Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

AppendixAs an aid to an understanding of the circumstances which led to thegiving of certain testimonies, the following notes have been preparedby the Trustees of the Ellen G. White Publications.Page 116, “Time to Begin the Sabbath”—For a period of about tenyears Sabbathkeeping Adventists observed the Sabbath from 6 P. M.Friday to 6 P. M. Saturday. Elder Joseph Bates in his first pamphlet onthe perpetuity of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, publishedin 1846, had given reasons for the supposed scriptural support for theobservance of the Sabbath in this way. He cited the parable of thelaborers in the vineyard, the last group of which had been called at“the eleventh hour” of the day and had wrought but one hour. Thereckoning was made with them “when even was Come.” Matthew 20:6,8, 12. Comparing this with Christ’s question, “are there not twelvehours in the day?” He argued that the “even” began with the twelfthhour, or six o’clock, reckoning with equatorial time or the beginningof the sacred year. Respect for his years and experience and his godlylife may have been the main reasons for accepting his conclusionswithout further investigation.As time passed and the message spread, an increasing numberof Sabbathkeepers questioned the practice and advocated the sunsettime for reckoning the beginning of the Sabbath. A thorough Bibleinvestigation of the question was made by Elder J. N. Andrews,who wrote a paper setting forth the Biblical reasons in favor of thesunset time. This paper was introduced and discussed on Sabbath,November 17, 1855, at the Conference in Battle Creek, Michigan,with the result that nearly, but not quite, all present were convincedthat Elder Andrew’s conclusion was correct. The presentation of thesubject to Mrs. White in this vision, given two days later, answeredthe questions lingering in some minds and effected unity among thebelievers. Commenting on this experience, as illustrating the office ofthe visions to confirm conclusions based on Biblical study rather thanto introduce new teachings, Elder James White wrote later:652