In Defense of the Faith

Chapter 4 — The Two Laws

There are set forth in the Bible two very distinct and separate codes of laws. One of these was given by God directly to His people as He spoke it from Sinai and as He wrote it upon tables of stone with His own finger. The other was given through Moses. The first constituted the standard of morals, while the second dealt primarily with ceremonies connected with the service of God. The transgression of the moral law, or Ten Commandments, was sin. The second law, dealing with ceremonies, was given only because of the transgression of the first. The first was eternal, while the second was temporary in its application, extending only to the cross. DOF 69.1

This great fundamental truth of the gospel which has ‘been almost universally accepted by the Protestant world, is fiercely attacked by Mr. Canright, as will be seen from the following quotations from his book written when he became a Baptist: DOF 69.2

“There was no such thing as two separate laws given to the Jews.”—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced, p. 308. DOF 69.3

“‘Moral law,’ ‘ceremonial law.’ Adventists use these two terms as freely as though the Bible was full of them.... If there were two distinct laws given to Israel, so opposite in their nature, it is strange that there is no record of it, no reference to it in the Bible.”—Ibid., p. 309. DOF 69.4

“If the reader will bear in mind once for all that ‘the law’ is the whole Mosaic code, he will easily dispose of all their proof texts.”—Ibid., p. 372. DOF 69.5

“The law was given, only to the Jews.”—Ibid., p. 320. DOF 69.6

“The whole Mosaic system ended at the cross. Surely this is so plainly taught all through the New Testament that no one should deny it. But we have clearly proved that ‘the law’ included the whole code of laws given to Israel at Sinai, moral, civil, and ceremonial precepts, Ten Commandments and all.... That ends the Ten Commandments.”—Ibid., p. 334. DOF 70.1