AN INDEFINITE DEFINITE DAY.
By R. F. Cottrell
THERE is a numerous class of persons that hold the following articles of faith. 1. We believe that the Bible Sabbath is a day of rest after six days of labor, i. e. it is not limited to any definite day, but is any day of rest after any six days of labor. 2. We believe that from the creation to Christ, the Sabbath fell upon the definite seventh day of the week, and that from the resurrection of Christ to the end of the world, the definite first day of the week is the Christian Sabbath. Consequently the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth days of the week are positively and necessarily forever excluded from being the Sabbath. Do they believe these contradictory articles, or do they only say they do? For both of them to be true, is as truly impossible as it is for God to lie. Why do they not then choose one of the two, and hold to that and reject the other? Why try to serve two masters who are at war with each other? The only reason that I can see why sane men should take such a course is this: From present appearances it would seem that God has changed the Sabbath to the first day, and forgot to tell us in his word that he changed it. Therefore these men, with the benevolent design of apologizing for this inconsistency, have wisely discovered that the Sabbath was indefinite as to the day, and, being “loose upon the handle,” it needed no special act to change it, but could change itself! Now as this theory is a mystery that the Lord has never revealed to man, how much must he be indebted to them for their pious and indefatigable efforts to clear up his character! Or rather, what a pious fraud are they practicing upon themselves and others, to justify them in following after the Man of Sin—the changer of times and laws! This may seem harsh; but it is not written to harm any one, but to aid the “little ones” in escaping the snare of the Deceiver.