THE MATTER IN FULL

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 14, 1878

THE MATTER IN FULL.

In the World’s Crisis of Jan. 9, 1878, appeared the following:—

“A CHANGE.

“It will be remembered by many of our readers, that Eld. M. E. Cornell has been one of the leading men in the Seventh-day Sabbath movement among those who have their headquarters at Battle Creek, Mich. Eld. James White, husband of Mrs. Ellen G. White, used to call Eld. Cornell his ‘Great Battle Ax.’ One who knows, when speaking of Eld. Cornell, says, ‘He has left off keeping the seventh day.’

“The writer has had three discussions with Eld. Cornell on the Seventh-day Sabbath questions. There must be quite a change in his mind, and no doubt for good reasons. He has contended long and earnestly that Christians should keep Saturday as their rest-day. He was most thoroughly posted in all that could be said in its favor. We are glad to learn that the light has at last dispelled the darkness.

“M. G.”

In a few days we received the following from one who does know, in reference to this matter:—

“EDITOR REVIEW: I have seen the statement of Miles Grant in the Crisis, that I had given up the Sabbath, &c., and I wish to say that it is utterly without foundation in fact. I have not ‘left off keeping the seventh day,’ neither do I ever expect to, except from week to week. I only leave off keeping it on Saturday night at sunset, and take it up again the next Friday night at sunset.

“The impression conveyed in the Crisis is most unqualifiedly false, and I conclude that ‘the wish was father of the thought.’ I would assure Eld. Miles Grant, and all others, that, should occasion require, I could just as zealously and conscientiously defend the Sabbath of the Lord against their attacks as ever I did in the past.

“No! it is well understood by all who reside in this vicinity that I do religiously observe the Bible Sabbath for Bible reasons. Whatever may come, I expect to continue its observance to the end. I have known some to give up the Sabbath through discouragements, but never one for what he supposed to be Bible reasons. I have never for one moment entertained a doubt as to the obligation of the seventh-day Sabbath since I began to observe it twenty-six years ago. Respectfully,

“M. E. CORNELL.”

Thinking that the paper which had made the misstatement was the one that could most effectually correct it, and that it ought, in fairness, to make the correction, we sent the foregoing letter to the Crisis, requesting for it an early insertion. And while we think that justice demanded that the letter should be given in full, the following did appear in the Crisis of Feb. 6, 1878, which is more than we could have hoped from the Crisis under its former management:—

“CORRECTION.

“We published in a recent issue of the Crisis a note from Bro. Grant, in which he says of Eld. M. E. Cornell: ‘One who knows says, he has left off keeping the seventh day.’ We have received a note from Eld. Cornell, in which he says of this report, ‘I wish to say that it is utterly without foundation.’ We are happy to make the correction, for we would not knowingly misrepresent any person in our paper.—Ed.”