“Well, I never thought of that before,” said Mary, as her Adventism began to leave her about as quickly as it came.

“Now the fact is, too, Mary,” said Robert, “that the Catholics did not change the Sabbath-day.  They may claim to have done so and the Adventists accept the claim, it appears, but the early Christians kept the first day of the week Sunday, long before there was any Roman Catholic Church or any pope at Rome.  Adventists twist history here just like they twist the Scriptures.”

“Listen here, dear,” continued Robert. “’I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day’ (Rev. 1:10).  What day was the Lord’s Day?  It was not Saturday, the Sabbath.  Pentecost, that grand birthday of the church, was on Sunday (Acts 2:1-4).  The disciples met to break bread on the first day of the week—­Sunday (Acts 20:6, 7).  The laying-by of the collection for the saints was made on the first day of the week—­Sunday (1 Cor. 16:1, 2).  On the Sabbath-day Jesus lay cold in death in the borrowed tomb while the sad and disconsolate disciples mourned the death of the Prince of Israel, their Savior.  But on Sunday morning Christ arose triumphant (John 20:1) and in memory of it Christians began early to observe Sunday as a day of worship.”

“Mary, you were just about to be entangled with a yoke of bondage, a yoke of man’s making,” said Robert.  “This Sabbath doctrine of the Adventists is utterly man-made.  In their writings the apostles did not teach the keeping of it; so why go away back to bleak and smoking Sinai for a law to keep when Jesus offers us a new covenant?  Why those Adventists are trying to prop up a law that was old, and decayed, and ready to vanish away in Paul’s time.”

“Did Constantine make a Sunday law, Robert?” asked Mary.

“Yes, he did.  In A.D. 321, Constantine legalized the day of worship that the Christians already were using,” said Robert.  “The Adventists claim that Constantine changed the day, but he did not.  There is no history at all to support their theory.  He was the first Christian emperor of Rome and simply gave legal sanction to a day already set apart for worship, which was Sunday.  This was long before there was any pope.”

“Well, I am very glad you came home when you did,” said Mary.  “It was a providence.  I see the snare set for me, and I shall fly out from it, by God’s grace.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

OUT OF THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW

Two months after Robert Davis arrived home, Mary took violently ill.  First there was a high fever, then convulsions, then paralysis.  Dr. Horton came at once to see what he could do.  After a careful examination he said she had typhoid fever and progressive paralysis and that she was in grave danger.  After a day or two she rallied, regained consciousness, and was able to converse with the family.  Little Janet was just one month old the day Mary took sick, and Mrs. Jake Newby, now a very dear friend, took the child and nursed it.