Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1846-11-04
CIRCULAR LETTER.

CIRCULAR LETTER.
To THE CHnkcHEs OF THE EbeEFIFtD
BApTIsr CHURCH;
Seadeth CAristian Salutatios.
BELOVED BRETHREN:
We gladly avail ourselves Of the op-
poitunity afforded BY our annual meet.
Jog in Association, TO address you upon
subject which merits your serious at
tcn,ion. And we ufieclionalely en,reat
You 10 bear with US if the ligh, in which
it is presented may bea unusual one
one condcmuatory too Of our practice
and opposed 10 our prejudice as de-
nomination of Cllristians;. especially if
it appear upon impartial examination
that we Z" write no new commandment
to you, but an old commandment, which
ye had from the beginning"
Much has been said and written Of
late upon the uses, privileges, and du.
les which the Institution of the Sabbath
brings with it: and we have reason TO
hope that no little practical good has
been accomplished by the agitation Of
the subject. AS it would far exceed the
Limits we propose assigning to this letter,
TO enter inlo an examination of all the
purposes designed by this institution, we
win contine ourselves 10 that of the duty
and expediency of meeting together on
the first day ofecery week, for the 'wor>
ship Of God, at our respective Church
eS. ,,
St. Paul rxhorts the Hebrew breth-
rem "not to forsake the assembling Of
themselves together, as the manner of
some" was even in his day. That this
relates to the meeting together Of Chris
tians, upon all convenient occasions, but
particularly upon the fist day Of the
week, will appear from the following
considerations
Isl. Time Of Melting. II might seem
unnecessary at this late dale TO attempt
to establish this point. But we do it
because we fear there are too many who
do not feel the full force of truth in
this particular instance. That this was
the Uniform practice Of the primitive
Christians vii! te evident, if we read
the 7th v. and 2O,h ch. OF Acts. No
,ice with what an air of usualness The
Evangelist writes of the disciples coming
together 10 break bread on +" the first
day of the week" Again: their "strad-
fast continuance in the Apostles doc
trine and fellowship, and in breaking
ofbreada aud in prayers" mentioned Acts
2nd chapter 42d verse, serves 10 mark
among other things their strict adher.
;ence in point of time to the injunction
of,he Apostles in relation to this pariic.
ular. Now I'VE ask, What time can be
mean. other than that sentioncd in the
former quotation?
Not only do our'own writer's bear tes'
iimeny to the truth of. our position, but
even prosecuting princes add. 10 it "cop-
frmation strong as proof. Of holy writ"
Pliny, Roman Governor Of The prov
ince of Bithinia, where the christian re-
ligion had taken deep root, writing tc
the Emperor Trajan, upon the subject
OF its exlirpation informs him that he
found nothing to alege against the chris
tians, but their obsinacy in their su'
pers,ition, and that it was ,heil custom
10 meet together on stated day, be-
fore ii WAS light" And that this set day
is the first day of, the. week, we are lee
20 infer from the previous practice o
christians taken intconneclion with tha
whicIl,,has since obtained almost uni
versal,y in the Churches, according te
the testimony of2,he christian writer's
beginning with Justin Martyr, (A..D
744) and descending 10, the present
time. How can the uniformity aud long
continuance OF this practice be;accountet
=. for, except upon the supposition that a
serious christians have been persuaded
thar il originated in divine injunction
and that il is their duty 10 observe ila
We have been forced by the nature
Of lbc case, to express our iargumen
in few words, b1, are willing 10 lie. ih'
matter Of lime rest for. the present upoI
the above. ~ ass. q -. ,2.,,Js n ai,sl..l
I'd. The 9esignof Neetipg. as re
CARDS the design which should be hat