MORE TESTIMONY by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 15, 1858

MORE TESTIMONY.

By Editor

BRO. A. S. HUTCHINS has placed in our hands a work entitled, "Catechistical Instructions on the Doctrines and Worship of the Catholic Church, by John Lingard D. D.," in which there is some good testimony concerning the institution of Sunday, in which the Catholic Church has borne such a conspicuous part, and now boasts of what she has been able to effect. Although much testimony has been produced on this point, and Protestants will have to labor hard to free themselves from the charge urged upon them by the Catholics, namely, that they do "fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts," our readers will nevertheless be pleased with any new witness that may come upon the stand, and any additional testimony that may be given to this end.

Speaking of Doctrines, the book says, [p. 67,] "Not only is there no proof that all the doctrines of Christianity are contained in the Scriptures, but there is proof to the contrary. Neither the obligation of keeping the Sunday, nor the validity of infant baptism, both admitted by most Protestants, is mentioned in Scripture."

Concerning the seventh day, we quote again, from p. 84: "It should be remembered that the day of rest is fixed by God to the seventh day, and not as some pretend to one day out of the seven. To suppose that the command is observed by keeping the first day, because it is one of seven days, is as unreasonable as to maintain that the first son has a right to take a bequest made to the seventh, on the ground that he, the first, is one of the seven sons."

On the fourth commandment, numbered the third in all Catholic Catechisms, we read: [pp. 85, 86:] "Ques. Does this commandment bind Christians as it bound the Israelites?"

"Ans. No: neither as to the time nor as to the manner."

"Ques. How not as to the time?"

"Ans. Because they kept their Sabbath or rest from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday: we now keep ours from midnight on Saturday to midnight on Sunday."

"Ques. By what authority was this alteration made?"

"Ans. By the authority of the 'Holy Catholic Church.'"

To this last question the following note is appended:

"There is not a syllable in Scripture to prove that the obligation of resting from work was ever transferred from the Saturday to the Sunday, from the seventh to the first day of the week."

Again, p. 90. "Is it proper to call the Sunday the Sabbath? No: for the Sabbath was a Jewish ordinance, and the name is nowhere given to the Sunday in Scripture." To this is appended the following note: "From the preceding notes it is plain that the Sunday is a very different institution from the Sabbath, and belongs to the ceremonial code of a different form of worship. It is therefore desirable that they should not be called by the same name, which leads men to confound them together, and to attribute to the Sunday that severity of discipline which belonged exclusively to the Sabbath."

Concerning the precepts of the Church the following question is asked: p. 109: "What is the first precept? To keep the Sunday holy." Note on this question: "It has already been shown that the Sunday differs from the Sabbath both in time and manner. If then there be any obligation of keeping the Sunday, that obligation must be derived from the authority of the church, and not from the command of Moses, which enjoined the keeping of the Sabbath."

"What is the second precept of the church? To keep certain appointed days holy in the same manner as the Sunday." p. 111. Note. "It should be remembered that the authority which appoints the holidays is the same which appointed the Sundays, that is, the Catholic Church: of course the obligation of keeping them is the same."

We wish all Protestants to be enlightened on this point, and know the foundation upon which they stand in the observance of Sunday. If then, with their eyes open, they are willing to continue upon that foundation, and look to the authority and tradition of the Catholic Church for their faith and practice, instead of to the Word of God which they profess to take, we have nothing to say. Only we know that the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, [Isa. xxviii, 17,] and God shall bring every work into judgment, whether it be good or whether it be evil. Eccl. xii, 14.