The Sabbath and the Calendar
By L. A. S.
Can the Sabbath be kept on a round world? This question is often raised, and answered in the negative, by opposers of the seventh-day Sabbath, and some good people are troubled by the seeming difficulty which is presented. It is worth noting, at the outset, that this argument against Sabbath-keeping was never brought forward before men heard the reform message which calls attention to the claims of the seventh day. It is an argument used only by those who adhere to Sunday in opposition to the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The question whether the Sabbath can be kept on a round world or not is one that God himself has answered. He has answered it by commanding men to observe the Sabbath—to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Does not the Creator, who made the world, know that it is round? and does he not know the difficulties, if there are any, in the way of keeping the Sabbath on such a world? Whoever has confidence in the wisdom and goodness of the Creator can certainly entertain no doubts about the feasibility of doing what he has commanded to be done. But an answer may likewise be obtained from human experience. Did any person ever find any trouble in keeping the seventh day because of the shape of the earth? Many individuals have found it inconvenient to keep the Sabbath for various reasons connected with worldly interests, but we never heard of any person who found more than a theoretical difficulty in observing the Sabbath because of the spherical shape of the earth. All over the habitable globe there is a succession of day and night, and the seventh day comes and goes, and nobody has any difficulty in knowing what day of the week it is, or when it begins and ends, nor is there any confusion in business calculations because the day goes around a round world. Why, then, should there be any trouble about observing it? If no trouble arises from this in business, why should there be any in religion? All people on the earth, it is true, can not observe the Sabbath at the same period of time, that is, simultaneously, but men are not required to observe such a period of time; they are required to observe the day, and to keep the Sabbath when it comes to them. There is a day line running north and south through the Pacific Ocean, upon crossing which men change their reckoning of the days. Is this any reason why people in America, or in Europe, or in Africa, or any other place, should not keep the Sabbath? — Not unless it can be shown that the existence of the day line makes it impossible for men to determine the identity of the days of the week. But as a matter of fact there is no difficulty anywhere on this point. All over the world, there is no trouble in knowing the correct day of the week. Many excuses are raised by people for not doing what God commands, which will not prove valid in the Judgment. Excuses based upon theoretical difficulties will not hold good for a failure to do that which is practically possible. If we are where we can obey God's command, our duty is to obey it, irrespective of what might be possible in other places or under other conditions. The objection that Sabbath-keeping is impossible because the world is round is a theoretical objection wholly; it never arises in practical experience. The service of God—obedience to his commands—is a practical thing, and it is enough for the Christian to find that such service is practically possible under the conditions in which he lives. L. A. S.