[From M. M. Truesdell.]
By Marshall M. Truesdell
DEAR BRO. WHITE:—I am still striving to obey the truth, that I may grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, and be found of him in peace without spot and blameless when he shall come to be admired in all them that believe, and to reward his faithful children. I have been edified and enlightened in reading your publications touching the law of God and the Sabbath. O how clear it is that the law of God that was written in stone is still in force, and not abolished. Most all are willing to admit that nine of the commandments are binding, but the fourth commandment is nailed to the cross they think, because it is not separately enforced in the New Testament. If God had designed the Sabbath to cease at the crucifixion, with the ceremonial law of Moses, I think it very reasonable to suppose that God would have placed it along with these carnal ordinances which were contrary to us, and against us, which were not designed to be perpetual. But the fact that God has placed the Sabbath commandment in the midst of nine moral precepts, and wrote it in stone, shows plainly, I think, that it is of the same nature of the rest, and is perpetual. The reason why so many of our Advent Brethren reject the Sabbath is, I think, because they have not carefully examined the subject for themselves, not because they do not love the law of God. My prayer is, God speed the truth, and open the eyes of all to see and believe, that are willing to see. And God bless you and all the dear brethren that are proclaiming the truth, and reward you with Eternal Life. Since I wrote to you last, I have been reading Justin Edwards' Sabbath Manual, in which he labors hard to show that Jesus and his apostles changed the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. But he utterly fails in the attempt, for he does not give us a single text that says the first day of the week is the Sabbath instead of the seventh. But there is one difficulty in my mind about the Sabbath. It is this, Mr. Edwards says there is no identical period of duration holy in itself, or one day is no more holy than another. But our setting apart a day, and resting from labor, makes it holy. And he says it is not numerical identity that is referred to in the command, from the fact that day and night, the first day and the seventh, to different people, come at totally different times, therefore, all men cannot keep the Sabbath at the same time. For while we are keeping the Sabbath in America, the Christians in Asia and other places in the world, will be at work. Now, Dear Bro. does not the fact that every spot on the earth is constantly changing its position with regard to the sun, and that all men cannot keep the Sabbath at the same time, show that no day is intrinsically holy in itself. If you can remove this difficulty, or give me light on this point through your paper, I should be very glad, for I have been much perplexed about it, and some of my Brethren that believe in the perpetuity of the law of God, and for a few weeks kept the seventh day, have for the above reasons concluded to keep the first day; but their minds are open to receive light and truth. Yours in love, MARSHALL M. TRUESDELL.
Martin’s Hill, N. Y., April 23, 1851.