THE TWO LAWS by M. E. Cornell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 9, 1864

THE TWO LAWS

By M. E. Cornell

Interesting Extracts. No. 7.

BY ELD. M. E. CORNELL.

THE TWO LAWS.

THE following, from the learned Jews' Letters to Voltaire, shows that the confounding of the two laws was an old infidel objection to the Bible, and, as such, it was exposed and refuted by those who were well versed in the nature and object at all the ancient laws. Those at the present day who confound the different laws of the Old Testament, making them all one and then abolishing the whole at the cross as if they were all indifferent, may here learn that their honorable prototype was the infidel Voltaire.

"Thus, Sir, you describe our divine law. This whole legislation, the object of respect for so many ages, is nothing, according to you, but a heap of vain observances and superstitious customs. Such is the picture you give of them, similar in this respect to the work of those ill-natured painters who employ the art of profile with no other view than to represent the object they hate on the most unfavorable side.

But are these ritual laws which you quote the only divine law of the Jews? Are they the principal and most essential parts of it? Our prophets every where say the contrary. The Decalogue, that most excellent compendium of morality. . . . precepts on the duties of man toward God, toward himself, and toward his fellow creatures, are the foundation, &c."—Letters, p. 177.

To the above is appended the following note: "The divine law of the Jews is distinguished into divine natural law, and comprehends the moral laws founded in the nature of things; and into divine positive law, which comprehends the ceremonial laws, the laws of civil polity, &c."

ARE ALL IMAGES OR LIKENESSES A VIOLATION OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT?

Voltaire. "Moses himself seems now to transgress the law which he had made. He forbade all images yet he put up the brazen serpent. Solomon caused twelve bulls to be engraven," &c.

Jews' Reply: "You might have added, to give strength to this little objection, that the legislator ordered the figure of cherubims to be worked, and embroidered on the rails of the tabernacle, and of the Sanctuary; that he commanded cherubims of gold to be placed over the ark, which they covered with their wings, &c. And yet he did not 'transgress the law which he had given,' because it did not absolutely prohibit the making any image or likeness; but the making it, 'with intent of worship.' Thus our fathers understood it, and thus did even Josephus. Now Moses did not make the brazen serpent, nor the cherubims with intent of worship. You allow that the, 'ancient Jews paid them no kind of adoration,' and when in process of time, they began to do so, a pious king caused the image to be destroyed. Moses' conduct does not contradict the law, but the interpretation you are pleased to give of it."—Letters to Voltaire, p. 217.

PLAIN PREACHING.

Dr. Erasmus Albertus, when departing from Brandenburg, asked Luther how he ought to preach before the Elector. Luther replied, "Your sermons should be addressed, not to princes and nobles, but to the rude uncultivated communality. If in my discourses I were to be thinking about Melancthon and the other doctors, I should do no good at all, but I preach in plain language to the plain unlearned people, and that pleases all parties. If I know Greek, Hebrew, and Latin languages, I reserve them for our learned meetings, where they are of use; for at these we deal in such subtleties and such profundities that God himself, I wot, must marvel at us."—Mitchelet's Life of Luther, p. 293.