p. 100 | To Our New Readers by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 25, 1875

To Our New Readers.

By Uriah Smith

Some to whom this paper has lately come, seem to think, if we may judge from their communications, that the keeping of the law and the observance of the Sabbath is a new question, and that what we say on the subject is just thrown out by way of experiment to see what can be said on the other side. Hence they make up a hasty budget of the common arguments and common texts, on the Sunday side, and send them in for us to answer, or else stand convicted of our error.

One writer from Indiana has just sent in a lengthy communication, made up largely of the usual assertions and assumptions in behalf of Sunday, and modestly asks us to answer the following texts: 1 Pet. 1:3; Rev. 1:10; Heb. 8:6; John 1:17; Jer. 31:31; 2 Cor. 3:3; Jer. 32:40; Eze. 37:26; Act. 15:22; Gal. 3:10; Heb. 9; 10:9; 7:11; Rom. 7:4; requesting us in each case to read all that is said in the chapters referred to on the subject.

Dear friends, please remember these subjects have been before us for the most critical examination for more than twenty-five years. Thousands upon thousands have searched the Bible, letter by letter, on the subject of the Sabbath. The question has been looked at from every conceivable standpoint. Every argument for and against has been canvassed and weighed a thousand times. Libraries have been ransacked, and histories searched, and everything sought out which could have the remotest possible bearing upon the subject.

And what is the result? As the light has increased, more and more baseless has the Sunday fabric appeared. It is revealed as something which, so far as the element of truth is concerned, is without head or trunk, body or parts, foundation or superstructure. In the realm of truth it is not to be found. It is not there. No man can show it; for it is not in man's power to make something out of nothing.

So we would say to one and all to whom this question may be new, please look over our publication column, and mark the works already published on the Sabbath question. And when you have carefully studied what has already been said, if you still find texts unexplained, and arguments not met, we shall be happy to consider them, and pledge ourselves to answer them.

U. S.