AN IMAGINARY DISTINCTION.
By H. A. St. John
A RECENT writer in the Clyde Sentinel lays the foundation for a change of the Sabbath in a supposed distinction between the Sabbath as a divine ordinance, and the seventh day. He argues the early introduction of the Sabbath institution and its perpetual obligation; but opposes the idea that the Sabbath ordinance is inseparably fixed upon a certain day and especially upon the seventh day. He does not attempt to prove this distinction any further than to cite two illustrations, which are supposed to make it perfectly clear. These are, first, the passover and the 14th day of Nisan, and second, the Declaration of Independence and the 4th day of July. He then argues that the distinction between the passover and the 14th of Nisan must be evident to every one; also the distinction between the Declaration of Independence and the 4th day of July. He says that no one who thinks closely will confound the two; and that the same distinction exists between the Sabbath as a divine ordinance and the seventh day. All this sounds well, and to the casual or superficial reader may appear very plausible; but those who think closely cannot fail to see simple fallacy. The distinction supposed to exist between the Sabbath as an ordinance and the seventh day, is wholly imaginary, having no foundation in fact. The illustrations presented are good proof of this. In order to make the 4th day of July a parallel to the Sabbatic institution, it is only necessary to suppose that the United States government had made a law requiring the observance of the 4th day of July in memory of the making and signing of the Declaration of Independence. Let us compare the two thus: Let the framing of the declaration answer to the making of the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that in them is, in six days; the signing of the declaration on the 4th day of July, to the rest of Jehovah on the seventh day; the command to observe the 4th day of July, to the blessing and sanctification of the seventh day. It must be clearly seen that such action on the part of the government would inseparably connect the 4th day of July with the Declaration of Independence, and a refusal to observe it would cast reproach upon the government, so is the seventh-day Sabbath inseparably connected with the great work of creation, as it is its memorial; and to refuse to observe it, is to trample upon divine authority. The passover is even a better illustration of the truth, as God did fix its observance upon the 14th of Nisan, the very day upon which the first passover lamb was eaten. Suppose some one of the Israelites had imbibed this modern idea that as the passover and the 14th of Nisan were clearly distinct from each other, he could just as well keep the passover on the 15th of Nisan, or upon some other day, and in some other month. Does the reader think this would91have answered just as well? Would it have been obedience? or rather would it not have been presumption, self-will, positive disobedience? So we think. Can a person celebrate his birthday on a day upon which he was not born? Can we celebrate Washington's birthday on the 4th of July? Why not? There is clearly a distinction between George Washington and the 22d day of February. It is my thought that no man would risk his reputation for sanity upon the opinion, that as there is a clear distinction between the 4th day of July and the Declaration of Independence, we might just as well celebrate the signing of the declaration upon the 22d day of February as upon the 4th of July. Yet learned men will present just this kind of an argument for the change of the Sabbath. We may justly inquire, What next? And further: if this argument is good for anything, why should not seventh-day people have the full advantage of it? There is clearly a distinction between the ascension of Christ and Thursday, the crucifixion of Christ and Friday, and the resurrection of Christ and Sunday, and our friends, if they will but think closely, cannot fail to see this distinction in each case; therefore, while we remember the seventh-day as God has commanded, we will remember all these other glorious events at the same time. And as God has never commanded us to keep holy the day upon which these other events transpired, and has commanded that the seventh day be thus kept, are we not certainly right?