One of Many Like Testimonies
A CORRESPONDENT in Minnesota sends us the following answer of a Catholic priest in reply to the question, "Is it true that the only authority for Sunday observance is the Catholic Church and in Paul's letter in the New Testament?" It speaks for itself. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota,
the 28th of August, 18—. Dear Mrs. ———: St. Paul taught every Sabbath (our Saturday) in the synagog (see Acts 18:4) and said (Paul, 1 Cor. 16:1, 2): "Now concerning the collection for the saints," "On the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store," etc., etc. Presuming that the request of Paul had been strictly attended to, we may call our attention to what had been done each Saturday during the Saviour's life and continued for thirty years after as the book of Acts informs us. It would be absurd to infer that reading of the Scriptures, prayer, exhortation and preaching, which formed the routine duties of every Jewish Sabbath (our Saturday) were overslaughed by a request to take up a collection on another day of the week. The request of St. Paul to make the collection on Sunday remains to be classified with the work of embalming of Christ's body, which could not be effected on the Sabbath, or Saturday, and was consequently deferred to the next convenient day, namely, Sunday. As you see, this text, instead of proving something in favor of Sunday, does the very opposite, and is a proof in favor of the Saturday. There is not an inference, not a shadow of a hint in the whole Bible proving Sunday observance, and it is an institution of the Catholic Church. If you wish to persuade yourself fully of the arguments, you may order a copy of the Sleepy Eye Herald of next week. I am just writing an essay on that subject. I will be glad if any one can give me a text giving the least inference of a Biblical Sunday observance. The conclusion to be drawn from all this ought to be that the Protestant religious systems founded on the private interpretation of the Scriptures are a failure, and as faith must be one, so must there be but one church. Yours truly,
GEORGE PAX, Cath. Rector.