Essential to Salvation.
By B. Clark
WHILE conversing with an individual, a few days ago, of the Free-will Baptist profession, I asked him why he did not have some lectures on the Sabbath question, as they had two meeting houses and a school house, &c. He replied, that he was willing, or had no objection on his part, but supposed there was no particular need of it, as "it is not essential to salvation."—"Those who observe the seventh day as the Sabbath, have the most scripture for their practice, but the Christian church has generally regarded the first day of the week as the Sabbath for a good many years, and for a good many hundred years." As this honest acknowledgement might be made by many other intelligent professors of Christianity, I would respectfully request them to review their own position. 1. They as much as say, the commandments of God are not essential to salvation! But Jesus Christ said to the young man who wanted to know what he should do to have eternal life, "If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments:" [evidently alluding to what is called "the ten commandments:"] Matt. xix, 17. But did the young man dispute the Judge of all the earth, and say, nay, but keeping the commandments is not essential to salvation? No! Again, this same Jesus has said, [Rev. xxii, 14, 15.] "Blessed are they that do his" [that is, the Father's] "commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the City. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Now who can presume to say, in the face of such plain testimony, that keeping the commandments of God is not essential to salvation? Again, Rom. ii, 12-16 shows that those who have the law, "shall be judged by the law," and that "the doers of the law shall be justified," in the day of judgment. OBJECTION. Rom. iii, 20. "By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified; for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Very well, it is not the law which justifieth, but it is Christ which justifieth.—"The doers of the law shall be justified" by Christ, and not by the law; for the law cannot justify, that is, clear from imputed guilt. Therefore, being justified—being freed from guilt by faith in so pure an offering "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We are then not under the condemning power of a transgressed, holy law, but under grace, favor, or forgiveness, called, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." Rom. viii, 2. "What then, shall we sin," (shall we transgress the law which is holy, just, and good,) "because we are not under the" (condemning power of the) "law, but under grace?" (favor or forgiveness?) "God forbid."—Rom. vi, 15. Now if I should say, that keeping the first day of the week as the Sabbath, has any thing to do with the fourth commandment, or, that the first day of the week is the New Testament Sabbath which Christ says, "was made for man," then I should be like those who Paul said would be "speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron."—Can it be said of such false teachers, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus?" 2. "The church has observed the first day of the week as the Sabbath for many hundred years." And so also has a majority of the church bowed to images and saints for many hundred years, showing that the "little horn" of Daniel's fourth beast has changed times and laws. Dan. vii, 25. But should we follow a majority to do evil? 3. "Those who regard the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, have the most scripture for their practice." This is a common acknowledgement of many professors of religion. That is, they, as professors of protestantism, who take the Bible as their rule of faith and practice, follow that kind of religion which they acknowledge has the least scripture in favor of it! Strange inconsistency, indeed! But the scriptures of truth are not yea and nay, but they are one and the same truth, for ever. And if we "have the most scripture," then we have all the scripture in our favor; and there is none left for the opposite party.