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WITTY

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 2, 1867

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 30, No. 3.

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WITTY.

By J. M. A.

Some of our opponents on the Sabbath question doubtless flatter themselves that they making a final disposition of that question, when they confront us with the old thread-bare argument, that a day will be either gained or lost by circumnavigating the globe, and consequently that the commandment to keep holy the seventh-day, cannot be observed by all people alike, and therefore is not binding.
While the late purchase of Russian territory by our government, has been prolific of many newspaper witticisms, and sarcastic shots among politicians, the “Voice of the West” also puts in for a share, in a theological point of view, and endeavors to make capital out of the same by making a thrust at the Sabbath with this flimsy, yet favorite objection. The “Voice” speaks thus:

TWO SABBATHS.

“Our new Russian purchase is poor in this world's goods, but is peculiarly rich in Sabbaths. Senator Sumner proves in his recent speech that the land now has two Sabbaths each week. He says:
“‘As the settlement of this coast came eastward from Russia, bringing with the Russian flag Western time, the day is earlier by twenty-four hours with them than with us, so that their Sunday is our Saturday, and the other days in the week are in corresponding discord. This must be rectified according to the national meridian, so that there shall be the same Sunday for all and the other days of the week shall be in corresponding harmony.’
“This shows that the seventh-day cannot be kept by all people alike. God will not require impossibilities. The seventh-day Sabbath as given to the Jews in Palestine could be kept by them, as there was no variation of time. But the seventh-day Sabbath was peculiar to them.
“The Christian Sabbath, or a seventh day, is kept by the Christian world; and in the above case it seems the Russians started from Russia with the first-day for the Sabbath, but when they arrived in Russian America, they were keeping Saturday, the seventh-day.”
Truly, “God will not require impossibilities,” but he does require that we should keep holy the seventh-day.
It yet remains to be shown that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment was given exclusively to the Jews in Palestine, or was peculiar to that locality. But what about the “Christian Sabbath,” or “first-day for the Sabbath” that the Voice and most of our opponents insist upon? If the commandment was given only to the Jews in Palestine, and peculiar only to that definite locality, as is claimed, it is nonsense to talk about a “Christian Sabbath,” or “first-day Sabbath.” The Voice well knows there is no other Sabbath known or recognized in the Bible but the Sabbath of the fourth commandment.
But it seems that the first-day Sabbath sometimes gets out of place as well as the seventh-day Sabbath; for it is said that “the Russians started from Russia with the first-day for the Sabbath, but when they arrived in Russian America they were keeping Saturday, the seventh-day.” In view of such fact, why set up any claim for a first-day Sabbath? Why not brand it “impossible,” and so do away with all Sabbaths. Surely the Lord does not require impossibilities, and we need not concern ourselves about what he does not require.
But we prefer to accept the Lord’s arrangement, and let the earth revolve. And if we should ever have occasion to circumnavigate the globe, (an event not very probable,) the earth would not need to cease her revolution to suit our view of the Sabbath; and if we should finally fetch up in our circuit among our Russian neighbors, we should try at least to bring our reckoning, and views of the Sabbath, into harmony with the fourth commandment. J. M. A.