George W. Barns Rejects the Paper
By Editor
Last September, at the Sutton Conference, we had the pleasure, for the first time, of meeting with our beloved brother Stephen Smith, of Lempster, N. H. He gave us the names of a number, and wished us to send the paper to them. Among the names was George W. Barns. We have sent the paper to him regularly, and it has been a pleasure to send it out free of charge. We have supposed that if any professed Christian received the paper, who did not want it, he would return one copy, which is sufficient to show that he desires it discontinued. But instead of this, G. W. B. sent us a very unchristian letter, not Post paid. Here is a part of it:— “HILLSBOROUGH, N. H., Dec. 10, 1850.
Mr. James White—Sir: I have received three or four numbers of your papers, have read them some, and find nothing in them of any use to me, or any Gentile. And until you can show me that God has enjoined upon the Gentiles to keep any Sabbath, and that this side of the cross, I want no more of your papers, neither shall I take them from the office. I find in the book that the law is a shadow (or a type) of good things to come; but I do not find that the Gentiles are a typical people. But I find the law and prophets were until John, and then it was took out of the way, nailing it to his cross. So you see I am not living under the law, but under the gospel.
Please read the 3d of 2 Corinthians, and believe it and obey it, and you will find glory in the gospel that you do not find under the law.
GEORGE W. BARNS.” We pity those who mangle the word of God as G. W. B. has, and are troubled with such an unkind spirit as is manifested in his letter. We would help them. This is why we have introduced this extract. Says Paul, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come;” but what law? Certainly not the law of God, the ten commandments. If G. W. B., or any body else, believes that the commandments are shadows, or types, let them show us the bodies, substances, or “good things to come,” of which the first, second, and third commandments are only shadows. Mark this: every shadow has a body. Tell us, what are the bodies, or “good things to come” of the law for swearing, killing, stealing, coveting, and “adultery.” Ah! this confounding the law of God and the law of Moses in one, has led many poor souls in the road to ruin. The law of Moses was written in a book, and its “ordinances” were blotted out, and nailed to the cross; but God’s law was engraven in stone. What idea can men have of blotting out what Jehovah, with his finger, engraved in stone! We do not suppose that G. W. B. really means that the law and prophets were nailed to John’s cross, though he has given this idea, for Jesus was not crucified. He would be loth to admit that the prophets were all blotted out also, and nailed even to the cross of Christ!! We have space only to hint at these points. As it regards 2 Cor. chap. iii, we would ask if the “ministration” of a law, and the law itself, are one and the same thing? The answer must be that they are not. Then with the view that the “ministration” of the law is not the law itself, will G. W. B. and others read this chapter once more. We do not expect that the “Review and Herald” will be of any service to “Gentiles,” but scores of letters received might testify that it is “meat in due season” to those who are “Jews” “inwardly,” Israelites “indeed, in whom there is no guile.” God instituted a Sabbath; and that blessed and hallowed only weekly Sabbath of the Bible. Jesus says, it “was made for man”—all mankind. Unless it can be shown that the Sabbath law has been abrogated, we are bound to believe that the gospel church may share the blessings of the Sabbath of the Bible. Amen.