First of all, the strength of our position, the foundation on which we rest, the star which is our guide, the stay in defeat, the hope in adversity, the confidence in weakness, the power that makes invincible, is the word of God: “Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy.” The divine authority and perpetual obligation of the Fourth Commandment of the Moral Law, is the creed and test of the true Sabbatarian. This is the sacramentum of our legion. None who does not take it is worthy to contend in the Sabbath ranks, or will stand firm in the shock of conflict.
2. The Sabbath contended for is one natural day in seven, every single portion of which is as sacred as every other portion; and no distinction of canonical and uncanonical, or morning and evening hours exists, or is to be listened to. All the day is the Lord’s day.
3. Works of necessity and mercy are not exceptions to the Sabbath rule; they are a part of the commandment implied in its terms, and authoritatively sanctioned by the Lord of the Sabbath. But the necessity must be real, and the mercy unquestionable; the one not such as prudent foresight or patient waiting would supersede, nor the other mere trifling or mawkishness.
4. Such being the doctrinal test of the true Sabbatarian, it may not be amiss to add, that there is a practical test which has been found valuable, viz., that he repudiates all systematic Sabbath railway traffic, whether morning or evening, and whether for man or mail—hating post-office traffic equally with railway traffic. He rejects the morning and evening scheme both on principle and on policy—on principle, because he holds all portions of the day equally holy; and on policy, because he knows that the iniquity once insinuated into a portion of the day will diffuse itself over the whole; and that the public, once swallowing the little bait, and committing the little sin, will become familiarised with the whole evil, and soon have neither moral principle nor courage left to oppose its out-and-out establishment. In regard, again, to the mail train, this is certainly, in the Sabbatarian’s eyes, as bad; he probably regards it as worse than the other. The combination of both is just a double iniquity, with this aggravation, that the post-office work is a national offence, sending worldliness in all the infinite varieties of correspondence into houses and families, which, but for it, might have enjoyed the blessing of one day’s repose in seven from the destructive tear and wear of life.
5. It follows, as a portion of the Sabbatical principle, that it never yields—no, not by a hair’s-breadth. The command is exceeding broad, and no apparent good is a real good which involves the slightest concession. The absolute purity of the principle is the talisman of success, never to be tarnished without ruin to the cause.
6. It farther follows, in the memorable words of the departed Baronet, “That we have nothing to do with success; that is in better hands than ours. We have only to do with means.” The consequence of which is, that we never trouble ourselves with the anxious inquiries of the timid—“What chance is there of succeeding? Have you got any more votes? Is it worth while to try? Is it not hopeless?” &c. &c. Contending for the command and honour of God, these things affected our Sabbath course practically in no way; they generally were the snare of the half-and-halfers alone. No doubt we counted our numbers, glad of their increase; but the less carefulness about these things, and the more confidence in the impregnability of the principle there is, the better for the cause, and the better for the man.
7. Decided firmness thus is of unspeakable value in this work. But it is not all. It must ever be tempered with courtesy. Temper indeed and courtesy, beautiful ornaments of the Sabbath defender, are powerful aids to his argument—“Remember, gentlemen,” said our late leader, “these men are just as well entitled to hold their opinions as we are to hold ours. To be sure you know (smiling) they are wrong and we are right; but they must be met fairly and respectfully. Who knows but they may come round?” Things did indeed now and then occur to stir up his indignation, but few and far between were the rufflings of his benign heart. To ordinary mortals they are very rarely lawful. The practice of a friend, with whom the author was once associated in an important negotiation, is worth following on occasions of trial of temper. When an exceedingly irritating or impertinent thing was said, he pulled out his very handsome snuff-box, and, expending his wrath in a violent rap on the lid, and noisy draught of its contents within his inflated nostrils, proceeded thereafter to the reply, which was not the less effective for the pause.
II. Mode of Action before Meetings.
1. Two men (or any greater number, ad libitum) thus principled, having established themselves in a railway company by the purchase of (at least) as much stock as will yield a vote, may proceed to action without fear. The whole agitation in the railway companies so began; and, for many a long day, it was carried on but by a handful. [20] They were strong, however, in the strength of their position and foundation; and the band grew and multiplied.
2. Let the men who enter the arena be assured that it is very good to arrange with the clergy and religious classes of the town where railway companies have their headquarters, to hold meetings for public and private prayer, and to appoint these especially for the Sabbath preceding the railway meetings; for it must be reiterated to satiety, that the struggle is a religious one; and while there is even worldly policy in ever keeping this prominently before the public mind, there is undoubtedly a blessing on believing prayer. It cannot fail.