The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-09

or the statute.
The law does two things. 1t pro-
tects the conscience or moral sense
of n man. It also emphasizes the con-
science of a man. The statute does
not say If man believes. but it says
II he "conscientiously believes" mat
the seventh day ought to be observed
as a sabbath.
There are a great many who con-
scientiously believe so. Jews. as
ousiy' so believe. 1t is a matter of
age-lonR training with them. 1t is
part Of their religious conscientious
ness The true Seventh Day Advent
lists can say SO. 1t Is a part of their
religious creed. They have built up
an organization. partly, around that
doctrine They can claim. if genuine
Seventh Day Adventists, conscienti-
Gus belief in the seventh day.
The cases decided by the court as
shown by the evidence, had no rela-
tions TO questions of conscience. They
were not Jews They were not Sew
cnth Day Adventists They had no
affiliation with that denomination.
They did not know what that denomi-
nation taught or believed, except that
it believed in the seventh day as Sab
bath. Up to the time Of their arrest.
they had not observed the seventh
day. but had carried on business on
that day the same as any and ev3ry
other day.
The real genuine Seventh Day Ad-
ventists men who know and love the
doctrines of their denomination owe
10 the police Justice of the Southside,
the Judge of the Hastings Court, No.
II and Com N yealfb'S
vote Of thanks for the wise disCrimi-
nation that has distinguished between
a conscientious belief in the seventh
day and a mere commercial belief In
that day. In their actions these ad-
ministrators of justice have empha-
sized the right of conscience; while at
the same time they have stripped
bare the specious pretexts of those
who would use the sacred Vestments
of religion to cover n direct assault
on the Christian Sabbath in our midst
In the next place your correspond
cnt. in his effort to attach whatever
odium there might be in the selection
Of the first day of the week as the
Christian Sabbath to the "papacy."
overlooks the fact that the terms
Lords Day" and First Day" used
INTERCHANGEABLE are the expressions
used in the New Testament to desig-
nate the day Of assembly and service
among the apostles and their earliest
Christian converts
They found that the seventh day
or Jewish Sabbath. was so overlaid
ana so overcrowded with arbitrary
restrictions and ceremonial observ-
ances as to make 1t practically impos-
slble for them to meet and carry on
their worship and teaching, their
works OF mercy and charity on that
day. It was necessary for them to
choose another day for their own Pc
Culiar forms Of service. This like
sensible, practical folks, they did
They were both Jews and Christians
at the same time They followed their
jewish faith and practice of worship
in the temple. They could not meet
and carry on their worship as a dis
tnct and separate Christian commu-
nifty on the Jewish sabbath Neither
time nor custom would permit it.
As still loyal and faithful Jews,
they had to meet and worship in the
temple on the Sabbath day. accord
ing to the customs Of their people
As Christians, they had to meet ana
worship in another place and on an
other day
! What day should they choose?
| What day more appropriate and nat
ural than the first day of the week,
| the first day Of the new dispensation,
that day on which the Lord arose
from the dead the first Lords Day" 4?
! As a matter Of simple fact. they did
meet on that day TLen. again, on
the octave OF the same day. Repeat
/ cdly in the New Testament reference
is made TO the same dav as the dav
of Christian assembly and of teaching
and worship The only thing that
! happened in the later history of the
church was not the establishment of
a new day, but the confirmation and
continuation Of the same day that had
come to be observed by the apostles
and earliest Christians
The simple question between the
body of Christians and ol.r Seventh
Day Adventist brethren, is whether.
for both sentimental and practical
reasons. We shall follow the lead Of
the apostles and Christians OF the
early church. as recorded in the New
Testament and continue to observe
the Lords Day" or First Day"
both good New Testament expressions,
designating the same day of the week
or follow a few latter-day saints back
to the Jewish Seventh DAY, which our
Lord found inolerable and he apos-
ties found impracticahle.
While allowing our Adventist hreth-
rem the right of choice the practical
good sense of the Christian commu-
nifty will follow the example Of the
apostles Of the Lord and their earliest
converts, in the use of the Lord Day
as their day Of assembly and worship.
Very truly
VIM d. TALBOT,
1912 Hull Street,
South Richmond. Va.