Are All the Commandments Abolished?
By Editor
THE editor of the Earnest Christian has been stirred, by a letter of inquiry from San Francisco, to point out the "erroneous" positions of the Seventh-day Adventists. His first objection to our teaching is as follows:— "They make the essential thing in true religion to consist in keeping as the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week." We would remind Mr. Roberts that there is one commandment which is not yet generally supposed to be abolished. It reads thus:—"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." This he has violated in the above quoted remark. Nothing which any Seventh-day Adventist ever wrote, will justify such an assertion. But we do say that it is not every one that says to Jesus, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but they that do the will of his Father. See Matt. 7:21-23. We say that both "the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" are necessary to a perfect Christian character. Rev. 14:12. While the earnestness of the editor is in a profession of love to God, we declare our belief that "this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." 1 John 5:3. And because we believe these Scripture statements, we have no confidence in the sensational or sentimental or emotional or superficial religion which the editor of the Earnest Christian so strenuously advocates. The editor says of the Pharisees, "Strict as they were in keeping the seventh day of the week for the Sabbath, they were not in a state of salvation." Perhaps he considers that he has herein afforded a wonderful piece of information, that they who persistently rejected Christ "were not in a state of salvation!" We have no more doubt of the fact than we have that they who rely on their faith in Christ, and refuse to do the will of God as revealed in his holy law will suffer a great disappointment in the final day; or that they who "make void the law through faith," or continue it its transgression that grace may abound, will find that theirs has been a vain religion in that day when every man shall be rewarded according to his works. Singularly enough Mr. R. proceeds to argue against the obligation to keep the Sabbath. And, as we might expect, re-iterates objections which have been fully answered scores of times. But it may be that he has not kept himself acquainted with the discussion of this subject of late years; so we will notice his positions. 1. He refers to "the times" and "days" of Gal. 4, and to Paul's words in reference to them, as arguments against the seventh-day Sabbath. If he will refer to Deut. 18, he will find that the observance "of times" was a heathen custom; that it had no reference to any observance which Jehovah had ever required of any people. And Paul speaks to the class who had been addicted to such practices, as having done "service to them which by nature are no gods." Gal. 4:8. He who refers this to the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath—"the Sabbath of the Lord thy God"—shows marvelous ignorance of the truths of Scripture. Or if he is not ignorant, he certainly manifests a great degree of irreverence. We have no feeling of unkindness toward Mr. R., and we are not disposed to make any severe application to his case. But, until he can extricate himself from the dilemma stated above, we would suggest that he be less censorious toward those who are trying to show their faith by their works, instead of making faith a substitute for obedience. 2. He claims that we pervert the commandment in making it enjoin the seventh day of the week, when it does not say so. Here again we might express our surprise that a professed "master in Israel" should take a position so untenable. Let us notice— a. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," and he rested the seventh day from that beginning. That was the act whereby the cycle of weeks was established. If Mr. Roberts doubts or denies it, let him point to some other time and event when the week of seven days originated. This fixes the Sabbath of the Lord to the seventh day of the week. b. The Jews had the Sabbath of the Lord, the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, definitely pointed out to them in the wilderness of Arabia. And, accordingly, they have always kept the seventh day of the week. c. The Sabbath-day was well known to our Saviour, and to all others in his day. And inspiration declares that the next day succeeding the Sabbath of the commandment was the first day of the week. Therefore the Sabbath preceding it was the last day of the week, or the seventh day of the week. 3. To further carry out this idea, Mr. R. says:—"Any one can tell when he has worked six days, and then if he keeps the seventh, he keeps God's command." Perhaps Mr. R. does not know that God rested on one certain day; that he blessed that day; and that he hallowed that day; and that his commandment refers to that day, and to no other. We are willing to be very charitable, and to allow him the benefit of ignorance of these Scripture facts. Or, if he thinks these facts have no bearing on the question, then we have some queries to propose. 1. Does he believe that "any one," as his expression indicates, may choose any day as the Sabbath, after six days of labor? 2. If seven men should, by this method, begin their labor on different days, and therefore rest on the several days of the week, would they all keep "the Sabbath of the Lord?" 3. If the selection of the particular day rests with "any one," so that all the days of the week may properly be kept by different persons, does it not then follow that God has sanctified all the days of the week to accommodate his law to our choice or convenience? 4. But if the Lord sanctified but one day, and commanded the observance of that one day, and that because it is a sanctified day, will it not follow that they who keep another day, or other days, do not keep the commandment of God? Our objection to this loose method of interpreting God's precepts, is contained in the next point attempted to be made by the Earnest Christian. 4. "A fourth objection to this seventh-day doctrine is that it tends to demoralize a community." Pray, wherein? His reason is that some will keep the first day and others will keep the seventh day in the same neighborhood. But in this he reveals his own weakness. 1. This is all right if the commandment enjoins no particular day, but is to be selected by "any one" after six days of labor, no matter at what point in the week that labor begins. It is his own doctrine which leads to confusion and to looseness respecting the commandment of the Lord. 2. We deny the charge in every respect. So Ahab charged Elijah with "troubling Israel." But Elijah answered: "I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim." 1 Ki. 18:17, 18. They who cling close to God's commandments are first to be blamed; but they who forsake the commandments are the real authors of the confusion and trouble. If all were to reject the seventh day, this would not remove the confusion, for they who keep the first cannot agree upon any reason for their practice. Let us see how Mr. Roberts would correct this tendency to demoralization. (1) He teaches that it is impossible to keep any particular day, as the world is round. (2) He teaches that "any one" may choose his own day. (3) He teaches that the Sabbath is of little or no consequence in this age, even quoting Old Testament prophecies to prove that the Lord does not require it, and quoting from Paul to show the dangerous tendency of the observance of days. Suppose a whole community or State should adopt his theory, nothing but demoralization would be the result. On the other hand, among Sabbath keepers—we mean those who keep the Lord's holy day, and not the day of their own choosing—there is only unity in faith and practice. "Your ways are not equal." We are not slow to avow our love for the "commandments of God" as well as for "the faith of Jesus." Mr. Roberts says, "the essential thing in true religion is love to God and love to man." We confess it, and, on the authority of the word of inspiration, we say, the essential thing in love to God is to keep his commandments. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." This modern, man-invented theory of love and sanctification outside of perfect obedience is a delusion of the most dangerous kind. We propose hereafter to give some facts to illustrate this statement. The true standard of genuine piety is found in the word of God. For devotion, nothing equals the book of Psalms; and nothing equals it in exaiting [sic] the holy law of God. In the New Testament, Jesus and all his apostles breathe the same reverent spirit in regard to the law. The beloved and loving disciple, John, so mild in spirit and demeanor, was only stirred to severe language by this profession of intimate knowledge of God while neglecting or slighting His commandments. He replies, "He that saith, 'I know Him,' and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John, 1:4. All must confess that this is severe; but who will affirm—who dare affirm—that it is not just?