HOW I WAS CONVINCED THAT SATURDAY IS THE SABBATH.
By Thomas Ferguson
“AFTER the most straitest sect,” I was brought up in the old-school Presbyterian faith. While a clerk in a large city of Canada, and while only about seventeen years of age, a Roman Catholic gentleman, finding me of a religious turn of mind, considered me an easy fish to catch for his church to fry. He took me with him to the cathedral, where my eyes were opened by the farce enacted there. I saw by the absurdities of the priests and their attendants, and by the devotion of the congregation, that a blind faith is a terrible virtue. Next a book was handed me to read. It was a controversy between a Roman Catholic priest and a Protestant minister, in which it was supposed that the priest gained a glorious victory. On one subject only I found, upon investigation, that the supposed victor had made a good argument. Here it is: “You Protestants discard all tradition, holding strictly and only to the teachings and laws of the Old and the New Testament. Now, where do you find in either any authority for changing the Sabbath (about which God was so very particular) from the seventh to the first day of the week?” Oh! thought I, all the different denominations of Protestant Christians would not do such a thing without having a Bible warranty deed for the act. So I turned to my shorter catechism, and read regarding the fourth commandment (I write from memory having no such book now): “From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath, and the first day of the week, ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.” Then I looked in the marginal notes for the proofs, and was referred by them to a portion of scripture which tells about the disciples being met together and having the door closed, on the first day of the week. This was not satisfactory to my mind, and I appealed to the preachers of different denominations with whom I met, desiring light. They all treated the subject very lightly and as though it was not worth talking about. The celebrated Methodist revivalist, Dr. Caughey, was the first one I went to. He said the spirit of the law required us to keep one-seventh part of time. This did not suit my ideas of a positive command from God, ratified by his Son. According to that doctrine, we might keep seven consecutive days out of forty-nine. Some preachers said, “While we are keeping the seventh day, what are they doing in China?” My answer was, “Worshiping Joss, I suppose; but that is not my business. My day is ruled by the sun’s rising and setting.” Some had one argument, some another; and although at that time I was not aware that there was one individual on the earth who believed Saturday to be the Sabbath except the Jews, yet I was not satisfied with the arguments of any of the divines. Their reasoning seemed to me to be wresting the Scriptures to their own destruction. Of late years, I put the Sabbath question to all the preachers I meet, with a different object in view; viz., to see to what shifts they will resort to evade the truth. One very eloquent preacher of the Christian order grew quite angry, apparently, and talked his arguments (?) at a furious rate. I let him alone till he ran down, listening attentively, however, and then said, “You have had a long journey through the woods, found many blazes, but not one witness tree.” A few Sundays after that, he delivered an earnest and talented discourse on baptism, followed the roots “baptizo” and “abluo” through all their ramifications, and showed that God had positively expressed the mode of baptism, etc. After service, I said to him, “Mr. —, I have been very much edified by your sermon. One expression particularly suited my views, viz., ‘Remember this always: There is no ambiguity in regard to our religious duty. God wants us to do nothing without giving us a positive command.’” “Certainly,” said he. “Well,” I replied, “where has God or Christ, or any of the apostles or disciples, given as a positive command to change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday?” and he answered not a word.