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THE WEEK

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 7, 1879

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 54, No. 7.

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THE WEEK.

By J. Clarke

It appears, from the Bible, that for the welfare of the human race God arranged the period of seven days, called one week. He recognized this period in giving the manna in the wilderness, during the forty years' sojourn of his people, by providing a double portion on the sixth day, and withholding the supply on each seventh day. He also recognized this period of seven days in a most decisive manner in giving the Sabbath law. See Ex. 20.
We are informed by Luke that the followers of Christ rested on the Sabbath “according to the commandment.” Chap. 23:56. Now, if this was not the Sabbath that God gave to Adam, how could it be that they rested according to the commandment, which requires that the very day be observed upon which Jehovah himself rested? The fourth commandment was given soon after the commencement of the fall of manna, and it would certainly have been unreasonable for God to allow a change in the day, and yet command that the true day be so strictly observed.
It is almost beneath one's notice to attempt to refute so wicked and reckless a position as that the straightforward account given by Moses is incorrect; and to say that the count of the days of the week as given in the New Testament conflicts with Genesis or Exodus of the Old Testament is childish, if not blasphemous. To adopt the system of Dr. Akers is at once to discard the Bible history of the Sabbath; and the more intelligent and conscientious advocates of the Sunday Sabbath hesitate to use his arguments, while others use them only as a last resort. Verily Sunday must have urgent need of support, if it must resort to such a prop as Dr. Akers offers. If his position were correct, what confidence could one place in Bible history? I have almost imagined that Dr. Akers had a comical turn of mind, and being perhaps somewhat wanting in reverence, had tried to invent as great an absurdity as possible, and written it in ecclesiastical style to experiment on the credulity of the professed Christian public, and to see how great an error they would accept in order to prop up the Sunday institution.
J. CLARKE.