The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-11-02

for in q little time, especially when not
q lew leading men in the church are
tending to such n point t aFA
z. ELEMENTS WHICH OPPOSE THE SUN
DAY AND DEFEND THE SABBATH, Ia
The Seventh-Day Baptists: Inthe puri-
tantc reformation in Europe, not n few
were found, who, by word and pen de
tended, and in practice confomed to the
law of the Sabbath, and Seventh Day
Baptist churches were early organized
in England and probably on the conti-
nent. H In 1864, one Stephen Munfordg a
Seventh-Dn Baptist, coming from Eng
land, settled at Newport, II. IL, where
no united with. a. First-Day Baptist
church. His difference from the main
Dody provoked discussion. Others, on
Investigation, agreed with him, and, as
the result, ..the first Seventh-Day Bap-
tist church in America was organized Mt
Newport, December %, 1871. !" Soon
atter, by Immigration, or otherwise,
sabbath keepers appeared in New Jer-
sey. From these points the Seventh
Day Baptists hnye spread westward ln-
til they are now found in Rhode IsIand.
connecticut, Now Jersey, New YorlS,
Virginia and Pennsylvania, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas. Nebras-
ka, &C., with scattered families in many
otherrl Localities. They number about
sixty churches, with membership of n
lus
are largely identified with all reforma-
tory and educational movements, have
six academies, collegiate theological de-
pnrtments, publishing interests and
many other elements of strength result
ing from the slow growth of almost two
centuries, under constant opposition
and necessary self defense. An this is
backed by growing spirit of agitation
with reference to the question before MS.
(bl The Seventh5Da Advehtists The
history OF this people and their position
on this question is full of Significance
and worthy ofstudy, as
After the disappointment in 1874,
many honest ones, believing that we
were still in the closing years of the
worlds history, sought to know what
grent work was yet to be done before
the final consummation. The conclu-
sion was soon reached that the npostncy
foretold in Dan. 1925, referred to the
change of the Sabbath by the papist
power, and that the work of the 6three
angels messages" of Rev. IA, marks the
restoration of the observance of all of
Gods commandments by his honest
children. They found the Sabbath argu-
ment ms do the Seventh Day Baptists.
upon the immutRbility of law in the
higher sense of the term; and the fact
that no change has ever been author
lied by any divine authority. They
have the enthusiasm which youth and
the consciousness of an especial and i'm
portHnt mission inspires, and devote
themselves most earnestly to their work.
The following, from the pen of the
editor of their weekly organ will give
nm idea of their present Strength
"VYe send single papers to about one
thousand different post-offices, to one
family or perhaps one individual Sab
bath keeper in the place. Probably
not more than half of our people are
organized into churches. The whole
number is estimated at about
Twelve thousand We have tllirty-tlve
eVangelists in the field. We. issue of
onr Weekly RcUielg and Herald, 1000
copies. publishing department
has capital, stock of S25, ,2l5. IL,
business for the year ending May, 1865,
SS4,O29.5S, issued from the press
within thirty monthsy 0,172, Cos pages,
past thirteen rte years 81, Cos pages in
Thus has God evidently called out
another people to mid in the agitation
and reform on this subject, and we may
sum up the elements now at work as
follows -
l. The reaction from former puritanic
rtgor, the tendency of the age 10 free
thinking and disregard of former lind
marks, and the efforts of the friends of
the Sunday to prevent this reaction,
2. The Seventh-Day Baptists with the
experience and appliances of age.
3. The Seventh-Day Adventists, with
the enthusiasm and devotion of Youth
their earliest tract In favor of the Sab
bath dating back only to 1857 and the
zeal which the consciousness of,ran
especial mission and brief period of
time in which to perform it, mutually
inspires.
The agitation is before us. The re-
suits God only knows, and time only
will reveal to us.
A. H. LEWIS.