GREAT SWELLING WORDS by M. Hull

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 30, 1858

"GREAT SWELLING WORDS."

By M. Hull

Bro. SMITH : In looking over the Expositor of Sept. 15th, I find the following concerning our late Tent-meeting and Discussion in Crane's Grove, Ills. :

"The debate in the tent closed on Thursday, and on the evening of the same day, our general meeting and conference commenced in a commodious schoolhouse, in the neighborhood. The house was crowded, including a good representation of ministers and laymen of the Sabbatarian faith. At the close of Bro. H. V. Reed's discourse, we took the liberty to review the debate, and told the people that Eld. Waggoner had not presented one particle of positive evidence to sustain his theory, and called upon him or any one else to do it then, if they had any such evidence to produce, assuring them if they would do it, we would become at once a convert to their views. Elder Stephenson made a similar declaration, but no attempt was made to produce such evidence."

I was one of the "ministers of the Sabbatarian faith" of which the elder speaks, and recollect well his "review" of "the debate." It consisted in a half-hour's harangue on "literal principles of interpretation," and a cry of victory over the discussion, only half of which he heard. But Solomon speaks of certain ones who are capable of judging a matter before hearing it. Prov. xviii, 13.

I recollect well his call for evidence in proof of "Sabbatarianism." Said he, "I now call upon the Sabbatarian brethren to produce one positive text from Genesis to Revelation, where I am called upon to keep the Jewish Sabbath." Here of course we trembled in view of the task before us, ere we could make a Sabbath-keeper of Eld. Marsh. Therefore we did not undertake to find the text which says, "Eld. Marsh, remember the Jewish Sabbath to keep it holy."

But we told him that if he would find the phrase "Jewish Sabbath," applied to the seventh-day Sabbath once in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we would find a command for Eld. M. to keep it.

Eld. Stephenson seeing M.'s failure, said, "If you will find one command for a Gentile Christian to keep the seventh-day Sabbath, I will keep it." Here you may well imagine, we were stung again, as the phrase "Gentile Christian" does not occur in the Bible. I read, "Ye Gentile sinners ne'er forget," &c., in the old hymn book; but I cannot find "Gentile Christian" even there. M. HULL.

Iowa City.

P. S. You may, if you please, publish the following in the "Liars' Department." It is from the pen of Eld. Marsh, in the Expositor of Sept. 15th.

"The Sabbatarians had rallied their strength, with their tent, and visionist, Mrs. E. White, to more effectually establish their cause. They had been holding a series of meetings in their tent for several days previous to the commencement of the debate. We could not learn, however, of any converts being made to their peculiar dogmas, though their oracle, Mrs. White, had three of her mesmeric visions during their stay in the place, ostensibly to give sanctity to what they could not otherwise induce the people to receive as truth from their hands." M. H.