WHY NOT DISCOVERED BEFORE?
By D. A. Robinson
When the claims of God’s law are urged home to the hearts and consciences of men, and it is clearly shown that the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath of the Bible, the objector, with an air of triumph, raises the query, “How happens it that it has not been discovered before?” We do not propose an answer to this question because it contains any real force, but because it seems to be an objection. Such an objection, however, would have equal force against any newly-discovered truth that has ever been introduced. The Reformation, the discovery of America, the advances in astronomy and geology, the application of steam, and, in fact, every advance step which has been taken, would have been forever silenced by such an objection if it were of any force. Truth has always had to battle with error ever since the fall of man. Error is very ancient, and its adherents are numerous. Its antiquity, however, is nothing in its favor. On this point, Dr. Clarke utters the following truthful words: “The antiquity of an opinion, if that be not founded on a revelation from God, is no evidence of its truth; for there are many ungodly opinions which are more than a thousand years old. And so as to great men and great names, we find them enrolled and arranged on each side of all controversies.” The question of first-day observance, then, does not rest upon its antiquity; but is it founded upon the word of God? Is it sustained by divine revelation? If so, it will stand; if not, it must, like every other man-made institution, fall to the ground. We will now call attention to a few plain propositions. 1. God has marked out a way for his people to walk in. 2. This way is the law of God. 3. Prophecy points out the fact that an obstruction would be placed in this way, this stone of stumbling being the change of the Sabbath contrary to divine appointment. 4. When the last days are reached, this obstruction is to be removed. We will now prove the above points. 1. God has marked out a way for his people. The words of the prophet on this point are very decisive. “Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” Jer. 6:16. Here he says they are to walk in the way. Again he says, “Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up.” Jer. 18:15. These testimonies, with many others that might be quoted, show that the righteous are represented as walking in a way or path. 2. This way is the law of God. Very many texts might be given on this point, but I will quote only a few: “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.” Ps. 119:1. Here the way and the law are synonymous. He that is in the way is also walking in the law of God. Again he says in verse 3, “They also do no iniquity; they walk in his ways.” He who is free from iniquity, then, is traveling in God’s way. Let us now take a view of the individual who commits iniquity or sin. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. This testimony proves that the way referred to above is the law of God; for the man who commits iniquity breaks the law, whereas the one who does no iniquity walks in the way, or, in other words, keeps the law of God. From the above it can be seen that the law should be continually before the minds of men. Had man always walked in this way, idolatry never would have reared its impious head upon this earth. It was when man chose to forget God and forsake his law that atheism and idolatry came in. 3. Prophecy points out the fact that an obstruction would be placed in this way, this stone of stumbling being a change of the Sabbath contrary to divine appointment. If this proposition can be sustained, it must have a very great bearing on this question; for if it has been changed contrary to the will of God, then it is certain that Christ did not change it, as is affirmed by many of the present day. We will now make this proposition good. “Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.” Isa. 62:10. We here have the way again brought to view, which has been shown to be God’s law. But the point to be noticed in this text is, that this way needs “preparing.” “Prepare ye the way,” says the prophet, indicating that the way is in such a condition that God’s people are in danger of stumbling. He further adds, “Gather out the stones.” If, as the proposition affirms, the change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week has been made contrary to the will of God, then all will agree that it has become a great stone of stumbling; for the majority of the Christian world accept the change that has been made. Before coming directly to the question as to who changed the Sabbath, let us consider the result of such a change. The law of God is embraced in the ten commandments; this law the psalmist says “is perfect.” Not a precept too many, not one too few, but as the wise man shows, it contains “the whole duty of man.” To change any of the ten parts of this law is to change the law itself. To illustrate: I have a rule twelve inches long. If I change one of these inches, the rule has been changed, so if the fourth commandment be changed, there must also of necessity be a change of the law. Such a change has been attempted, and, as our proposition states, “contrary to the divine will.” In the prophecy of Daniel, we have the remarkable prediction that an attempt would be made to change the law of God; and be it remembered that this is the only testimony in all the Bible that speaks of a change. The only change then that will ever be made in God’s law will be in fulfilment of this prediction. In the seventh chapter of Daniel a chain of prophecy is introduced, bringing to view four universal kingdoms symbolized by wild beasts. As to the application of these symbols, nearly all Protestant commentators are agreed that the first symbolizes Babylon, the second, Medo-Persia, the third, Greece, and the fourth, or ten-horned beast, Rome. Also that the ten horns represent the ten kingdoms of western Europe. On these points we will not dwell. In verse 24 the prophet brings to view the rise of the papacy. “And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise; and another shall rise after them, and he shall be diverse from the first and he shall subdue three kings.” It is a fact susceptible of the clearest proof that the papacy arose, as the prophet says, after the ten horns, also that it did subdue three of those horns, or kingdoms, the Heruli, Vandals, and Ostrogoths, being in succession removed out of the way of the papacy, the last one being plucked up in A.D. 538, to which time the prophecy points as the beginning of papal supremacy. In the following words he tells us what this blasphemous power would do: “And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” Dan. 7:25. This is a very remarkable prophecy; please notice the following points:— (1) “He shall speak great words against the Most High.” Look at the titles of the pope of Rome and the power he claims to hold, for a fulfilment of this prediction. “His Holiness,” “Vicegerent of the Son of God,” “King of the World,” “Another God upon Earth,”—these are a few of his titles. His power goes beyond God’s; for he claims to forgive sins before they are committed. (2) “Shall wear out the saints of the Most High.” What an army will come up in the resurrection as witnesses to this terrible fact! From fifty to one hundred millions of the saints of God, it is said, have gone down to the tomb by the hands of this cruel power. These points so clearly identify papal Rome that there is no disputing them. (3) “He shall think to change times and laws.” Three acts are thus ascribed to this power; and the first two he shall perform, but the third he shall only “think” to do, or, as the Douay Bible renders it, “shall think himself able to change,” &c. The laws (or law, singular, Sept.) are of course the laws of the Most High. How unnatural the following: He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws of the Most High! As to human laws, he has changed them at will, but the law in question he is only to think to change. Before going farther with this point, I will introduce another that has a direct bearing right here. It is this: The law of God is not susceptible of a change. This might be shown by various modes of reasoning, but I will simply give a few texts of Scripture, showing that it never will be changed. This law is God’s great rule of righteousness, and by it he is to judge the world. Says David, “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. My tongue shall speak of thy word, for all thy commandments are righteousness.” Ps. 119:142, 172. These statements show, first, that God’s commandments are his righteousness, and, secondly, that his righteousness is everlasting; they are equivalent to saying that the commandments are everlasting. Paul declares that “as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law,” Rom. 2:12, proving what I have just stated, that God will judge the world by his law. Says David, “The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.” Ps. 111:7. Were we to inquire how sure, the answer would be found in the next verse. “They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.” Listen now to the words of the Son of God. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matt. 5:17, 18. Upon that reckless view which makes the expression “to fulfil” mean “to abolish,” or do away with, we simply remark, that the meaning of “to destroy,” is directly opposite of “to fulfil”; for he says he came not to do the one, but to do the other. If “fulfil” means to do away, then “destroy” means to keep, because they are opposite, and men may take whichever horn of the dilemma they please. But what follows these expressions shows conclusively that the Saviour had no such idea in view as the abolition of the law. “For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.” The heavens and the earth still remain, and if the Saviour’s words are true, every jot and tittle of the law is in force to-day. These testimonies from the Saviour, David, and Paul, very clearly prove that God never designed a change in his law. Such expressions as, “They stand fast forever and ever,” and “not a jot or tittle shall pass from the law till heaven and earth pass,” must have weight with the candid mind in examining this question.