C. P. B by C. P. B.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 5, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 30.

C. P. B

By C. P. B.

As an example of either ignorance or wickedness, the following from the Union Signal of July 20, exceeds anything which we have seen lately:—

“How do you know that Saturday is the Sabbath which God commands you to keep? You refer us to the fourth commandment and the creation. Very well; but in the changing of calendars it is a simple impossibility that a regular succession of seventh days could be traced back to creation. Within the memory of the last generation a jump of eleven days was made in changing from Old Style to New Style, and as eleven is not a multiple of seven this must have disarranged the succession of Sabbaths. Many such changes have been made.”

We were not aware before that the last generation extended back to 1582, but such must have been the case if this item from the Union Signal is correct, for it was in that year that the change was made from Old to New Style. Upon this subject, the “American Cyclopedia,” vol. 3, page 579 says:

“This calendar of Julius Caesar is still used in the Russian empire, and was in use in all Europe till 1582. Its error consists in giving the year a length of 365 1-2 days, which is about 11 minutes too much, an error which has now amounted to about 12 days. Pope Gregory XIII. ordered Oct. 5, 1582, to be called the 15th, and that all centennial years which are not multiples of 400 should not be made leap years; thus 1600 was a leap year and 2000 will be the next that falls on a centenary year. This is called the Gregorian calendar, and is at present used in all Christian countries except Russia.”

There has been no change made in the calendar since that made by Pope Gregory, our W. C. T. U. friends to the contrary notwithstanding. And every intelligent person knows that no change was even then made in the days of the week. This is proved by the fact that the New Style was adopted in Rome 169 years before it was adopted in England, but the two nations were in the meantime in perfect agreement upon the days of the week. If further evidence of this were necessary it would be furnished in the fact that Russia has not yet adopted the New Style, yet her week agrees with that of the other nations. But why pursue the subject farther? for, as before remarked, every intelligent person knows that there is absolutely no foundation whatever for the statements so confidently made in the Union Signal. It is a wonder to us that any paper would publish such statements. That a paper managed by Christian women should do so, is utterly inexplicable.