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History of the Sabbath and First Day of the Week - John N. Andrews

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persecution was that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir greatest prosperity.<br />

Like Moses' bush, <strong>the</strong>y stood unconsumed in <strong>the</strong><br />

burning fire. The prostration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong> cause<br />

in Engl<strong>and</strong> is due to none <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se things.<br />

The <strong>Sabbath</strong> was wounded in <strong>the</strong> house <strong>of</strong> its<br />

own friends. They took upon <strong>the</strong>mselves <strong>the</strong><br />

responsibility, after a time, <strong>of</strong> making <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> no practical importance, <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> treating its<br />

violation as no very serious transgression <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

law <strong>of</strong> God. Doubtless <strong>the</strong>y hoped to win men to<br />

Christ <strong>and</strong> his truth by this course; but, instead <strong>of</strong><br />

this, <strong>the</strong>y simply lowered <strong>the</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ard <strong>of</strong> divine<br />

truth into <strong>the</strong> dust. The <strong>Sabbath</strong>-keeping ministers<br />

assumed <strong>the</strong> pastoral care <strong>of</strong> first-day churches, in<br />

some cases as <strong>the</strong>ir sole charge, in o<strong>the</strong>rs, <strong>the</strong>y did<br />

this in connection with <strong>the</strong> oversight <strong>of</strong> Sabbatarian<br />

churches. The result need surprise no one; as <strong>the</strong>se<br />

<strong>Sabbath</strong>-keeping ministers <strong>and</strong> churches said to all<br />

men, in thus acting, that <strong>the</strong> fourth comm<strong>and</strong>ment<br />

might be broken with impunity, <strong>the</strong> people took<br />

<strong>the</strong>m at <strong>the</strong>ir word. Mr. Crosby, a first-day<br />

historian, sets this matter in a clear light:--<br />

869

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