Installment thirty-six

On our previous entry, Mr. Gregory fainted when he saw that the woman
rescued from drowning was his wife.
____________________________________________________
Installment thirty-six:

"Mr. Wilson," said Mrs. Gregory, as she lay in her stateroom the next day,
"I must tell you why I've sent for you. My husband here must know also.
"I was at the service yesterday in the parlor and heard Mr. Anderson
discuss the Sabbath question; and while I am ashamed to say it, I was
really angry at some things that were said. I didn't like to hear them, and
I didn't want others to hear. And, of course, I blamed you. Someone had
told me that it was because of your relations with Mr. Anderson that the
service was held; and when, at the last, I heard you say, 'Amen,' I said to
myself, 'I wish that young upstart would fall overboard and deliver us
from any more Sabbath talk.'
"After the meeting, I came to my room and tried to forget the whole thing;
but I couldn't, so I returned to the parlor. As I saw you still there, I was
more bitter than ever. I passed the parlor door; but as I did so, my feelings
overcame me. I grew dizzy and -well, I knew no more until I awakened on
deck and learned that I had been delivered. And you, the object of my evil
wishes, were chosen of God to be my rescuer!
Mr. Wilson, I am begging your forgiveness. I am also going to ask you to
take out your Bible and tell me more about the truth which I have been
trying to reject."
Harold humbly acknowleged his great ignorance and asked if she would
not rather study with Mr. Anderson.
"Do you think he would be willing to come?" she asked.
"Oh, I am sure he would" was the reply. Harold hastened to bring his
friend.
"Mr. Anderson," said Mrs. Gregory, "I am deeply in earnest today. My
husband and I want to learn more. The terrible happening yesterday
was from God to correct us and make us willing to receive unadulterated
teaching. Now what I want to ask is, Why do you specially emphasize the
question of the seventh-day Sabbath? Does God require you to do it?
And why is it that so many people, especially the ministers, are so
determined not to listen to your message?"
"Sister, your questions are rather broad, and really require more study
than the circumstances will permit. However, they are to the point, and
I am glad the Scriptures can give you an answer."
__________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment thirty five.

At the end of our previous entry, a woman had fallen overboard.
_________________________________________________
Installment thirty-five:

"Woman overboard!!!
"Who is it? Who is it?" was on everyone's tongue, but no one knew.
The two clergymen, Dr. Spaulding and Mr. Gregory rushed to the opposite
side of the vessel, reaching the rail just in time to see Harold Wilson emerge
from the main parlor, quickly lay down his Bible, take off his coat and plunge
into the sea.
"Ah, how foolish! How foolish!" exclaimed Dr. Spaulding. "It means two lives
instead of one. No living man can handle himself in the wake of this vessel."
"God help him!" was Mr. Gregory's response.
And God surely did help. The brave act of Harold was one of faith. Even while
he battled with the waters his thoughts went up to God for help. His prayers
were graciously answered.
His eye caught sight of a hand as it appeared for an instant above the waters
a few feet away. He threw himself towards the spot with all his might.
The drowning woman's dress was now in his hand. Deftly and quickly
he made sure of his human treasure and started toward the vessel.
"Thank God!" called out Dr. Spaulding. The passengers cheered and wept.
Meanwwhile Captain Mann had ordered the engines reversed; and the great
"Pacific Clipper" was brought to a dead stop. A lifeboat was lowered, and
Harold and the yet unknown woman were soon safely lifted to the deck.
Mr. Gregory pressed his way to the center of the scene, that he might grasp
the hand of the young hero, and be of whatever service possible. But as he
was about to reach for Harold's hand, the face of the rescued woman, now
partially resuscitated was before him.
His face turned pale. His strength gave way, and he fell heavily to the deck.
It was his wife!
________________________________________________________
To be continued....

Installment thirty-four.

On today's entry we will make a break from the action of our previous
chapter to return to the conversation between Mr. Gregory and Dr.
Spaulding after the preaching by Mr. Anderson.
____________________________________________________
Installment thirty-four:

At the close of Mr. Anderson's service in the parlor, Dr. Spaulding and Mr.
Gregory got together to discuss Mr. Anderson's views on the Sabbath. As
they were talking, Captain Mann went by and Dr. Sapulding called to him.
"Captain, just a moment of your time. I simply want to ask; can we not
devise some plan to stop further spread of this Sabbath talk? It is not
producing the best results, inasmuch as it stirs up the spirit of unwhole-
some argument and, sooner or later, may be the means of unsettling the
views of some very good Christian people. That young man with the
marked Bible is already completely misled and I noticed that he is in-
fluencing others. You see, captain, I am terribly afraid of fanaticism."
"Well, Dr. Spaulding, you are aware that you are at liberty to plan as
you wish. The freedom of the vessel is yours. But let me say this, the
young man of whom you speak, Harold Wilson, has become during the
brief period since we left San Francisco, such a splendid Christian, such
a trustworthy and capable co-worker, that I marvel. From a profilgate,
a drinking, swearing, gambling, thieving criminal, as I have known him,
he has been transformed into the sober, praying, industrious, honest,
young man you see today. This certainly must be the fruit of a good
tree. And I confess that I myself have tasted and been made better.
"I must hasten, but let me assure you that this is something of which
you need not be afraid. It is not fanaticism. There is a large amount of
zeal, but it is founded on knowledge of the Bible. No one can go far
astray who studies the word of God. "
Then the captain left (and now we return to the scene where our
previous chapter ended).
"Do you believe God will enable me to bear the cross?" Mr. Severance
was asking when Captain Mann entered the room.
The view which met his eye as he entered the room was one which he
was never to forget. There sat Mr. Severance, bowed over the table,
with face buried in hands. And as he entered, Harold Wilson, Bible in
hand and with his arm thrown over the shoulder of the merchant, was
bearing witness to him of the surety of God's promise and of the
wonderful blessing that had come to him in the truth of the fourth
commandment.
As Captain Mann beheld the spirit manifested by Harold - the spirit
of the real soul winner and helper of those in trouble - his emotions
overcame him, and tears filled his eyes. How strange, yet how
beautiful was this expression of tenderness in this hardy veteran of
the sea! But not a word esaped his lips. He simply stepped over to
Mr. Anderson, gripped his hand strongly and feelingly, and with
quivering lip hastened on to his duty.
A shriek startled the little group in the dining room, and almost
immediately the cry, "Woman Overboard!" began to sound from
one end of the vessel to the other.

Installment thirty-three.

The question hanging at the end of our previous chapter was: "Why the
absolute day is so necessary?"
__________________________________________________
Installment thirty-three:

Mr. Anderson answered: "A simple illustration will make this clear. Let me
place before you seven glasses. Six are filled with water, one with juice.
I say to you, if you take the seventh glass, you will find the most delicious
drink you ever tasted. You'd love to taste this drink I mention, yet only one
glass has it, that is the seventh glass, and you must follow my count to find
what you are after. Let me put it this way, the blessing of this wonderful
juice is wrapped up in my numbering of the glasses. So it is with the Sabbath.
God blessed the seventh day. He put his presence into that particular day
and into no other. If I find Him as my heart really longs to know Him, I must
begin to count as He counted; making my days correspond to His. When I do
so, I am rewarded by actually finding Him, knowing Him, resting in Him.
I have rest because I am with the Sabbath. The true Sabbath keeper, there-
fore, has in his service a blessing that not even a sincere Sunday keeper ever
knows."
"I see it, Mr. Anderson. I see it," declared Mr. Severance, "and this day I
join you in the larger service of the Sabbath that God has given. Will you pray
for me? I especially need help in arranging my business."
"I praise the dear Lord, Mr. Severance, for this decision. It is the decision of
faith, I am sure. God will help you in shaping your affairs for His service."
"I have in mind, however," said Mr. Severance, more than you think. This
is a day of tremendous conviction. My business career all through the years
has been along lines that the world might regard as legitimate; but this after-
noon something has told me that if I would be holy, and know Him who is
holy, and enjoy Him in His holy day, I must retrace many of my steps. I must
adjust all my methods to different standards, and go before my patrons and
business associates in confession, yes even more, I shall let many a dollar
revert to its real owner. Do you believe God will enable me to bear the cross?"
At this juncture, Captain Mann entered the rom.
______________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment thirty-two.

The question posed at the end of our previous chapter was:
"Has not my sincere observance of Sunday been acknowledged
by God?"
____________________________________________
Installment thirty-two:

"Yes, brother, you have undoubtedly enjoyed God's love because
you gladly did all you knew to be right. But suppose you see the
truth of the fourth commandment and then fail to follow it. Jesus
said regarding those in His day, "if I had not come and spoken
unto them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for
their sin." John 15:22. Paul pointed out the same principle when
he said, 'the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now
commandeth all men everywhere to repent.' Acts 17:30.
Sincerity in wrongdoing ceases to be possible when the light
reveals the better way. Sincerity then obliges a man to change
his course."
Harold Wilson, intensely enthusiastic in his new-found experience
and eager to learn, asked another question:
"Mr. Anderson, one of the ministers has told me that it is all right
to keep the seventh day, but the only question is, where shall we
begin to count? He said he kept the seventh day, but he began his
count on Monday. What do you think about it?"
"That is what I have been taught," said Mr. Severance.
Now Mr. Anderson spoke: "Turn to Exodus 16 and the story of the
manna. God said he wanted to 'prove' or 'try' the people, as to
whether they would walk in His law. The plan was that the people
should gather their food every day from the first to the sixth. Each
day for five days they were to gather only as much as they needed
for that day, planning to have nothing remain over until the morning.
On the sixth day, however, they were to gather a suply for two days,
the second portion to be used on the seventh day, when no manna
fell. This was the Lord's arrangement.
"Now the count of the days was not left to man's choice. God himself
did the numbering. And if anyone tried to make a change, there was
only confusion and loss, besides definite reproof from the Lord.
Evidently some attempted a change by trying to keep the food over
until the morning; but 'it bred worms and stank.' Verse 20. Others
went out on the seventh day to gather manna, but found none. It
was absolutely impossible to change the count.
Now note the message that came as a result of their careless dis-
obedience: 'How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and
my law?' The test of loyalty was upon the matter of right counting
- counting as God counted, with the Sabbath as the great objective.
"Well, Mr. Anderson, that certainly settles the question of the count.
Still it isn't altogether clear to me just why the absolute day is so
necessary," said Mr. Severance.
_______________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment thirty-one

Our previous chapter ended at the point when Judge Kershaw was getting
ready to make a decision for Christ while everybody kept silence.
___________________________________________________
Installment thirty-one:

Now Mr. Severance spoke: "Judge, this day has been a day of revelation
to me also. But I must know more. Mr. Anderson, may I ask you a few
brief questions? For instance, if the seventh day is the Sabbath day, and
if we are morally bound to make it our day of rest, why does the church
as a whole does not see it and acknowledge it? This troubles me."
"I have no doubt, Mr. Severance," Mr. Anderson began, "that there are
many cause which have led the professed Christian world to observe
Sunday rather than Sabbath. I may venture to remark that the Sabbath
has been set aside for the same reason that other great moral duties have
been disregarded. You will remember that the apostle Paul clearly fore-
told a time when professed Christians would 'not endure sound doctrine,'
but would 'heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears from the
truth.' 2 Timothy 4:3,4.
"A brief examination of the word of God shows that this evil course has
been common through the ages. It has apparently been easy for men
to estimate lightly the word of God. Surely it is so now, when higher
criticism finds ready access to both pulpit and pew, placing the writings
of inspiration at the same level as the works of Shakespeare and others.
The day has come when even the Ten Commandments are regarded
by many as out of date and in need of revision."
"Yes," said one in the group, "I was told only yesterday by a man who
looked like a minister that we can no longer hold the Bible as an
absolute, unquestioned authority. He said that much of the Old
Testament had been shown to be historically inaccurate, and that
the miracles recorded in the Gospels were largely allegorical. I asked
him in particular about the resurrection and ascencion of Christ, and
he only shrugged his shoulders and smiled."
"Of course, Mr. Severance," continued Mr. Anderson, "not all the
professed people of God have so far departed from the old paths
that they have set the Scriptures aside. There are many beautiful
and notable exceptions. But if you would know why the churches
of today, generally speaking, reject the Sabbath truth, you will
find the reason in the facts I have pointed out."
"Again, you will hear that if you're only sincere in what you do,
your service is accepted. This sounds good, but it is misleading.
Sincerity is necessary, but it never excuses ignorance."
"Now, let me understand you, Mr. Anderson," said Mr. Severance.
"Has not my sincere observance of Sunday been acknoledged of
God? I have surely tried to be a Christian."
_____________________________________________
To be continued....

Installment thirty

At the end of our previous chapter, Judge Kershaw was explaining that
he had finally been able to understand what brought peace to the heart
of the accused man he had met so long ago.
_____________________________________________________
Installment thirty:

"Judge, pardon me, but I, too, have found the peace which the young man
had," said Harold Wilson, "and I have found it since coming aboard the
vessel. I have found it in this Sabbath truth which was presented today."
"Young man, I do not doubt you. You are the one, are you not, who is
called 'the man with the marked Bible'?"
"Yes, sir; and I asked Mr. Anderson to read from my marked Bible today."
Judge Kershaw picked up the book and glanced through it. There was
moisture in his eyes.
"Mr. Anderson," he said, "this reminds me of my boyhood, when my parents
sought to lead me to a religious life. Like many boys, I was foolishly inclined
to make light of Christianity; and before I could realize it, my youthful days
had passed, and I found myself graduated from college and entering upon my
professional career without hope. My education only served to crystallize my
early unbelief; and all through the years since, I have seen little or nothing in
the average church or its teachings to cause me to change.
One thought, however, has always followed me - a thought expressed by my
mother. A few days before she died, she called me to her and said: 'Son, I have
not always lived before you as I should, and you have your doubts about
Christianity, but some day, I know not when, you will surely see that God's
word is true, that there are those who have proved it divine. So you will be
led to yield your heart to the Author, and love and serve Him.' This Bible
reminds me of those times so long ago because it is marked as my mother
marked hers. And, strange to say, the Ten Commandments were especially
remembered, even as in this Bible. Mother was a firm believer in every one
of the Commandments of God.
"But think of it! Here I am, an old man of seventy years. It is nearly time for
me to go. Do you suppose this is the hour when mother's prayers should be
answered?"
There was a moment of deep silence. All seemed to realize that a sacred
decision was being made, a decision involving the salvation of a soul, in
answer to a prayer offered by a dying mother a half century ago.
___________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment twenty-nine.

In our previous installment the group dispersed after Mr. Anderson
finished his defense of the Sabbath.
________________________________________________
Installment twenty-nine:

"Mr. Anderson, you will pardon me, I am sure, if I detain you for a moment.
This service has simply compelled me to come and take you by the hand and
to express to you my appreciation."
Mr. Anderson did not recognize the man.
"Of course, you do not know me; and may I therefore introduce myself as
Judge Kershaw of Little Rock, Arkansas?"
"Oh, are you the man who interrogated Dr. Spaulding yesterday?"
"Yes, sir, though perhaps I should be ashamed of what has since appeared
to me an impertinence, but you see, Dr. Spaulding's statements greatly
stirred me, as I remembered the occasion of several years ago, when at
his instance, a member of your denomination was brought before me for
Sunday violation."
A group of interested passengers began to form as soon as Judge Kershaw
began to speak. Harold Wilson was among them.
"At that time," the judge continued, "I thought I discovered on the part of
the prosecution a distinct spirit of intolerance, which to my mind is utterly
foreign to the gospel of Jesus Christ. But while this was true, the young
defendant manifested most beautiful patience and self-restraint; and as
he acted as his own counsel, I was persuaded that his principles were of a
higher order."
"Was he convicted, judge?" asked one of the listeners. "Yes; the letter of
the law had been violated, the jury brought in a verdict of guilty, and I was
obliged to pass sentence. But I was hurt, deeply hurt- hurt in one sense by
the wrong spirit shown by the professed Christians who prosecuted, and
hurt in another sense by the excellent spirit of the one who was condemned.
"Now I believe I have discovered the secret of that man's behavior. He had
Christ in his soul. He had a rest and peace to which all of us were strangers.
Why, when I was about to pass sentence and asked him if he had any further
word to give the court, he said: 'your honor, I wish to thank you and the
gentlemen of the jury for the spirit of fairness shown during the trial. You
need have no regret that you are obliged to pass this sentence. We may all
well be sad that our statute books are cumbered with a few laws that work
hardship to innocent and inoffensive citizens. Personally I hope to see the
day when our state will abolish this particular law which today sends me
to prison. I submit gladly to the penalty, as a Christian ought. I forgive
freely the men who have brought me this experience. And I want you all
to know that in my heart there is a peace surpassing all understanding, a
peace which will brighten every day and hour I shall spend behind bars."
"I sent him to prison, and in the prison he died. And from that day until
now, I have had his picture much before me and I wanted to know what it
was that made him the man he was."
____________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment twenty-eight

At the end of our previous entry, Mr. Anderson was making a point that
God sanctified the "seventh day," and not any other day. It was at this
point that Mr. Gregory interrupted with a question.
___________________________________________________
Installment twenty-eight:

"May I ask, brother," said Mr. Gergory, "what evidence you have that the
first seventh day is now to be identified with Saturday? To my mind, there
is much to show that our Sunday is the original seventh day."
"The evidence, Mr. Gregory, is so simple, and withal so complete, that there
can scarcely be a mistake. Without question, the fourth commandment calls
attention to the seventh day known at the beginning, does it not?"
"I agree with you that far." said Mr. Gregory.
"Very well, and I presume you will also agree with me in holding that the
Sabbath kept by the Saviour was the same as that given at Sinai."
"Yes, I think so," was the reply.
"I was sure you would," said Mr. Anderson; "and now le me call your
attention to the statement made in Luke 23:56, that, after the crucifixion,
the women who had been the most devoted disciples of Christ kept the
Sabbath day 'according to the commandment'. "
"Yes, but right there is a missing link. That may have been the ceremonial
Sabbath of the Passover week rather than the moral Sabbath of the fourth
commandment. You see, we must keep track of the week and make sure
that we are keeping in touch with the cycle of seven days, which continued
unbroken from creation until now."
"That is important, Mr. Gregory, and so important that our Lord has given
it emphasis. Let me ask a question: Was the Sabbath the women kept, the
day which came just before that other day, called 'the first day.'?"
"Yes, sir, it must have been."
"Another question: Was not that next day the day of the resurrection?"
"It certainly was."
"Then what 'first' day was it? Why, the Scriptures distinctly state that it
was the first day of the week. Do you think, friends, there is any missing
link in the connections? I do not believe that even Mr. Gregory will have
any questions about it. As you see, there is the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment, followed by the first day of the week, the week which
we all know to be the week of our present time. So we know that the
Sabbath of the fourth commandment, which is the Sabbath of creation
is the seventh day of our week. It is therefore the day which we ought to
observe and in which we shall find blessing. Isn't that plain?"
There was no dissent. Mr. Anderson had carried his audience with him.
"And do you remember the story of the burning bush? Exodus 3:1-6.
God's presence was revealed to Moses; and the word came, 'Put off
thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy.'
The presence of God made the very surroundings holy. The same word
was spoken to Joshua in Joshua 5:13-15.
So we learn this: God's blessing is His own presence. His presence
imparted to man makes the man holy. His presence manifested in
a place makes the place holy. The rest of the story is plain - His presence,
His blessing, in the seventh day makes the seventh day holy.
When God blessed the seventh day He simply put His presence into that
day for all earth's history. He did this for man. You know that Jesus said
'the Sabbath was made for man.' And how wonderful, then, was the
making! Every seventh day brings His blessed, holy presence. The holy
day carries its sanctifying, cleansing, uplifting power into the heart of
God's worshiping ones, and makes them glad in the gift of holiness.
The author of the Sabbath was Jesus Christ. Read John 1:1-3, 14;
Colossians 1:13-16. It is His presence which the seventh day encloses.
It is His life of which I partake in Sabbath keeping. And do I not there-
fore preach Him when I truly preach the Sabbath? Ah! This Sabbath
truth is among the grandest, of all the grand things brought to view
in the word of God!"
"Amen," called out Harold Wilson, who, by special invitation of Captain
Mann, was present; and all eyes turned his way.
Captain Mann was visibly affected. He recognized a witnessing voice
that was speaking in his soul. It was the voice of truth, which he could
not reject.
Dr. Spaulding and Mr. Gregory quietly waited until Mr. Anderson had
offered a short prayer, then they left.
"Spaulding, what did you think of that?" asked Mr. Gregory when they
were alone.
__________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment twenty-seven

At the end of our previous entry Mr. Anderson was asked if God rested
because He was tired. Here is Mr. Anderson's response:
__________________________________________________
Installment Twenty-Seven:

"The Sabbath was not originated nor given to man because of weariness
on the part of either God or man. Of the creator, it is written that He
'fainteth not, neither is weary' (Isaiah 40:28); and man, who was 'in His
image,' knew nothing of physical deterioration and decay until after the
seeds of sin had been sown. If sin had never entered the world, there
would have been no such things as tired nerves or tired muscles, no
breaking down of the tissues of life, no sickness, no death. Therefore,
as the Sabbath was given before the Fall, its great and primary purpose
was not that man should merely cease from his regular employment,
but that he should enjoy the same 'rest' the maker enjoyed.
Keep this in mind, dear friends, for it is vital to an understanding of the
whole matter. He who sees in Sabbath keeping nothing more than the
laying aside of his secular labor for a certain twenty-four hours, and the
enjoyment of the privileges of rest, change, and church-going, has not
yet found the secret of the Sabbath as it was given to mankind.
As we have just read, God never wearies. He is the great I AM, the self-
existent One, who inhabits eternity, with whom years are not. Yet we
read that He rested. More than this, the Bible tells us that 'He rested
and was refreshed.' Exodus 31:17. His was the rest of a divine joy in
beholding the perfection of His wonderful handiwork and in receiving
from His earth children the love and adoration that sprang from their
quick-pulsing and worshipful hearts. It was the rest of communion,
of reciprocal affection, of heart understanding. And I believe that I
have often found, in my Sabbath keeping, a little fragment of the
restful joy and the joyful rest of that first Eden day when God rested
and worshiped with man. It is this beautiful experience that I wish you
all to know."
There were some who dared to say "Amen" and many present found
their hearts strangely stirred by the minister's words.
"But let me continue," he said. "That the blessedness of the first Sabbath
might be perpetuated, that its experiences might be multiplied and
known eternally by all who live upon earth, God arranged that each
succeeding Sabbath should be a repetition of the first. The record is,
'God blessed the seventh-day and sanctified it' - a statement which
carries in it the very fullness of divine purpose, divine power, divine
presence and wisdom.
Please note, first, that the Bible text speaks of the seventh day; second,
that it declares this day is 'sanctified' -that is set apart or appointed to
holy or sacred use. It is the seventh day, not a seventh part of time."
"May I ask, brother," said Mr. Gregory...
_________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment twenty-six

On our previous entry we left Mr. Anderson in the middle of his defense
of the Sabbath. He was arguing that no one is saved by works, but a truly
converted Christian is moved to keep the law out of conviction.
____________________________________________________
Installment twenty-six:

"Mr. Anderson," said one of the San Francisco women, "you don't believe,
then, that people must keep the law as a means of salvation?"
"No, madam; Jesus Christ alone, by our faith in Him, cleanses and saves.
Then he lives in our hearts. As soon as we have received Him into our lives
we see fulfilled in us all the glorious things that the law ordains. Romans 8:
3-4. Faith establishes the law in our hearts as the law of our life. Romans
3:31."
"Well, Mr. Anderson, I want to acknowledge that as a beautiful truth. I see
it plainly," said the woman. "But may I ask if you really find the Sabbath a
blessing -that is, the seventh-day Sabbath? You probably know that we
have been thought it is Jewish, a matter of bondage, a yoke which no one
can wear with pleasure."
"This reminds me," said Mr. Anderson, "of one of the questions I have in
hand here. It reads, 'Why do you not preach Christ instead of so much
Sabbath? Is not the preaching of Christ the all-important thing?'
"Perhaps I may answer the two questions together.
"I wonder if we actually understand the expressions: 'preaching the Sabbath'
and 'preaching Christ.' What is the Sabbath? Who is Christ?
"To determine the character of the Sabbath, it is necessary to look back to
the beginnings of time, to those days before sin came. There we find God's
perfect plan. There we see what should have been always, and what will be
when the reign of sin is ended.
"The story is that God's work was completed, and all was 'very good.' 'The
heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.' Then God
rested. 'He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had
made.' Genesis 2:2. In the paradise home, the great author of life kept
Sabbath with the two beautiful beings who were to have dominion over
the earth. And while His created beings kept Sabbath, the heavenly
chorus 'sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.' Job 38:7.
Surely that first Sabbath must have been a delightful day, and its
service glorious beyond description."
"But, my brother," interrupted Dr. Spaulding, "you would not have this
people believe that God was tired, would you?"
"No, and I was intending to cover that point. Let me do so now."

_________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment twenty-five

Our last entry stopped with Mr. Severance scheduling a meeting for the
next day to allow Mr. Anderson to present a defense of the Sabbath.
__________________________________________________
Installment twenty-five:

"He doesn't look much like a Christ killer, does he? whispered one woman
to another when Mr. Anderson arrived at the appointed hour the next day.
"Well," replied her friend, "maybe he isn't a Jew; but I've been told since
leaving San Francisco, that he really doesn't believe in Christ. He teaches,
so I'm informed by one of the ministers, that we are to be saved by keeping
the law rather than by faith in Jesus, and I think that is terrible."
Mr. Anderson smilingly greeted his fellow travelers, assured them that he
assumed no superior wisdom, asked them all to be free to contribute their
thoughts. Laying Harold Wilson's marked Bible before him, he begged that
all joined him in asking God's spirit to rest upon their interview and that
light might come to all.
What a beautiful, simple prayer he offered!
"My," exclaimed the woman who had just spoken of his supposedly wrong
views :That doesn't sound as I expected. Why, he prays like a Christian!
Isn't it strange that one minister should get such a wrong opinion of another?"
"I find," said Mr. Anderson, "that a number of questions have been written
and already passed in, and perhaps I ought to notice these first. Do you
agree?"
Evidently Dr. Spaulding was somewhat fearful, though without reason,
that some scheme had been devised to shut out free, open questioning.
He took occasion to suggest that while the written questions were ok,
he'd like to have a chance to introduce at least a few verbal questions
of his own first.
Mr. Anderson readily agreed, knowing that courtesy is a principle of
the Golden Rule, which he sought always to follow.
Dr. Spaulding was therefore permitted to have a free hand.
"Do you believe," he began, "that Sabbath keeping is one of the works
of the law?"
"Certainly, it is."
"Do you believe that Sabbath keeping should be regarded as essential
to the Christian service under the Gospel?"
"Most assuredly."
"Very good, brother, now let me read Paul's words to the Christians
of Galatia: Gal: 2:16-21: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the
works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of
Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law
shall no flesh be justified. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if
righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.'
"Now if Sabbath keeping is one of the works mentioned, then it
frustrates the grace of God, and declares that Christ died in vain.
Isn't that so?"
"Sabbath keeping," said Mr. Anderson, "is indeed a work of the law,
just as any other good deed is also a work. But no one can ever find
salvation by performing good works. Christianity knows no such
thing as salvation by works. No one can become righteous by any
deed of his, however great or good it may seem. This is said over
and over again in Romans and Galatians.
But doing good to be saved, or, as Paul writes, to be justified, or
made righteous, is altogether different from doing good when one
has been saved through faith.
Works may never truly precede faith and justification, but they
certainly follow. This must be true; because before one has found
deliverance from sin through faith, it is impossible to do good.
The carnal man with a carnal mind cannot obey a spiritual law.
Romans 8:7. But after sin has been forgiven and the law of the
Lord is written in the heart, then all the works of the law appear
as naturally as leaves on a tree. In an unconverted life, the works
of the law are only dead form. In a converted life, they are the
living fruits of the Spirit.
Sabbath keeping therefore would only be a useless theory to a
person who is not born again, yet one of the covenant experiences
to him who has Jesus in the heart."
_____________________________________________
To be continued....

Installment twenty-four

At the end of our previous entry, Mr. Severance had just finished giving
his illutration of how the date line works.
___________________________________________________
Installment Twenty-four:

"Say, captain, who fixed up this date line scheme? And say, was it agreed
to peacefully?" The speaker was a rough-and-ready man from the Western
plains, as jovial as he was rough.
"Our friend has suggested a good thought, captain, so please tell us some-
thing of the date line history," said Mr. Severance.
"The date line is a natural result of the order of the peopling of the earth.
Taking my Bible, I discover that the cradle of the human family, after the
Deluge, was in the valley of the Euphrates, in the Eastern Hemisphere. From
that point people went eastwards and westwards to the fartest parts of
Europe and Asia, and centuries later, still farther west across the Western
Hemisphere. The day originally known in the Euphrates Valley was carried
unchanged both east and west, the only difference being that as they went
east, they began it earlier, while as they went west they began it later.
The truth of this is easily seen from the fact that a man may begin a journey
from China, and travel westward to San Francisco, and all the way around
will find his computation in perfect agreement with the time of the places
through which he passes. In other words, he is following the natural route
of the day and needs to make no change. If, however, he goes east from China
to San Francisco, he passes the natural starting point and likewise the finishing
point of the day, and must adjust himself to what he finds."
"Doesn't bother you at all about keeping Sunday, captain,?" asked the friend who
sat near him.
"Not in the least, sir," was the reply. "It aids me in my keeping of Sunday, as it
aids everyone who is seeking to obey God's commandments."
"Say, captain , I'm not a Christian, and don't keep any day, you see; but ever since
I was a boy, I have wondered about this Sabbath matter, which the preachers
were arguing yesterday," one of the listeners said. "I can understand about the
date line now, but I want to know if you honestly think people keep God's
commandment when they keep Sunday. Is Sunday the seventh day of the week?
I could almost believe it is, if you would tell me so. What do you say, captain?"
The simplicity and sincerity of the questioner awakened in the captain a great
desire to confess what he was rapidly coming to see; namely, that the fourth
commandment was not fulfilled in the observance of Sunday. But just as the
truth was about to escape his lips, he checked himself. Perhaps the time was
not right, he thought. Now with a gracious smile, he said:
"Let us refer the theological questions, my dear sir, to the clergy. They will
gladly help with such matters."
Harold Wilson, who was standing near Mr. Severance, whispered a word in
the merchant's ear.
Mr. Severance was a large hearted, liberal-minded man, and acting upon
Harold's suggestions, he arose and said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have with us on our vessel a Christian gentleman,
one of deep learning and piety, and to my mind, an authority on the question
of the Sabbath. I have heard him preach and I feel compentent to judge his
ability. I believe we could do no better than to invite Mr. Anderson to give us
the privilege of hearing from him in reply to the question we have just heard.
All in favor please raise your hand."
There was an almost unanimous response, though it was noticed that Dr.
Spaulding did not vote.
It was arranged that Mr. Anderson should meet his fellow passengers the
next day at the same hour.
Mr. Severance created much interest in the meeting of the next day by
suggesting that the other clergymen aboard the vessel be present at the
service and interrogate the speaker, and thus bring out all phases of the
subject.
______________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment twenty-three

Captain Mann has been sharing with the crowd an old article about
the date line. Now he continues with another example from the article.
____________________________________________________
Installment twenty-three:

"A common illustration, which may be observed almost any day, may serve
to make it a little clearer to some. Think of a freight train a quarter of a mile
in length. It starts and moves along slowly the distance of its own length, or
a quarter of a mile, bringing the rear of the train when it stops, to the same
place where the head of the train was when it first started. Suppose now that
a brakeman started from the rear of the train, when the train started, and
walk along the cars toward the front, his rate of motion being the same as
that of the train itself. When the train stops, he has reached the head of the
train. The train has carried him a quarter of a mile and he has walked another
quarter on his won. So now he is half a mile from where he started. But now
suppose another brakeman, when the train begins to move, starts from the
head of the train, and walks toward the rear at the same rate of motion. When
the train stops, he has reached the rear, but his motion was being opposite to
that of the train, has just balanced , or canceled for him, the motion of the
train; so he finds himself, in space or compared with surrounding objects,
just where he was when the train started. So brakeman number one who
walked a quarter of a mile actually advanced a half mile distance, but the
second brakeman, who also walked a quarter of a mile, has advanced no
distance at all because the train was moving in the opposite direction. The
same principle applies to the earth's motion and those who are traveling
around the globe. One going eastward adds a day to his reckoning, while
one going around westward loses a day out of his count."
Mr. Severance, the merchant, now asked for the privilege of supplementing
Captain Mann's extract by one which he had preserved. He read as follows:
"The reason for adding or dropping a day at the date line will become
apparent upon brief examination. It is always sunset at some point on the
earth. In the same manner, it is always sunrise, and noon, and midnight at
other points at the same time. Let us imagine that we could travel around
the earth as rapidly as the earth revolves upon its axis, and we start out
from London at sunrise on Tuesday morning and travel west. It would
remain sunrise of the same day with us all the time. Yet when we come
to London again we should have to call it the next day; for those who
remained there would have had noon, sunset, midnight and now would
have their second morning, which would be Wednesday. Therefore we
must change our reckoning so that at that instant, in any place east of
London, we would call it Tuesday morning; but at any point west of that
line, it would be Wednesday. That would be the place where the day would
change, but for convenience, men have chosen a line that passes through
no habitable country, and have fixed that point as a place where the day
would change.
By this arrangement, each day is measured off by one revolution of the
earth; and when it is finished, it is discharged from the calendar, and a
new one takes its place at this point. Hence, wherever we may be on the
face of the earth, the day comes to us with its full measure of twenty-
four hours, and then is succeeded by another of exactly equal length. It
is true that by our traveling east or west, the length of day may to us be
varied; but at the date line, these variations are all rectified. In circum-
navigating the globe, we find that we have done so without disarranging
our calendar.."
__________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment twenty-two

At the end of our previous installment, Captain Mann was in the middle of
explaining the workings of the date line.
____________________________________________________
Installment Twenty-two:

"You all see how ludicrous the matter appears when analyzed but a little.
The truth is, the whole question is one not of gaining or losing time, but
of computation.
"I carry with me," said the captain, "an extract from an article on the date
line which I found many years ago. I will read it with your permission. It
states the whole proposition more clearly than any word of mine could
possibly do. Here it is:
'The revolutions of the earth itself, as measured at fixed localities, are
what measure and number the days, not the revolutions that may be
indicated in the diary of a traveler. A person traveling east or west around
the world puts himself at variance with the numerical order of its
revolutions as computed at any fixed point; and the variance must be
corrected. That is the question involved in keeping a definite and identical
day on a round earth. Attending to this one point, a person need never
lose the definite day. To illustrate: Let us suppose a man to start from
point 'A' and travel eastward. Suppose he is able to fly around the world
and come back to his starting point in ten days. Every day, of course, he
is carried around by the revolution of the earth. But traveling, as he is,
with the earth, from west to east, each day he gains upon the earth one
tenth of its circumference. So in ten days, he would gain ten tenths, or a
whole circumference. So when he arrives at 'A' he finds that those who
have remained there have marked ten revolutions of the earth, and have
had ten days of time. But the earth has taken him around as many times
as it has them; and it addition to that, he has passed around once himself,
which is the same as another revolution for him, making eleven, and giving
him, according to his calendar, as he kept it from day to day, eleven days
instead of ten. What shall he do with that extra day? Drop it from the count.
Why? Because he knows that the earth itself has made only ten revolutions
as marked at point 'A' and the revolution of the earth itself is what marks
the day; not the times one individual goes around it. The individual must
make his count correspond to that of the earth wherever he is.
If the person goes around westward, this process is simply reversed. If he
travels at the same rate, his journey each day cancels one tenth of the
revolution of the earth as far as his count is concerned. In ten days he would
lose one whole revolution and would find, when coming to point 'A', that his
calendar shows only nine days instead of ten. What should he do? Add into
his account that lost day. Why? Because he knows that the earth has made
ten revolutions. Although he has been around the earth once, it has been
in such a direction as to apparently cancel one of its revolutions, and take
it out of the count. Instead of adding one, as in the other case, now he must
add to it to be in harmony with the real condition of things.
___________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment twenty-one

When our last installment ended, Captain Mann was being summoned to
intervene in the discussion about the date line.
___________________________________________________
Installment twenty-one:

"This is Dr. Spaulding's hour," the captain began, "and with his permission,
I will consent to make a few observations regarding the date line."
Dr. Spaulding smiled faintly, and in a somewhat hesitating manner he
seemed to give consent. The entire situation had proved a great disapoint-
ment to him. Now he was really obliged to give place without having made
any substantial gain.
As Captain Mann arose, a happy thought seemed to strike him, and he
smilingly suggested a round table, or question box, so everyone might
have opportunity to bring out any phase of the question not clear to them.
The question box idea prevailed.
"Before the questions are proposed," said the captain, "allow me this brief
word: The date line is one of the simple problems in life, so simple in fact,
that I have often explained it without difficulty to children. Instead of its
being a matter for confusing minds and causing a loss in the count of days
of the week, it is the one thing that prevents any and all disturbances in
our reckoning. It is a great, wonderful world regulator, preserving to all
nations of the earth the identity of our days."
"Do you mean to say, captain, that the fact that the world is a globe makes
no difference?" asked a woman missionary from Ohio.
"That is the thought, madam. It matters not whether one is at the poles
or at the equator, whether traveling by sea or by land, whether going
east or west, the day is an absolutely fixed quantity of time, and may be
scientifically and accurately known at any place on the earth's surface."
"Well, I have heard it say over and over," stated a simple but well-
meaning man seated near the captain, "that time is really lost or gained
- that going in one direction you lose; while in the other you gain. How
could preachers say that if it isn't so?"
"I cannot answer your question as to why preachers have taught you
what you say, but let me say to you and to all, that there is no such
thing as gaining or losing time. The expression is unscientific and it
indicates something that is only apparent, not real.'
"Let me illustrate: a set of twins start the journey from New York to
go around the world. One goes eastward, the other westward. They
finally come together again in New York, after a lapse of several
months; but he who went eastward finds himself exactly the same age
as his brother who traveled in the opposite direction. They compare
figures, and find that it took each of them the same number of days,
hours and minutes to make the trip, though one added a day and the
other dropped a day."
"Now, if it is actually true that one gained and the other lost a day,
there must have been two day's difference in their ages at the end."
A ripple of laughter went through the audience. "And if they had
repeated the process a sufficient number of times, eventually one
would be old enough to be the other's father." At this the listeners
laughed even louder.
_______________________________________________
To be continued....

Installment Twenty

Our previous installment left Dr. Spaulding under strong pressure to
produce real answers to the Sabbath question.
____________________________________________________
Installment Twenty:

Everybody present now realized the hopelessness of Dr. Sapulding's
position. While they shared the judge's desire for fair play, they in-
wardly wished for something to happen that would relieve the man
of his embarrassment. Providentially, something did "happen."
"Dr. Spaulding, may I interrupt to ask if you can give us some light
on the subject of the date line. Tonight we must drop a day from our
reckoning. Tomorrow, therefore, instead of having a Tuesday, we
shall have a Wednesday. What effect, as you understand it, does
this change have upon the matter of a definite day of the week as
Sabbath?"
The questioner was Mr. Severance, A San Francisco merchant who
had often made the trans-Pacific trip and who was therefore fully
informed regarding the problem of the date line.
Dr. Spaulding quickly brightened at the mention of the date line
and smilingly consented to give his opinion. In fact, he was making
an effort to reach this particular point when interrogated by the
judge.
"I am glad you introduce this question, sir. I will venture a brief
statement.
I suppose all are aware that in crossing the Pacific Ocean east or
west, a day must be added or dropped. Going west we are obliged
to skip a day; and going east, to repeat a day. For instance, tonight
we shall retire during the hours of Monday, and tomorrow morning
we shall wake up to find that we are passing through the hours of
Wednesday. We shall have no Tuesday at all.
Now, suppose I ardently believe in the absolute sacredness of Saturday.
I am going to the Philippines. I reach the date line Friday evening and
begin to keep my Sabbath. Then I retire with a worshipful spirit,
anticipating the joys of the holy time for the morning. I wake up. It's
morning, but lo; instead of Saturday, my good captain tells me it's
Sunday!
Then I become confused. The thing bewilders me. I thought my theory
correct, but find it incorrect. The fourth commandment, I discover,
doesn't fit a big, round world. My Sabbath slipped away from me
without even so much as a farewell. If I keep any day at all, I have
to keep Sunday.
I think you will all agree with me that, I will come to the conclusion
that God never meant that seventh day for me, at least while crossing
the Pacific; for when I tried to keep it, I could not."
"May I ask a question?" said Mr. Severance.
"Certainly," replied the minister.
"I observe Sunday and live in San Francisco. Do you believe I really
can keep Sunday in that city?"
"Yes, because in San Francisco the days come to you regularly."
"Would it be possible for me to have my Sunday in Tokyo?"
"Certainly," was Dr. Spaulding's response, "and for the same reason."
"Now, Dr. Spaulding, you say the day travels. It must then have some
place at which it begins its journey. And, likewise, someplace at which
it ends its journey. What place is that? If you are willing to yield the
floor for a time, I'd like to have a few words from our captain."
"Captain Mann! Captain Mann! came the call from all directions. All
eyes were turned on him.
_______________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment nineteen

At the end of our previous entry, the three ministers had settled on a plan
to try to sidetrack the Sabbath issue to avoid a confrontation with Mr.
Anderson.
__________________________________________________
Installment nineteen:

There was no lack of interest or attendance when the appointed time came.
It was generaly understood that Dr. Spaulding would attack the Sabbath
question "without gloves." So naturally the interest centered on Mr.
Anderson. It seemed inconceivable that he would allow Dr. Spaulding's
statements to go unchallenged. Mr. Anderson, however, sat in a somewhat
secluded position, evidently having no purpose to enter into controversy.
To him, debate was painful and he avoided it whenever possible.
"My Christian friends," began Dr. Spaulding, "I am profoundly convinced
that many questions relative to our various beliefs can never be fully and
satisfactory settled. In fact, I believe it's not the plan of God that they
should be. No one can know absolutely that he is right. All doctrines are
relative. Truth today may be error tomorrow.
The question of the Sabbath is one of the unsettled points of faith. One
denomination holds one position, another holds another. Muslims observe
Friday; Jews Saturday, and the Christian world as a whole Sunday."
"Pardon me, Dr. Spaulding," (the speaker was a scholarly-looking judge
of nearly seventy winters, who sat directly in front of the minister), "but
do you really mean to have us believe that you think it doesn't matter
whether we keep Friday or Sunday, provided we have the right spirit?"
Did I not hear you say yesterday that if anyone should keep the seventh
day he would be 'almost a Christ killer'? You certainly led us to the
conclusion that a great deal of importance is attached to the matter of
which day we observe. You also said yesterday that today you would
show that the 'seventh day business,' as you termed it, 'is a pretty
small affair.' "
Dr. Spaulding hesitated and was evidently confused. His well-planned
diversion was failing. With difficulty, however, he attempted to proceed.
"Before the interruption I was about to say that..."
"But doctor, I insist on an answer. I have good reason for so doing, as you
ought to know. Are you now repudiating the doctrine which only yesterday
you were endorsing?"
___________________________________________________
To be continued....

Installment eighteen

On our previous installment the three ministers were debating a strategy
to argue against the observance of the Sabbath on a Saturday. They were
having a very hard time agreeing on anything.
____________________________________________________
Installment eighteen:

"But, my dear friend," Dr. Spaulding very earnestly responded, "if you
take that position, you will certainly have to surrender our custom of
Sunday worship; for there is absolutely no doubt that Saturday is the
seventh day of the week and therefore the day to be kept according
to the commandment. The only way to avoid the seventh day is to be
freed from the commandment itself."
"You are hitting pretty hard, my brother," said Mr. Gregory warmly,
"and I am not sure that you are not doing me a bit of injustice. You
forget, I think, that more than once the calendar has been changed,
and that days have been added or dropped to make adjustments."
"Very true, good friend, but you are surely not so ignorant (pardon
my plainness) as to suppose that changes of calendar affected the
order of the days of the week. The weekly cycle has never been
altered. The Gregorian calendar of A.D. 1582 dropped out ten days;
and Thursday, October 4, was followed immediately by Friday,
October 15. Russia still followed the old style of reckoning until 1918;
but her days of the week were the same as ours.
Our week, with its seventh day, has come to us without change since
time immemorial. I was reading yesterday that of 160 ancient and
modern languages and dialects, 108 actually know the seventh day by
the name Sabbath or its equivalent. The writer stated that all of them
bear testimony to the identity and order of the days of the ancient
and modern week. He also added that the testimony presented is
equally positive that the order of the days of the week is the same now
as from the beginning of nations. To my mind, this is incontrovertible
evidence. A Sunday Sabbath is impossible."
Then Mr. Mitchell entered into the conversation: "You will surely
agree with me now that my suggestion made at the beginning of our
interview has at least in it a measure of good judgement. I repeat
that the situation is embarrassing. I advise that Dr. Spaulding make
an effort to sidetrack the main question and introduce some minor
feature tomorrow. To carry these controverted points before any
intelligent audience, and especially before Mr. Anderson is simply
to invite a theological catastrophe."
With this counsel adopted as the basis for the work of the next day,
the brethren separated.
______________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment seventeen

Our previous installment was dedicated entirely to a
discussion between Mr. Anderson and Mr. Spaulding
about the merits of Sabbath keeping. A rematch was
scheduled for the following day.
_____________________________________
Installment Seventeen:

Human nature enjoys a fray; and as the word was passed
around among the passengers that Dr. Spaulding intended
to take the theological warpath, a buzz of excitement was
at once created, and here and there little groups could be
seen discussing what might happen the next day.
Captain Mann wore a smiling face and maintained a
strictly neutral air, but inwardly he was sharing the
spirit of intensity which seemed to have taken possession
of the passengers.
Dr. Spaulding, immediately after his conversation with Mr.
Anderson, in which he had felt his position rudely shaken,
sought out his fellow ministers and invited them to his room
for a consultation.
When Mr. Mitchell learned the purpose of the meeting, he
devoutedly wished himself elsewhere. He distinctly saw
that his brother minister had made a mistake, and that
unless much care and wisdom were exercised, great
embarrassment was sure to follow.
What distressed them most in their planning was that they
seemed utterly unable to agree among themselves. Dr.
Spaulding believed that the Sabbath had been abolished at
the cross. Mr. Mitchell held that it had been changed by the
early church; while Mr. Gregory was bound to teach that
the seventh-day of the fourth commandment should be
observed, but Sunday was the true seventh day.
Seeing the hopelessness of reconciling these divergent and
conflicting views, Mr. Mitchell finally ventured to repeat the
advice he had given captain Mann; namely, that the wise
course to take would be to ignore the question and to
emphasize such points as God's love and the spreading of
the Gospel, so as to make the ordinary inquirer to forget
about the seventh-day issue.
"But, Mitchell, I cannot do that," interposed Dr. Spaulding.
"I have put myself on record and have openly announced
that at two o'clock I will meet all who are interested. I have
to do something."
"Yet, you will find, brother, that if you attempt to show that
the moral law has been abolished, you have brought the
whole question into a tremendous tangle. Why, you can see
that as soon as you claim the abolition of the whole law, just
to get rid of the Sabbath, you have really taken from us the
only standard of righteous living ever given to the world,"
said Mr. Gregory.
"oh no, brother! For we now have the new law, and are under
its jurisdiction," said Dr. Spaulding.
"Well, I have heard that argument over and over," replied Mr.
Gregory, "but always to be convinced more fully of its weakness,
if not of its absurdity. Did not Jesus Christ clearly teach, all
through the Sermon of the Mount, the inviolability of the law?
Just read Matthew 5:17, 18 and onward and you'll see. And did
not Paul, by inspiration, make the decisive statement that faith
establishes the law? See Romans 3:31. Then listen to James,
who actually quotes the sixth and seveth commandments and
shows what law means and, in close connection, directly calls
it 'the Royal Law, ' 'The Law of Liberty,' the law by which men
are finally to be judged. James 2:8-12. Brother, the 'new law' of
which you speak is only the Decalogue made new by the life and
power of Jesus Christ. And that law made new includes the
Sabbath, and no one can escape it. Can't you see that?"

____________________________________________
To be continued.....

Installment Sixteen

On our previous installment, Mr. Anderson was coming to the rescue to
counter arguments that anyone who keeps the Jewish Sabbath is guilty
of killing Christ a second time.
___________________________________________________
Installment fifteen:

Harold Wilson continued relating his story to Captain Mann:
"The first thing Anderson did was to ask Dr. Spaulding why he called it
'Jewish."
"'Because, with all the other commandments of the old law, it was given
to the Jews,' Spaulding replied. 'And that whole code was abolished at the
cross.' "
"That is what I have always understood,'" said the captain, interrupting
Harold's narration.
"But you won't believe it any longer, I think," said Harold, "after you've
heard this story."
"Anderson asked, 'do you believe, then, that today there is no law against
stealing and murder, and that there is no longer an obligation for children
to honor their father and mother?' "
"Dr. Spaulding then said something that did not amount to much, for he
seemed unable to explain; and Anderson inquired: 'What do you preach
to people when you wish them to accept Christ? Do you not tell them
they are sinners? You certainly do; but the moment you say this, you
are denying your theory, for men are sinners only when they have
transgressed the law. Paul says, you know, that 'sin is not imputed
when there is no law.' "
"A crowd began to gather when Anderson was speaking, and Dr.
Spaulding asked to be excused; but we all insisted he ought to help
finish the conversation he had begun, so he stayed.
" 'Now brother,' Anderson said, 'this has always been true. The only
reason why Adam was a sinner was that he transgressed the law.
All through the history of time, there has been sin; which means
that there has also been a law - God's moral law. Therefore all
through the history of time, likewise, there has been a saviour to
redeem man from the Law's condemnation. Law, sin, and Saviour.
These are the three great outstanding facts in Bible history."
"I gave him my Bible to read from, and he surely gave plenty of
Biblical evidence for what he was saying. He read a text for every
statement he made. 1 John 3:4 showed sin to be transgression.
Romans 5:13 showed that there cannot be sin without law.
Romans 5:12 showed that Adam sinned. Revelation 13:8 showed
that Christ has been a saviour from the very first."
The captain picked up his own Bible and read Revelation 13:8;
for it came to him as a text scarcely known before.
"That does say, young man, that Christ was slain from the
foundation of the world, doesn't it? But I do not exactly under-
stand it."
"Well, Anderson explained it by saying that all the time before
Christ came, people had the Gospel, and were saved by faith in
a redeemer to come. He read Galatians 3:8 and John 8:56 to
show that Abraham knew Christ. Then he read Hebrews 11:26
to show that Moses did also. A man couldn't help but see it."
"Then he showed that Christ was the one who gave the Sabbath
in the beginning. That it was Christ who spoke the Ten Command-
ments. And that it was Christ who went with the Israelites through
all their journeys. Of, course, Dr. Sapulding didn't enjoy it at all;
but he had to acknoledge that what was said was true, for it was
all there in the Bible."
"I couldn't help laughing when, at the last, Anderson asked:
'Spaulding, if Christ made the world (and you admit that He
did), ad if it was He who made the Sabbath and gave it to man
(and you admit that, too), and if he spoke the law on Sinai, and
thus gave the Sabbath again, must it not be that the Sabbath
known back then was the Sabbath of Christ, and therefore the
Christian Sabbath? Spaulding blushed and moved in an odd
way, and then we all laughed. But he said: 'yes,' just the same.
He couldn't help it."
"Then before we left, Anderson said: 'Friends, I am sure you
can all see that the term 'Jewish Sabbath' is an expression
which Christians should not use any more than they should
say the 'Jewish Law of God.' Both the Law and the Sabbath,
which is a part of it, were given at the very beginning 2,500
years before the Jewish nation even existed. The Sabbath
was given to the whole human race; or, as Jesus said, 'The
Sabbath was made for man.' Mark 2:27"
"Dr. Spaulding was upset when we scattered, and he said to
us: 'This has been a kind of one-sided discussion today; but
if any of you want to study this further, come here tomorrow
at two o'clock, and I will show you a few things. You will then
see that this seventh-day business is a pretty small affair."
__________________________________________
To be continued.....

Installment fifteen

On our last entry we saw Captain Mann having a frank talk with Mr.
Mitchell regarding the Sabbath.
_______________________________________________
Installment Fifteen:

Apparently Mr. Mitchell was not disposed to take the Captain's earnest
and logical remarks very seriously, and they were not allowed to banish
his accostumed smile. When the captain had finished, the minister only
said: "Well, you are my superior in argument, and I must attempt no
reply. You may rest assured, though, that if you stand by your reasoning,
you will be obliged to keep the Jewish Sabbath."
At this point Mr. Mitchell found it necessary to be excused and, with a
cheerful 'so long,' he made his exit. The truth of the matter was he felt
himself distinctly embarrassed and wished to avoid further probing at
the captain's hands.
As the minister withdrew, Harold Wilson made a brief call to inform the
captain that since they had talked the day before, he had found "a lot of
new things."
"Have you been talking to Mr. Anderson, young man," the captain inquired.
"No, but I have been reading my Bible and talking to people I have met.
And, captain, this Sabbath question is a mighty interesting subject. Every-
one wants to know about it. Did you know that there are three other
preachers aboard?"
The captain well knew this, but his experience with Mr. Mitchell had
somewhat discouraged him.
"one of those preachers, Dr. Spaulding, is a great talker, captain. When
he heard me talking to some of the men, he acted as though he had some
bad blood. Why, he almost jumped at me and said that anyone who kept
the old Jewish Sabbath was 'almost a Christ killer,' if you know what that
means. Well, I didn't know at first what to say, so I let him talk on until
I got my breath. Then I asked him what he meant by the 'Jewish
Sabbath.' I said, do you mean the Sabbath of the fourth commandment?"
"Yes, sir," he said. "That's exactly what I mean. The Ten Commandments
were given to the Jews; and when Christ came and died, they were all
nailed to the cross. The Sabbath lived and died with that Christless
nation."
"Just then Mr. Anderson came along and I couldn't help asking him
what he thought. You see, I had never heard about a Jewish Sabbath
or, in fact, any other particular kind of Sabbath, so I wanted to have
the preachers make it clear."
_____________________________________________
To be continued....

Installment fourteen

On our last entry we left Captain Mann determined to have a talk with
Mr. Mitchell again to clarify many unanswered questions.
___________________________________________________
Installment fourteen:

It was no idle resolution which Captain Mann formed when he determined
to go again to Mr. Mitchell to get to the bottom of some of the matters that
were troubling him.
Captain Mann was a very busy fellow with a huge ship and thousands of
passengers and crew members under his care, nevertheless, Captain Mann
was concerned about his passengers and crew, and many a soul was blessed
by his kind concern. Never before, however, had he been so stirred by any
question, personal or otherwise, as by this which had arisen over the
experience of Harold Wilson. At every hour of the day it pressed in upon
his mind, and he sought every opportunity to investigate and pray about
it. In fact, it had brought a crisis to his life.
For many years he had set aside as sacred a small portion of each day for
Bible reading and prayer. The next afternoon, the hour for personal
devotion having come, as he was about to enter his stateroom, he met Mr.
Mitchell. This was the time, he reasoned, to carry out his purpose; and
the two were soon seated and engaged in conversation.
"Mr. Mitchell," said the captain, "do you believe in the binding moral
obligation of the Ten Commandments?"
"Yes, Captain, I most certainly do."
"Do you endorse the idea that the Bible as a whole is the authoritative
word of God, given by inspiration as our guide?"

"Most assuredly. There is no other safe position to take. No man who
allows himself to discount any portion of that book can meet the attacks
of the atheist or the infidel."
"Pardon me, doctor, but may I ask then, pointedly, how you harmonize
this view with your statement that we had better ignore the question of
the Sabbath and go on quietly keeping Sunday, though admitting there
is no Bible foundation for doing so? It seems to me you play fast and loose."

"Well, captain, when I say that I believe in the binding moral obligations
of the Ten Commandments, I must except the fourth, for this is not moral
in the same sense as are the other nine. The claims of the Sabbath
commandment are satisfied just as fully by setting aside the first day of
the week just as the seventh. The time feature of the fourth commandment
is not exactly moral."

"Mitchell," said the captain very earnestly, "do you mean to tell me that
concrete terms such as 'The seventh-day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy
God: in it thou shalt not do any work,' are not necessarily moral? Has
God no power to incorporate moral principle in the specific and limiting
word 'seventh'? "Let me illustrate my point. I have under me a large
force of men manning this vessel. For the safety of all aboard, I am
required to hold frequent fire drills, and I issue orders to the engineer
to blow the fire whistle at twelve o'clock sharp Tuesday noon. Having
done this, I arrange all my plans accordingly, making everything fit
into a particular minute. Supremely important is that minute to me,
to my crew, to my passengers, and to my company. And that engineer
is under solemn contract to carry out my instructions, whether or not
my reasons are known or understood. In such case, you are bound to
admit that a moral obligation is binding upon an inferior to obey his
superior. You could not even hint that the engineer or anyone else may
reasonably decide that some other minute will fulfill my purpose. The
fourth commandment is the commandment, of all the ten, most vitally
charged with a moral principle, because of its specific time element.
You see, men differ over such matters as to what constitutes a lie, or
what is comprehended in hatred, or what is profanity; but they simply
cannot argue over the meaning of such term as 'seventh.' Why, Mitchell,
I was taught this by my mother; and all my life I have found in the
Sabbath comandment my strong fortress of absolute integrity. It has
been righteousness expressed in figures; and figures are not very often
found lying. Of course I have always believed that when Jesus came He
changed the day of rest from the seventh to the first. This did not trouble
me, for I believed that He who set apart the seventh day in olden time as
a day of worship and rest, had a right to sanctify and bless the first day of
the week in later time, just as I would have a rigth to change an appoinment
from noon on Tuesday to noon on Wednesday. But you are the first to tell
me that no moral value attaches to the matter of time. You are the first
minister to put forth the idea that the fourth commandment is an exception,
and that in a sense is unmoral. The whole Bible is inspired, yet you permit
your human reasoningto nullify a portion of the only words directly spoken
by God himself to the human ear. Again I beg your pardon, but let me
suggest this query: If, as you say, the Bible is the authoritative word of
God; if the Ten Commandments are unchangeably binding in their moral
claims; if neither Jesus nor His apostles made a change in the day of the
Sabbath; if the observance of Sunday rests only on early custom - if all
these things be true, then are you and I not under solemn covenant
obligation to keep the fourth commandment? Mitchell, I did not accept
your counsel of yesterday; and when I met the young man last evening,
I was constrained to acknowledge myself mistaken. No man who recognizes
that his soul is at stake in this great life game will ever knowingly do evil
that good may come. I am still hoping to get hold of evidence that at the
cross a new era was introduced, and that since that time the followers of
Christ, under the new covenant, are to honor 'the Lord's day,' the day of
the resurrection. But mark this: If I find that in this, too, I have been
mistaken, and that the Bible is silent concerning a change of the time of
the Sabbath, I shall gladly and with all my heart take up my cross anew
and keep the Sabbath."
___________________________________________
To be continued....

Installment thirteen

Yesterday we saw Captain Mann hit a dead end in his efforts to try to
find Biblical texts mentioning Sunday.
___________________________________________________
Meanwhile Harold Wilson was busy finding some very interesting
material regarding the origin of Sunday observance, though it did
not mean as much to him at the time as it did later. His spiritual
eyes were only beginning to open, and he saw but little, but he was
blessed by what he did see and was getting anxious to meet with
the captain to hear what he had to say.
Mr. Anderson smiled to think what the captain had set out to do.
Thousands of equally honest and devout men had attempted the
same thing before, but only to find and obey the truth, or else
plunge deeply into willing ignorance and dishonest opposition.
He was much interested to hear what Captain Mann would say.
The captain was ill at ease, indeed, for not only had he been
rudely awakened to the fact that he had long believed something
that simply wasn't true. Moreover, he had been counseled by an
ambassador of Christ to practice what seemed to him a kind of
dishonesty. He had always prized his own sincerity; and he would
continue to do so. This was his decision: He would meet Harold
Wilson, and acknowledge that there was no mention of Sunday
in the Bible. Further thatn this he could not see; for he still
believed , notwithstanding the minister, that Sunday was sacred.

Harold came with his Bible in hand, with leaflets in his pockets,
with the beginnings of truth in his soul. He seated himself with
an air of expectancy.
"Young man," the captain came at once to the point, --"I want
to tell you right from the start that I have been mistaken with
regards to Sunday being metioned in the Bible. It isn't there.
The first day of the week is spoken of a great many times; and
this is what I had in mind. So I acknowledge my error. But my
mistake does not alter the fact that the Lord Jesus changed
the day, and that His apostles afterward looked upon the first
day of the week, the day of the resurrection, as the Lord's day,
and held their meetings on that day."
"How many times, captain, do you think the first day is
mentioned?"
"Oh, a great many times, I suppose. Of course I cannot give
the exact number."
Harold pulled from his pocket a small leaflet and proceeded
to read from it.
"This shows that it is mentioned only eight times and that it
is never spoken of as sacred. Maybe this isn't true; but it
gives the references, and asks us to look them up. Here they
are: Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2,9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19;
Acts 20:7 and First Corinthians 16:2. Suppose we read them,
captain."
One by one the eight passages were found and read. "Now,
captain, you are acquainted with the Bible, and I am not. You
must therefore let me ask a few questions. So will you please
tell me which of these references show that the first day of the
week took the place of the seventh as the Sabbath day?"
Captain Mann pointed to the meeting of the apostles on the
resurrection day; for it says (Luke 24:36) that Jesus stood
in the midst of them, and said "Peace be unto you." At this
time He breathed upon them the Holy Ghost, and sent them
forth to preach that He was risen. Do you not think this is a
reasonable explanation?"
"That sounds all right, captain; but here is something you
overlooked." Again Harold referred to the leaflet. "I see
here that when the disciples met that night they were having
their supper (Mark 16:14); and when Jesus came, they gave
him some broiled fish and some honeycomb (Luke 24:42).
They had the doors barred for fear of the Jews (John 20:19).
They did not believe he was risen; for when he appeared to
them, they were terrified, thinking they saw a spirit (Luke
24:37). And then Christ reproved them because they believed
not (Mark 16:14) and only said 'peace be unto you' to calm
their fears. Besides all this, Thomas didn't believe in the
resurrection until a number of days later (John 20:24-27).
"Captain, they couldn't have been celebrating the resurrection
when they didn't believe in it, could they? "
"Young man, where did you get all this? I never heard this
things before, but I must say you seem to be right. I have to
be honest. There is another text, though," he continued, "which
clearly teaches the believers in the apostles' time observed the
first day of the week. Look at Acts 20 again. Here it plainly
states that they met on the first day of the week to break bread."
Again the young convert turned to the leaflet in his hand, and then
he said: "Captain, that meeting must have been on a Saturday night,
for it was on the dark part of the first day of the week, and the dark
part of the day comes first. Genesis 1:5, 8, etc. Paul preached until
midnight because he was going to Assos the next morning. Acts 20:7.
Then he ate his supper (verse 11), talked on until daylight, and then
during the light part of Sunday, walked nineteen miles across the
isthmus to Assos. He surely didn't keep the day as a sacred day.
It rather looks as though it was a special meeting, called at an
unusual time to accommodate Paul, and the breaking of bread
was to satisfy hunger rather than to commemorate the Lord's
death."
At this point the gong sounded for change of watch, and Harold
hastened away to his duty. Captain Mann seemed almost dazed.
The thought of having been wrong in his ideas for so many years
and that a minister of the Gospel had advised him to close his
eyes to admitted errors, was almost too much for him.
"Can it be," he asked himself, "that I am wrong also in other
things? If I could be so entirely out of line concerning those
simple texts regarding the resurrection, then in other matters
not so simple I may be still farther away from the truth. Very
shortly, if God permits, I shall have another talk with Mr.
Mitchell. I intend to get to the bottom of this thing."
__________________________________________
To be continued....

Installment twelve

On our previous entry we left Captain Mann searching for the right texts
to show Harold that Sunday is the correct day of rest.
____________________________________________________
Installment Twelve:

It had been several years since the question of the Sabbath had troubled
Captain Mann. Never, in fact, had he attempted to locate the passages in
which the word "Sunday" occurred. He felt quite certain, though, that
they were in the Gospels and in the story of the resurrection. But after
much careful searching, he did not find what he was after.
"I have probably forgotten the connections," he said to himself as he
turned to his concordance. But even the reference pages, for some reason,
had overlooked the Sunday passages. To be sure, the reference pages did
not profess to give every word in the Bible.
"Sunday. S-u-n-d-a-y. where did I see it?" he said. "The young man will
think it very strange in me to call him in here to do something I cannot do."
Then a happy thought occurred to him. "There is Mr. Mitchell, an old
Orthodox minister. I will ask him, and also get other helpful information."
Mr. Mitchell welcomed the captain to his stateroom, pleased to be honored
by a call from the now famous captain.
"Pardon me, Mr. Mitchell," the captain said, "but I am here to ask a personal
favor. As you may know, we have on board, as a member of my crew, a young
man who has just experienced a remarkable conversion. You may have heard
him mentioned as 'the man with the marked Bible.' He has an interesting
history. We also have aboard, as a passenger, a certain Mr. Anderson, of the
seventh-day people, who seems to have this young man under his influence.
He will sooner or later seek to trouble him over the Sabbath matter. So I am
taking an interest in the case. I have asked the young man to call on me this
evening, and I have promised to show him that Sunday is the true day of
worship. Now, what I wish you to do is to put me in touch with all the texts
in which Sunday is mentioned."
Was it a smile, a frown, or a look of disappointment and chagrin that stole
over Mr. Mitchell's face as he heard the captain's request? Whatever it was,
it did not express pleasure.
"Captain," said he, "there are no such texts. You will have to acknowledge
that the word Sunday is not between the two lids of the Book of God."
"But, Mr. Mitchell, I could almost take an oath that I have seen it and
read it."
"Not in the Bible, captain. You will find mention a few times of the first
day of the week, but not of Sunday; and even the first day of the week
is not spoken of as being sacred. You have undertaken a difficult task in
attempting to show reasons for Sunday keeping from the Scriptures."
Though he had lived sixty years, Captain Mann had never heard even
a hint of this which Mr. Mitchell had now so boldly asserted. He was
shocked, if not almost stunned. It could not be true, he reasoned. Was
he himself the deluded one? He hesitated.
Mr. Mitchell was a man of brilliant intellect. For more than thirty years
he had stood before the public, and he was known in both Occident and
Orient as a fearless defender of the church and its work. With infidel,
with atheist, with foe in and out of the church, he had never feared to
battle, and he had not failed to win laurels. However, he had always and
consistently refused to enter into argument with th Sabbatarians, for
he knew the impossibility of making good his case. It was only logical,
therefore, that he addressed the captain as he did and bluntly stated
the truth he knew.
Seeing that the captain had been greatly perturbed by his plain, matter
-of-fact statement, he proceeded to explain why, without a "thus saith
the Lord" he still observed the first day of the week.
"Captain," he continued, "any reliable student of church history will
tell you that there is only one foundation for our practice of Sunday
worship, and that is the custom of the early church. Both Christ and
his apostles, and those immediately associated with them, believed
in and practiced the observance of the seventh-day; the Sabbath of
the Fourth Commandment. Not for several hudred years after Christ
was there any such thing as a sacred regard for Sunday. The change
was brought about gradually, through the influence of churchmen;
but we must not suppose that they had divine sanction for it. It was
simply the outgrowth of a change in the spirit of the times. Over and
over again I have had to tell my friends in private what I have said
to you. And I have said to them what I must now say to you also -
that though the change came about in a way with which we might
not really agree, yet it came, and the only reasonable course for us
is to endorse it and go ahead with God's great church to evangelize
the world. It is too late now to attempt a reformation. And now a
bit of advice: Give the matter a wide berth. The agitation of the
question only creates many embarrassing situations, and gives the
few who still believe in the absolute requirements of the moral law
an opportunity to advance their arguments; which are practically
unanswerable. I think you will readily see my point. Deftly turn the
young man aside with the thought that God is love, that He has led
His church throughout the ages and still leads it. While we may not
be able to explain all, we may safely go ahead with the great work
of preaching Christ, and wait another time to have some of our
queries removed. This usually satisfies, and undoubtedly will in
this case."
"Thank you, doctor," was the captain's response as he politely
withdrew and returned to his stateroom.
____________________________________________
To be continued....