Your ShelfYour Projects

The Combat Deepens

8%

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 15, 1864

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 24, No. 25.

Read the full edition

“The Combat Deepens.”

By Editor

THE reader will remember the announcement which we gave from Eld. Preble, in No. 11, present volume, of his intention to review both sides on the Sabbath Question. It appears now that he intends to enlarge the field of his operations and review Bro. Andrews' History of the Sabbath in the same work. He gives notice of his forthcoming new work on the Sabbath, in the Voice of the West, as follows:

“THE NEW WORK ON THE SABBATH.”

“Be patient friends, and not press too hard. Your letters have been duly received, but the work is not completed; but with the favor of God, as in the past, it will not be long before it will be published. The review of 'Both Sides' is nearly completed; and I am now engaged in reviewing J. N. Andrews' History (?) of the Sabbath. To those who are almost impatient to see the work, I will just say, that, whereas there are more than one hundred authors referred to by Andrews—outside of the Bible—it is no small task to look them over. And in fact it will not be necessary to examine them all; but the more important will claim our attention, and of course it will take time. And none, I presume, would be satisfied to have the work imperfectly done. I think it will pay to have the work thorough this time, so as to clear up, at least a part of the errors and misrepresentations which are now before the public. But while we are willing to wait a short time longer, it will give others, who are disposed to say—'Preble is used up'—a little more time to rejoice—and I say, Let them rejoice if they will.
“Those who wait, will find there is another side to this question from that which emanated from 'Battle Creek!' By misrepresentation and lying, the Judaizers of old, thought, no doubt, that Christ was 'used up,' when they saw him on the cross,—and also when they reported that his disciples 'stole him away' from the tomb while the 'watch' were 'asleep!' But to the praise of God we can say, that Christ and his gospel are not quite 'used up' yet! For the 'Living Jesus' has many friends still; while his enemies are scattered to the four winds!
“If I may be allowed to judge in this case, the friends of the Christian Sabbath will be satisfied to wait. The review of 'Both Sides,' and also that of Andrews' History of the Sabbath,' added to what I have previously published, will necessarily increase the size of the work beyond what was at first anticipated. And one great reason of so long delay before the work can be completed for the press, is the effort to bring such a vast amount of matter as is involved in this question, into such space, as not to swell the work so as to make it too expensive for the publisher, and for the buyer.
“It will probably make a book containing some 300 pages or more.
“The other works which I intend to publish, as announced not long since through the columns of the Voice, will be delayed till after the issue of the work on the Sabbath. Due notice will be given when these works are ready.
“I am sure the Lord is blessing this humble effort to bring out the truth, in answer to the prayers of many. Pray on brethren. May the Lord speed the right.”
We are glad Eld. P. has got hold of the History of the Sabbath for two reasons: 1. Because no man, whatever his position, his prepossessions, or his prejudices, can read it without profit; and 2. Because we have been anxious to see what an opponent could say in reply to that work. We are waiting as patiently as possible for the curiosity.
It is to be a book, says the announcement, of some 300 pages or more. Let us see what it is to contain. 1. His own articles on the Sabbath revised. 2. A review of Both Sides. 3. A review of the History of the Sabbath. But Both Sides contains 224 pages, and the History of the Sabbath 340, making an aggregate of 564 pages. A review of this amount of matter, together with the revised edition of his own articles, he designs to get into some 300 pages. The reader can judge from this how fully or how fairly these works will be treated in the forthcoming review. The way to forestall this effort is to give these works a thorough circulation. Brethren in New England, has every Adventist within your knowledge a copy of the History of the Sabbath? If not place one in their hands and put them under oath to carefully study it. Let the people become familiar with its contents. Then men may review it to their hearts' content. And though for a while they may be able, like the rat that gnawed the file, to congratulate themselves on the amount of chips they are making, like him they will find at last that they have only been using up their own teeth. All the Bible, all history, and all Heaven, are on the side of the Sabbath. We have nothing to do but to court investigation.
The couplet from which we borrow our heading reads, “The combat deepens, on ye brave, who rush to glory or the grave.” This all applies to our subject except the grave. There is no grave in the path of the Sabbath. Its road is paved with emeralds and diamonds from this on to the gates of the heavenly city, through which all who keep the commandments of God, will by and by enter.