The Sabbath Everywhere by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 3, 1879

The Sabbath Everywhere.

By Editor

WE promised to answer the query of our brother in Yokohama in regard to keeping the same day in different longitudes. Permit us to ask, What day do the Christians keep in Japan? The first day of the week. In adopting the Christian calendar, the Japanese adopt the same computation, and, as our correspondent says, are about to adopt "the German and French Sunday holiday." Is it the belief of the Christians in Japan, and of the Japanese, that they have there "the German and French Sunday?" Yes; of that they have no doubt. Why do they keep the first day of the week? Professedly in honor of the resurrection of Christ. Do they, then, know when the day of the resurrection comes in Japan, assuming that to be the first day of the week? They think they do. We also think they do. There is no conflict—no difficulty here. Now we will briefly examine the reasons for this belief.

1. In Japan they number the days of the week as they do in China and India. And in these countries they number them as they do in Western Asia—in Palestine. And in Palestine they number them as they did in the days of the Saviour. See the evidences given in last week's answer for proof that there has been no change there. And in Palestine they number them just as they do in Turkey, and in all Europe. And the numbering in Europe agrees with that in America.

It is always a fact that a person starting in China and traveling westward will find that his enumeration of the days of the week will agree with that of every place through which he passes until he again reaches the Pacific, in California. And reversing the order, starting at San Francisco, he may travel eastward, and he will find that his days of the week agree with those of every place through which he passes, until he reaches the other shore of the Pacific. Through Asia, through Europe, across the Atlantic, and through America, no change is found.

2. But the query next arises, What about identity of time? Seeing that they do not observe the same time throughout the twenty-four hours, do they keep the same day? They do. But if they kept the same time exactly they would not keep the same day, for the same day does not come to all parts of the world at the same time. This every body knows. And this creates the necessity for changes in our reckoning of time as we travel east and west.

Suppose an order were issued by the United States Government that a certain document shall be put on record at the capital of each State exactly at noon on the fourth of July. Could this be done? Certainly it could. There is no difficulty in finding the same day in each State capital in the Union. But, would it be put on record at the same time in each place? No; for noon at each place is when the sun is on the meridian, and the sun is not on the meridian at the same time at any two capitals in the Union. If it were put on record at the same time in each locality the order would not be obeyed—it would not then be done at noon in each place. This all understand.

But what is true of noon of the same day, is true of all times of the same day. And what is true of these places, is true in all longitudes. Then, of course, if a person starts from one of these places with a watch set to indicate correct time at that one place, it will not indicate correct time at any of the other places which he may visit. To do this the watch itself must be corrected. When we travel, in order to keep our watches with sun time, that is, true, or correct time, we must often set them by local time. The whole amount of such changes in traveling around the world, will be 24 hours. For if we travel eastward we must correct our time-pieces by setting them forward four minutes to each degree, one hour for every fifteen degrees, and of course twenty-four hours for the complete circle. Having changed our time twenty-four hours in going round the world, it is evident that, on returning to the locality whence we started, we find there the same time with which we started, and to conform to that time we must drop out of our count all the variations we have made in traveling. The effect is the same in traveling westward, but the order is reversed.

We have said that a person traveling westward from China to California, or eastward from California to China, will find himself agreeing, in his enumeration of the days of the week, with the people in every place through which he passes. But let him start from the coast of China and cross the Pacific Ocean and the case is different. On landing at San Francisco he will find his week one day in advance of those living there, unless he corrected his count by one day, on the ocean. And in like manner, if he crosses from California to China, he will find himself one day behind the inhabitants of China, unless he corrected his time, by one whole day, on the passage.

In order that there may be uniformity in the reckoning of time these corrections must be made—they are made by all travelers. And in order that no disagreement shall exist between China and California a correction line has been adopted. This is called the day line. This line is in the Pacific Ocean; not, however, by arbitrary arrangement; it is located there naturally. We cannot change it. We find no necessity for it in crossing the Atlantic Ocean, or in sailing up the Mediterranean. But we do find it necessary in crossing the Pacific. Navigators all correct their reckoning in the Pacific Ocean. By this means uniformity of enumeration in the days of the week is preserved in all the world. Practically, no difficulty exists on this subject. If we keep the reckoning in any given locality, which belongs to that locality, we shall not be wrong.

We trust this is enough on this point. Much more might be said to illustrate the truth here stated; we will return to it at some time if further light seems necessary, or is called for.

— EDITOR.