The Sabbath and Human Reasoning
By O. Hewett
Dear Bro. White:—Through the tender mercy of God, we are being established in the present truth, and it is shining brighter and brighter, and poor souls are coming, and saying, we will go with you, and where thou dwellest we will dwell. After the Oswego conference, I believe the Lord's will was, that I should go with Bro. Holt. We came to Camden and have labored two Sabbaths. A good work is going on here, some have come out and confessed the truth, and a good number anxiously seeking to know the truth. The people are troubled. On First-day they got the presiding Elder to leave their quarterly meeting then being holden three miles distant, to come and leave his meeting (a rare thing) and stop this, and calm their troubled breasts. He came and preached from Col. ii, 16. He also, quoted Rev. i, 10. He then told them Jesus often met with his disciples on the first day, after his resurrection. He said he would not turn to them and read, but you all know it is so. Now, said he, I do not present all this as positive evidence that the first day should be observed as the Sabbath; but, said he, I now show the reason why it is the Sabbath—it is because Christ arose from the dead on that day—is not this reason enough (cried he) to suppose. Here is the foundation for first-day keeping. Human reasoning and supposition. O, is this the best and strongest reason their greatest men that stand before their congregations can bring? Sandy foundation, truly, reason enough to suppose. On the same principle Satan reasoned against the commandments of God. Gen. iii, 1, 5. Is it not so? and did not Thomas Paine, in his age of reason, reason away the truth of God? In closing, this presiding Elder told them that those who keep the seventh day and work on the first day would receive greater damnation, great words against the Most High. "Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers"; most of their hurt is slightly healed; but bless the Lord, numbers that heard on both sides never will rest, until they know the truth. Their attention is arrested and they will investigate. They wish to hear more, and God will have it so that they will have the truth. The dear sheep are hungry, they are crying all around for food, or to find shepherds that will point them to good pastures, and give them the bread of eternal life, while blind guides are turning the stranger from his right to the tree of life, by turning him from the commandments of the Lord.—My heart is pained at the thought. O, God pity the poor sheep.