The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

I. Seventh Day Baptists Appoint Days of Fasting and Prayer

For nearly two centuries the Seventh Day Baptists of North America had stood practically alone in upholding the seventh day as the Sabbath. Their General Conference was not organized until 1801, and then reported but 1,031 members. ¹ Their denominational periodical, The Seventh-day Baptist Register, which came into being in March, 1840, merged into the Sabbath Recorder in June, 1844. In 1843 they were deeply exercised over the threat of fresh Sunday legislation, which might affect their liberties, and “betook” themselves to prayer and greater activity in behalf of the Sabbath. ² And they were moved with concern over the general spiritual declensions of the popular religious bodies, coupled with. the prevailing indifference toward the Sabbath. In fact, their General Conference passed a resolution to send an appeal to the Baptist denomination, urging examination of the Sabbath question, and to set apart November 1, 1843, as a day of fasting and prayer that God would “arise and plead for his holy Sabbath.” ³ PFF4 942.3

And again, in their 1844 General Conference, another day of intercession was appointed, reading: PFF4 943.1

“Resolved: That inasmuch as the first day of November, 1843, was observed in accordance with the recommendation of this [Seventh Day Baptist] General Conference, as a day of humiliation before God, and earnest entreaty to Him to arise and plead for His holy Sabbath, since which time a deeper and wider-spread interest upon the subject has sprung up, than has ever been before known in this country: therefore, Resolved, That the 1st first day of the week in January next [1845], be observed as a day of fasting, devout acknowledgment for blessings bestowed, and earnest prayer that God would continue to plead for his holy Sabbath, and also prepare us by his Holy Spirit for the labor thus devolved upon us. PFF4 943.2

“Resolved, That we invite all who love the Sabbath, and desire its better observance to unite with us in presenting its interests at the throne of grace.” ⁴ Earnest editorials appeared, such as one headed “O Lord, Revive Thy Works.” ⁵ And in 1845 an Appeal for the Restoration of the Lord’s Sabbath was issued in New York, stressing the change from Saturday to Sunday as one of the “abominations of popery” and constituting “popery’s chief pillar,” citing Daniel 7:25 as the telltale prophetic portrait given in advance. ⁶ Their appeals, however, were unwelcomed by the Sundaykeeping churches. And this attitude was shared by the Millerites in general, then at the climax of their movement, and who up until the summer of 1844 had rather generally retained their connection with the various Protestant churches. PFF4 943.3

The leaders and editors of the Adventist journals deprecated this agitation among the Adventists in behalf of the Sabbath. Thus, in the Midnight Cry, under the title “The Lord’s Day,” editorial opposition was expressed: “Many persons have their minds deeply exercised respecting a supposed obligation to observe the seventh day.” ⁷ Then, in discussing the specific Seventh Day Baptist agitation of the Sabbath Recorder of August 22, 1844, the Midnight Cry makes this rather cryptic declaration: PFF4 944.1

“We feel borne irresistibly to the conclusion that there is no particular portion of time which Christians are required by law to set apart, as holy lime. If the Scriptures, and the considerations presented, do not convince our readers of this, then we think there is another conclusion to which they must come, viz. The particular portion of time which God requires us to observe as holy, is the seventh day of the week, that is, Saturday. PFF4 944.2

“We regret to leave the argument at this point, but spate fails, and we must beg our readers to search the Scriptures to see if these things are so. They have learned to bow to no authority but God’s, and having that, to treat the decisions of men as utterly worthless.” ⁸ PFF4 944.3

Then, in the issue for September 12, this final word is. given: PFF4 944.4

“We love the seventh-day brethren and sisters, but we think they are trying to mend the old broken Jewish ‘yoke, and put it on their necks, instead of -standing fast in the liberty wherewith Christ makes free.” ⁹ PFF4 944.5

On the other hand, the Seventh Day Baptists were very skeptical of an advent message and movement-meaning the Millerites-which did not recognize and honor the seventh-day Sabbath. PFF4 944.6