p. 173 | WHAT WAS DONE AT BASLE by Joseph Clarke

The Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · November 27, 1879

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 54, No. 22

WHAT WAS DONE AT BASLE.

By Joseph Clarke

There was a large gathering of clergymen and others in the Reformed Dutch Collegiate church, Fifth Avenue, corner of Twenty-ninth Street, last evening. The subject under consideration was the recent conference of the Evangelical Alliance at Basle, Switzerland. The Rev. Samuel I. Prime presided, and introduced each speaker. The Rev. Dr. Philip Schaff was the first, and he gave a short account of the work of the conference and the interest taken in it, concluding with some predictions respecting the next conference, which will be held in Vienna, and the effect it will have in promoting religious liberty in Austria. The Rev. Dr. Talbot W. Chambers, of the Reformed Dutch church, spoke briefly of the work of the conference in Paris years ago, and was followed by the Rev. Dr. Anderson, of the Baptist church on Madison Avenue, who briefly described the session devoted to the consideration of the Sunday-school movement. The Rev. Dr. Patten described the measures which are being taken in Europe to secure a better observance of the Sabbath, and the elements of opposition encountered. The Rev. Dr. John Hall spoke of the respect for evangelical scholarship which the conference had engendered. He was followed by the Rev. Dr. Tiffany, of St. Paul's Methodist church; and then President Brown, of Hamilton College, closed with the benediction.

It appears, from the above extract from a secular paper, that the Evangelical Alliance takes a lively interest in religious liberty, the Sunday-school work, and the better observance of the Sabbath. All this is noble and praiseworthy, if it is done in sincerity and truth; and no doubt there are members of this Alliance who are sincerely working to the best of their ability for what they believe to be the truth. But in all this assembly of learned men, there are certainly some who in their hearts know full well that Sunday is not the Sabbath of the Lord; they know, too, that it is a great mistake to suppose that it is consistent with the religious liberty they speak of to invoke the secular arm in favor of any religious institution, so as to compel men to observe such an institution as the traditional Sunday. The elements of opposition they speak of no doubt include the efforts of Sabbath-keepers to re-instate the true Sabbath of the Lord. Such men they intend to put down. Is this religious liberty?

Then, too, the Sunday-school movement,— does not their interest in that signify a systematic effort to deceive the young as to the true Sabbath, and the near coming of Christ? What would good Robert Raikes say, if he could compare one of his schools with the shams of 1879?

JOSEPH CLARKE.