Who Changed the Sabbath?
By E. B. Hopkins
Was the Day Changed from Saturday to Sunday?
If So, by Whose Authority?—Interesting Statement by a Priest
IN my evangelistic work, the question is often asked me, "Who changed the Sabbath? and why was the change not found out before?" In answering the first of these questions, we may learn from the prophecy in Daniel 7 that a change in God's law was predicted. This is shown very clearly in the twenty-fifth verse. It is easy to see, from this scripture, that God has not sanctioned the attempted change, but He does tell of a power that would seek to make it. When people learn that the papacy, and not the Lord, is responsible for this conflict over the Sabbath question, it is not difficult for many of them to see where to take their stand. DEEP INTEREST AROUSED BY THE DISCUSSION
Recently in Elkhart, Texas, as I was presenting God's claims concerning the seventh-day Sabbath, I was challenged to a discussion. Quite a stir was created over the subject. There was one man in the community, a Catholic, who became so interested that he wrote his son living near St. Louis to go to the priest about the question, and to write just what the priest would say concerning how the Sabbath was changed from the seventh day, or Saturday, to Sunday, the first day of the week. The letter that was received in response to this request is as follows: "Dear Father: I will now answer your letter relating to the change of the Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday. At a meeting of the young men's sodality yesterday, I asked Father Tarrent to explain this matter clearly. This was done because the church [Catholic] has this power as promised by Jesus Christ, and in this instance she made use of the power given her. THE INFALLIBILITY OF A CHURCH
"This is due to the infallibility of the church when teaching a doctrine of faith or morals. When Christ founded the church, He promised that He would stand by her and see that she did not err, as stated above. Then He said to His apostles, 'Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' Therefore you see that He gave the church power to do as she has done, and so long as such is declared to the world as a doctrine of faith or morals, He has given the church the authority of being infallible in its teachings. THE GREATEST MYSTERIES ON SUNDAY
"The reasons given for the change are mainly that it appears the greatest mysteries happen on Sunday, such as the rising from the grave, etc., and in commemoration of these, and probably for many other reasons, the church seemed very much justified in making this change, as it was in her power to do so anyway. "Well, I am not sure whether you can understand this from my explanation or not. I have tried to make it as plain as I could, but my knowledge of such matters is so small compared with that of Father Tarrent, that I can not begin to make matters as plain as he can. I should have taken this matter up sooner but never had a real good opportunity until right at the meeting Sunday evening. THE CLEAR COURSE TO PURSUE
"Father Tarrent says that denominations believing in the Bible alone, if they do not mean to believe in the Catholic Church's teachings, should keep holy the Saturday instead of Sunday. But it seems that the majority of them acknowledge, or at least practise, that part of the Catholic religion to observe the Sunday instead of the Saturday. I believe it is the Seventh-day Adventists who speak of this point strongly [observing Saturday], but whether they do it in reality, I do not know positively. "I must close for to-night. If any one is in doubt in regard to the authenticity or truthfulness of the foregoing letter, he may write to Mr. George Springman, Salmon, Texas. The prophecy claims that a power would think to change God's law. There has been, without question, an attempt made to change that law. Otherwise the majority of Christendom would not be keeping Sunday instead of Saturday, the Sabbath of the Bible. Here are some things that are worthy of careful thought, whether you be a Protestant or a Catholic. God's word itself, and not what men have said about it, must be the rule in the Judgment.