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A PERPETUAL SABBATH

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 15, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 12.

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A PERPETUAL SABBATH.

By Charles P. Whitford

“By different nations every day of the week is set apart for public worship. Sunday by the Christians; Monday by the Greeks; Tuesday by the Persians; Wednesday by the Assyrians; Thursday by the Egyptians; Friday by the Turks; and Saturday by the Jews. Add to this the fact of the diurnal revolution of the earth, giving every variety of longitude a different hour, and it becomes apparent that there is upon earth a perpetual Sabbath.”
BRO. SMITH: The foregoing was recently sent me, in a private letter, by a friend. It is just this kind of philosophy that thousands resort to, in order that they may avoid the claims of the fourth commandment, which expressly declares that “the seventh day is the Sabbath.” We admit the facts set forth in the above; but if any conclude from that, that every day of the week is the Sabbath, we deny the conclusion as being absurd, and devoid of reason. When will intelligent people learn that the setting apart of a certain day for religious worship, by a nation or sect of people, does not constitute or make the day a Sabbath? Sabbath means rest; and the Sabbath of the Lord, the only Sabbath having any claims on mankind, is the rest day of the Lord; and that is the day of the week upon which he rested, and no other. He certainly did not rest upon every day of the week.
The revolution of the earth does not affect the “Sabbath,” or any day of the week. Days revolve around the earth once in twenty-four hours. We keep the “Sabbath” when it comes to us, and when it gets to California our Sabbath brethren keep it there, and so on all around the earth. When will those who profess to take God’s word for their guide cease to put light for darkness, and darkness for light; good for evil, and evil for good? Alas! we have no reason to hope that it will ever be, but that on the other hand it will ever be that very many of the professed friends of Christianity will be its worst enemies.
CHARLES P. WHITFORD.
Battle Creek, Mich.