[From Bro. Butler.] by E. P. Butler

Publishing Committee · Saratoga Springs, N. Y. · Aug 5, 1851

[From Bro. Butler.]

By E. P. Butler

[From Bro. Butler.]

DEAR BRO. WHITE: Some reflections have been awakened in my mind since hearing a sermon delivered by Elder I. R. Gates, before the Advent congregation in this place, which embraced most, if not all, that usually attend from this and adjoining towns.

But before entering upon the subject of the discourse, I would observe that I feel more at liberty to bring some of the leading ideas of this sermon before you, than I should had the speaker not manifested so much confidence in the strength of his arguments to set all things right in respect to the Sabbath.

I visited Perry's Mills, N. Y., a week since, in company with Bro. Baker, where two of my daughters reside, and found a very strong prejudice existing against those who are spreading the third angel's message. Elder Gates had been there, and spent about a week in the neighborhood. And among other services that he rendered them, he preached one sermon against the Sabbath. And among other things, stated that the Jews had no other Sabbath than the Lord's seventh day Sabbath. After turning to Lev. xxiii, and reading relative to four sabbaths, "besides the Sabbaths of the Lord," [see verse 23,] I told my informant that I was surprised that Elder Gates should make such a statement. It will be observed that these sabbaths, which were on stated days of the month, could never come on the seventh day of the week oftener than once in six or seven years. Bro. Baker lectured at Perry's mills a few times, and much prejudice was removed; but what will be the result I know not. R. V. Lyon was to hold a

tent meeting in the neighborhood soon after we left.

But to return to the sermon. The speaker took his text in Acts iii, 22, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you." The apparent object of the speaker in selecting this text was to show that Christ had a right to change or abolish the Sabbath, for he was Lord of the Sabbath. But after laboring more than two hours he appeared to be satisfied, from the many passages of scripture which he read, that he had proved the entire law of God abolished. He proved that the seventh day was the only Sabbath that ever had been given, and that it was instituted at the close of creation. He proved that it was given to the Israelites or Jews to be observed throughout their generations, and that the seventh day Sabbath would be observed on the New Earth.

As the Sabbath was made for man, for his benefit, and no reason can be given why we do not need it under the gospel dispensation, as much as in any age of the world, that the Sabbath, above all the laws, should be abolished, while Christ our great high priest and advocate is interceding for the children of men, to me appears inconsistent.—And to establish the position requires more proof than has been given or than can be given.

That the New Testament clearly shows that there was a law done away in Christ I freely admit; but the view that the law which was written by the finger of God on the tables of stone, and deposited in the ark of the testament, was abolished, makes Christ and the apostles contradict themselves in numerous cases. But as I design to be brief, I will mention one or two passages among the many that might be given to show that Christ in referring to the Ten Commandments, speaks of them as being in full force. See Matt. xix—17, and its connexion. "But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments." Here it will be seen that Christ has reference to the Ten Commandments, for he quotes from the fifth to the ninth, together with one of the two principles on which he has said in another place "hang all the law and the prophets." See also Matt. v, 17, 19. I know that it is contended that the word fulfilled, in verses 17 and 18, means no less than coming to an end, or abolishing the law. But it is evident that Christ performed the requirements of the law, and in that sense fulfilled it. But in verse 19, there is no dodging the point. The language is plain and cannot be set aside. Campbell translates it thus.—

"Whosoever, therefore, shall violate, or teach others to violate, were it the least of these commandments, shall be in no esteem in the reign of heaven."

I trust that it will not be contended that reference was made to any other than the Ten Commandments, as these verses contain the first reference to commands in the New Testament. Again, chap. xxiv, 20, "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day." Thus Jesus would cite his disciples to a Sabbath existing more than thirty years after his death, which he would have them observe.

But notwithstanding Elder Gates had been previously shown that Lev. xxiii, contradicted the statement he made at Perry's Mills, still he labored hard to confound the Sabbath of the Lord with the Jewish sabbaths. And after the entire abolition of the law, the speaker seemed to think the Sabbath of so much consequence that a substitute must be made. And in laboring for proof that the apostles usually met together on the first day of the week, he brought all those passages which are commonly brought to establish the first day sabbath, such as the appearing of Jesus to two of his disciples going to Emmaus on the first day, the day of his resurrection, and then meeting his disciples again after eight days. This was made to mean the seventh day. The church at Corinth being exhorted to lay by their contributions on the first day of the week was thought to be strong evidence of their meeting on Sunday for religious worship.

Acts xx, 7, and its connection, where they broke bread, and Paul preached till break of day, (with

some interruption in bringing the young man to life, and in breaking of bread,) ready to depart on the morrow, is considered the best of proof to establish Sunday as the Sabbath, notwithstanding Paul pursued his journey on the first day. And the "Lord's day," mentioned in Rev. i, 10, is considered proof positive that Sunday is the day of rest, instead of the Sabbath, which is the seventh day.

How far the humble, honest seeker for truth would be influenced by such testimony as this, after reading the practice of the apostles and disciples of our Lord, in the following texts, Luke xxiii, 5, 6; Acts xiii, 14—16; xvii, 2; xviii, 4 and 11; others must judge.

I have pursued the subject of this sermon thus far, not merely for the purpose of replying to it, nor for the purpose of finding fault with friend Gates, and making his sermon look weak, and destitute of argument, neither because I would be engaged in controversy; but because I think that the sentiments embraced in this sermon tend directly to infidelity. And in connection with the denial of the truth that Christ our Great High Priest is now ministering in the Heavenly Sanctuary, makes infidelity of the most heaven-daring kind. And I am persuaded that the effort made to oppose the truths connected with the third angel's message has a direct tendency to draw the dividing line, which we are shown by the Revelator will be made, between those who worship the beast, or his image, or have the mark, and those that keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus.

Why will ministers of the gospel, and especially those who have so recently been looking for the Lord, when they find there is nothing in the New Testament, nor in the Old, for keeping the first day, be so opposed to keeping the Sabbath of the Lord as to undertake to prove from the Scriptures of truth that the entire law was abolished by, or in Christ? In laboring to show the law dead these men affect to have great confidence in Christ's power to save; and in the merits of his atoning blood to cleanse from all sin, and to save to the uttermost all that believe in him. His power is shown to be great, till the law is made void. But how much real belief have they in the Saviour that will save? Do they believe in one that was a Prophet? They may. It costs but little persecution to acknowledge one that prophesied 1800 years ago. The Jews were high in their professions of faith in a Messiah that was to come. But to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ was too close a test for them.—But Jesus said, "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."

If you take your Bible and attempt to show this class of Adventists that the Sanctuary that was to be cleansed, Dan. viii, 14, is the new covenant Sanctuary, they will say that there is nothing unclean in heaven. If you tell them that our Great High Priest is now, by the virtue of that blood shed on Calvary, making an atonement for the sins of his people, the answer is, "he died for our sins, and entered into heaven once for all." Now if one will deny the priesthood of Christ, of how much virtue will all his precious blood be, when there is no Priest to make atonement?

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Of what avail would it have been if the Israelites had brought his lamb before the altar, if there had been no priest to present the blood in the Sanctuary? Or of what use would it have been for the children of Israel to gather around the Sanctuary, and to afflict their souls from even to even, on the tenth day of the seventh month, or to bring their two kids of the goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering, if there had been no high priest to offer the blood of the victim, and to cleanse the Sanctuary?

We see from the type that we need a High Priest in heaven to atone, as well as blood to cleanse. And if we have no Priest to offer his blood for us, we shall have no King to reign over us. And if we have a Saviour that is not prophet, priest and king, we shall not have a Saviour that will save us in the great day.

We see from the remarks that it is not a very harmless thing to set about doing away the law of God, and to set at nought the priesthood of Christ, for the sake of rejecting the third angel's message.

May the Lord lead those of my brethren on the no-Sabbath platform, to look about themselves, and see to what their belief is tending.

E. P. BUTLER.

Waterbury, Vt., June, 1851.