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In 1883, a $500 prize was offered for the best essay adapted to counteract "the numerous and powerful influences constantly active in drawing professed Christians into fatal conformity with the world, both in spirit and practice." The theme of the essay was "The Perpetual Obligation of the Lord's Day." The winning essay, titled The Abiding Sabbath and written by the Reverend George Elliot, appeared in 1884 and was issued from the press of the American Tract Society in the winter of 1884-85 in the form of a 280-page book.

Another essay, this time with a $1,000 prize, was awarded to Professor A. E. Waffle of Pennsylvania. The 418-page essay, titled The Lord's Day; Its Universal and Perpetual Obligation, was approved by the board of the union and was printed and copyrighted by the union in 1885.

These two authoritative discussions of the question as to why Sunday should be kept as the "true Sabbath" are strongly refuted in this book by Adventist pioneer Alonzo T. Jones.