The Signs of the Times, vol. 13

“A Sunday-school Lesson” The Signs of the Times 13, 47, pp. 744, 745.

THE international Sunday-school lesson for November 27 was on Matthew 12:1-14, and was entitled, “Jesus and the Sabbath.” It has given the lesson writers of the “evangelical” papers another opportunity to display their erudition on the subject of the Sunday-sabbath. The one that seems to contain the most authoritative statements on the subject is found in the Congregationalist. The subject is summed up in the following oracular utterances:— SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.1

“No rule for its observance can be binding, which has ceased to be useful in developing man’s higher life. No particular portion of time is in itself more sacred than another. God created the universe in six periods of time, and then entered on a period of rest. In Jewish law, corresponding to this fact, the last of the days of the week was fixed upon as the day of rest. But the day which we call Saturday was never in itself more sacred than any other of the seven. One-seventh of the time by divine law is sacred. Jewish law and custom made that time fall on Saturday. To Christians the day of the Lord’s resurrection, the first day of the week, gathered about itself peculiarly sacred associations. At first they observed Saturday and Sunday each week by abstaining from labor, and by gathering together for worship. Gradually they ceased their observance of Saturday, and made Sunday their sabbath. The custom became confirmed and sanctioned by the churches, guided by the Holy Spirit. Sunday is therefore the sabbath of the Christian church, and every true follower of Christ will use it as a precious gift of God for himself, for his neighbors, and for the world.” SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.2

Here is a series of rather important statements, and we desire to examine them a little more closely than merely to read them over. SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.3

1. “No rule for its [the Sabbath] observance can be binding, which has ceased to be useful in developing man’s higher life.” In another place the same writer says, “The moral law which the ten commandments expressed ... is inseparable from the nature of man who is governed by it.” This being true, then can any rule for its observance ever cease to be useful in developing man’s higher life? God has given definite rules for the observance of the Sabbath. The Sabbath being a part of the moral law, and inseparable from the nature of man, then rules for its observance must involve moral duty; and again we ask, Can any such rule ever cease to be useful in developing man’s higher life? If it can, who is to decide just when it ceases to be useful? Is each man to decide the question for himself and in his own case? If so, then what is the use of having any rule at all in the matter? This proposition of this lesson writer inevitably makes every man his own judge in matters of morals, and ends in the subversion of all law. SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.4

2. “No particular portion of time is in itself more sacred than another.” Perhaps not “in itself,” but when God makes sacred a particular portion of time, and calls it sacred, then it is more sacred than any portion of time which he has not made sacred. Now the word of God is, that “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it;” and the Lord “rested the seventh day, wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” If, therefore, there is any such thing as the seventh day, then it is certain that that particular portion of time is more sacred than another. God blessed that portion of time and made it holy, which he has done to no other portion of time; therefore if the blessing and the hallowing of a thing by the Lord has any effect at all in making that thing sacred, then it is made certain by the word of God that that particular portion of time known as the seventh day is more sacred than any other. And whoever does not regard it so commits sin. The above statement by the Congregationalist’s lesson writer contradicts the truth. SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.5

3. “God created the universe in six periods of time, and then entered on a period of rest.” Yes, that is so, and these six periods of time were the first six days of the first week of time; and the period of rest upon which he then entered was the seventh day, which, when he “had rested” upon it, he blessed and sanctified, to be forever a like period of rest for man in his remembrance of the Creator. But it the lesson writer means here the geological idea of six periods of time for the creation of the universe, and then a seventh period for the rest of the Lord, then when did the seventh period end that the Scripture might be fulfilled in saying that he “blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested”? According to the Scripture the seventh day and its rest were past before God blessed and sanctified the day. But according to the geological period idea, this period of rest is not yet past, consequently the blessing and the sanctification cannot yet have been put upon it, “because that in it he had rested,” and from that it inevitably follows that there is no divinely-appointed Sabbath for man. And the sum of the matter is that the scientific idea of creation is in direct contradiction to the word of God. We know that the great mass of the divines of the present day have adopted that idea, nevertheless; but that in nowise proves that the scientific idea is the scriptural one, as it contradicts the word of God; it only proves that in this the divines have forsaken the word of God and are turned unto fables. SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.6

4. “In Jewish law, corresponding to this fact, the last of the days of the week was fixed upon as the day of rest.” Is then a commandment that “is inseparable from the nature of man,” a “Jewish law”? If so, how so? And by whom was the last of the days of the week fixed upon as the day of rest? It was by the Lord himself. He not only in the commandment said the seventh day is the Sabbath, but by withholding the manna on a certain day and causing it to keep over that day, which it would not do any other day, and by continuing this for forty years, he showed to all people precisely what he means when he says in the commandment, “The seventh day is the Sabbath.” The people had no part whatever in the fixing of the day of rest. It was not only fixed without their will, but directly against the will of some of them. The lesson writer is correct in saying that the last of the days of the week was fixed upon as the day of rest. And it was fixed upon by the Creator himself, and no power can unfix it—there it must remain fixed forever. God has given commandment that the seventh day is the Sabbath, he has also given his own interpretation of what he means by the seventh day; that interpretation he has held before the world from Sinai to this day, and no power can reverse it. The day which God fixed as the Sabbath by withholding the manna is the day which he means when he says in the commandment, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,” and that day is “the last of the days of the week,”—the seventh day, commonly called Saturday. SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.7

5. “The day which we call Saturday was never in itself more sacred than any other of the seven,” says Mr. A. E. Dunning, D.D., the Congregationalist’s Sunday-school lesson writer. But God says that is was, and is, more holy than any other of the seven. The Lord made that day holy. He calls it holy. He commands man to keep it holy. This he has done for no other day of the week. Therefore that day always was, it always is, and it always will be, “more sacred than any other of the seven.” We prefer to believe the word of God rather than that of Mr. A. E. Dunning, D.D., and everybody else will do well to do so also. SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.8

6. “One-seventh of time by divine law is sacred.” Which one? SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.9

7. “Jewish law and custom made that time fall on Saturday.” Neither Jewish law nor Jewish custom made that time fall on Saturday. It was the example of God in resting that day from the work of creation; it was the law of God which commanded that day to be kept, and the custom of God, kept up for forty years, in withholding the manna on that day and causing it to keep over that day,—it was the law of God and the acts of God which made that time fall on Saturday. And those who have respect to the law of God and the ways of God, will remember that that time always falls on Saturday, and will honor God by keeping it holy unto the Lord. Isaiah 58:13. SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.10

8. “To Christians the day of the Lord’s resurrection, the first day of the week, gathered about itself peculiarly sacred associations.” Suppose it did, what effect can that have upon the peculiarly sacred associations of the seventh day and the commandment of God to keep it holy? By what right can the peculiarly sacred associations which the first day of the week gathered about itself, rob the seventh day of the peculiarly sacred associations with which God has clothed it? It is a queer idea that because the first day of the week should have gathered about itself peculiarly sacred associations, therefore the commandment of God, which enjoins that the seventh day shall be kept sacred, should be made void! SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.11

9. “At first they observed Saturday and Sunday each week by abstaining from labor, and by gathering together for worship.” This is not wholly true. It is true that at first they kept Saturday, because the word of God says, “They rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.” Luke 23:56. But as for their observing Sunday also, at first or at any other time, the word of God says nothing about it. But suppose we grant that they did keep Sunday also, by what authority did they keep it? The word of God says, they kept the Sabbath—Saturday—according to the commandment. Did they keep Sunday too according to the commandment? Is so, according to what commandment did they keep it? There is nobody in the wide world who can point to any commandment of God for keeping the day called Sunday. And nobody in the wide world ever kept Sunday in obedience to a commandment of God. There is no such commandment. Where there is no commandment of God there can be no obedience to God. And as there is no commandment of God for keeping Sunday, therefore nobody can obey God by keeping Sunday. SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.12

10. “Gradually they ceased their observance of Saturday, and made Sunday their Sabbath.” That is to say, they ceased to obey the commandment of God, and obeyed one of their own instead. As they made Sunday their sabbath, their own will was the only authority for its observance. Consequently their humility was only a “voluntary humility,” and their worship was only “will worship,” and as it was all contrary to the word of God, the result was to beguile them of their reward. But now, dear reader, “let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility ... after the commandments and doctrines of man.” “For these precepts, though they have a show of wisdom, in a self-chosen worship, and in humiliation, and chastening of the body, are of no value to check the indulgence of fleshly passions.” Colossians 2:18-23 with Conybeare’s and Howson’s translation. SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.13

11. “The custom became confirmed and sanctioned by the churches guided by the Holy Spirit.” We have read, before, somewhere, some such doctrine as this. Let us see where. Here is it:— SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.14

“Question—Is it, then, Saturday we should sanctify in order to obey the ordinance of God? SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.15

“Answer—During the old law Saturday was the day sanctified; but the church, instructed by Jesus Christ, and directed by the Spirit of God, has substituted Sunday for Saturday. SITI December 8, 1887, page 744.16

“Q.—Had the church power to make such change? SITI December 8, 1887, page 745.1

“A.—Certainly, since the Spirit of God is her guide, the change is inspired by that Holy Spirit.”—Catholic Catechism of Christian Religion. SITI December 8, 1887, page 745.2

The Sunday-sabbath doctrine leads to Rome every time, but this is not always so clearly shown as it is here by the Congregationalist’s lesson writer. Christians need to be told that the Holy Spirit guides neither the church nor individuals away from the law of God. Whoever turns away from the commandment of God is not led of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit guides men into the truth, and the law of God, exactly as he wrote it, is the truth. And “he that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” Proverbs 28:9. SITI December 8, 1887, page 745.3

.12. “Sunday is therefore the sabbath of the Christian church,” etc. But it is not the Sabbath of the Lord. And no man is under any obligation to keep the sabbath of the Christian church. The Christian church has no authority to make a Sabbath. And as this writer has plainly said that the Christians “made Sunday their sabbath,” we should like to know how and where the Sunday-sabbath comes in as “a precious gift of God.” God did not give it at all. They made it themselves, it is their own gift to themselves, and as they ceased to observe the commandment of God that they might make this for themselves, there is nothing precious about it. The Sabbath of the Lprd is that which the commandment of God directs shall be kept. And the word of God is, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work.” Jesus observed it, and left us an example that we should follow his steps. Will you follow the steps of Jesus in keeping the Sabbath of the Lord? or will you follow the pernicious doctrines of men, which lead straight to Rome. J. SITI December 8, 1887, page 745.4