THE BIBLE RULE by H. A. St. John

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 26, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 55.

THE BIBLE RULE.

By H. A. St. John

BY ELDER H. A. ST. JOHN.

THE Protestant Episcopal Church in San Francisco petitioned the Central Baptist Association to coöperate with them in maintaining the Bible rule on the subject of divorce. In response, on October 11, the Baptists passed the following preamble and resolution:—

Inasmuch as the Bible rule permits but one cause for divorce, that of adultery, and inasmuch as the common practice of obtaining divorces from many other causes is resulting in great evil to the cause of Christ, and inasmuch as Baptists have always stood on the Bible as our rule of faith and practice; therefore, be it

Resolved, That we reaffirm our position on the question of divorces; and that if any of our ministers have been violating the scriptural rule, we most earnestly request them to refuse to solemnize marriages between divorced persons either of whom have not been divorced for a scriptural cause.

Now this is all well and good, for certainly every Christian church should coöperate with every other Christian church in sustaining, both by precept and practice, the Bible rule upon this important subject and every other subject. We well know that there is a wide departure in this age from this Bible rule both in the church and in the world. Reformation is sadly needed.

Now the Seventh-day Adventist Church in San Francisco and everywhere else do hereby petition all Christian churches in San Francisco and everywhere else to coöperate with them in maintaining the Bible rule for the observance of the Sabbath:—

Inasmuch as the Bible rule permits of the observance of but one day each week as the Sabbath, defining the day as the seventh, and not the first day of the week, commanding it to be remembered and kept holy because blessed and hallowed by the Almighty through Christ, our Creator and Redeemer; and inasmuch as the common practice of desecrating God's holy day is resulting in great evil to the cause of Christ; and inasmuch as the Seventh-day Adventists have always stood on the Bible as our rule of faith and practice; therefore, be it

Resolved, That we reaffirm our position on the question of the Lord's Sabbath, made by Jesus at the same time he instituted the marriage relation, proclaimed by the Saviour in his first sermon on the mount, amid the thunders of Sinai (Ex. 20: 8-17), and again reaffirmed by him in his second sermon on the mount, amid the beatitudes (Matt. 5: 17-20); and we do earnestly request all Christian ministers and laymen who are violating this Bible rule to take their feet off the Lord's holy Sabbath.

There is a wide departure from this Bible rule in this age, both in the church and in the world. Reformation is sadly needed. Where are the true Protestants, who take only Bible rules for their rules of faith and practice?