Are We Morally Bound to Keep the First Day of the Week?
By N. G. Sanders
BRO. SMITH: The following article was written last Winter, and read in the Lyceum here, when the above question was under consideration. It was not intended as a scriptural argument, but a side view; for Scripture, I thought, would have less weight on the point, than meeting them on their own ground with their own arguments. N. G. SANDERS. By what standard may we judge of the acts of men, whether they are moral or immoral? By the law of the land, public opinion, or the word of God? If by the law of the land, then it is immoral not to aid in the capture of the fleeing bondman. If by public opinion and custom, then where slavery exists, it is morally right. But if by the word of God, then undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free. "Thou shalt not return to his master the servant that is escaped from his master unto thee." But if God's word is the proper scale in which to govern action on this subject, then it must be on every other. The law of the State says the first day of the week is the Sabbath, public opinion and custom say, amen; but God's word says the seventh day is the Sabbath. In view of this, is it morality to profane the seventh day, or immorality to profane or labor on the first? Does the long continued violation of the law of God cause it to cease to be sin? or does the liberty that man has taken to supplant God's requirements by another day, make it a moral duty to observe the day thus supplied? When sin becomes popular, receiving sanction in high places, from church and State, then unhesitatingly appeal to the Bible to enforce the very opposite of what it teaches; and such a mist seems to fill the eyes of professed Christians that they think age, common consent, or some thing some how has made this subversion of God's law morally right. Has God in his word given any liberty for this meddling? If not, is it a small sin? Man's wisdom says it makes no difference which day you keep; but God's says man's wisdom is foolishness to him. God made man upright, but he has sought out many inventions. There is another subterfuge which the short-sighted attempt to hide behind when driven by necessity, which, it would seem, is too shallow to deceive many; but nevertheless it serves as a screen to those that raise it. It may be stated thus: First-day keeping tends to order, cleanliness, harmony, and the general good of society. We are morally bound to observe that which is for the common good of society; therefore we are morally bound to keep the first day of the week as the Sabbath. All can readily see that the same physical and social results that would follow First-day keeping would follow the keeping of any day. Then as to the moral results flowing from it, it leads to a direct violation of God's law, which is certainly immoral—placing the devotees of First-day keeping in a like position to those early Christians of whom Mosheim speaks in his Church History, who practiced pious frauds and falsehoods on the heathen, or pagans, to induce them to embrace christianity; seeming to forget that they themselves were amenable to a higher power, or the law of God. Looking at First-day keeping from this point, all its boasted power for order and harmony is turned into the wildest disorder, by dethroning heaven's unalterable rule of order. But the great day will sweep away all refuges of lies; where then will those be found who break the law and teach others to do the same? I leave them to the mercy of him whose law they have broken. N. G. S.