Progress of the Sabbath Agitation.
By Editor
In the World's Crisis of July 26, 1864, under the heading of "New works to be issued soon," Eld. T. M. Preble announces a forth-coming work upon the Sabbath, as follows: "And I wish to say to those who have written to me about my work on the subject of the Sabbath, and to others also who are interested, that I hope they will be patient, as I am now engaged in reviewing the Editor of the seventh-day Sabbath paper, published at Battle Creek, Mich., who has made a very lengthy reply to my articles, recently published in the Crisis. "I shall get the work ready for the press as soon as practicable; but, as I am not skimming on the surface of this question, it may be some weeks before the work will be finished. I propose to give, in the first place, my own work on the question, as recently published in the Crisis, a careful revision, and thus materially improve it. Then, in a supplement, I intend to present a review of the arguments opposed to the first-day Sabbath. "My reviewer says in his reply to me: 'The prospect before the Sabbath cause was never more encouraging, nor the halo of light that encompasses the subject more bright and glorious. The ball has been set in motion; and it bids fair to be even like the barley loaf that tumbled into the camp of the Midianites, laying prostrate their tents and leading on to perfect victory. To arrest this work will require more than his (Preble's) present effort. He will need to send forth publications which can cope with such works as the History of the Sabbath by J. N. Andrews, which not only has not been answered, but remains to be even attacked. We would not, however, counsel him (Preble) to any such effort,' etc. "If the Lord is pleased to spare my life and health, with his blessing, such language as the above will not be used by the opposers of the first-day Sabbath, in a few months from this, with quite so good cheer. Let every lover of truth pray that the Lord will help to bring out the light on this long controverted subject, so that God's people may 'rejoice in the truth.'" We are glad to see the agitation continue. Let the commotion spread and deepen. In this way truth is brought to light, beyond the possibility of burial. We are happy to learn that this time Eld. P. is "not skimming on the surface of this question." We hope he will dig deep. And when he gets down below the rubbish of tradition, and the blinding dust of popular sentiment and favor, he will find some eternal principles which have long been thus covered up, more enduring than the eternal granite and sufficient to blunt any instrument that has yet been devised to dig away the foundations of the Sabbath. It will be noticed that he is to give his work a85“careful revision” (in the light of our reply may we not hope?) and thus send forth, in many respects a new article as his work on the Sabbath. We hope that this time he will make it all right, and produce an argument, with which he will be fully satisfied; and we would just as soon review a second edition as the first. We are sorry, however, that Eld. P. should employ his time and talent in this direction, for he is engaged in a losing cause, as with all the honest in heart the truth will surely prevail. We hope a spirit of strife for the mastery is not usurping in his heart the place of a sincere purpose to know and obey the truth. Thankful, meanwhile, for his favorable notice of the Sabbath cause, and especially of the History of the Sabbath, we shall await with interest the appearance of the promised work.