LETTERS by E. R. Seaman

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 3, 1857

LETTERS.

By E. R. Seaman

"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another."

From Bro. Seaman.

BRO. SMITH: I have received a letter recently, the object of which is to convince me of my error of keeping the fourth commandment. The writer, T. Wheeler, a stranger to me, styles himself a '43 Adventist, by way of introduction. He was moved to write me in consequence of reading an article previously written by me on the two laws. His article as summed up by himself contains fourteen declarations. As this is a sample of the position assumed by many who wish to evade the claims of the Sabbath commandment, I will give his declarations, verbatim, and reply.

1. "There is but one law, and this law includes the decalogue."

In reply I would state that the Scriptures of divine truth have made a clear and marked distinction between the book of the law written by the hand of Moses, and the ten commandments written by the finger of God on the tables of stone and spoken with an audible voice from mount Sinai amid the cloud, the fire, and thick darkness. The one in a private manner, the other in the most solemn and public manner, to show its superiority. The ten commandments, as I proved, were deposited in the ark, [Deut. x, 5,] while the book of the law was placed by the side of the ark; therefore, when the ceremonial dispensation has passed, no mention is made of it by Paul in connection with the ark when he enumerates what it now contains. Heb. ix, 4.

2. "The law was given to a specific class of individuals, for a specific object and time."

I have only to set over against this declaration the positive declaration of the Saviour himself. The Sabbath was made for man. Mark ii, 27. And we are informed that when a noun is used without an article it stands for or includes all the class specified; therefore the Sabbath was made for all mankind, from the days of Adam to the close of this dispensation; and more than this, will be kept in the new earth. Isa. lxvi, 23.

3. "It ceased by limitation."

I answer in the language of the wise man, "I know that whatsoever God doeth it shall be forever. Nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it, and God doeth it that men may fear before him." Did God write the ten commandments with his own finger? He did. Will they stand forever? Let David answer. Ps. cx. The works of his hand are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for a limited period. No! says David, You don't quote me right! They stand fast, for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. Well then, let us believe David, and adopt his language as recorded in Ps. cxix, 115.

4. "We are not under the law, but under grace."

What a stone of stumbling this is for some. We inquire, Who are under the law? If I should take my neighbor's horse without his knowledge, and dispose of it to the third person, my neighbor becomes informed of it, the grand jury find a bill against me for horse stealing, I am remanded to prison; then I am to all intents and purposes "under the law." I have violated the eighth precept, that says, Thou shalt not steal. But suppose some good friend, considering my circumstances, pities and believes I may reform. He comes forward and procures a pardon and release. Has the law any more claim on me? Certainly not. I am now under grace or favor of that good friend, and at liberty to go where I please. So with every precept of the decalogue. The law was not made for the righteous. The good friend, it will be perceived, becomes the end of the law for me. For righteousness; thus does Christ our good and merciful High Priest become the end of his law to all that will obey the law and accept the blessed atonement; but those only can be said to be under the law that break it.

If I should go to stealing horses again after I had been redeemed, or brought out of prison, every one would see that I was again under the law. So I conceive it to be with those that have kept the Sabbath once and given it up. They are under the law and fallen from grace, vainly expecting to make void the law through faith. I think it would be a poor plea for me to make the second time I stole, that I was under grace. If any do not, let them try it.

5. "There is but one Sabbath binding, in the Bible, (Saturday,) and that only from the exode to the cross."

6. "I," says T. W., "observe a worshiping day, but not a Sabbath; neither do you nor any other man."

7. "Man's first day corresponds with God's seventh day."

I have put these three declarations together that their serpentine contradictions might be clearly seen. T. W. admits that what we call Saturday was the original Sabbath, then claims that man's first day is the same day as the original seventh which is our so-called Sunday which I suppose T. W. observes as a worshiping day. How this supernatural change came about he does not inform us; nor can he, nor any other man, as the records of all nations, which all agree, show us the fact that what is called Saturday is the seventh day, as originally kept by the peculiar people of God. Jews, Mahomedans, Christians, and Catholics all unite, so that there need be no doubt on the point in the mind of any. If no one keeps the Sabbath, or can keep it, then our position as a people is a sad one. While we are trying to repair the breach as commanded us by God through his inspired prophet Isaiah, and seal the law among the disciples, it is in vain that we try to turn our feet into all his testimonies, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable, by not finding our own pleasure or speaking our own words. This is a grave charge, but no less so than that laid to our divine Lord. He was called a Sabbath-breaker, notwithstanding he had said, "I have kept my Father's commandments," and if they call the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more they of his household?

8. "The law of the ten commandments was faulty."

9. "There can be no law but what is positive, penal, and has temporal rewards and punishments."

10. "Law is arbitrary and pre-supposes stubbornness."

11. "From creation to Sinai, no law."

12. "From the cross to the end of this age, no law."

13. "The gospel says, do, in the sense of an invitation, the law in the sense of a command."

14. "To be under the law is to be under the rod."

In the eighth declaration reference is made to Heb. viii; but on reading it closely it will be seen that God never found fault with his ten commandments, but the eighth verse reads thus, For finding fault with them, i. e. the people that did not keep God's covenant. No fault found with the law, by any means.

In answer to the ninth declaration I would say, that the ten commandments have no penalties attached to them, but in the ministration of the law we find the penalties specified. "He that killeth a beast shall make it good," [Lev. xxiv, 18,] that is, give another in the place of it.

To the tenth I reply, "The law is holy, just and good;" "great peace have they that keep thy law, and nothing shall offend them."

The eleventh is as erroneous as the rest, for God says that Abraham kept his charge, his commandments, and his laws. Gen. xxvi, 5. He could not have done it very well if there had been none to keep; therefore the law did exist.

To the twelfth it is not necessary to bring much testimony. If there is no law now, then sin cannot be imputed, and the world at large stand acquitted; for where there is no law there is no transgression; and sin is defined to be the transgression of the law. Then there are no sinners, no need of Christ's mediation for poor suppliants; but I conclude that T. W. is in darkness on this point, as nearly all the apostles have recognized the law, and spoken of it many years after the crucifixion. Not only so, but James says if any offend in one point he is guilty of all; that is, of breaking all the commandments. Then the Revelator in his benediction says, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, for they shall have right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the City." While the gospel invites us to come, I would exhort T. W. to take his place with the commandments-keepers before the wine of the wrath of God is poured out on all the wicked. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. This could not be said if the fact did not exist.

With the last declaration of T. W. I must agree; and sore indeed will be the rod on those that are found at last under the law, violating any of its divine precepts. They will mourn at the last when their flesh and bodies are consumed, and cry, How have I hated instruction, and despised reproof! There will be the sad lamentation, "The harvest is passed, the summer is ended, and I am not saved."

E. R. SEAMAN.