A Curious Sort of Sabbath-Keeping
A CHRISTIAN brother, Nicholas Kaufman, writes us that he formerly lived in Hungary, and was a member of the Roman Catholic Church, but now sees and has accepted the farther and clearer light of the great threefold message. He said that one of the books that was very sacred in their family was entitled “Saturday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Her 52 Miracles,” by Paul Esteras, published in Budapest. The first Hungarian edition was published in 1690, the second edition in 1701, and the third edition in 1858; and the last one was translated into the German. Having no Bible in the house, this to them was the dearest book. His father and mother used to kiss the picture of the Virgin with the child on her arm, and so did all the rest of the family. One of the strange things about the book is that the special worship of the Virgin was arranged for each of the Sabbath days,—that is, the true Sabbath of the Lord. The preface says, referring to the children of Israel, that God— “freed the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage and gave them on Mount Sinai the Ten Commandments, in which He specified Saturday as the rest day, which day was in later times observed by the Hebrews. This rest day was, however, transferred to the first day of the week by the Christian church, in honor of the glorious resurrection of Christ; yet the pious Christians always sanctified Saturday in honor of the blessed Virgin, which many observe at the present time; hence I believe that I shall not fall into disfavor with my readers if, in order to increase this reverence, I have arranged one dissertation for each Saturday throughout the year (fifty-two in all), out of which the Christian may draw useful instruction every Saturday; and I do not doubt at all that it will please God, answering the prayer of the pious reader of this book, both to comfort Hungary our fatherland, and to free His faithful one from all danger through the solicitation of the most blessed Virgin, who is the queen and commander of all Christian lands, especially Hungary. Therefore, dear reader, receive this book with a bold heart, and plead with me that God might protect and comfort our unhappy fatherland through the solicitations of the most blessed Virgin; plead with me for the salvation of our fellow creatures; and that our fatherland with its inhabitants may bloom anew through the solicitations of the most blessed Virgin.”
And the same page tells us, “The third Hungarian edition of this book has won the greatest approval of several right reverend bishops. (Signed) The Publisher.” We may use some other extracts from this book later on. It certainly is a strange mixture of truth and superstition. After taking from the true worship of the Lord the day which He Himself had set apart, that day is then given to the Virgin Mary, and she herself is put in the place of the only Advocate between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus. We have every respect for the mother of our Lord, but we do not believe in exalting her to the place which belongs to God and His Son. It was Jesus Himself who said, in response to one who told Him, “Behold, Thy mother and Thy brethren stand without, seeking Thee,” “Who is My mother, and who are My brethren? And stretching forth His hand toward His disciples, He said, Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of My Father that is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.” Matt. 12: 47-50, Roman Catholic version. Jesus meant no disrespect for His mother, but it is clearly evident that He did not count her divine nor exalt her as a Saviour.