Before
the death of the first apostles of Christ certain law
teachers troubled the churches, trying to impose upon them
the rites of Moses' law. In a large assembly of apostles
and elders at Jerusalem, it was fully decided and settled
not to bind the law upon Gentile Christians (see Acts 15).
In the Epistles of Paul powerful arguments are brought
forth to teach the abrogation of the law and the superior
qualities of the gospel, the law of Christ. The apostle
declares the law teachers "pervert the gospel of
Christ," are "vain janglers,"
"understanding neither what they say, nor whereof
they affirm."
After the death of the apostles a number of sects arose
that taught the law is binding and enjoined the observance
of the Jewish Sabbath. Among these were the Ebionites, who
flourished in the second century and dissented from the
general church. They were among the rankest heretics of
their time.
About the time of the Reformation a body of people arose
in England that zealously advocated the observance of the
seventh day. They had many able ministers and writers, and
published many books. Today their work has become entirely
extinct.
A small body of people known as Seventh day Baptists arose
in 1664. They are now very few in number.
In 1846 Seventh day Adventists began teaching the Jewish
Sabbath. They have been very zealous. They have poured out
their means by the millions and have filled the land with
their literature. Probably no other small body of people
on earth have published and circulated as much literature
over the world as these. No other people have met with
more disappointments during their existence. Miller, the
founder of the Adventist movement finally opposed the
Sabbath, and warned his followers against its observance.
Scores of their most prominent ministers have at different
times renounced the faith as an error. Many have been led
into infidelity as a result of the mistakes of Adventism.
We believe the whole system is a yoke of bondage.
These law teachers travel from hamlet to city, scattering
their doctrines by lecturing in tents and halls and by
distributing tracts, papers, and books among the people.
Although but few accept the doctrine, hundreds become
unsettled, and can scarcely be reached by the truth. To
counteract this influence and to set forth the truth, is
the object of this book. It will be found to be pointed
and thorough on the subject. It is a complete treatise on
all the important points relating to the Sabbath and the
Lord's Day.
Having received a written permission from D. M. Canright,
Grand Rapids, Mich., I have made some choice quotations
from his excellent work Seventh Day Adventism Renounced.
Mr. Canright was for a number of years a very prominent
minister and writer of the Adventist faith. At the time he
renounced their doctrines in 1887, he held a number of the
highest offices in the society, and was, no doubt, one of
the ablest ministers they have ever had. Hear his
testimony:
"After keeping the seventh day and extensively
advocating it for over a quarter of a century, I became
satisfied that it was an error, and that the blessing of
God did not go with the keeping of it. Like thousands of
others, when I embraced the seventh day Sabbath I thought
that the argument was all on one side, so plain that one
hour's reading ought to settle it, so clear that no man
could reject the Sabbath and be honest. The only marvel to
me was that everybody did not see and embrace it.
"But after keeping it twenty eight years; after
having persuaded more than a thousand others to keep it;
after having read my Bible through, verse by verse, more
than twenty times; after having scrutinized, to the very
best of my ability every text, line, and word in the Bible
having the remotest bearing upon the Sabbath question;
after having looked up all these, both in the original and
in many translations; after having searched in lexicons,
concordances, commentaries, and dictionaries; after having
read armfuls of books on both sides of the question; after
having read every line in all the early church Fathers
upon
Such testimony is of great value and weight. In the
chapters "The Sabbath on a Round Earth," and
"The Law," I quote from his work at some length.
Also, scattered throughout the book are a few quotations
from D. S. Warner's former book on The Sabbath. In some
cases I have given extracts of the quotations, instead of
giving them in full or verbatim. I ask the reader to give
this book a careful study with unbiased mind; and I
believe the truth contained in its pages will be
flashlights from the throne of God to your understanding.
