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Ancient and Honorable

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 23, 1865

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 25, No. 25.

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Ancient and Honorable.

By M. E. Cornell

THE most ancient and honorable of all divine institutions are Marriage and the Sabbath. Both these were instituted by the Creator himself. They originated in the garden of Eden before the fall of man. They were made for man, while yet in his pure state. These two most ancient institutions are pronounced "honorable." Isa. lviii, 13; Heb. xiii, 4.
What folly to talk of either being limited to some particular age, or of their being changed with the change of dispensation.
It has ever been the object of Satan to either abolish altogether, or to pervert the institutions of the Sabbath and Marriage. The emperor Constantine was an efficient agent of Satan to corrupt and change them both. How he figured in regard to marriage is well described by Bishop Newton. He says:
"Forbidding TO Marry. Not regarding the desire of women, neglecting and discouraging marriage; as both the Latin and Greeks did to the great detriment of human society, and to the great discredit of the Christian religion. The Julian and Papian laws which were enacted in the most flourishing times of the Romans, for the favor and encouragement of those who were married and had children, Constantine himself repealed, and allowed equal or greater privileges and immunities to those who were unmarried and had no children. Nay, he held in the highest veneration those men who had devoted themselves to the divine philosophy, i. e., to a monastic life; and almost adored the most holy company of perpetual virgins, being convinced that the God to whom they had consecrated themselves, did dwell in their minds.
His example was followed by his successors; and the married clergy were discountenanced and depressed; the monks were honored and advanced, and in the fourth century like a torrent overran the eastern church, and, soon after, the western too.
This was evidently not regarding the desire of wives, or conjugal affection. At first only second marriages were prohibited, but in time the clergy were absolutely restrained from marrying at all. So much did the power here described, 'Magnify himself above all,' over God himself, by contradicting the primary law of God and nature; and making that dishonorable which the scripture (Heb. xiii, 4,) hath pronounced 'honorable in all.'"
What a pity that so many intelligent men, and even professed Christians will do Satan's work in opposing these divine institutions. While the spiritualists are striking against marriage, some Christian bodies are opposing the Sabbath. Each are striking against the commandments of God, and the teachings of his Son. Jesus Christ has defended the sacredness of both these institutions.
When the Pharisees brought the marriage question before the Saviour, and appealed to what Moses suffered in regard to a man's divorcing his wife, Jesus answered: "For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept, but from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."
That which was done at the beginning of the creation, is the rule, and the manifest design in the origin of the institution carries weight, and is appealed to by our Saviour, as still the rule, and proves that the institution is neither abolished nor changed. No Bible believer can deny this conclusion. Now I appeal to the same argument in reference to the Sabbath.
The Pharisees brought the Sabbath question before Christ in the same manner they had that of marriage:
"And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." Mark ii, 27, 28.
The object of making the Sabbath in the beginning, is appealed to for the rule of its observance, even here in the Christian age. No intimation that the Sabbath was relaxed or abolished, or ever would be. Now I say that inasmuch as Christ has treated these two institutions just alike, if one is changed or abolished, the other one is also. They originated together. They had the same author. One is as old as the other. Both were written on stone by the finger of God. Both are called honorable. Christ has honored and enforced them both in the New Testament. Therefore they must stand or fall together. Spiritualists are waging a warfare against Marriage, and the No-law folks are doing the same thing against the Sabbath. One is just as consistent as the other. I do not envy the anti-Sabbath man his company in fighting against the ancient and honorable. These two ancient jewels were made for man. They are twin sisters; in offending the one, we affront the other. God has joined them together, and man will put them asunder at his own peril.
The fourth and the seventh commandments of the decalogue are given to guard the sacredness of these two precious gifts to man. In tearing down those two commandments we destroy the fence that God has made to guard these two ancient plants which were set out by his own hand. Let God be true. He declares them to be "honorable." If God is true, it must be honorable to keep them holy and sacred, and dishonorable to oppose them.
I am more and more confirmed in the Sabbath truth. It is firm as a rock. That man don't live that can overthrow the Bible argument for the Sabbath. How precious is the truth? "The works of his hands are verity and judgment: all his commandments are sure; they stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness." Even so, amen!
M. E. Cornell.