"THUS have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Matt. xv, 6.
"The Jews maintained that God gave Moses, beside the law which we have in the Old Testament, a variety of precepts, which he made known to Joshua, by whom they were communicated to the elders and by them to the judges, prophets, &c.; that they were finally collected from various sources, and recorded in what is called the Talmud."
Though many of these traditions were in direct contrariety to the law of God, yet the Jews regarded them as being sacred, and were ever ready to condemn those who observed them not as such. A striking example of the estimation in which their traditions were held, is given by the Saviour in connection with the text above quoted.
"But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free; thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Verses 3-6.
We here learn from the instruction of the Saviour, that no tradition standing in contrariety to any of the commands of God, can be of divine authority. Had the heinous and heaven-daring sin of making void the commandment of God through tradition, and of "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," ceased at the time the Saviour gave this merited rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees, a much happier state of things would exist among those professing to take the Bible as the rule of their faith, and claiming to be the followers of Christ. But such was not the case. In proof of which, we have only to become acquainted with the crooked theory of those who advocate the first-day Sabbath.
The commandment that guards the Sabbath institution, teaches that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. But the advocates of the First-day theory, flatly contradict this scripture, by teaching the observance of the first day. And as they claim an example from Christ and the apostles for so doing, the conclusion is not only drawn, but also taught, "Therefore whosoever shall observe it, and not remember the seventh day to keep it holy, he shall be free." Thus is the commandment of God made of none effect by their tradition.
Says Paul, [2 Thess. ii, 15,] "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." Here the Apostle evidently refers to something which he had previously taught them, by word or by his former epistle, (see Chap. iii, 6,) and not to the traditions of men, which are contrary to the word of God. For he warned his brethren to "beware lest any man spoil them through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Col. ii, 8.
If this exhortation was necessary in the days of the Apostle, to save the children of God from being "tossed to and fro," by the "cunning craftiness" of men and the devices of the devil, it can be no less important to those living in the perils of the last days, when the commandments and traditions of men are94taught instead of the word of God, by the majority of those who claim to preach the gospel.
Notwithstanding the example of the Saviour and of the apostles, is said to justify the change of the Sabbath, yet it is evident from the above remarks that this tradition is in direct opposition to the fourth commandment, and therefore it is of human authority.
Now if the friends who object to this conclusion, are honest in their belief, why not let the question be settled "according to the law and to the testimony?" Why resort to inferences and assertions to sustain your crumbling theory, when one "Thus saith the Lord" in its favor, would settle the question at once?
It certainly would be folly to suppose that God left the holy Sabbath to be changed or sustained by the inferences and opinions of men, especially when we read, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. iii, 16, 17.
It is a matter of lively gratitude to our heavenly Parent, that those who are striving to keep all of the commandments of God, are "thoroughly furnished" with the clearest evidence from the blessed Bible, that we walk not in darkness, but have the truth. "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." Praise the Lord. But with those who teach that the fourth commandment does not mean that the seventh day is the Sabbath, it is not so. They are destitute of both scripture and reason in support of their assertions. This fact is strikingly developed in the following extract from "The Treatise on the Faith of the F. W. Baptists."
"THE SABBATH.—This is a seventh part of time, which from the creation of the world, God has set apart for a day of sacred rest and holy service. Gen. ii, 3. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it. Since the resurrection of Christ, the first day of the week has been kept instead of the seventh. It is inferred that this change was made by Christ or his apostles."
In this extract two points are worthy of notice. 1. That the scripture which teaches that God instituted the Sabbath (his Rest-day) on the seventh day of the first week of time; and that he "blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it;" (i. e., set it apart to a holy use, Webster,) is made to read "a seventh part of time," without reference to any particular day of the seven.
Now if the first-day Sabbath friends can change the definite article into the indefinite in one part of the Sabbath commandment, without doing injustice to the word of God, we think with equal propriety they might make the same change in other parts of it. Having taken to themselves this liberty, the commandment for Sunday-keeping would read, Remember a seventh part of time to keep it holy. A seventh part of time is a Sabbath, &c.
If the position occupied by the advocates of the First-day theory, does not mangle the sense of God's sacred Word, and rob it of its definiteness, then might Nathan have said unto David, [2 Sam. xii, 7,] Thou art a man, instead of saying, "Thou art the man."
2. In the extract before us, the F. W. Baptists have neither quoted nor referred to one text of scripture, in proof of the assertion, "Since the resurrection of Christ, the first day has been kept instead of the seventh." Therefore it is evident that in the entire absence of scripture proof, the whole matter hangs upon "inferences." Thus is the commandment of God made of none effect by their tradition.
The language of inspiration is, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." Deut. iv, 2. But how many at the present even among those professing to love God, take upon themselves the fearful responsibility of making the commandments of God of none effect, to give place to the doctrines and tradition of men.
Dear reader, may the Lord have mercy upon you, and as you desire to enter into eternal life, enable you to keep all of his commandments, that you may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
"The remnant in these latter days
Will triumph sure; give God the praise!
They of the beast refuse the mark,
They keep God's law, they have the Ark."
ALFRED S. HUTCHINS.
Ulysses, Pa., March 26th, 1854