The Harbinger's rule of Duty.
By Roswell F. Cottrell
"Give us one plain direct passage from either the Old or New Testament, without note or comment, that reads, that either a Jew or Gentile Christian is required to keep the Seventh day or Jewish Sabbath, and we will not only publish it, but keep the day." This is the rule by which the Harbinger decides that it is not duty to keep the Sabbath. But let us see how this rule will work when applied to other commandments. For example: Give us one plain direct passage that reads, that either a Jew or Gentile Christian should not kill, or steal, or bear false witness. One such passage cannot be found, "either in the Old or New Testament." So he that adopts the above criterion, by which to decide what is duty, or rather is not duty, may absolve himself from rendering obedience to any requirement of the whole Bible. You may present him all the scripture you please to enforce any particular duty, (except suffering as a Christian,) and he can reply: "And what does this proof amount to? Nothing but a perversion of the truth in a manner calculated to deceive the ignorant. Not a word is said or intimated about Christians in the texts quoted," but you would have us believe that Christians are meant! "Surely" you are "hard pressed for Bible evidence, and to supply the deficiency," you have "handled the word of God deceitfully!" Can any one fail to see the sophistry of the above rule?—Our Saviour said "The Sabbath was made for man." We have never attempted to change these words, and say it was made for Jews, Christians, or any other class of men, exclusively, but we understand them to mean as they read; and if the Harbinger thinks he is not bound to keep it because he is a Christian, it is his part to prove to us, that Christians are not men. R. F. COTTRELL.