CATECHISM OF THE M. E. CHURCH ON THE LAW OF GOD.
By A. Smith
“85. What does God require of man?” “Obedience to his revealed will. ‘Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.’ Eccl. 12:13. ‘What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, . . . and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul?’ Deut. 10:12.” “86. What is the rule of our obedience?” “The moral law. ‘If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.’ Matt. 19:17.” “87. Where is the moral law given?” The first three commandments are next given, verbatim, with proof texts. “91. What is the fourth commandment?” “‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’” “‘Ye shall keep my Sabbath, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.’ Lev. 19:30. ‘Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein.’ Lev. 23:3. ‘It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.’ Ex. 31:17. ‘God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.’ Gen. 2:3. ‘Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest.’ Ex. 23:12. ‘If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father.’ Isa. 58:13, 14.”—No. 2, pp. 38–40. “Any transgression of the law of God. 1 John 3:4. ‘By the law is the knowledge of sin.’ Rom. 3:20. ‘Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law.’ 1 John 3:4. ‘He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.’ 1 John 3:8.”—No. 2, p. 18. “103. Are all Christians under obligation to keep the law?” “Yes; they are ‘not without law to God, but under the law to Christ.’ 1 Cor. 9:21. ‘Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.’ 1 Cor. 7:19. ‘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.”—No. 2, p. 43. “76. Whence do we derive all correct knowledge of religious truth and duty?” “78. What is the only sufficient rule of a Christian’s faith and practice?” “The word of God, as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.”—No. 2, p. 35. In this connection are given the following proof texts in full, to the last two of which I invite the reader’s special attention, as they are here used in support of Bible truth alone. Ps. 19:7; 2 Tim. 3:15; James 1:25; Gal. 1:8; Rev. 22:18. I can find nothing in Nos. 1 and 2 concerning a change of the Sabbath; and number three I have not been able to procure. In the editor’s preface, he says: “It is not published as a child’s catechism merely, but as the Catechism of the Church, including both young and old.” The manuscript of this work was examined and approved in 1851, by Bishop E. Hedding, N. Bangs, S. Olin, and J. Holdich. In the following year it was approved by a committee composed of Revs. Elias Bowen, Geo. Webber, and John H. Power. By a unanimous vote of the General Conference at the same time, the report of the committee was accepted, and the catechism ordered printed. I have given the scripture texts in full for the benefit of those who may have to meet publicly Methodist opposers of the Bible Sabbath. By the answers to questions 76 and 78 a Methodist minister might be held to Bible proof alone for a change of the Sabbath, and if they do otherwise, in the name of the Methodist church they are anathematized and cursed by Gal. 1:8 and Rev. 22:18. And as to the obligation of a Methodist to keep the commandments as given in Ex. 20:1–17, we have but to cite them to questions 86, 87, 91, and 103.