up some other way are thieves and robbers. Let us not follow a blind guide, lest we all be lost.” “Well, Brother Wright, you seem to be capable of giving some good advice. Perhaps you had better set us an example by practicing what you preach. You seem to9think you have found the right way, now let us see you dare to walk in it.” “Brother Mason, allow me to thank you for these words of encouragement, for before talking this important subject over with you, I had not wholly determined to lift the cross. But now I am fully convinced of what my duty is; and, by the grace of God, I will keep the first Sabbath that I have ever kept in my life next Saturday, regardless of results. If I would reign with Christ, I must be ready to suffer with him. I have seen the truth, and not to obey would be sin.” “I am astonished at your decision, Brother Wright, but it is late, and I must be going, for I want to drop in and see Dr. Smythe on a little business this evening.” “Don’t be in a hurry, Brother Mason. Your visit has been very profitable to me, and I trust to you also. I shall be pleased to have you call again.” “Thank you, but I must bid you good-evening.” “Good-evening, Brother Mason.” And that evening, after Brother Mason left Dr. Smythe’s study, the poor pastor found himself “muddled up” worse than ever. And who knows what results may follow “that little upstart of a Cutter’s preaching down town”?