We now call attention to the Catholic doctrine of praying to the saints and exalting the Virgin Mary. Of this Kirwan says: “I find the same difficulty in your doctrine which teaches me to pray to the saints; how Paul or Peter can hear me in New York, and another in Cork, praying to them at the same time, passes my comprehension. I am sure poor Mary must have her hands full if she attends to all who supplicate her favor. I have no doubt that, in the papal world, ten pray to her where one prays to God.”
In looking at the Scriptures we find plain statements which exclude the possibility of any communication between the dead and living. Solomon says, “The dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.” Allowing the correctness of Solomon’s statement, how could we believe that Mary or any other of the dead saints can hear our prayers?
But we will let the Catholics state the doctrine of invocation of the saints in their own language. From Weninger’s Catechism I quote:
“Q. How do the members of the church militant communicate with the church suffering?”
“A. By the spiritual comfort which they give to the souls in purgatory, who will pray for them in return.”
“Q. Do the souls in purgatory pray for us?”
“A. Certainly they do; for they are grateful and love us.”
“Q. How is the church militant connected with the church triumphant?”
“A. By the Veneration, the Invocation, and the Intercession of the saints.”
“Q. In what does the Veneration of the saints consist?”
“A. In the respect which we pay to the saints on account of their exalted virtues.”
“Q. In what does the Invocation of the saints consist?”
“A. In begging of them to intercede for us with God.”
“Q. In what does the Intercession of the saints consist?”
“A. In the prayers which they offer to God for us.”
“Q. What do you call the worship due to God?”
“A. Adoration.”
“Q. Is there any difference between adoration and the worship of the saints?”
“A. There is an infinite difference between them.”
“Q. Do we adore saints?”
“A. By no means; we only worship or honor them in order to show them the confidence and respect due to them as the glorified servants of God.”
“Q. Whom does the church honor above all other saints?”
“A. In the blessed Virgin Mary.”
“Q. What does St. Epiphanius say about the honor paid to Mary?”
“A. Let us honor Mary; but let us adore only the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”
“Q. In whom should we confide most next to our Saviour?”
“A. The Blessed Virgin Mary.”
“Q. Why so?”
“A. Because she is Mother of the Redeemer, and our advocate with her divine Son.”
“Q. How can you prove from Holy Writ that Mary has great power with God?”
“A. Christ wrought the first miracle which he performed as a proof of his divinity, at her request, at Cana of Galilee.”
“Q. What do the Holy Fathers say of the Blessed Virgin?”
“A. They call Mary the harbor of the ship-wrecked, the hope of the despairing, the ladder of the salvation of sinners, and our only hope after Christ.”
Weninger, after repeating Luke 1, “Hail Mary full of grace,” quotes Ambrose as saying that Mary is “free from every stain of sin,” and St. Augustine as saying, “We allow the devil no share in Mary.”
I will quote on this subject from Butler’s Catechism, New York edition.
“Q. Why do Catholics so often repeat the Hail Mary and Holy Mary?”
“A. To honor the mystery of the incarnation which that prayer expresses; and to show their great respect and devotion to the Mother of God, and their special confidence in her assistance, particularly at the hour of death.”
“Q. And why do you always say the Hail Mary after the Lord’s prayer?”
“A. That by her intercession we may more easily obtain what we ask for in the Lord’s prayer.”
If we need the aid of Mary and the saints to get what Christ taught us to pray for, he could easily have told us so, and taught that “Hail Mary” as a prayer, but he never did it. But we have not gone to the depths of this doctrine yet. The statements quoted thus far are from their catechisms used in days of investigation, in a land of “presumed heretics.” Let us have some genuine Catholic authority on this subject, with no watering to suit circumstances.
“Says St. Thomas, a Villanova, ‘But Christ without the Virgin Mary, did nothing, could not fulfill human redemption; she administered to him that he might pay the price of human guilt; therefore she is co-Redeemer.’”
“Saint Bonaventura says: ‘On Calvary the Virgin Mary was, by her intention, accomplishing for her part this great sacrifice. While Christ was suffering by passion she was suffering by compassion; and, therefore, is co-Redeemer.’”
On the subject of co-Redeemer, Gavazzi says, “But the Roman Catholic church says, we do need a second mediator; Christ is the mediator between man and God, but between man and Christ another is required, and that is the Virgin Mary. This is no exaggeration; I have my breviarium in my hand; that will certainly be allowed to be authority. I quote Fathers and they must be admitted without any disclaim. St. Bernard on this subject is the prominent. In his sermon on the twelve stars he says, ‘For there is need of a mediator to the mediator Christ, nor can any other be more sufficient for us than Mary. Why may human frailty fear to come to Mary? She has in her nothing austere, nothing deterring; she is all sweetness, offering to all her milk and wool. But if, on the other hand, as is truly the case, you rather find all things that pertain to her to be full of goodness and grace, full of gentleness and mercy, then give thanks to Him who, in most benign pity, has provided for us such a mediatrix, in whom there is nothing that can be suspected; in short, she is all things to all men. She opens to all her bosom of mercy, that all may receive of her fullness; the captive, redemption; the sick, healing; the sorrowful, consolation; the sinner, pardon; the righteous, grace; the angel, joy.’ And in the Homily on the nativity of the Virgin Mary, he continues, ‘Providing in all things, moreover, and through all things for the wretched, she consoles our fears; she excites our faith; she strengthens our hope; she drives away our distrust; she raises up our pusillanimity. You feared to approach the Father; terrified at hearing him only, you fled among the trees. He has given Jesus to you as a mediator. What cannot such a Son obtain from such a Father? He will be heard for his own sake, for the Father loves the Son. But perhaps you fear also in him the divine majesty, because though he was made man, he was still God. Do you desire to have an advocate with him? Have recourse to Mary. There is truly a pure humanity in Mary, not only pure from all contamination, but pure by the peculiarity of its nature. I do not hesitate to say that she always will be heard for her own sake. For the Son will hear the mother, and the Father will hear the Son.’ And in the sermon on Revelation 12, he concludes, ‘Let us embrace the footstool of Mary, my brethren, and prostrate ourselves at her blessed feet, with the most devout supplications. Let us hold her, and not let her go until she has blessed us, for she is powerful. For she is the fleece between the dew and the floor, the woman between the sun and the moon; Mary established between Christ and the church.’”
In great contrast with the above are the words of Christ himself, “Come unto me, ALL ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Rome says, Come to Mary to intercede with Christ for you. I will quote still further the testimony of Fathers, relied on by the Catholic church, to prove their peculiar dogmas concerning Mary: “Augustine says (sermon 18, de sanctis), let that be pardonable through thee, which we prefer through thee; let that be obtainable which we entreat with a faithful mind. Receive what we offer; give us back what we ask; excuse what we fear; because thou art the sole hope of sinners. By thee we hope for the pardon of our sins; and in thee, O most blessed, is the expectation of our rewards.”
“John Chrysostom says, ‘Do you wish to know how much this Virgin excels the heavenly powers? They assist with fear and trembling, veiling their faces; she offers to him who was born of her, the human race. Through her also we obtain the pardon of our sins. Hail, therefore, O mother of Heaven, damsel, virgin, throne, ornament of the church, its glory and strength. Perseveringly pray to thy Son, Jesus Christ, and our Lord for us; that through thee we may be able to find mercy in the day of Judgment, and to obtain those good things which are laid up for those who love God.’”
“Cyril of Alexandria, in the Homily against Nestorius, says of Mary, ‘Through thee the precious cross is celebrated and adored through the whole habitable world. Through thee Heaven exults, angels and archangels rejoice, devils are put to flight, and man himself is recalled to Heaven. Through thee every creature who is retained in idolatrous error is converted to the acknowledgement of the truth, and faithful men have come to a holy baptism, and churches have been built in the whole world. Through thy aid nations come to repentance.’”
“Bernard says, ‘Behold, O man, the counsel of God. Being about to redeem the human race, he introduced the whole price into Mary. Observe, therefore, more intently, with how great a feeling of devotion he desired that she should be honored by us, who placed the fullness of all good in Mary; so that if there is any hope in us, any grace, any salvation, we should know that it redounded to us from her, who ascended abounding with joys. Let us venerate this Mary with all our inmost hearts, and with all the affection of our breasts, and with our vows, because this is his will who wished us to have everything by Mary; this is his will, but for our sakes.’”
The above are some of the authorities quoted by the Catholic Church, for the worship and intercession of Mary. It is not Bible testimony but Fathers—poor fallible men’s sayings. By their doctrine concerning Mary, the church of Rome teaches us, in the most emphatic manner, to distrust Christ, to disbelieve his promises, and to doubt the character he has given himself in the holy gospel. This will be more forcibly illustrated in a further statement of their views, not simply from Fathers, but in a document acknowledged by papists to be as infallible as pope’s can make it. It is from a work called “The Glories of Mary, by St. Alphonsus Liguori.” As to its authority, on the 18th of May, 1803, Pope Pius VII. confirmed the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, which declared that all the writings of St. Alphonsus had been most rigorously examined, and that not one word has been found worthy of censure. The work was written in Italian, but was translated into English by Dr. Wiseman. This translation was approved by the pope’s cardinal. On the back of the title page we read, “We hereby approve of this translation of the ‘Glories of Mary,’ and cordially recommend it to the faithful.” Signed, “Nicholas Card Wiseman, Archbishop of Westminster. Given at Westminster, on the Feast of St. Alphonsus de Liguori, A. D. 1852.” This book, then, is an authorized exponent of the teachings of the church of Rome in reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“In the ‘Glories of Mary’ you read, ‘In the Franciscan chronicles it is related that brother Leo once saw a red ladder, on the summit of which was Jesus Christ; and a white one, on the top of which was his most Holy Mother; and he saw some who tried to ascend the red ladder, and they mounted a few steps and fell; they tried again, and again fell. They were then advised to go and try the white ladder, and by that one they easily ascended, for our Blessed Lady stretched out her hand and helped them, and so they got safely to Heaven.’”
The sentiment of the above quotation directly denies the Bible. Says Christ, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” But this “Glories of Mary” speaks of some who tried to get to Heaven by Christ, and failed. They tried to get to Heaven by the Virgin Mary (to “climb up by some other way”), and succeeded. It seems to me it is easy enough to tell which direction such teachings come from. Christ does not contradict himself.
But we will quote still further from the “Glories of Mary.” “We oftentimes obtain more promptly what we ask by calling on the name of Mary than by invoking that of Jesus. Her Son is Lord and Judge of all, and discerns the merit of each one; and, therefore, if he does not immediately grant the prayers of all, he is just. When, however, the Mother’s name is invoked, though the merits of the suppliant are not such as to deserve that his prayers should be granted, those of the Mother supply that he may receive. Many things, says Nicephorus, are asked from God and are not granted; they are asked from Mary and are obtained.”
Here, again, their book is directly opposite to the words of Christ: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.”
We read again in the “Glories of Mary:” “The kingdom of God consists in power and mercy; reserving power to himself. He in some way yielded the empire of mercy to his Mother.”
We will give a few more sayings of Alphonsus in his “Glories of Mary,” as quoted in “Signs of Our Times, London, 1872:” “No sooner had Mary consented to be the Mother of the Eternal Word than she merited, by this consent, to be made Queen of the world and of all creatures.” Again, “The Eternal Father gave the office of Judge and avenger to the Son, and that of showing mercy to the Mother.” And again, “Mary is not only willing to give, but she herself, offers her milk and wool to all; the milk of mercy to animate our confidence, and the wool of her protection against the thunderbolts of divine justice.”
Yet another: “Before Mary there was no one who could thus dare to restrain the arm of God. But now if God is angry with a sinner, and Mary takes him under her protection, she withholds the avenging arm of her Son, and saves him.” “God would not become man without the consent of Mary; in the first place that we might feel ourselves under obligations to her; and in the second that we might understand that the salvation of all is left to the care of this Blessed Virgin.” “At the command of Mary all obey, even God.”
What a vile slander on the character of Jesus as set forth in the gospels in the Catholic claims for Mary. We will close these quotations by referring to one prayer which they address to Mary, found in the “Glories of Mary.” It is as follows: “O immaculate and entirely pure Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Queen of the Universe, through thee we have been reconciled with God. Thou art the only advocate of sinners, and the secure haven of those who are sailing on the sea of life. O immaculate Virgin, we are under thy protection, and therefore we have recourse to thee alone, and we beseech thee to prevent thy beloved Son, who is irritated by our sins, from abandoning us to the power of the devil.”
We leave the subject of the exaltation of the Virgin by quoting the words of Peter concerning Christ: “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” This leaves no room for Mary as co-Redeemer, co-Mediator, intercessor, or Saviour.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
The Wonders of Nature.
THIS world of ours is filled with wonders. The microscope reveals them not less than the telescope, each at either extreme of creation. In the insect creation particularly, there is much to know that has never been dreamed of—wheels within wheels, without computation—or number. Let us take a rapid glance at the proofs of this statement.
The polypus, it is said, like the fabled hydres, receives new life from the knife which is lifted to destroy it. The fly-spider lays an egg as large as itself. There are four thousand and forty-one muscles in the caterpillar. Hooke discovered fourteen thousand mirrors in the eye of a drone; and to effect the respiration of a carp, thirteen thousand three hundred arteries, vessels, veins, bones, &c., are necessary. The body of every spider contains four little masses pierced with a multitude of imperceptible holes, each hole permitting the passage of a single thread; all the threads, to the amount of a thousand to each mass, join together when they come out, and make the single thread with which the spider spins its web, so that what we call a spider's thread consists of more than four thousand united. Leeuwenhoek, by means of microscopes, observed spiders no bigger than the grain of sand, and which spun threads so fine that it took four thousand of them to equal in magnitude a single hair.
And thus we might go on until the mind would almost weary of the details of the wonders of nature.
The Best Gymnasium
The best gymnasium is a wood-yard, “clearing,” or a cornfield.
The Cause in Europe.
By James White
Under the caption, Encouraging Prospects in Switzerland, Elder D. T. Bourdeau states:
“In company with J. N. Andrews I have visited all the churches of Sabbath-keepers in Switzerland; and the result of this has been a strong attachment to these dear brethren and sisters, and a growing respect for the Swiss people. I believe there is as good material among this people as among any other nation. I find them fully up to our American brethren in Systematic Benevolence and the missionary work, and can say they have laid a good foundation on temperance, by laying aside tea, coffee and tobacco. Though Eld. Andrews has for a time worked to great disadvantage in using an interpreter, yet he has earnestly endeavored to bring the Swiss brethren up to the standard of the work in America. His coming to Switzerland was timely, and, under the blessing of God, brought deliverance to dear Bro. Ertzenberger, and much-needed help to the cause in Switzerland.”
“We have already had four good social meetings with the church in Locle. Yesterday all the brethren and sisters took part, excepting two or three. Among these were three of the youth. It was a sweet season. We almost fancied ourselves in a spirited social meeting in America. The God of America is the God of Europe; his work is one, and his truth affects his honest children wherever they may be found.”
“One encouraging feature is that two of our promising Swiss brethren, who seemed almost hopelessly bound by their financial matters a short time since, are making up their minds to soon enter the gospel field as evangelists.”
“God is greatly helping Eld. Andrews in rewriting the book on the Three Messages. Much light is breaking in upon our minds on these important subjects, which are so shaping as to have a general and forcible application. We hope that our American brethren will have the same work in English after awhile. It will comprise sixty-four pages. We are following Bro. Andrews closely in translating, and are also translating enough of Bro. White’s “Exposition of Matthew Twenty-four” to make another excellent sixty-four page tract. We have both enjoyed much of the blessing of God in this work, though we long to enter new fields, and shall do so as soon as we have these works in French.”
“I have a strong desire to go to France soon, but now feel as though I owe a debt of gratitude to Switzerland, one of whose noble daughters, Mme. Feller, did more than any other person, except my parents, in giving me a French education in a mission school which she founded in Canada.”
“We feel at home in Europe because we have the clearest evidence that we are in the path of duty. The change of climate has been rather hard on our lungs, but we have strong faith that the God who has called us will sustain us even in Europe.”
“We now expect that in about six weeks we shall open our mission in Bale. We think we have a sense of the sacredness and importance of the work.”
The spirit of faith and good cheer in these words from Elder Bourdeau have their inspiring influence upon the friends of the mission to Europe. Elders Andrews and Bourdeau will find enough work to weary, enough care to wear them, and difficulties and perplexities to demand the utmost stretch of faith and patience. But while they work for God, and in God, they will find some true friends at least around them in Europe, and they will share the confidence and support of their American brethren, and, best of all, the mighty God of Jacob will be their strength and shield. God bless the cause in Europe! J. W.
The Press in Europe.
By James White
JAMES WHITE......................... $1,000
John Morrison........................ 1,000
Ten thousand dollars wanted to establish the Seventh-day Adventist press in Basel, Switzerland, to be paid in monthly installments of $1,000 for each of the remaining months of 1876, beginning with April and closing in December with $2,000. Just eight more $1,000-men are wanted to fill the bill for presses and printing material generally.
Then there will be a chance for the $100-men to come in with their free-will offerings to support periodicals in French and German, and print tracts to circulate all through Europe. We can ask our brethren in Europe to do no more at present than to support the worthy missionaries and laborers in their midst.
We shall forward $1,000 to Elder Andrews in April, in full faith that eight more $1,000-men will join us in this worthy enterprise.
Friends in Europe are comparatively few. So they were in America until we set the people to reading. The books, pamphlets, and tracts are written. It is now the work to translate and print. And the money is coming to meet the expenses. JAMES WHITE.
Mrs. Ellen G. White.
By Ellen G. White
HER LIFE, CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE AND LABORS.
Wm. Miller’s calculation of the time was so simple and plain that even the children could understand it. From the date of the decree of the King of Persia, found in Ezra 7, which was given in 457 before Christ, the 2300 years of Dan. 8:14 must terminate with 1843. Accordingly we looked to the end of this year for the coming of the Lord. We were sadly disappointed when the year entirely passed away and the Saviour had not come.
It was not at first perceived that if the decree did not go forth at the beginning of the year 457 B. C. the 2300 years would not be completed at the close of 1843. But it was ascertained that the decree was given near the close of the year 457, B. C., and therefore the prophetic period must reach to the fall of the year 1844. Therefore the vision of time did not tarry, though it had seemed to do so. We learned to rest upon the language of the prophet, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
God tested and proved his people by the passing of the time in 1843. The mistake made in reckoning the prophetic periods was not at once discovered even by learned men who opposed the views of those who were looking for Christ’s coming. These profound scholars declared that Mr. Miller was right in his calculation of the time, though they disputed him in regard to the event that would crown that period. But they, with the waiting people of God, were in a common error on the question of time.
We fully believe that God, in his wisdom, designed that his people should meet with a disappointment, which was well calculated to reveal hearts and develop the true characters of those who had professed to look for and rejoice in the coming of the Lord. Those who embraced the first angel’s message (See Rev. 14: 6, 7) through fear of the wrath of God’s judgments, not because they loved the truth and desired an inheritance in the kingdom of Heaven, now appeared in their true light. They were among the first to ridicule the disappointed ones who sincerely longed for and loved the appearing of Jesus. This most searching test of God revealed the true characters of those who would shirk responsibility and stigma by denying their faith in the hour of trial.
Those who had been disappointed were not left in darkness; for in searching the prophetic periods with earnest prayers, the error was discovered, and the tracing of the prophetic pencil down through the tarrying time. In the joyful expectation of the coming of Christ, the apparent tarrying of the vision had not been taken into account, and was a sad and unlooked-for surprise. Yet this very trial was highly necessary to develop and strengthen the sincere believers in the truth.
Our hopes now centered on the coming of the Lord in 1844. This was also the time for the message of the second angel, who, flying through the midst of heaven, cried, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city!” Many left the churches in obedience to the message of the second angel. Near its close the Midnight Cry was given, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him!” In every part of the land light was being given concerning this message, and the cry aroused thousands. It went from city to city, from village to village, and into the remote country regions. It reached the learned and talented, as well as the obscure and humble.
This was the happiest year of my life. My heart was full of glad expectation. I felt great pity and anxiety for those who were in discouragement and had no hope in Jesus. As a people, we united in earnest prayer for true inward experience and the unmistakable evidence of our acceptance with God.
We needed unbounded patience, for the scoffers were many. We were frequently greeted by scornful allusions to our former disappointment. “You are not gone up yet; when do you expect to go up?” and similar sarcasms were often vented upon us by our worldly acquaintances, and even by some professed Christians, who accepted the Bible yet failed to learn its great and important truths. Their blinded eyes seemed to see but a vague and distant meaning in the solemn warning that “God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world,” and that the saints will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.
The formal churches used every means to prevent the belief in Christ’s soon coming from spreading. No liberty was granted in their meetings to those who dared to mention a hope of the soon coming of Christ. Professed lovers of Jesus scornfully rejected the tidings that their best friend was soon to visit them. They were excited and angered against those who proclaimed the news of his coming and rejoiced that they should speedily behold him in his glory.
Every moment seemed precious and of the utmost importance to me. I felt that we were doing work for eternity, and that the careless and uninterested were in the greatest peril. My faith was unclouded, and I appropriated the precious promises of Jesus to myself. He had said to his disciples, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” I firmly believed that whatever I asked in accordance with the will of God would certainly be granted to me. I sank in humility at the feet of Jesus with my heart in harmony with the divine will.
I often visited families and engaged in earnest prayer with those who were oppressed by fears and despondency. My faith was so strong that I never doubted for a moment that God would answer my prayers, and without a single exception the blessing and peace of Jesus rested upon us in answer to our humble petitions, and the hearts of the despairing ones were made joyful by light and hope.
With diligent searching of hearts and humble confessions we came prayerfully up to the time of expectation. Every morning we felt that it was our first business to secure the evidence that our lives were right before God. We realized that if we were not advancing in holiness we were sure to retrograde. Our interest for each other increased; we prayed much with and for one another. We assembled in the orchards and groves to commune with God and offer up our petitions to him, feeling more nearly in his presence when surrounded by his natural works. The joys of salvation were more necessary to us than our food and drink. If clouds obscured our minds we dared not rest or sleep till they were swept away by the consciousness of our acceptance with the Lord.
My health was very poor, my lungs were seriously affected, and my voice failed me. The Spirit of God often rested upon me with great power, and my frail body could scarcely endure the weight of glory that flooded my soul. The name of Jesus filled me with rapture, I seemed to breathe in the atmosphere of Heaven. I rejoiced in the prospect of soon meeting my Redeemer and living in the light of his countenance forever.
The waiting people of God approached the hour when they fondly hoped their joy would be complete in the coming of the Saviour. But the time again passed unheralded by the advent of Jesus. Mortality still clung to us, the effects of the curse were all around us. It was hard to take up the vexing cares of life that we thought had been laid down forever. It was a bitter disappointment that fell upon the little flock whose faith had been so strong and whose hope had been so high. But we were surprised that we felt so free in the Lord, and were so strongly sustained by his strength and grace.
The experience of the former year was, however, repeated to a greater extent. A large class renounced their faith. Some, who had been very confident, were so deeply wounded in their pride that they felt like fleeing from the world. Like Jonah they complained of God and chose death rather than life. Those who had built their faith upon the evidence of others and not upon the Word of God were now as ready to exchange their views again. The hypocrites, who had hoped to deceive the Almighty as well as themselves, with their counterfeit penitence and devotion, now felt relieved from impending danger, and launched into open opposition to the cause they had lately professed to love.
The weak and the wicked united in declaring that there could be no more fears or expectations now. The time had passed, the Lord had not come, and the world would remain the same for thousands of years. This second great test revealed a mass of worthless drift that had been drawn into the strong current of the Advent faith, and been borne along for a time with the true believers and earnest workers.
Sunday Observance.
The Sunday Chronicle, March 19, under the above caption, gives quite a full report of a recent sermon preached by Dr. Fallows of Chicago, from which we take the following:—
The question of the obligation and mode of observance of the Sabbath has caused very serious disagreement of opinion among the most learned, consistent, and devout teachers of the Christian Church. Any one who is at all conversant with the history of the controversy which has gathered around the subject, and who desires to present his own conclusions after a mature and candid survey of all the points at issue, will be the last person in the world to dogmatize and hurl his opprobrious epithets at his opponents.
VIEWS OF THE REFORMERS.
Differences of opinion exist first as to the ground of obligation. The reformed Swiss churches held that the Sabbath was simply a Jewish institution, and was abrogated by our Lord. Their confession declared that the observance of the Lord's Day [Sunday] is founded, not on any commandment of God, but on the authority of the Church, and that the Church may alter the day at pleasure.
The Augsburg Confession, which was drawn up by Melanchthon, avows that the Lord's Day, Easter, Whitsuntide, and other such holidays, ought to be kept, because they are appointed by the church.
Cramer, in his Catechism, published in 1548, says: “We now keep no more Sabbath on Saturday as the Jews do; but we observe the Sunday and certain other days as the magistrates do judge convenient, whom in this thing we ought to obey.”
Tyndale said: “As for the Sabbath, we be lords over the Sabbath, and may yet change it into Monday, or into any other day as we see need, or may make every tenth day holy only if we see cause why.”
It is also stated that “it is on record that Calvin debated whether the reformed, for the purpose of estranging themselves more completely from the Romish Church, should not adopt Thursday as the Christian Sabbath.”
On the authority of Bishop Horsley it is also stated that Calvin regarded the Sabbath as one of those cardinal ordinances of the Jewish religion which our Lord had blotted out.
All these eminent men, and many others that might be mentioned, held that there was no obligation in the Old or New Testament for the observance of the Sabbath by Christians, but that it simply rested on the authority of the Church or on the basis of expediency. Many hold that the Sabbath was simply a Jewish institution, that its authority perished when Christ came, but believe that the Christian Sabbath, or the first day of the week, was instituted by the apostles, and is therefore binding upon all Christians to the end of time. Others believe that the Sabbath is a primitive institution, given by God at the creation, and re-enacted amid the most impressive circumstances at the giving of the law on Sinai. Some of these contend that the law thus given has never been repealed, and that the very day of the Mosaic institution is still binding; while others, holding the views of the primitive, Mosaic Sabbath, believe that the obligation was transferred to the first day by the apostles.
Not only is there this divergence of opinion respecting its obligation, but also its observance. Zwingle, one of the greatest of reformers, declared that it was lawful on the Lord's Day, [Sunday] after divine service, for any man to pursue his labors. Beza taught that no cessation of work on the Lord's Day is required of Christians. Bucer, still more radical, says it is not only to be called “a superstition, but an apostasy from Christ, to think that working on the Lord's Day, in itself considered, is a sinful thing.” Others, who maintain with these reformers that there is no religious obligation to keep the day, yet plead for a far different mode of its observance. The profound and revered Dr. Arnold of Rugby, in a letter to Justice Coleridge, said: “Although I think that the whole law is done away with, so far as it is the law given at Mount Sinai, I hold it to be all binding; and, believing that our need of a Lord's Day is as great as ever it was, and that, therefore, its observance is God's will, and is133likely, so far as we see, to be so to the end of time, I should think it most mischievous to weaken the respect paid to it.”
WHAT DR. FALLOWS HIMSELF THINKS.
My own view is, as I have before stated, that the Sabbath was instituted at the creation of man; that it was re-announced at the giving of the law.
It seems to me, upon a careful perusal of God's word, that this is the correct view. “God rested on the seventh day from all his works which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work, which God created and made.” Gen. 2:2, 3. I know that many very able divines would make this language anticipatory of the giving of the law, so that it is to be understood as if Moses had said, “God rested on the seventh day, which He has since blessed and sanctified.”
I cannot take the language to be thus anticipative, because I believe that in the very nature or constitution of man the necessity for the Sabbath is written, and that the Creator made the outward law because he had already stamped in man's being the inward law.
Second—There appears to be a recognition of a division of time into weeks by Noah. He was commanded to enter into the ark seven days before the flood came (Gen. 7:4, 10); seven days elapsed between the times of sending forth the dove (Gen. 8:10, 12); Jacob fulfilled a week for Rachael (Gen. 29:25); and Joseph made a mourning for his father seven days (Gen. 1:10).
Third—The Sabbath is mentioned in Exodus 16:25–30, on the occasion of the giving of the manna in the wilderness, prior to the giving of the law of Sinai. Everything connected with that occurrence points, I think, to an acknowledged, though perhaps neglected, observance of the Sabbath.
Fourth—It is a well-known fact that nearly all the nations of antiquity observed a division of time by weeks. Among these we may mention the Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Slavonians, Chinese and Mexicans. It is next to impossible to suppose that they derived the idea from the Jews. While preparing this sermon, I came across an item in one of our leading periodicals for March, to the effect that an Oriental scholar, in deciphering the cuneiform inscriptions of the ancient Chaldeans, had found unequivocal reference to the hebdomadal division of time, and also the word Sabbath, which means in that language, “the rest of the heart.” He thinks the Jews may have derived the Sabbath from the Chaldeans. To me it is important cumulative testimony to the primeval, universal Sabbath given at the creation.