SABBATH-BREAKING PARTNERSHIPS
By Editor
From the Sabbath Recorder. SABBATH-BREAKING PARTNERSHIPS.
We said that, "if the Sabbath-keeper can deliberately say to his partner, 'I agree that you shall work for me on the Sabbath,' he either flatly contradicts his religious profession, and says that to work on the Sabbath is no sin, or else deliberately makes up his mind to commit sin." Now we cannot believe, that any of our brethren are prepared for the latter alternative. For who wants to commit sin for the sake of sinning? A man may wish to do an act which is in itself sinful, but he wishes to do so, not for the sake of sinning against God, but because of some gratification it will bring himself; because it will increase his wealth—because it will build up his pride—because it will gratify his ambition—because it will promote his ease—because it will delight his animal appetites. And, for the sake of these gratifications, he wants to see that the act is not sinful. He listens readily to any form of argument which explains away the sinfulness of it; thinks it very plausible, nay, quite conclusive; and finally makes up his mind to conquer his misgivings, and do the thing. When our brethren enter into Sabbath-breaking partnerships, the leading object is to make money. They do not mean to sin against God; it is not for the sake of doing what God has forbidden, that they form such relations; but money, money—that all-potent charmer—is the thing which fills the mind's eye, and runs away with the heart. Yet, as they cannot engage heartily in any money-making scheme about which conscience keeps up a continual clamor, one of their first objects is to prove that the thing is right; or, rather, that it is not wrong; for they are usually satisfied, if they can merely silence reproof. It takes but little to satisfy them, the love of money having already prepared the mind to be imposed upon by the most specious arguments. They do not mean to sin against God; but do they mean to glorify him? Is this the motive, from which they enter into such partnerships? We believe we are safe in saying, that it is not. They often talk, it is true, about the great good which the profits of such partnerships will enable them to do. But this, we believe, is an after-thought—something put in, after the deed is done, by way of apology for it. It is not the primary object. But what is the value of this apology, at any rate? It proceeds upon the idea that money is the great instrumentality by which good is done in the world. But it must never be forgotten, that our power to do good is just in proportion to the moral influence we can bring to bear upon our fellow creatures. It is by employing that kind of moral influence which tends to make men better—holier—more like Jesus Christ, that we do them substantial good; and money is of use just so far as, and no farther than, it helps us to bring this moral influence to bear upon them. Seventh-day Baptists believe that the Sabbath is a blessing to the human race. In accordance with this belief, they have undertaken to spread the knowledge of it, and to persuade men to keep it. What is wanted, infinitely more than money, to make their mission successful, is the moral influence of their own example. Thou that sayest a man should not break the Sabbath, dost thou break it? Thou that sayest his man-servant, or his maid-servant, should not80break it, dost thou hire thy servant to break it? But Seventh-day Baptists entering into copartnerships which involve the violation of the Sabbath on the part of one or more of the firm, servants, clerks or agents, do by that very act employ others to break the Sabbath for them; and in so doing their moral influence is against the institution. So far as the Sabbath is concerned, therefore, their power to do good is gone, because they have no moral influence to exert in its favor. Now we take it for granted that, when our brethren talk of doing good, they have some reference to the promotion of the Sabbath cause, as well as to other things. We presume, that they do not suppose themselves called to sacrifice the Sabbath, and even to throw their influence against it, for the sake of other commanded duties. Indeed, we know our brethren to be not at all deficient in sectarianism; they want to see something of the Sabbath in almost every work of benevolence that they undertake. But they do most egregiously deceive themselves, if they suppose that their money will promote the knowledge and observance of the institution, without the accompanying influence of their own example. But if their own example is not all that it should be, in order to the greatest amount of good, perhaps they mean by their money to enlist the labors of those, the moral influence of whose example will be of the most unquestionable kind. But what right has any man to throw away his own moral influence for the sake of increasing that of another? If I should hire a hundred others, and pay them well, to go out and advocate the cause of the Sabbath, he would still be responsible for the kind of influence he was daily exerting himself. He is useful, he answers the end of his existence, he most perfectly discharges his duty to God and man, when he so lives that his example is felt by all who know him to be on the side of truth and virtue. Giving his money to help others is not his duty, when in so doing he would be obliged to compromise his integrity. Our Saviour was poor—worse off than the foxes and the birds of the air; for those had holes, and those had nests. But he had not where to lay his head. Could he have done more good, if he had been rich in the things of this world? It would be well for those who are always talking about money enabling them to do so much good, to consider what his example teaches. A pure example—a spotless life—was all that he had to consecrate to the work he was engaged in. Silver and gold he had none. Yet none that ever appeared in human form, has affected the amount of good that he did. And, as if to show the little value that God sets upon money for the promotion of his cause, the Apostles were all chosen from humble life; the primitive Christians were, for the most part, from the vale of poverty; and, in every age of this world, God has chosen the poor of this world; and, rendering them mighty by the inworking of his Holy Spirit, he has made them the agents of the most important revolutions ever accomplished, but with very little aid, comparatively, from the silver and gold of those who were rich. The truth is, no man can accomplish any good in this world of sin without God's blessing. The opposing influences are everywhere too mighty to be overcome, unless God shall work with him, and give him the victory. He may reasonably expect God's blessing upon his labors, just so far as, and no farther than, they are directed in strict conformity to his word. The poor woman who cast her two mites into the treasury, was said to have cast in more than all the rich. We suppose that she cast in more, not merely in proportion to her ability, but because God, willing always to show his regard for the motives of the heart, connected his blessing with those two mites, and made them the means of accomplishing actually more than was accomplished by all the abundance of those who were less pure. In accordance with this view, we are firm in the persuasion, that a very small sum devoted by a few consistent—rigidly consistent—Sabbath-keepers, would do more for the advancement of the cause, than the thousands we are able to contribute as the result of the business of Sabbath-breaking partnerships.