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Sabbath

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Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 5, 1857

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 9, No. 18.

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Sabbath.

By J. B. Frisbie

SABBATH, in the Hebrew language, signifies rest, and is the seventh day of the week—in commemoration of God's resting on the seventh day, &c. Under the Christian dispensation, the Sabbath is changed from the seventh to the first day of the week, &c. Pliny bears witness of the first day of the week being kept as a festival in honor of the resurrection of Christ.
It must be confessed that there is no law in the New Testament concerning the first day. However, it may be observed that it is not so much the precise time that is universally binding, as that one day out of seven is to be regarded, as it is impossible, says Dr. Doddridge, certainly to determine which is the seventh day from creation; and as in consequence of the spherical form of the earth, and the absurdity of the scheme which supposes it one great plain, the change of place will necessarily occasion some alteration, in the time of the beginning and ending of any day in question, it being always at the same time somewhere, sun-rising and sun-setting, noon and midnight. It seems very unreasonable to lay such a stress upon the particular day as some do.
It seems abundantly sufficient that there be six days of labor and on one of religious rest, which there will be upon the Christian and the Jewish scheme. It is lasting as to its duration. The abolition of it would be unreasonable, unscriptural. Ex. xxxi, 13. Sunday, or the Lord's day, a solemn festival observed by Christians on the first day of every week in memory of our Saviour's resurrection. The ancient Saxons called it by this name, because upon it they worshiped the sun. But although it was in the primitive times indifferently called the Lord's day or Sunday, yet it was NEVER denominated the Sabbath; a name constantly appropriate to Saturday, or the seventh day, both by sacred and ecclesiastical writers. Buck's Theological Dictionary.
We sum up this testimony as follows:
  1. The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week.
  2. It is altered from the seventh to the first day of the week.
  3. It is then confessed that there is no law in the New Testament concerning the first day.
  4. It is impossible to determine which is the seventh day from creation, as the world is round.
  5. It was altered from the seventh to the first when no one could possibly tell whether it was the seventh or not.
  6. It was lasting in its duration, its abolition would be unreasonable, unscriptural.
  7. Sunday was a solemn festival observed on the first day in honor of the resurrection of Christ.
  8. It was the day the heathens worshiped the sun.
  9. It was NEVER denominated the Sabbath in primitive times.
  10. Has not much learning made some men mad, or are they drunk with the wine of Babylon?
J. B. Frisbie.