You do not believe that what God says a dozen times, or more, _can_ be
true; but you are sure, that what he _does not say even once_ is
infallibly true; and that nothing but stupidity or scepticism would
presume to doubt it. When you are told that the seventh day is the
Sabbath, and the testimony of God's Spirit, plainly uttered in one
dozen passages, together with the uniform practice of the church as
long as we can trace the inspired history of the Sabbath, is offered
in proof of the assertion, you shut your eyes, and declare that you
can see nothing, and that all this proves nothing. But when you tell
me, that the first day _is_, and that the seventh _is not_, the
Sabbath, and quote, as proof, Acts 20:7, and a few other passages, not
one of which says one word about the Sabbath, or the seventh day, or a
day of rest, or holy time, or exercises which are proper only on the
Sabbath, you affirm, that you have proved your position beyond all
doubt, and that the only reason why I cannot see the evidence is
because the vail of Judaism is over my eyes. The moral law says, "The
seventh day is the Sabbath;" but you say, "No, the seventh day is not
the Sabbath; you do not understand the law; you mistake its meaning."
Neither that law, nor any other in the Bible, says, "The first day is
the Sabbath." Notwithstanding, you dare to lift up your hands, and
swear by the living God, that the first day _is_ the Sabbath. But this
is not all. Oh! that it were! The Holy Ghost has said, not only in the
record that God made on Adam's heart, and in the covenant of works,
but also in the written law given at Mount Sinai, and in several other
passages of Scripture, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy
God." But you have repeatedly sworn by the infinite, eternal, and
unchangeable Jehovah, that _this assertion is not true_--that the
seventh day is _not_ the Sabbath of the Lord our God--that it is a
common working day. Because I can no longer join you in this
heaven-daring oath, you have declared me unworthy of the confidence of
a Christian people, and forbidden me to perform any longer the
functions of a missionary of the cross. You have told the church,
that, having violated my ordination vows, I have forfeited my
ministry, and that my seat at the Lord's table is vacant. You have
thus flung upon the heedless winds the mad-dog cry of "suspended
minister," "covenant-breaker," and "disturber of the church's peace."
But think not, brethren, beloved in the Lord, that the treatment which
I have received at your hands shall deter me from proclaiming what I
believe to be God's truth, as God may give me utterance. That you wish
to do what is right, I do not doubt. That you believe you do God
service in thrusting me from your Christian embraces, is evident
enough. That many of you love me yet, and pray for me, I can but hope.
But that you all sin in not searching the Scriptures daily to see
whether these things are so, I do firmly believe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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