Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-26

met regularly, but as to the purpose
for which they met, and the day on
which they met, we are widely at var
lance. You claim they met on the
seventh day to Tread the law and the
prophets" while / claim there is not
a single instance on record when the
Christians met as church or assem-
bly, on the seventh day, and not one
when they met to read the claw and
the prophets"
| Next you say you propose to ex-
anime every reference to Sunday sub
sequent to the death of Christ" That
is perfectly right, providing you do 1t
with fairness and candor, but appeal
to our readers if you were not "wrest-
/ ed" every instance to the breaking
point to disprove that Sunday was the
day on which the Christians met for
worship.
On the first meeting you say John
plainly states, it was not for worship,
but for fear of the Jews" Here Is the
verse, (John. 20:19). Then the same
day at evening" being the first day OF
the week. when the doors were shut,
where the disciples we're assembled,
for fear Of the Jews, came Jesus and
stood in the midst. and saith unto
them, peace be unto you" The pune
tuation plainly shows that "where the
disciples were assembled" Is a paren-
thetic clause thrown in to explain that
doors were shut" Read the verse,
leaving the clause out, and you will
see the necessity for 1t, just where it
occurs, to show that the doors were
shut for fear Of the Jews" and not
that "the disciples were assembled for
fear Of the jews" as you assert.
The next meeting you sneeringly re-
fer to as doubling Sunday, when
Christ appeared for the purpose OF
confounding the incredulity OF
Thomas" Now call attention to the
fact that in each reference to the
first day, you assert that some incident
of the meeting is the purpose of the
meeting in order to completely sub
merge 1t as an argument for Sunday
observance" I believe the object that
Jesus had in appearing in the midst
| at each Of these first day meetings
was to verify his word given to the
disciples in Matt. 1920, that "where
two or three are gathered together in
my name, there am in the midst OF
them"
do not remember to have seen your
exposition of the Feast Of Pentacost,
but suppose 1t was on a. par with the
rest. You claim that Acts 20:7 is the
strongest scripture in favor of Sunday
observance; but undertake to prove
by Acts AZ and 2:46 that the "break-
ing Of bread" in 2O:7 was their daily
food. You are certainly hard put for
argument when you will cite us to
Acts SAP to prove anything you be-
lieve. The reader can see by reading
from verse 10 to the end that the
apostles were imprisoned, s, and beat.
en-, 40, and commanded not to speak
in the name Of Jesus; yet when re-,
leased daily in the temple and in ev-
cry house. they ceased not to teach
and preach Jesus Christ" verse A..
Acts 2:46 does refer to their daily
food, but why did you not quote the
last clause? But the 42nd verse does
not. It is connected with their belief,
practice and worship, as in chapter
that one verse, you imagine you would
your references submerging it, it com
plSIcly SuUuucIScS cPcIy dISuulSll
you bring for Saturday observance.
The last reference you say refers to-
collections. Well. an offering when
given in the spirit, by right person
for right purpose, is as real an act
of worship. as the offering Of prayer
or praise. In your effort to submerge
Sunday as a day of worship, you en-
tirely overlook the typical teaching OF
Lev. 23:11-16, to which called atten-
ton in my first letter. But there is a
matter in connection with the day Of
Pentacost in Deut. 16:9-10 which con-
meets 1t directly with Cor, 1912.
"And thou shalt keep the feast OF
weeks unto the Lord thy God with
tribute Of freewill Offering of thine
hand, which thou shalt give unto the
Lord thy God according as the Lord
thy God hath blessed thee
"Now concerning the collection for
the saints as have given order to the
churches Of Galatia, even SO do ye.
Upon the first day of the week let ev-
cry one of you lay by him. in store, as
God hath prospered him, that there be
more gatherings when come" If this
Offering was not put into collection,
verse I, then it would result in the
very thing Paul said he was seeking to
avoid, that there be no gatherings,
collections. margin, when come"
You doubtless read my remarks to
Mr.. Smith on Acts POST. but there is
still another way to turn it. Suppose it
had said upon the first day of the
year. when the disciples came and
etc." would you or could you say it
was not an annual meeting? Or II it
said upon the first day Of the month.
etc." would you not say it was
monthly meeting? But when it says
upon the first day Of the week" by
what rule Of reasoning can you say
it was not weekly meeting?
You say that not one Of the first day
meetings was marked by an act Of
special divine worship. We are to
suppose then that the Sabbaths that
you assert the Christians kept are
marked by acts Of divine worship. Let
me remind you Of what said in my
first letter. that the Christians never
kept a Sababth according to the
commandment" after the resurrection.