Sabbath Question in Battle Creek.
By James White
Eld. Harrington, of the Baptist Church, recently preached to that denomination on the change of the Sabbath to the first day of the week. His sermon was replied to in the same house by Bro. White. Last week, by request, Eld. Fillio, of the same denomination, gave five lectures in the Methodist house, in which he endeavored to prove that the Sabbath was a positive institution, and that only nine of the commandments of the Decalogue were of a moral nature. He finally argued from the New Testament the abolition of the whole law. By comparing such scriptures as Heb. viii, 2 Cor. iii, and Eph. ii, he referred "the law of commandments," which is abolished, to the law written on the tables of stone. Next by a few inferences from the New Testament, and some very conclusive testimony from the traditions of "the fathers," he raised up an entire new institution on the first day of the week, thus completely overturning the fabric raised by Eld. Harrington. At the close of his lectures, application was made for the house in order to review them, but it was refused. Notice was however given that they would be reviewed as soon as the opportunity could be had. The influence of these lectures, so far from injuring the cause of the Sabbath, must result in its favor. Some of the advocates of the first day observance already express their dissatisfaction at the entire overthrow of the Sabbath institution, and the substitution of something in its place not enforced by any one passage of scripture, and without any evidence being offered in regard to its sanctity, but that of Dionysius, who wrote in A. D. 170, whose testimony was given to prove that it was a holy day. We hope that the people generally will treat this matter with sufficient candor to hear the review, which will probably be given in a few weeks. J. H. W.