Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists

An Interruption

Here the discourse was broken in upon by questions from one who had kept the Sabbath a short time, but who had recently given it up. Rising in the congregation, he said, “This Sabbath question has been a great trouble to me during the last year, and now I would like to ask a question: Is the observance of the Sabbath necessary to my salvation? Answer, yes or no.” I answered promptly, This is an important question, and demands something more full than yes or no. All will be judged according to the light that has shone upon them. If they have light upon the Sabbath, they cannot be saved in rejecting that light. But none will be held accountable for light which they have never received. I then quoted the words of Christ, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin.” It was with the greatest difficulty, however, that I made these remarks; for the questioner kept jumping to his feet, and interrupting me, and in the most excited manner and with the most violent gestures demanding that the answer be yes or no. HS 234.3

Several times while I was speaking he tried to restate my remarks, giving them just the meaning that he wished them to have, and that he has since given them; and as many times he was corrected by persons present who understood both French and English. [Notwithstanding the fact that his misstatements of my position were repeatedly corrected at the meeting, this man has since stated publicly that at first my response was evasive; but that as he insisted I became affirmative, then negative, as follows: “If the Christian is persuaded that he ought to keep the Sabbath, the Sabbath is necessary to his salvation. If he does not believe it duty to keep the Sabbath, the Sabbath is not necessary to his salvation.” This is a gross misrepresentation, as will be seen by comparing it with the facts as given above; but to just such misrepresentations will those resort who oppose the truth.] He then began to read and comment upon something which he had written in regard to the Sabbath. But he proceeded so rapidly that he gave little opportunity for his remarks to be interpreted, and therefore I could get but little idea of what he was trying to say. One statement which I did understand, however, was to the effect that Christ, instead of teaching the Sabbath, broke it. To this I felt that I must respond. I said: “I hope our brother will not place himself on the side of the Pharisees in their accusations against Christ; for if their charge of Sabbath-breaking could have been sustained against him, they would not have been under the necessity of hiring false witnesses to testify against him.” At this he became very much enraged, and charged me with calling him a Pharisee. This, however, was corrected by several persons present, and he said, “I beg pardon.” HS 235.1

When I saw that I could have no opportunity to finish my discourse, or to answer his question as fully as I would have liked, I told the people that I would be obliged to defer any further answer till some future time, and that I would then make it by writing, as he was not prepared to listen to anything I might say. This I did soon after in an article entitled, “Walking in the Light,” published in Les Signes des Temps. I also sent him an invitation to come and talk the matter over with me, that we might see what is truth. But he declined to do so. HS 235.2