THE QUESTION RAISED

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, May 20, 1880

FromThe Review and Herald, Vol. 55, No. 21

THE QUESTION RAISED.

Reference was made in our News Notes last week to the organization of the “Toledo [Ohio] Sabbath [Sunday] Union.” And now the Toledo Evening Bee, of May 8, 1880, through the kind offices of a correspondent, comes to our table, containing further mention of the said “Sabbath Union.” A “layman” who was present on the occasion, addressed the following communication to the editor of that paper:—

TOLEDO SABBATH UNION.—CALL FOR AUTHORITY CONCERNING THE SABBATH QUESTION.

“EDITOR BEE: On the evening of the 28th of April your correspondent had the privilege of witnessing the organization of the alleged ‘Sabbath Union.’ It is not the design of this article to criticise the intentions of that honorable body, or your just and correct report; but there was a point that suggested itself to the writer, who claims to be a friend to all laws founded on the word of God.

“Now as stated in your report of the meeting, ‘the objects of the association were, the better observance of the Sabbath day; to ascertain the names of the persons engaged at work on the Lord’s day, and report them to the Union; to examine the Sabbath laws on the statute books of Ohio, and enforce them if needs be; to induce by persuasion, if possible, all railroads and places of business to cease work and close up on the Sabbath-day, and assist the International Union in inducing Congress and the State Legislature to pass more stringent Sabbath laws.’ Now the point to notice:—

“There are denominations of people (aside from the Jews) who claim to be Christian people, and who claim to be governed by higher laws than the statute laws of Ohio, that do not observe the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday (which we suppose is referred to), only as a day of labor. Yet they claim that they observe the Sabbath according to the commandment. Luke 23:56. We did not hear during this meeting, nor see in your report of these ‘more stringent laws,’ any provisions suggested, relative to such classes of ‘Christians’ as the latter, if they may be so called. Now, as one of this latter class we appeal to you Christians, who claim to be Bible men, and take the word of God as the ‘man of your counsel,’ to just take the statute delivered to you from High Heaven, and show one thus saith the Lord, one holy command, or one apostolic example, for keeping the first day of the week as a holy day or Sabbath.

“We would also suggest to your honorable committee, whom you may send out to get ‘the names of those engaged at work on the Lord’s day,’ that they go forth prepared with divine proof on this point; showing from the Scriptures that the first day of the week is the Lord’s day; ‘for lo! we have sought for it, and it was not.’ Now, we think we are not unreasonable in asking this. If there is no divine law for this, then do we sin by working on the first day? ‘Sin is the transgression of the law;’ and where no law is, there is no sin. A LAYMAN.”

In reference to the foregoing communication, the editor of the Bee gave in another column the following very pertinent note:—

“After all, there appears to be at least a couple of sides to the Sunday observance question, as evidenced by a communication we print elsewhere from ‘Layman,’ who believes in and observes Saturday as a sacred day of rest. Now, when this matter is brought right down to business, who shall decide whether Saturday or Sunday is the sacred day?”