The Fourth Commandment and the Law
By Editor
The Baptist Flag says: "The law of God to Moses declares, 'Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.'" Well, what of it? If it was "the law of God to Moses," how does it concern us? Why should we refrain from swearing because the Lord told Moses not to? Or, even if the law was given to the whole Hebrew race, how does it have any binding force on us? Perhaps the Flag will say, on second thought, that it was not given merely to Moses, but that it was spoken with the voice of God, which shook the earth, and that it is binding on all men of every race and age. If so, we will accept its statement, and will grant that whoever swears commits a sin. And then we would like to ask if the fourth commandment was not given at the same time, under the same circumstances, and for the same people. If so, when people work on the Sabbath of the Lord—the seventh day—is it not a sin? Who will venture to say no?