SABBATH DISCUSSION

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Sep 19, 1854

SABBATH DISCUSSION.

Meetings at Clarence—Positions Taken, &c.

FOR several weeks the subject of the Sabbath has attracted considerable attention at Clarence, Erie Co. N. Y. The Disciple Preacher, [Eld. Bartlett,] and the Seventh-day Baptist preacher, [Eld. Babcock,] each delivered a discourse on the subject, in the Disciple Meeting-house at that place. The Methodists then had a discourse on the subject from one of their Ministers. Since, Eld. Bartlett has reviewed Eld. Babcock's discourse; and Eld. Babcock has an appointment to review both the discourses of the Methodist minister and Eld. Bartlett. Our brethren at Mill Grove and vicinity were anxious that Bro. J. N. Andrews should speak to the people at Clarence on the Sabbath question; and an appointment was given out for him to preach in the Disciple Meeting-house the 10th, at 2 o'clock P. M. But it was ascertained that Bro. Andrews was too feeble to fill the appointment, and we were requested by Bro. R. F. Cottrell to fill it. This we consented to do, if he would state to the people one week beforehand, that we were to preach instead of Bro. Andrews, that they might not be disappointed.

The congregation was not very large from several causes; but those present came to hear. They listened three hours without manifesting any degree of uneasiness. As we were not present to hear former discourses on the subject, it was not our design to notice positions taken by others, but to present the plain, Bible view of the question. We read the words of the great Teacher:—"And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." Mark ii, 27.—Positions taken:—

1. The word "man," here used in its unlimited sense, means the entire race—Adam and all his posterity.—This being the case, we may expect to find the record of the institution of the Sabbath at an early date—Read the record in Gen. ii, 2, 3. "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

The record mentions no commandment to Adam to keep the Sabbath; but this circumstance does not prove that he did not keep it. It is a fact (and facts are stubborn things,) that the Sabbath was kept, and its violation rebuked by the God of heaven, before the commandment [Ex. xx] was given. Ex. xvi, contains no commandment to keep the Sabbath, while it does contain a record of the keeping of the Sabbath thirty-two days before the ten commandments were spoken to Israel. If kept thirty-two days before the commandment was spoken, why may it not have been kept 2500 years before?

It cannot be supposed that Moses, in giving the brief sketch of the creation, the flood, &c., gives a full account of all of God's instructions to man during 2500 years! Indeed Jude speaks of "Enoch the seventh from Adam," who "prophesied;" yet the record does not mention his prophecy.

The Sabbath is a memorial of the true God, the maker of the heavens and the earth, and the fourth commandment the only one of the ten which reveals him. "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." The reason for the institution is as old as the world; and it is the most natural thing in the world, that the institution should run parallel with it. If men had always observed the Sabbath they never would have forgotten their Creator. It is the great bulwark which God erected against Atheism and Idolatry. As a sign, it points to creation, and not to Christ, or to believers' rest in this world or the better one, as some vainly think. "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; [now which way does the sign point?] For, in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed." As a sign, the Sabbath signified that its observers were believers in the true God, the maker of heaven and earth. As a memorial of Jehovah's rest, it is fitting as to its character and in its time. Rest commemorates rest; God rested on the seventh day of the first week, man should have rested on the seventh day of each week since that time. While those who talk of the Sabbath's being a memorial of the departure from Egypt must take the extremely absurd position that the quiet rest of the Holy Sabbath was designed to commemorate the midnight rush of Israel from Egypt!! But here is another difficulty. The departure of Israel was on the fifteenth of Abib, which occurring but once a year, the event of that day was commemorated annually by the Passover and its connected feast of unleavened bread. Men may as well talk of celebrating our national independence on each seventh day, as to assert that the weekly Sabbath celebrated the Exodus. The above stated facts are in beautiful harmony with the testimony of the Lord of the Sabbath—"The Sabbath was made for man"—for the entire race.

We have no record that Christ ever intimated any change whatever in regard to the observance of the Sabbath; but on the contrary, he declares that he came not to destroy the law, and till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle should in no wise pass from it. Matt. v, 17, 18. This is a portion of his first sermon, that ever-memorable sermon on the mount. Neither have the apostles left on record the least hint of any change in regard to the Sabbath. And to say that Christ and the apostles establish the first day of the week as the Lord's day, or Christian Sabbath, by their example, savors more of Catholicism than Protestantism. Heaven has never required of mortals any important duty without a plain precept. But to those who talk of the example of Christ and the apostles for Sunday-keeping, we would say, that there is no record that Christ, after his resurrection, appeared to his disciples in the day-time of the first day of the week, or that any of the disciples met for worship in the day-time of that day. See reply to seven reasons for observing the first day of the week, by J. N. A., Advent and Sabbath Tracts, No. 1. In that little Work it is clearly shown that there is neither precept nor example favoring the observance of the first day of the week.

After noticing 2 Cor. iii, and Col. ii, 14-16, we stated that God the Father is our law-giver, and Christ our advocate with the law-giver. Says James, "There is one law-giver, [not twelve, nor two,] who is able to save and to destroy." Chap. iv, 12. Says the beloved disciple, "Sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John iii, 4. Again, "And if any man sin, [transgress the law of the one law-giver,] we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Chap. ii, 1. But if Christ be our law-giver, then we should understand, that if any man transgress the law of Jesus Christ, we have an advocate with Jesus Christ. But who is he? The Papist can answer, The Pope, while the Protestant has no answer.

Said Moses, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken." Deut. xviii, 15. But who believes that the laws taught by Moses originated with himself? No one. Neither did the doctrine taught by our Lord Jesus Christ originate with himself, while "the Father steps back upon the back-ground." Jehovah said of Jesus, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him." Then let us "hear him" on this point. He says: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." John vii, 16. "I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." Chap. viii, 28. "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak" Chap. xii, 49. "The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." Chap. xiv, 24. Now read the commission to the eleven. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU." It follows, then, that the entire doctrine of the New Testament came from God the Father, while Christ, like Moses, took the words from the mouth of the great Law-giver, and spoke them to the people.

As we were closing our lengthy remarks, we observed quite an aged gentleman making his way up into the stand; and as we sat down he rose up, and commenced a review of our discourse. From his introduction we had reason to expect lengthy remarks. He made several misstatements of our position. A portion of the congregation arose to leave. We then requested them to tarry, for we wished to correct some statements before they left, and stated also to the speaker that we hoped he would be as brief as possible, as we must very soon leave to attend an appointment in another place. But the speaker talked on about a half an hour, when we felt compelled, by a sense of duty to be at our other appointment, to rise and state that we must immediately leave unless the speaker could close his remarks and give us a chance to correct misstatements. We took out our watch and begged for five minutes. But this we could not have, unless we would promise to remain and hear on the other side. At this point, a gentleman in the front seat spoke something as follows: "Bro. Brown, perhaps you had better give way." "Well," was the reply, and at once he dismissed the congregation with a short prayer!!

This was something new. We stated to the congregation that, perhaps we had not fully learned the customs of the people in Western N. Y., being a New England man, and that we had never seen a case like it, and had never met with such treatment before. We thanked the kind people of Clarence who had so patiently listened to our lengthy remarks, and hastened to our next appointment. We afterwards learned that this "Bro. Brown," was a Disciple preacher. Our appointment was to preach on the Sabbath question, therefore we spoke our views without mentioning the names or the known views of others. And certainly, under those circumstances, the course pursued by this minister, could not be justified by any enlightened community.