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rni6re page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — *■ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely includfjd in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent etre filmds d des taux de reduction diffSrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour etre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmd d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 THE SABBATH QUESTION, A8 I ORIOxINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE "ACADIAN RECORDER/' WITH AN INTRODUCTION CONTAINING EXTRACTS FROM AN ESSAY BY DR. CRAMP, "ON THE OBLIGATION OF CHRISTIANS TO OBSERVE THE LORD'S SUPPKR EVERY LORD'S DAY " ALSO AN ARTICLE SHOWING THE VIEWS 0«<^ THE REFOKMEllS r OONOEKNING SUNDAY, AND TH. , LAWFULNESS OF WOklUNG THEKKON. ANU I A REPLY TO JUDGE MARSHALL'S TRACT, I Ok "The Sajjiuth and Bible Moral Law," AND A BRIEF NOTICE OF THE REV. W. II. HUMPHREY'S PUBLISHED SERMONS, ON THE SABBATH. By J as. R. IJTHGOW. HALIFAX, N. S. PRINTED BY JAMES BOWES AND SONS. 1861. . t 'J* ,I,'t> 'f THE SABBATH QUESTION. In former ye&rs when the shores of Nova Scotia abounded with fish, and the hving of her now impoverished Fishermen was less pre- cai-ious than of late years, the sober and industrious among them could afford — notwithstanding the shortness of the fishing season — .to make a sabbath or day of rest of every Sunday, without much ap- prehension of being unable to " provide things honest in the sight . of all men," and fulfil— at least once a year— that other good precept, — '* Owe no man anything." But for several years past the fisheries, . especially on our shores, have so failed that for a fisherman to suffer any opportunity of taking a " school offish" to pass by unimproved is a very serious matter, for in so doing he very probably loses his only chance of securing his year's living. It is selcfom now that a fisherman on our shores has many opportunities in a single season of taking any considerable quantity of Mackarel or Herrings, on which, yet, he mainly depends for a living, or, to pay for his living ; and when a favourable opportunity of " makl.,g a stop'" presents itself on Sunday, as often happens,— fishermen say, more frequently than . on any other day— it is to the poor, conscientious and God-fearing man a great hardship — a " burden grievous to be borne" — hence not of Christ, whose " yoke is easy," and whose " burden is light" — . to stand by and through fear of desecrating what is untruthfully call- . ed " the sabbath day," — or, of losing the respect of his unenlighten- ed neighbours,— -or worse than all perhaps, of inci ring the displea- sure of his Minister and be cast out of the synagogue — suffer the means of subsistence which a kind Providence had placed within his reach, to pass away before his eyes. Now I would ask the reader a question. If you A^ew— if you were fully persuaded from searching the Scriptures and carefully weighing and considering their testimony, that it is a violation of no Divine law or precept to work on Sunday — that Christ or his apostles never instituted a sabbath or holy day — would you not feel it your duty to make known this knowledge, and endeavour to relieve honest, up- light fishermen of a great burden of mere human imposition? Again, --If you are not a fisherman imagine yourself one for a mo- ment, living on a rocky, sterile coast, with little to depend on but what your seine and nets may take, and that on some Sunday, after weeks of fruitless watching and tending nets you have at length an opportunity of securing a fine body of fish— would not the knowledge that what I maintain is the truth be gladly and gratefully received ? 2 especially il you were so conscientious as under no circumslancen to fish on what you had been taufjht was the sabbath day, on which, ac- cording to the fourth commandment, no work must be done. Now if the reader be not a fisherman he may suppose, or be easily persuaded that such a thing rarely haj)pens, i?ut the fact is it often happens. I have for many years been in an establishment which suj)- plies fishermen ; and of late particularly, have hbard much concern- ing the losses they oft sustain iii consequence of their conscientious scruples in regard to working on Sunday. Last season especlallj% many well authenticated instancey came to my knowledge of large quantities of Mackerel and Herrings being lost to our fishermen in this way. And no wonder, seeing they have been taught from their childhood the fourth commandment, — "Kememberthe sabbath day, to keep it holy." &c.— and been impressed with the belief that the command is addressed to them, and that the sabbath day is Sun- day ! while the truth is, it was given only to the nation of Israel, and had reference only to the seventh day of the week ; that is, Satur- day ; or more strictly, from 6 P. M. on Friday, to the same hour on Saturday evening ; as observed by the Jews to this day in obedience to their law. Whoever, therefore, would keep the fourth command- ment must ".not do any work" from Friday evening till Saturday evening. " Any work"— not even kindle a ^fre in his habitation, or gather sticks, under pain of death ! Such is the law of Moses, as see Exodus xxxv. 2, 3 ; Numbers xv. 32-36. And of this law it is written — "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Alas ! if the law of the'sabbath day were binding on us ! wemust all inevitably perish ! But as I have fully shown in the following pages, Moses" is not the christian's law- giver. The christian is not under his law. (Horn. vi. 14.) He is a child not of the bondwoman but of the free ! (Gal. iv. 21-31.) And only such Mosaic commandments as are found among the ])recepts of the New Covenant are binding on the church, and that not be- cause they are of Moses, but of Christ. " Go ye therefore," said our Lord to his Apostles, " and teach all nations, baptizing them * * * Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. The " all things" then, which Christ through his Apostles— not Moses in the law— commands, the bap- tized believer of the Gospel is to observe. Here then, 1 again repeat the offer — made through the Acadian llecorder in October last— of Five Pounds to any one who will point out among the " all things" inculcated by the apostles anything like a command to observe a sabbath day. And I further offer a like sum for such Scripture testimony as would justify an intelligent Jury in finding a man who works on Sunday guilty of " sabbath-breaking," or of violating any divim; precept ; — provided the law of the land sanctions or winks at work on that day. The reasoning of Sabbatarians on this question is a piece of sophistry which it is high time was effectually exposed. The honor and supremacy of Christ and his Gospel, as well as a consider- ation of the fisherman's case, demand that this should be done. In the Acadian Recorder the But to return to the fishermen, following paragraph appears :— . *' The Sabbath Controvehsy.— Wolast evening had a conver- sation with a fisherman from St. Margaret's Bay—a most respect- able and intelligent man on whose word we can rely— who, speaking of the Sabbath Question, assured us that he and his neighbours could have secured, one Sunday in July last, manv hundred barrels of Mackarel ; but, thinking it unlawful to do so, 'they suffered the fish to pass by unmolested. He also stated that on another occasion this season he stopped about two himdred barrels of Mackarel on a Satur- day evening, and could have landed them safely on Sunday, but leaving them until iMonday the fish escaped. In view of facts like these our readers will agree with us, that if it be, as Mr. Lithgow maintains, no transgression of God's law for a fisherman to take fish on Sundav! it behoves them and all who are interested in the success of our fisheries (and which of us is not) to know it." I was present when the above statement was made in iha Acadian Recorder Office, and can vouch for the truth of it, knowing the ])erson who made it to be a truthfid, religious man, and a consistent member of the Baptist Church in >iargarct's Bay. E pluribus unum.—'U\e above is but a sample— one out of many instances— of the grievous, intolerable losses our poor fishermen have annually to bear. Many similar cases might be adduced. Manv such, of recent occurrence, are known to the fishermen of this Province. And I can safely affirm that had our Labrador and Shore fishermen known last season the libertv which Christ and his Gospel gives, in regard to the observance of da^s, thousands of pounds worth of Fish would have been taken which were lost ; and many a worthy man in Margaret's Bay and elsewhere, now deep in debt and oppressed with poverty, would liave been to-day in com- fortable circumstances, had he known last Spring what the Bible teaches concerning " the sabbath day " and " the first day of the week." Such h: ray conviction. And this conviction, with the Scripture testimony which produced it, I conceive it my duty to publish far and wide : and thus endeavor to save some of our good and honest-hearted fishermen from repeating in future seasons the uncalled-for sacrifices of the past. But not only fishermen are interested in the truth of this Sabbath Question ; every Christian who has a tender conscience and wishes to keep it void of offence, must desire to know how Sunday should be observed. It is the Lord's-day and He onlv has the right to say how it shall be observed. What, then, is the Lord's will concerning it? What has he said should or should not be done on Plis day? Has He called it a sabbath or holy day, and forbidden His people to work thereon ? How, in short, is it to be kept acceptably, -^tliat is, agreeably to His will ? These questions are answered in the following pages : but since they were written I have been handed a little work published in 1824, by Dr. Cramp, now of Acadia College, entitled—" An Essay on I THK OBLTOATION OF ClIUtSTIANS TO OBHERTR THK LoRD'h ScFPRH KVERY Loud's day," wlicTcin ho shows conclusively what I contend for, viz. — that the Lord's day like the Lord's sujjpcr can only be Scripturally observed by the Lord's j)eo])le, and that only by their coming together on that day to nuKAic ishkau. After showinfr the testimony of Scripture on the subject, he quotes in support of hit position from Pliny, Justin Martyr, Chrysostom, Mosheim, Randal, Krskine, Cranmer, Calvin, Wluteficld, Wesley, Baxter, Goodwin, Owen, Watts, Ames, l)()(ldridf,'e, ]mI wards. Mason, and others — In- dependents, Bajjtists, Church of England, Lutherans, i^c. From paj^e 26 of this work I quote the following : — *' Testimonies in abundance, might be adduced, were it needful, to prove that the Lord's lSuj)per was regularly oljservcd by the j)rimi- tive Churches every Lord s day, and was considered the most impor- tant part of their services. For this reason Chrysostom styles the Lord's day the *'day of bread.'" Even in the fourth century, as Mosheim observes, " the Christian worshij) consisted in hymns, j)ray- ers, reading of the Scriptures, a discourse addressed to the jieople, and concluded with the celebration of the I^ord's sup])er," which in- stitution was observed "in some places two or three times a week, in others on Sunday only." " Consider antiquity," says a modern divine, (Randal) in what view you please, the elder or the later accounts ; — consider it among enemies or friends ; — view it in its truth or in its lies, in its simplicity or its superstitions; — consider all the accounts which all sorts of men have given; take the evidence from as distant corners of the world, and as opposite characters in it as you please, from those who have no bias but to the truth, or from such whose opinions and interests would lead them to give this fact a colour if it would bear it — and all with one voice shall declare, that to come together on the first day of the week to break bread, was from the beginning, and for many ages, the custom, the un- interrupted, unquestioned, indisputed practice of all Christian Churches ; — as much so, as it was their practice to sanctify the Lord s day, or to pray, praise and preach the Apostles' doctrine upon it : — that as this was the most distinguishing part of their worship, so was it what they and their worship was described by, and the action by which among themselves the Lord's day was known ; what consequently they would least and last of all have omitted, while any degree of the purity of the Gospel remained among them." On page 38 Dr. Cramp quotes Calvin as follows, — ^* Every week, at least, the Lord's table ought to have been spread before the assembly of Christians, and the promises declared which in- vite U8 to this spiritual feast." On page 39, Baxter is quoted : — " It is a])ari of the settled order of the Lord's day worship) ; and omitting it maimeth and altereth the ivorship of the day." . . . " Every Lord's day is no ofteuer than Christians need it." " The frequency will teach them to live prepared." On page 44 Dr. 5 Watt^ «ay«, — "If Jenm bemj» dead, nnd helnj? «1ive ftffrin, in no irreat and imiiortant an artido of our rt>li{;i()n, uiul, as it were, the foundation on which it utaiids, then how wisely hath he onh'red in his K'lNpi"!, that we Hhould have a ctnislant memorial ap|)ointed «8, hoth of his death and his resurrection ! Of his deatli in the Lord's Supper, ami of his resurrection in the Lord's day. On the first day of the week Christ appeared in his holv ordinances, nnd •aith, •' Peace ho unto you," as ho did to his apostles. The lyrinii- tive Christians cclehrated both those institutions ow eceni fin-t dau of the week, "^ ^ If now, these things he so, if ])r. Cramp nnd the eminent men ho quotes he correcl— and if Christians ho under ohli- gation to ohservo the Lord's Sujjper even/ Lord's dav, what must >)e the Lord's estimate of such as " hreak bread" once a month — once a quarter— yea, once in six months! Otht-rs, indeed, never! And, as if to compensate for their (k^linquency make a great "hue and cry" about a poor man working or taking a little recreation on Sunday,— call it a desecration of the Sabbath day, and so forth. Let such first cast the beams out of their own eyes, and then they may try their hand upon the fancied mote in their brother's eye. Let such as hold with i:)r. Cramp practise what they preach, and profess to believp, let them follow their religious principles at whatever cost— let their own consciences acquit them of nearly every Lord's day neglecting the Lord's Ordinance, and then they will be in a fitter position to discuss the question of Sunday observance. If the Lord, now, as of old. require of his people obedience and not sacrifice, 1 Sam. xv., he will not ac(!ept a " rest from labor," which ho hath not required in lieu of that Ordinance which he hath commanded to bo observed until he come again. Let Sabbatarians see to it, lest some day they hear it said to them — " Full well ye rejected my commandment, and kept your own tradition." As •' example is better than precept," it may not be amiss to show that I do not advocate one thing and j)ractise another, as some do who hold it to be thegduty of christians to break bread every Lord's day, and yet do it not. liule No. 3, of the Church of which I am a member, reads as follows: — " The body shall continue to assemble together on the first day of the week to read th'> Scriptures of the Old and New Testa- ments, offer s])iritual sacrifices of prayer and thanksgiving to the God and Father of our Lord, to sliow our Lord's death by partaking of bread and wine with thanksgiving, in remembrance of his broken body and shed blood, and for mutual edifioation and exhortation, until he come again and receive us unto himself for ever." Heb. x. 25; Acts xx. 7; 1 Tim. iv. \3; 1 Peter ii. oi Heb. xiii. 15 ; 1 Cor. xi. 23—26 ; 1 Thes. iv. 15— IR ; v. 11 ; John xiv. 3; Rev. xiv. 1—5; Jor. iii. 17; Ps. cxxxii. 13, 14; Heb. xiii. 14." The practice of the Church with which I am connected has been in conformity with the above Ilule ever since I have been a mem- Imr of it I and nabhatarlnnM tbem^clven being jud/;fe«, ii)tt--«t sHrnh that wc are, in tlio ohservinj,' t)f thr l-orcl's Supper avery Lord't duy, nn example and st^indin^ npioof to tlioin who omit it And wu may l)e pardoned if — whih' holding; wiili the Uctormers tliu( ••the (JoHjjel rci/ar'th mithe.r SdblKitk nnr IhiUtlaijs,'* and that it is a ** nu/)t:rn(ili(tn and an n/umtacij f'nnn ('/irist to lliink thai wnrki Inff on Sunildi/ in il.iclj'ron.si'lireil in a ainfid //ji/*//,"— we as.snml' to bo'tho oidy chureh in Halifax which ol)8trvoH ncri/»( uralti/ th^ Lord's day. J.rt poor and des])ised, like their Master*" and *" every where si)oken against," it was not in their ])ower to make a sabbath of Sunday, but they neverthelesH managed to come together sit sometime on that day, morning or evening, to •'show the Lord's death." 1 Cor. xi. 2(5. All that is said about the blessings and benefits of Sunday, ta such an use it aright, I fully admit. As a day of rest for the maij who has worked from Monday morning till vSaturday night, it is invaluable. As a day on which a mouthful of fresh air and som<> innocent recreation may he got by those who need it, it is u boon indeed ; and would be much more so were it not for Sabbatarian notions. As a day on which those who love to search the Scrijit- tures may do so without distraction, and become •' wise unto sal- vation" without the aid of sermons, or other mer^? human teach- ing oft dece])tive, it is welcome and ])rceious ; and for many othef things it is to be highly prized. But as the Lord's day — as the day on which he was raised from the dead — it can be said is only scripturally observed by christians who come together to break bread. They only observe it religiously and acceptably. Anything elt« thftn thtt it /or •om« other rraton than that th« Lord cnjoiot it. A rcBt from luhoi' the Lord docs not require. IIIh cotiitnarKU inontR arc spiritiml. not carnal ; and there is nothing either moral or spiritual in Kimnly doln^ no work, or merely resting from labor. Neitiier is that man immoral who labors every day from R good motive. The fourth commandment, as a part of iHrael'* national law, was wise and good, for it was an effectual clieck upou the avarice and exactions of covetous masters ; and gave servanti •nJ all who needed it a day of refreshment once a week. All nations liave their national holidays ; and it would have beea itrange indeed if God's nation should not have had theirs by law appointed. Men seem to forget or not to know that the law of Closes was Israel's civil law, as well as ecclesiastical, and was not «lcHigned for nor given to any other people. Hut it is said the other nme commandments of the decalogue are moral. Well, suppose they arc, does that prove the fourth to DO moral and of universal obligation ? Upon the same principle I could prove other conuuaiidments whicli theologians call cere- monial, to be nun-al. In Kxodns xxiii. 10—12, for example, the Conunand to observe evcri/ seventh year as a sabbath for the land, h coupled with the command to observe t!.. . 9 and with the house of Judah. . ' . . Tn that he saitli, A. neip covenant, he hath made the frst old, Noiv that which decaijeth and waxelh old is ready to vanish away" Heb. viii. 7 — 15. — Who -will venture to say in view of this testimony that the " ten coniinandraents " are still in force? And is not this doctrine of Paul's in harmony with Christ's teaching on the mount, where he alludes to tlie commandments as what was "said by them of old timer See Matt. v. 21, 27. But the christian is, nevertlieless, not without a law and commandments to keep. " This command- ment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." 1 John, iv. 21. And, again, "Uear ye one another's bur- dens and so fulfil the law of Christ. Gal. vi. 2. The whole secret of the ten commandments being upheld as a standard of holiness for the christian is. I am persuaded, that other- wse no semblance of Divine authority could be produced for the ob -ervance of a sabbath day. The precepts of Christ— infinitely su- perior, as they confessedly are, to the ten commandments— would be considered all-sufficient for christians and their children, if only, they contained a solitary one to observe a sabbath ! But, alas ! wl erj holy and sabbath days are referred to by the apostles, their ol 8 H'vance is censured, instead of being commanded ! Col. ii. 16. No need to go to the old Jewish law to learn " how we ought to walk and please God," for wo know what commandments are given us « by the J^ord Jesus ; 1 Thess. iv, 1,2; but we must go to Moses to learn _ how to observe the sabbath day ! How strange, that a christian can learn his whole duty to God and his neighbour from the ]<:pist!es of Paul, the teacher of the Gentiles, save only in re- gard to sabbath-keeping and sabbath-breaking! Is not this a most remarkable circumstance? And should not every christian who is jealous of the honor and supremacy of Christ, as his sole Law-giver, inquire into it? The newspaper articles published herewith will assist the reader to do this. And if he carefully examine the numerous passages of Scripture to which reference is made, he may obtain a know- ledge of many groat truths hitherto perhaps undreamed of, or not understood, for I have while treating on the Sabbath Question, incidentally introduced other matters of far greater importance. This pamphlet would ])rcbably have appeared some time ago, but I wished to include in it a review of Judge Marshall's tract on the Sabbath and Bible Moral Law, and of llev. W. H. Hum- phrey's Sermons on the Sabbath. The Judge's tract appeared some three or four weeks ago ; Mr. Humphrey's more recently. — The fornier I have replied to pretty fully, the latter did not require any special /lotice, as a reply to one is equally a reply to the other. Their scripture arguments, which alone are worth noticing, being, as a matter of course, nearly 'identical. In conclusion, I hope that my labor will not be in vain ; but trust that sonie who read and understand what I have written may be edified and benefitted, and their minds freed from super- stitious notions of Sunday observance. Especially, I hope, th^t 10 many of our fishermen may get their eyes open to the tru*h, and, in future, when opportunities ofler of taking fish on Sunday be enabled to go to work with a good, enlightened conscience. Jas. R. Lithgow. January 19, 1861. P. S. The law of this Province, it is said, forbids a fisherman pursuing his calling on a Sunday. If such be the case it is a grossly unjust law, and one that ought not to remain in the Statute book of Nova Scotia. All such laws are the result of ig- norance of the Sabbath Question, and are made only to be broken every Sunday by their originators, directly or indirectly. Let the fishermen who arrive at a knowledge of the truth of tliis question petition the Legislature to amend the law concerning Sunday ob- servance, so that they may, when occasion requires, follow their lawful calling without being interfered with by the Magistrates, and their case will doubtless receive due consideration. J. R. L. For the Acadian Recorder. Mr. Editor, — Having heard this afternoon that the Rev. Mr. Brewster had announced through the Wesleyan his intention of replying to my articles on the Sabbath day,* as soon as I had finished ; and not wishing to prolong the time, I will sum up in four propositions, the pith of my arguments, and hope you will be able to insert them as a postscript to the article I sent for publica- tion, to-morrow. 1. I affirm that " the fourth commandment," and all other commandments to keep holy or observe the Sabbath day, are part and parcel of the Mosaic, or Jewish national law, binding only on Jews, and on Gentiles, or " strangers " living in the land of Israel when the Law was in force. These latter were, of course, obliged to respect Israel's laws, just as foreigners living in Eng- land, are obliged to respect her laws. 2. I affirm that " the first day of the week," or Sunday, as we call it, is not commanded by the Lord Jesus or his Apostles, to be observed as a holy day, on which, as on the Jewish Sabbath, no work should be done. 3. I affirm that the Scriptures show, simply, concerning " the first day of the week" that sometime on that day Christians were accustomed to come together to " break bread," and for mutual edification and comfort. The liour of meeting being, doubtless, one that would best suit their convenience and circumstance's ; and as we may gather from Acts xx. 7, and from the fact that it was chiefly the poor who embraced ^he gospel, was very common- ly in the evening, when their day's toil was over, and they were at liberty to meet together. * The two first articles are omitted here for want of apace, and as being in substance reproduced in tlie subsequent communications. 11 f 4. iffirm that, unless restricted by the hiw of the laiui \m whi dwells, a christian may work on Sunday \vithout violiit- inp; . Divine hiM-. And provided he reglect rot tlie Apostolic exhoKation to forsake not the assembling of himself with his bre- thren, to break bread, &c. If Mr. Brewster can prove any one of these propositions to be false, no one will more readily acknowledge it than Yours respectfullv, October 12. ' j. R. L. For the Acadian liccorder. THE SARRATH DAY— No. 3. Mr. ^ Editor. — When a clever, eloquent lawyer comes into court with a popular case in hand, which he ^et luiows cannot be sustained in law, his great aim must be so to work upon the feel- ings and prejudices of the jury, that their verdict may be — not according to the law and evidence, but— in accordance with what he may lead them to think is right and proper. The opposing counsel on the other hand, who knows the law and evidence are all in his favor, and that his only difficulty lies in the jjrejudices of the jury,— excited and increased as they will be by the eloquent and captivating speeches of the learned counsel on "the other side — with great calmness and much simplicity of speech, states his case to the court and jury — calls the witnesses who can substan- tiate it — reads over slowly and impressively the law to which all must bow — and turning to the jury, calls upon them as moral and responsible men, to remember their oath, and render their verdict in accordance with the law and the testimony. Now the Rev. Mr. Brewster, in rejdy to my first proposition re- minds me of the lawyer with the legally bad, though popular case in hand. For in his addresses to the jury— the readers of the Weslq/aiif his aim i)lainly has been just what I have stated a clever lawyer's would be, under the same circumstances. He has evi- dently trusted to his excellency of speech and of man's wisdom — his flowery language and poetical imagery — at once to captivate and prejudice his hearers, and close their ears against the law and the testnnony; which, rightly expounded, are directly opposed to him. And herein lies my great difficulty,— I am, o^ course, the counsel on the unpopular,' or at least, unorthodox side of the ques- tion—namely, to induce men to cast aside old prejudices— dis- tinguish between the words of ti'uth and soberness and poetical imaginations— receive with unbiassed minds a plain statement of the question submitted for their consideration— hear in the same spirit the law and the testimony by which they should be govern- ed, and decide according to the beat of their judgment and with- out partiality. . ^.\-.,.i,.'\ 12 In the hope then, that some who read our controversy may be of this stamp, I proceed to state the circumstances out of which arose the question about which I am at issue, not only with Mr. Brewster, but with the Protestant Clergy generally. Some fishermen at Labrador this present season, pursuintr their lawful calling on Su'nday, enclosed or " stopped " a largo quantity of Herring on that day. For so doing they were, on the follow- ing day, assaulted by ignorant men who imagine Sunday to be the '• Sabbath day " referred to in " the fourth commandment ;" they were denounced as " sabbath-breakers " — their seine was tripped, and what would have been a year's living to them was lost. Hearing of this circumstance, and having been for a long time fully persuaded from searching the Scriptures— both Old and New, for I equally prize both, Mr. Brewster's suspicion to the con- trary notwithstanding— that Sunday, or Scripturally speaking, " the first day of the week " is not a Divinely appointed Sabbath day, I resolved, if you, Mr. Editor, would permit me, to publish in your independent paper what I believe to be the truth of the matter, and expose the ignorance or hypocrisy of Sabbatarians ; some of whose forefathers enacted the Blue Laws of Count ctlcut, which, I am credibly informed, forbade a woman to kiss her child on Sunday ! And whose brethren in the Legislature of tlie neigh- bouring liepublic have recently been passing similar absurd Sab- bath laws. At whose instigation this is done, and whose ends are served by such law«, they only who are blind can fail to per- ceive. But to proceed, to this end I wrote the two articles which have appeared in the Recorder, and intended writing a third ; but hearing that the Rev. Mr. Brewster had announced through the Wesley an his intention of replying to my " most audacious attack upon the sanctity of the Christian Sabbath," I summed up my views of the Sabbath or Seventh day, and of Sunday, or " tht^firk day of the week," in four propositions which you also published, in your i)aper of the 13th inst., and promised, if Mr. Brewster proved them to bo false, I would readily acknowledge it. Mr. B's first reply appeared in last week's Wesleyan. In this he says—-' the whole question at issue between us, mav be ex« pressed in Mr. L's own words," my first proposition— •' I affirm that the fourth commandment, and all other commandments to keep holy or observe the Sabbath day, are part and parcel of the Mosaic or Jewish national law ; binding only on Jews, and on Gentiles, or strangers living in the land of Israel when the law was in force. These latter were, of course, obliged to observe Israel's laws, just as foreigners living in England, are obliged to respect her laws." This proposition is far from expressing the whole point at issue. It does not indeed affect the main question^ which is expressed in my second proposition— "I affirm that the first day of the week, or Sunday, as we call it, is not commanded by the Lord Jesus or his apostles, to be observed as a holy day, on which, as on the Jewish Sabbath, no work should bo done."?*- 13 The ffurth commandment refers to the sevenfJi day, or Saturdav —the day the Jews " under the law " still observe— and not to « the -first day of the week,'' or Sunday. Thus the real question at issue would not be affected if I were to admit Mr. B's counter propositK n, which runs thus—" I affirm that the Fourth Com- mandment is a part of the Moral Law, and not of the Ceremonial and therctore is binding upon Man,~-that is, upon all mankind irrespective of Jew or Gentile." Let us admit for a moment this counter proposition, and what follows ? Clearly this, that " all mankind," the Jews excepted, are weekly transgressors of the fourth commandment, seeing it forbids any work being done by man or beast, on the sevmtU or sabbath day. Let us look a^'the 4th commandment—'* Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Six days Shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day IS the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy sti-anger that is with- in thy gates ; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day • where^ fore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.— Ex xx 9-n. Waiving for a moment the fact that this was spoken to the people God had brought out of the land of Egypt as the first verse clearly proves ; and also, the axiom, that " what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law "— Ro. 111. 29,— will any one pretend to say that " the first day of the week "is " the sabbath " on which the Jews rested in obedience to this 4th commandment? Or, that it is called "the sabbath" in the Scriptures ? I affirm that it is never so called ; and that the distinction between it and the sabbath is maintained throughout the New Testament ;— " the sabbath " being always the seventh day; and "the first day of the week" being always the day after the sabbath. In proof of this very important statement I will witnesses brought into Court— the four Ev'angelists and Paul all good men and true— whose testimony no christian will dispute • I will now question the first : — ' . ^ * Counsel. " Matthew, when you wrote your Gospel, did you re- gard the first day of the week as the " sabbath ?" MaWiew. *' Surely no one who has ever read the 1st verse of iny_ 28th chapter could suppose that ! Did I not clearly distin- guish between them when I wrote,—" In the end of the sabhath, ••■^ It began to dawn towards the, first day of the loeek, came Mary iVagdalene, &c." Do I not here plainly state that the first day o'f the week or Sunday, so you call it, only began to dawn when the I ibbath day was ended ?" Coiinsei: •* I never thought otherwise since I was turned from dwkneas unto Ijght j but, there are some uow-a-daya who call th« i*' u first day of the week the sahbath, and doom to perdition all who do not say Aman to tlieir foolishness. Matthew, you may retire, the learned couasul on the other side has, I fancy, nothing to ask you." Mark is now called and comes forward. Counsel. *' Was the first day of the week the Sabbath day when you wrote your Gospel ?" Mark. " I am equally surprised with Matthew that men cf in- telligence should believe such an absurdity. Does not the 4th commandment expressly say — the seventh day is the Sabbath ? — How then, can ih.Q Jird day be the Sabbath? Has he of whom Daniel spake, chap. vii. 20, appeared, and thought to change times and laws P In regard to what I believed concerning the sabbath day, no one need doubt who will read my 16th chap, verses 1, 2. — And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. (Our Lord.) And very early in the morning the first day of the iveck, they came unto the sepul- chre at the rising of the sun." Counsel. " Your testimony, Mark, is so clear and explicit that I presume you may go. Luke will now please stand up. You wrote one of the four Gospels, and also the Acts of the apostles?" Luke. " I did." Counsel. " Therein you made frequent mention of the sabbath day, and also of the first day of the week ; did you regard the latter as the sabbath? " Luke. " Certainly not ! Read in connection the last verse of the 23rd chap, and the 1st verse of the 24th chap, of my Gospel ; — and they returned (from the crucifixion which was on Friday,) and prepared spices and ointments ; and rested the sabbath day (Saturday) according io the commayidment. (the 4th.) Now upon the first day of the week. (Sunday), very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had pre- pared." Counsel. ** So far, good. You confirm the testimony of the previous witnesses. Now, did, or did not, the Lord Jesus, to the best of your knowledge and belief, after his resurrection, command \.\\Q first instead of the seventh day to be observed as the sabbath ?" Lrike. *' Can you imagine that if He had given any such com- mandment I, or my old companion Paul, would have omitted men- tioning it ? Can you not perceive that, in my second treatise— the Acts, I make the same distinction between ' the sabbath ' and and the ' first day of the week ' as in my Gospel ? liefer to Acts xiii. 14, 27; xvii. 1, 2; xviii. 4. In all these places the sabbath is mentioned as usual, v/ithout qualification ; it is not distinguished as the Jewish sabbath, as would have been the case had I known of anv such dav as the Christian Sabbath. I sneak of it simnlv- as the Sabbath; and if you read the portions referred to, you will sec the Jewish sabbath is meant. Paul took advantage of that 15 day wherever he went, to gain the ear of the Jews and proselytes, when they met in their synagogues for worship ;— for in those days there was hberty of speech in the synagogues on the sab- bath; (see Acts xiii. 15.) which U not the case in your day, I re- gret to learn. Now, in regard to the first day of the week, al- though we christians did not observe it as the sabbath, yet we al- ways endeavoured to come together sometime on that day— morn- mg or evening, as circumstances permitted, to break bread, in remembrance of our Lord's body which was broken for us ; and to exhort one another to continue steadfast in the faith, and so on. The only place where I allude to this is in Acts xx. 7, which reads thus :— And upon the /r.sif dai/ of Ihe iceek, when the disci- ples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow ; and continued his speech until mid- night. " Counsel" " On that occasion, I presume, the disciples met in the evening to eat the Lord's supper, seeing Paul spoke until mid- night ?" Luke. " You may fairly gather that from my narrative." ■ Counsel. *' But did the disciples ivork on that day ?" Luke. " Work on that day ? Why not ? For several years after Christ's resurrection, the gospel, as you are aware, was preached only to the Jews ; and of these it was chiefly ' the 'poor' who embraced it. Now these poor Hebrew Christians who lived in their own land were obliged to submit to the Law of Moses and do no work on the Sabbath ; can you suppose that they could afford to be idle also on the first day of the week ? Can you sup- pose that our Lord, who well knew 'beforehand how his poor little Hock would for long centuries be placed in the world,— dependino- for employment on the unbelieving— would have forbidden them to work on any day ? Would He, think you, whose * yoke is easy and whose burden is light,' nave given his disciples any com- mandment, which in a majority of cases, tliey could not have kept? How were Christians— servants to unbelieving Jews and Gentiles— to observe any particular day as a Sabbath? Were they to be disobed'ent to their own masters, and refuse to work on the first day of the week? This they must have done, had God in Christ commanded them to do no work on that day. We;^ould have suffered the loss of all things, yea of our lives even, before we would have disobeyed God. But I never heard of any such commandment, nor will you find any such command within the lida of the Bible. Counsel. " You have clearly shown that even after Christ's re- surrection, the only sabbath referred to is the Jewish. That there is not a shadow of evidence in the Scriptures of the first day of the week being a sabbath to Christians, I can also testify. Mucli obliged for your testimony. John will now please come forward. You are believed to have written your Gospel long after the as- cension of Our Lord,— about A. I). 97,— and more especially for # 16 the instruction of the Gentiles ; therein you make mention of the Sabbath and the first day of the wtok, when telling of what Jesus said and did while teaching and ministering to the Jews j — what do you mean by ike sabbath ?" John. " Invariably, as you may see from my Gospel, v. 10, IG, 18; ix. 14, IG, &c. — the seventh day, commanded in the Law of Moses to be kept as the Sabbath. God having rested on the seventh day, blessed and sanctified it." Cowisd. ^ " You outlived all the other apostles, and witnessed the dissolution of the Jewish Commonwealth ; can you give us any information about the Christian Sabbath ?" John. " Not a particle — never heard of it — no word of such a thing in all the Scriptures— unless, indeed, you refer to that ' glo- rious rest,' or Sabbath, which remaineth for the people of God ; of which our beloved brother Paul speaks in his epistle to the Heb- rews, _4th chapter, verse 9,— that great day of ' a thousand years,' in which, it was revealed to me, Christ and his redeemed would [ reign on the earth,'— Rev. v. 9, 10 ; xx. G. That millenial day is, doubtless, the antitype of the Sabbath, and will be a sabbath worthy of Christ. If by the Christian Sabbath you mean that day, in which * the Lord alone shall be exalted,' and • idols be ut- terly abolished,' I could tell you much about it j but you can read of it for yourself in the Prophets everywhere. See Isai. ii, 2, 4, 11, 21 ; xi. 10 ; Mic. iv., &c. But as for a command to observe the first day of the week as the Lord's Sabbath, I know nothinir of it." ^ Counsel. " I trust your evidence may have due weight with the Jury. Paul will now take your jjlace for a little.—' My beloved teacher in faith and verity.' ♦ A friend in need, is a friend in- deed.' You are last, but not least, in this matter of bearing wit- ness to the truth. I have a client accused of * trespassing on the Sabbath,' because he told some fishermen that they might, if they thought proper, and the law of the land permitted, follow their lawful calling on the first day of the week. His accuser — who, I regret to say, professes to be a Christian — bases his charge upon the 4th commandment, which he says is binding upon all man- kind, whether Jew or Gentile. For this cause therefore have I called for you, to speak with you : and that all these here present may hear what thou thinkest:" for we who contend against the 4th commandment as binding on Christians living in Gentile lands, ai'e everywhere spoken against." Faul. " I think myself happy, brother, because I shall answer for thee this day touching the thing whereof thou art accused. — Thine accuser doubtless errs, not knowing the Scriptures. Be it known unto him therefore, that the law which was given by Moses, and of which the 4ih commandment is a part, was the school-mas- ter and instructor of us Hebrews, ' unto Christ ;' but since he came preaching * the gospel of the kingdom ' for the obedience of faith, we are no longer under a schoolmaster (Gal. iii. 24, 25).— it * glo- 2,4, 17 We arc not under the law, but under grace (Uo. vi. 14.) We are lehvered from the law that being dead wherein we were held ~ (Ro. vu. 6.) Christ hhdted out the handwriting of ordinances hat wa« against us, which was contrary to us and took Tout of fhe way, nailing it to his cross. Let no man therefore judjre vou • n respect 01 an holy day, or of the sabbath days, which are a sha" dow ot things to come." (Col. ii. 14. 18.) * just what I contend for, but our accuser seeks to evade vour trniching by affirming - that the 4th commandment is a i,art o?the Moiur law, and not of the Ckukmonial, and therefore'is bind ,i^ t'pon all mankind." He says the law of God i^ expressed 3 wo tenns,; the Moral,' and the ♦ Ceremonial.' ThL one he calk 'that priceless gem,' the other 'the casket' containing it The Moral law, he says, is gold, and imperishable; the Ceremonial is quari/ in which the gold is imbedded. And h^ cal's onm^rad! rmt a lofty distinction between the two ;-that the one is binding on christians, the other of no authority. Are these things so i whomThJi '!-'*™,""^'''^ reminded of my old enemies with ivhom 1 had continual contentions and disputings in consequence of this very thmg : but how any one who professes to receile mv teaching can afhrm what your accuser saith, is indeed surprising and shows the subtlety of man's wisdom. Why, even the firit hve chapters of my Epi.tle to the Churches of Galatia-whi-ch were in great danger from Judaizing teachers— should suffice to «how nriy mind in regard to christians who desire to be under the law. (chap. IV. 21.) But I am reminded of a lofty distinction vouJ accuser lays great stress on-new to me, I must confess-and which affords another illustration of the old saying-' thev have sought out many inventions.' Ecc. vii. 29. VVhc^re l.arned he to divide the law of Moses into two parts, and stvle one the Moral Law the other the Ceremonial Law .p If any'm^ , '^k on divine things, let him speak as the Oracles of God ; , 1 Peter iv.ll ;) let hira speak of the things of God, i« the words of the ^\nnt, and not 'in the words which man's wisdom teurheth ' (1 cor. u. 11 1 J) and you will hear nothing more of the Muni and Ceremonial Laws The law of Moses is one and indivisihl ■ ad wn-ln'fp regarded and kept or all is labor in vain: fur it is ^vritten. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all thinffs which are written in the book of the law to do them.' (Gal. f lu.) huchwasour forlorn condition when we were un 1. r the law Once the word to Israel was, thp law-the whole law-and lothing but the law, under pain of death; but now God be thanked, Christ having fulfilled all the righteousness of th" law by his perfect obedience thereto, hath become to us the end of the yok;) of bondage. ' Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made vou frfit'' ! « Kr«tUvo„ ,.o u-- u„_ J^- ,, , '^° ... , , ^ -" -i__ . .,1. ,1..,, v-,,j J v; Have UCUH I'UIiCd UUtO hberty; only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but 'il 'J\ 18 by love serve one another. For all (he law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' Gal. v. 1, 18, 14. The doctrine of ' iustification by faith without the deeds of the law/ Ko. iii. 28, and of our being no longer under the law but under grace^ led some to conclude that they might sin ad libi- tum, and grace would the more abound to them ; hence my fre- quent warnings against such a conclusion. — ' Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound ? Ood forbid.' And again, ' Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace ? God forbid,' Ro. vi. 1. 2, 15. Hence, also, my continual exhortations to maintain good works, and to ' seek for glory, honour and im- mortality by a patient continuance in well doing.' " Ko. ii. 7. Counsel. " Seeing, then. Christians are not under Moses' law, and bearing in mind that what the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, we are not spoken to therein, nor is it our teach- er. To what then, or to whom are we to go for instruction in the way of righteousness ? Whose commandments are we to keep — whose voice to hear ?" Paid. " To whom shall we go but unto Him who hath the words of eternal life ? John vi. 68. Whose voice shall we hear but His who said, ' My sheep hear my voice, and a stranger will they not follow ? John x. 6, 27. Whose commandments shall we keep but Christ's? — 'If ye love me keep my commandments." God who at sundry times and in divers manners'spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.' Heb. i. 1,2. And in the holy mount, when he was transfigured in the presence of Prophets and Apostles, — enabling them to see in miniature, his future kingdom and glory, — * there came a voice to him from the excellent glory,' * This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."— Matt. xvii. 1-5 ; 2 Peter i. 16-18. Counsel. " The church, then, is to be « subject unto Christ ' only, and to love and obey him as her Head ; just as a wife should be subject *nd obedient to her own husband, who is in like manner her head ? Paul. " That is exactly what I taught in my letter to the saints lit Ephesus, V. 22-24. And if the church recognize Moses or his law, and subject herself to him, she committeth adultery ; as 1 have shown in my epistle to the saints at Rome, chap. vii. 1-4. We Jews who had formerly the law for our husband, could not have been married to Christ had the law swvived ; for a woman is bound by the law of her husband as long as he liveth ; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband, and is no aduletress though she be married to another man. * Where- fore * I continued, — addressing them who had been under the law «s their husband—' my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ ; that ye should be married to another, even to him that is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. ... Now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held." 19 ' Coumd. "This is 'a most important testimnnv, and must , silence for ever the asHcrtion, that the 4th or any otHer command^ ment of the law, is binding upon the church of Christ, who is risen from the dead and dieth no more. • Should not a people seek unto their God ? for the living to the dead ?' Isa. viii 19 _ A church of Christ upholding the ten commandments, as a stand- ard of perfection, is surely the living seeking the dead. Unless indeed, they are dead while professing to be alive." * Paul. " The way in which the Lord Jesus spoke of the law'« teaching showed it had waxed old— had served its day and gener- ation,— and was about to pass away. Here him in his sermon on the mount. Matt. v. ' Ye have heard that it hath been said bw them of old time, Thou shalt not kill ; (6th Com.) But /say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger ot thejudgment' Again,—' Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery, (7th Com.) But /say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed aduitery with her in his heart.' How perfect and heart-searching is our Lord's law •— Again hear him— « It hath been said, (in Deut. xxiv. 1,) Whoso- ever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce- ment : But / say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, savmg for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery : and, whosoever shall marry her that is divorced com- mitteth adultery.' ' Ye have heard that it hath been said, (Ex XXI. 24) An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth : But / say unto you, that ye resist not evil : but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other side also.' ' Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But / say unto you, love your enemies, 'bless them that curse you, dr good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefuUy use you and persecute you ; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to shme on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the iust and on the unjust. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Jfather which is in heaven is perfect." Counsel. " Our Lord thus personally taught perfection to ♦ the lost sheep of the house of Israel,' and to them only, for to no other was he sent. Matt. xv. 24. And thus he set aside the Law— including the ten commandments, and showed them that if they would be perfect and be connted worthy of his kingdom, they must hear and obey his commandments. This is the Lord's test ot love to him. ' He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.' John xiv. 10, 2L Hence the carefulness with which we should seek to know what Christ's commandments are ; that we may do them, and be aptiroved of him at hts coming, when he will render to every man accordinir to his deeds. Ro. ii. 6. Now after it « n!ea«fed Qod tn visit the Gentiles,' who had been hitherto without hope of salvation.^ Ephes. u. 12, 'to take out of than a people for his name'; Acs 20 KV. 14, who was his minister and ainboHsador to them, as Jesu« Cijrist had before been to the Jews p" I'aul. ** Unto 7ne who am less than the least of all saints wai this grace given, that 1 should pvcach among the Gentiles the un- searchable riche«» of Christ. Kphes. iii. 8. As I went to Damas- cus with authority and commission from the chief priests to per- secute and impriHon the saints — for this I did ignorantlv, having a zeal of God without knowledge, a most dangerous thing, ana oft most lamentable in its consequences, the Lord appeared unto me, and having told me how I might • wash away my sins,' Acts xxii. 16. he sent me to the Gentiles to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of the adversrry unto God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins, md an in- heritance in the kingdom which He hath promised to Cnrist and his joint heirs. Acts xxvi. 48 ; James ii. 5 ; Luke ii. 32, •i'-' . Ho. viii. 17. Being thus appointed a preacher of tho Gospj^l ; an apostle, and a teacher ot the Gentiles in faith and verity ; 1 Tim. ii. 7 ; to me the mind and will of God iii Christ towards the Gen- tiles were fully made known by the Holy S^jirit which he shed abundantly upon me. And having by the Spirit received a large measure of the gift of tongues, I was enabled to teach the Gen- tiles in all languages, and give unto them the commandments of the Lord Jesus, showing them how they ought to walk and please God. I Thes. iv. 1. Now can any one suppose that if the Lord had desired his disciples to keep the first day of the week as a Sabbath, on which no work should be done, that I would not have reminded the Churches of it, and warned them of the sin of sab- bath-breaking ? But in all my epistles there is not a hint of a day to be kept as a sabbath, nor a word concerning sabbath^ breaking. Nevertheless every christian will find therein all the commandments the Lord has given to be kept by them who lov« him, and who desire to walk in the strait and narrow path which leadeth unto life eternal. The 8'im and substance or spirit of the ten commandments — the fourth excepted — is contained in the follow- ing portions ; Ephes. iv. 6, 28 ; v. 5 ; vi. 1,2; Col. iv. 6 ; Ro. xiii. 9. Thus there is no need of seeking to the dead law for instructioH in the way of life. Indeed, it is derogatory to our Divine Master to do 80. His law, not Mos^ ' is the standard of perfection and liberty, around which christiant oajrl^ to rally. What was said by them of old time, althoujjh hay, j -t and good, and well adapt- ed to a hard-hearted rebellious nation, cannot for a moment com- pare with the Gospel and teaching of Christ as a means of draw- ing men unto God. The law appeals largely to our fears, the gos- pel to our afifections. The law commands and threatens ; the gos- pel exhorts and entreats. Obedience to the law had the promise only of temporal things ; but obedience to the gospel ensures a participation with Christ in his kingdom and glory, which are eternal. The law had no hope, ' for what a man seeth, why doth h» ..^^ i. fn..'9 'Riit' t\\a Vtnno nf tVio crnBn(>l IB ttio hone fif hninir '1 m rnis»!d from the dead to inherit eternal life ; and, sitting down with Christ upon his throne, share with him his power, richen, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and l)lL'HHing, when hi« kingdom •hall come to the daughter of Zion, and he shall reign in Jfrtisa> lem as King over all the earth. Mic. iv. 8; Zech. xiv. 9; Rev. iii. 21 ; V. 12; Ho. viii. 17. This glorious and blessed hope puri- fies and saves all who hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing thereof firm unto the end." Jto, viii. 24 ; 1 John, iii. 3 : 2 Peter, iii. l.'J, 14 ; Iteb. iii. (J. Counsel. •« You have indeed proved the inferiority of the law of Moses in every respect to the gosjiel of Christ. The latter, not the former, must be the • peu-T of great price,' or pricelest gem,' in the CKtimation of those who are Christ's. Now a word from you in refi-rence to the first day of the week, and I hav« done. How should christians regard the day "? Paul. •• }]y not forsaking the assembling of themselves toge. ther, Heb. x. 25, at some convenient time and place, to eat thfc Lord's Supper of bread and wine in remembrance of him ; 1 Cor. xi. 20, 25 ; to offer up spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiv ing, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ ; 1 Peter, ii. 5 ; and to comfort and edify one another. 1 Thes. v. U. In this way the primitive churches regarded the day on which our Lord was begotten and raised from the dead." Counsel. " And that is the way the church of which I am a member regards the day to the Lord, but not so the churchet round about us. They do not come together especially to break bread, nor yet to edify one another. Some bieak bread but once a month ; others indeed only once in six months. One man alone has liberty of speaking and teaching; and anything like mutual edification and instruction would not be tolerated. Ah ! thing* in the churches are not as they were in your day. They are to a large extent more fashionable, worldly assemblies, meeting in grand edifices to see and be seen. And the women professing godliness pay no regard more than those • without ' to what you say in your epistle to Timothy ; « that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold or pearls, or costly array.' And although professing to believe the 4th commandment binding on them, they drive to church in their carriages, and have their maid and man- servants as busily employed on Sunday as on any other day of the week ! And yet these are the people who forbid a poor fisher- man fishing on Sunday if needful ; under the pretence that it is the Christian Sabbath, on which no work should be done ! Rail- road and Steamboat Companies do business on Sundays : mer- chants despatch their vessels and coal their steamers on that day : the Queen's ships get up steam and sail on that day : the soldiers march to church on that dav accompanied by band's of musicians who play any thing but sacred music ; and yet they call it the sab- bath day ; and, repeating the fourth commandment, say ' Lord in- J\ 22 cline our heart to keep thi« law.* How inconsistent!" Paul. '* You should not be surprised at such a state of thing*. Did I not in my ei)istle8 to Timothy foretell how the time would come when christians would be * lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God,' and would not endure sourd doctrine, but after their own lusts heap up to themselves teachers, havinjjf itching ears, and they should turn away their ears from the truth, and be turned unto fiibles ? 2 Tim. iii. 1-4 ; iv. 3, 4. Yiurs are ])erilou8 times ; and they only who search the Scriptures, and receive the truth in the love of it, shall be saved." ' Counsfil. " I feel grateful, my venerable instructor under Christ, for the testimony you have given; and sincerely trust that the Jury will duly weigh and consider it : and, assisted by the evi- dence of Matthew, ?vlark, Luke and John, have no difficulty in cornin,; to a ris^ht understanding of both the Jewish sabbath, and the first day of the we^k : and also be enabled henceforth to make a ' lofty distinction' between — not the Moral and Ceremonial laws — but between the law of Moses and tlie law of Christ ; and in future Hear Him." Now, may it please your Editorship : Gentlemen of the Jury, after the evidence which you have heard, and which when you re- tire you can review calmly and dispassionately, Bible in hand ; I appeal to you as reasonable and conscientious men, to render your verdict in accordance with the law and testimony, l^o not suffer old prejudices, or fears of consequences to deter you from looking at the question full in the face, and determining at least to see the truth of it. Remember it is not only for the establishment of a truth simply, I contend, but of a Divine truth of the very great- est, practical importance. And let no man persuade you that any item of God's truth should be kept back from the people lest they should abuse the liberty it gives. Had Paul acted upon that prin- ciple, he would never have preached 'justification by faith without the deeds of the law.' He would never have told the Jews who had been hitherto restrained by the law of Moses, that "in Christ" they were " not under the law, but under grace " : that thev were delivered from its commands and threatenings, *' that beinar dead under which they were held," and that now they were ** called unto liberty." No such glorious doctritie as this would ever have escaped Paul's lips had he feared the consequences of truth and liberty getting abroad among the people. But Paul knew that ignorance alienates men from the life of God, Ephes. iv. 18, and destroys them ; even as the Prophet mourned, saying, ' My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.^ Hos. iv. 6. — Through ignorance the Jewish teachers ])ersecuted and finally slew the Lord of life and glory. Acts iii. 17. And ignorance always seeks to stifle and destroy the advocates of God's truth. His truth on the other hand, imparts light and life to a people who receive it in the love of it. While it frees, indeed, from a vain fear of God which is ' taught by the precept of men/ and is therefore 3S displeasing to Him; Isai. xxix. 13; one truth opens and prepares the way for the reception of other glorious truths which present to the mind in which they get rooted, the highest possible incen- tive to * follow after holiness' and find favour with God. Be not alarmed, then, about the s])read of truth : but rather rejoice that a veil is being lifted which ha.s hi^lierto excluded the light from you and your follow men : and which kept you in darkness and in doubt respecting what you should and what you should tut do on the first d ly of the week. The {piestion you have to decide is not, ' are we not to have our usual day of rest and refreshment? for I never contemi)liited de- priving any man of one day in seven on which to do as he may feel dis])osed, subject to the law of the land. But that is not the question in dispute. It is this ; Does a man tvorking on. Siindai/, break the ifh Commandmenl and sin against God? That is the question. And you must admit it is one in which every man and woman in the Province is deeply interested. If it be no sin to labor on Sunday, every one should know it ; and they who have falsely accused their fellow-men of * sabbath-breaking ' should learn to ' refrain their tongues from evil, and their lips that they speak no guile.' To decide then, this important question you may consider, First, — What day did the 4th commandment require to be ob- served iis the Sabbath ? Was it the seventh or fir-^t day of the week, Saturday or Sunday? The commandment itself and the testimony of the Evangelists, Matthew, etc., prove beyond a doubt that the sabbath kept in obedience to the 4th commandment was Saturday, the seventh day ; the day the Jews throughout the world still observe. This should suffice to dispose of the 4th commauflment and of the question in dispute. For, surely, a man workin;/ on the first day of the week does not violate a com- mandment which refers only to the seventh day. But as it is con- tended, without a shadow of evidence, however, that God requires us by virtue of that commandment to rest on one cloy in seven; 1 proved to you from the epistles of Paul that the l;iw, of which the 4th commandment is a pa 1, ' died,' was ' blott"d out,' ' abol- ished,' ' taken out of the way,' and ' nailed to the cross ' by Christ, of whom it was a shadow. It is hence defunct, obsolete and a dead letter. * Now ' says Paul, ' we are delivered from the hiw, that being dead wherein we were held.' The 4th command- ment, then, having received its dealh-blow when Christ died, it is clear that no man can now violate it. As I stated on another oc- casion, it is as binding on us as are the laws of the Meiles and Persians. This must settle the question, for Mr. Brewster admits my second proposition, which runs thus ; ' I affirm that the first day of the week, or Sunday as we call it, is 7iot commanded by the Lord Jesus, or his Aj)ostles, to be observed as a holy d-iy, on which, as on the Jewish Sabbath, no work should be done.' To this Mr. Brewster replies, ' all very true Mr. Editor.' There was u no ultcrnativo for him but to do so. For he knows now, if he ditf not before, that not only is there no commandment to keej) th'.' first day of the week as a sahbath, but that l\iul jjositively for- bids christians sufFering themselves to be ju(If,'ed by their ft How. men in respect to the observance of sabbath (lays. ' Col. ii, 10. — And in Galatians, 4th cha])ter, he expresses his fears of them wlu» observed days in obedience to the law ot Moses. You can then have no difficulty in affirming that a man who works on Snrda> neither violates the 4th commandment, nor desecrates the sabbat}» day. Gentlemen : I am enfillcd to your verdict, but act your plea- sure ! With many thanks. Mr. P'ditor, for the privilege you have af- forded me. I remain, vours respectfully. October 2oth, 1 860. ' J.'R. L» ' For the Provincial Weslet/an. Mr. Editor, The " Acadian Recorder " having promised to publish a commu- nication from Mr. Brewster in reply to my articles on the Sabbath day which have appeared in that paper, and there being some statements and questions in Mr. B's articles, published in the Wesleyan, which require a reply from me through the same me- dium, I hojie you will grant me a little space in one or two num- bers. 1. In regard to the Five Pounds I oft'ered in ali good foith tor a Divine command requiring us Gentiles to observe the 8al)bath day, — it will be time enough for Mr. 13. to refuse the reward when he has become entitled to it. So far he nor any other person has produced a single text from which it can be even inferred that christians ought to observe anv day as a sabbath. If any of your readers can find such a text I pronnseto pay them the sum named. I can give no better jjroof of my sincerity and confidence in the views I hold. If Sunday be a Divinely appointed Sabbath day, the Scriptures must testify to that eti'ect, if they do not so tcstitS', then they who caJl the first day of the week the sabbath day are wise above what is written ; and their observance of it is not in obedience to Christ, but for some reasjn or other which however beneficial to themselves is yet otdy personal, and should not be made a criterion or law to their neighbour. Let Sabbatarians ponder well on what Paul says, ai'd they will cease to condemn those who differ from them. See Jio. xiv. 5. *' One man esleem- eth one dny above another ; anolhor man csteemefh every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." This illus- trates what he says in another epistle, — ** where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2. Cor. iii. 7. If this spirit were more prevalent in our day, Mr. B. would not have accused me of" tres- passing on the sabbath." Neither would a fisherman at Labrador ^^.^ 25 cntchin}» hcrrinj?* on Sunday be accu«e(J rf "dcset-rntin/? the saTi- bath." If God hat!i forbidden us to work on !h«^ first day of thft wei'k, ihi^n it is «in to drt f walk and j)lease God, Mr. Urewster suspected me (why, I cainiot imagine) of holding that the Old Testament Scriptures are obso- lete and of no authority to the christian ! Ah. how little Mr. B. knows of my faith. Or, at least, kneio when that 8us])icion cross- ed his mind. Why, Sir, believing that '* the testimony of Jesus in the spirit of prophecy," Kev. xix. 10, I delight to study the Pro- phets and learn what they testify of Christ, both concerning hif sufferings and bis kingdom and glory; for 1 desire not onlv to keep the commandments of God, but to have the testimony of Jesus Christ richly treasured up. The old Testament Scripturei "obsolete !" Why therein are contained th** " covenants of pro- mise" which God made with Abraham and David 1 ( See Gen. xv. ISf xvii. 4-8; xxii. !(>-18; 2 Sam. vii. 12-16; Fs. Ixxxix ;) which contain the grand outlines of that "glorious gospel of the king- dom." ])roclaimed by the Lord .lesus and his apostles. Matt. iv. 23; xxiv. H } Acts xx. 25; viii. 12. The root and foundation of the christian /a?7/* arj to be found \n the Old Scriptures. Thev are tlu-y which tcsiifv of Christ, hence they should be diligently •earched. It is the lata of Mosch that I consider obsolete and not binding on the christian: and thai because Paul everywhere ae ipeaks of it. But o" this more anon. Mr. i\. expected me to admit a "lofty distinction" between what men call the •* Moral " and " Ceremonial" Laws. But thi« being an unscriptural distinction, I could not admit it for a mo. mcnt. Paul speaks of "the law *' as a whole, and says, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Ro. x. 4. That wc " are not under the htvu but under grace"'-^ Ho. vi. i4. And speaking for himself and other christian He- l)rews, he says, " now are we delivered from the lav, that being dead wherein we were held. Ho. vii. 6. Understanding and bo- h'eviiig this teachirg of the Apostle's, 1 do not consider any ])art of the law binding on me. Such precepts and commandments of the law as are comprehended in Christ's commandments, given to us through his apostles since his resurrection, I of course regard. And if any man v ill point out among these a oommand to observ« the sabbath day, it will, so far as I am concerned, vvd this cou- troversy. 4. Mr. B'k " counter proposition " will not bear the lest of Scrip- ture. The 4th (ommandment being n part of the law, died with Christ. And not only has it not been revived, but Paul refers ex- pressly to it in 'ail epistle to lh« Colossian», 2nd chapter, nhen, S6 havin» stated that Christ blotted out the handwriting of ordinan- ces which was a^uinst us, he adds, Let no man therefore judgo vou in respect of the aahbath days. Besides, does not Mr. B, know " that what things soever the law saith, it saiih to them who are under the law?" What in the world, then, have we to do with what the law saith, seeiuf^ that we are not under the law ?— The thiu}? appears to nie so simple, that I should regard a child at very stupid wjio could not understand it. Are the laws of this Pro- vince binding on the people of New Bruusv/ick or Prince Edward Island ? Or ratlier, are the obsolete laws of Nova Scotia thu» binding:* Well, then, neither is Moses' law binding on us. And every christian should thank God that Christ hath delivered him from it ; for it was a yoke of bondage, and cursed every one who was ever under it, the Lord himself not excepted. Gal. iii. 13. 5. Mr. B. encjuires who wrote the epitaph of the sabbvUh ? I reply Paul. If he would enquire where? I refer him to Col, iu 14- 1(), and to all those Scriptures which speak of the law being "dead," "abolished," etc. . 6. His infere ice that the sabbath is imperishable because ouf Lord declared hims* If " Lord even of the sabbath day," cannot be sustained. Tlie Lord is our Lord, but unless we obey him w« shall perish. Tiie fact of him being " our Lord " does not ])rove our imperishability. Our Lord's declaration simply asserted hi$ right to dispose of the sabbath as it pleased him. And Paul say* He abolished it~-blotted out the handwriting concerning it, aud nailed it to his cross. 7. " On his head, are many crowns." Mr. B. quotes this and adds, " 1 notice the crown of the sabbath." His quotation is from llev. xix. 12, which is proplietic of Christ's future ap])earing as a Man of War. He is represented as sitting on a white horse, and it is added — " in righteousness he doth judge and make war."-*^ P'urther he is seen "clothed with a vesture dipped in blood"!-^ When the kingdoms of this world shall have become liis by con- quest, then n\n\\\ he wear the "many crowns." But as to* "the CTown of the sabbath," — that is one of Mr. B's poetic imagina- tions. 8. "■ The Heavenly High Priest is not poorer than the earthly high prii\st in regard to being honoured with a Sab])ath." Now I should be sorry to make them equal in point of honor, by giving to each one day in seven. Does not Mr. B. know that a christian who is " not slothful in business," but " fervent in s]nrit," serves the Lord eoen/ day of the week? Ko. xii. 11. Paul labouring with his hands served his Master as truly as Paul preaeliirg the gos|)el. () that men understood this ! To labor is as much a command of Christ's as to love. See Ephes. iv. 2S. If a man rest or cease from " the works of the flesh " — Gal. v. 19— his whole life will be a holy sabbath unto the Lord, and when tha Lord comes to reward his .faithful servants he will enter into that " glorious rest" which " remaineth for the people of God." H«b. iv. 9; Isa. xi. 10; Ps. cxxxii. 8, 14; Ezek. xliii. 7. 87 9. "Pray ye tlmt your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day." Matt. xxiv. 20. Mr. B. quotes this and asks — if the sabbath perished with Judaism why this precept, this moni- lion ? I reply, although the sabbath law was blotted out and •• taken out of the way " by our Lord when he died, still it con- tinued to be the law in the eyes of the unbelieving Jewish rulers, who would not therefore permit a burden to be borne, or cattle to travel on that day : and hence the trouble of the believing Jews would be greatly increased were their flight from Jerusalem and Judea to be on the sabbath day. So, also, had it been in the win- ter the distress of the fugitives would have been ten fold. Our Lord's monition, then, was most timely. Now having answered Mr. B's question, I would ask him, what has the Scripture in question to do with proving that the first day of the week is A sabbath P Or, that we Gentilt's are under obligation to observi the sabbath day ? I fear Mr. B. is hard pressed for arguments. 10. Mr. IJ. says, *' the law of the sabbath was venerable with antiquity. It came into our desert world with the breath of Eden." Of this latter statement he can give no proof. ThQJirst iahhatic law is found in Ex. 10th chapter. Previous to this there was no command to observe a sabbath. The Scriptures had hither- to merely recorded the fact that *' God rested the seventh day, and blessed and sanctified it." As to the law of the sabbath| then, beiiig venerable with antiquity, it is not so venerable as thia law of the Passover, which was given to Israel while yet in Egypt. See Ex. 12th chap. ; Lastly. Mr. B, says, "True the Jewish sabbath died with Christ ; but it rose again with him," &c. Its death is one great point I contend for ; and surely if the sabbath died with Christ, the 4th commandment died likewise ; another point I contend for. But, Mr. B. says it rose again with Christ. Now, does he expect any reasonable man to receive such a statement? The Scriptures testify that Christ died and rose again ; and I believe their testi- mony. But they do not say that the sabbath rose again, hence I cannot believe in its resurrection. To believe any statement without evidence is credulity, not faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Ro. x, 1 7. This closes my reply to Mr. Brewster's first letter. I shall in like manner with your permission, and if the Lord will, notice his second. ' ; , Yours very respectfully, Halifax, Nov. 7, 1860. J. R. L. £3 For the Acadian Recorder. Mr. Editor, — The above reply to the Rev. Mr. Brewster's first letter in tilt Wesleyan beinj? refused insertion in that paper, I trust you will let It appear in the Recorder. The refusal of the Wesleyan to allow me to answer Mr. B's questions and statements— there are no ar- guments to reply to— is to say the least of it very unfair, and I think somewhat oj)posed to the comprehensive precept— «• What- soever ye would that men should do to vou do ye even bo to them." Matt. vii. 12. Possibly it was the'knowledf?eof anv reply through the Wesleyan being forbidden that Mr. Brewster— argu. ments failing him— had resort to misrepresentation and abuse, in his last letter published in the Weslevan of the 9th inst. In last week's Recorder you published a letter of his which had been written before the conclusion of mv third article appeared, where- in he a.^ks me some questions to the following effect,—" from what yoke of bondage has Christ made Uh free ?" '• Is the Moral law an contained m the commandments repealed ?" To the first of thesi» questions, I reply that Christ made the ./ewj.>sejv,'ince of the Lord's Day is founded, not on any commandment of God, but on the authority of the Church ; and, 3. That the Church may alter the day at pleasure. The Swiss Reformer Zuinglius, in a passage quoted by Tleylin, ascribes the same power to the Church. He also expresses the op- inion, that it is lawful — " on the Lord's Day, after divine service, for any man to pursue his labours ; as commonly we do," says he, " in the time of harvest." In the Aug.sburg Confession, which was dmwn up by Melancthon, to the question, •' What ought we to think of the Lord's Da} P" it is answered, that the Lord's Day, Easter, Whitsuntide, and other such holy days ought to be kept, because they are ai)pointed by the Church, that all things may be done in order; but that the observ- ance of them is not to be thought necessary to salvation, nor the \iolation of them, done without offence to others, to be regarded as a sin. •' For they who think the observance of the Lord's Day has been appointed by the authority of the Church instead of the Sabbath, as a thing necessary, greatly err. The Scriptures allow that we are not bound to keej) the Sabbath ; for it teaches, that the ceremonies of the law of Moses are not necessary after the revelation of the Gos- pel. And yet, because it was requisite to appoint a certain day, that the people might know when to assemble together, it appears that the Church appointed for this purpose the Lord's Day, which, for this reason also, seems to have pleased the more, that men might have an exam])le of Christian liberty, and might know that the ob- servance, neither of the Sabbath, nor of any other day, is necessarj'." It is well known that, at the same period, views identical with thest were published in England by the Reformers Tyndale and Frith. ♦• As for the Sabbath," says the former, " we be lords over the Sab- 82 Ixith. and may yet chanj^e it into Monday, or any other day, as wt not' lu'od, or make every tenth day holy day only W we see cause why. Neither wuh there any cause to clianfje it from the Saturday, hut to Sut a differenoc helween us and the Jews ; ncitlier need we any lioly ay at ull If the people mij?ht he tauj^'ht without It." And Frith writes: "Our forefathers which were in the he^^inning of the Church did allro^^iite this Sahh;ith, to tlie intent that men might have an en- sample of Christian liberty, and that they might know that neither the keeping of the Sabbath, nor any other day, is necessary accord- ing to Paul: * Ye ol)serve days, times, and months; I am afraid of you, that I have ..iboured in vain towards you.' Ilowbeit, because it was necessary that a day should be reserved, in which tlie people might come together to hear the word of C»od, they ordained in the litcad of the Sabbath, wliich was Saturday, the next day following, which is Sunday. And although tliey might have kept the Saturday with the Jews as a thing indifferent, yet did they much better to (wcrset the day, to be a perpetual memory that we are free, and not l)Ound to any day, but that we may do all lawful works to the j)lea- iure of God and |)rofit of our neighbour. We are in matmer as su- perstitious in the Sunday as they were in the Saturday, yea and we tre much madder. For the Jews have the word of^ God i'or their Saturday, sith it is the seventh day, and they are commanded to keep the seventh day solemn. And we have not the word of God for us, but rather against us ; for we keep not the seventh day as the Jews do, but the first, which is not commanded by God's law. Rut Paul biddeth that no man judge us as concerning holy days, meats, and iwch other exterior things ; yea, and in no ways will he that we ol>- uerve them, counting them more holy than other days. For they were institute that the people should come together to hear God's word, receive the sacraments, and give God thanks ; that done, they joay return unto their houscf?, and do their business as well us any (ith'er day. He that thinketh that a man sinneih which worketh on the holy day, if he be weak or ignorant, ought better to instruct, and to to leave his hold ; but if he be obstinate, and persevere in his sen- tence, he is not of God, but of the devil, for he maketh sin in such as Qod leaveth free. According to this ensample would I that our ceremonies were altered, because (as I have said) the j)eople seek health in them, and what villany can they do more to Christ's Wood?" BRIEF NOTICES OF THE AUTHORS ABOVE REFERED TO. LuTiiKU, Caf-vin, and Melanctiion, -The names and stand- ing of those eminent men are so well known that any opinion or doctrine held in common by them will, 1 should think, be as much respected by Protestants as the individual opinions of the Editors of tlie various religious newspapers published in Halifax. I i' 33 Tiv,7.\, — Was one of the most cnuiictit <.f tin; reformers and col- loaj^iK- of Calvin, whom lie .succeeded in his olficos and inlluciicc, and was thcncflbrwai'l (•t)n>iderfd as the head of the ('llvini^ti(■ chinch. 15i ciiii, — His cliaraetei is thus pvtn l)y IJi^hon Hurnd : " Mnlin l5ncHr was a very K'arncd, jndi'ious, pious iuul inodciMtc |l(■r.^on. He uas, prol)ahlv, inferior to none of ihe reformers in jjoi.'U of h'arn- inr noHS, ns recorded in Ex. xvi., romarkH— " if tlic Hiibl)afli had been instil iitcd at tlic time oftlie creation, as tlie words in (Jeiiesis may si.eni at Ih-'A sij^iit to import, and obHervod all alonjf from diat time to the departure of the JowH out of lOyypt, a period of al)out ^,500 years; it appears unaceoiint able that uo ineution of it, no oecision of even the obHCuriHt allu sioii to it. Bliould occur, either in the f,'eneral liLstory of tlie world lielbre the call of Abraliam, which contains, we admit, only a few memoirs of its early h'^ch, and these extrenndy aliridf^ed ; or, which is more to be wonder- ed at, in that of the lives oftlie three lir.st .lewisli jjatriarclis, which in many parts of the account, is sulliciently circumstantial and domestic The i)asHa^e in tlie wcond chapter ofCiiMiesis, which creates the wliuh," con- troversy upon the subject, is not inconsistent with this opinion : for, as the seventh day was erected into a sabbath on account of ('Od's r'stinji^ ii.'iou that day Irom the work of creation, it was natural enough f^or the historian, wheu he had related the hibtory ol the creation, and ol God's ceasing froin S5 irf.ED- , 01'' TlIK , styliii); tliom -'t iiuiy i)u " an [^ pronositions ler wt'll-found- a dlvino insti- 1)0 observed ily liilior, and sj)cn.su})Iy re- or Sutidiiy, in iirlicst anil in- r time to bo Christian din- incnts in sup- ns, expressive ill enable the rvo " the Sah- if fsrarl, ivm\. coj)lo was, ur is by Divine to conio to- r, i!i:c. ; but it Sai)batli, nor rk tlu'reon. t (piotes Gen. ictilied it, be- (1 created and [ind sanctified 1 in Iho wilder been instil iitcil III at tU-A sii^iit 1 parliirt' «»f Hit" iiPH uiificcoiint )bscuri'st allu If world lid'on; UR'Hioirs oC ItH c to be woiider- rcIiH, which in (loniCHlic fill' \Vhul(! coti- ion : tor, iiH th« s i-'stinyf ii.pon r tlic liihlorian, 'd ccasiug fVoni tho sevonlh day, because In It lie had rested from his Mork : hut U there anythiii^ here or in tho context to sho\T that God coniiiiand- td Adam or his posterity to rest on that day ? No. And fhf Of'vujir.sf iitliiU'ifi'iTi fin rvnrdnf man kecpimj or bfiiuj r,itiim Ihnti U')0() ij^iirs a/'lrr the nrnlinn. The children ol Israel while in the V, dderiK'ss ha^inf,' in obe(liei\r(» to (lod gathered twice us nmch Manna on the sixth as on the five jjrevioiis days, their riders cam-' and told Mosfs, rlearly with a view of letirnin-; the obji'cf, of ihc T/ord's c >inmaiid. See verses o and 22. Then, for tho first time on record. Avas th(> sabbath }j;ivt'n 1o man, and its ohserviiuee comiuanded. " And Muses saiil unto tlx'in, (verse 2!J) This is that which the Lord hath snid, 'ro-nmrmir is- a rcs-l oj' «/ (incorrectly translated Ihc rest of the) hnli/ sniiltntli unto thr Lmil." And on the morrow, h;- told them — "fo-dai/ /„• it s'lhfxith. unti) tl"' Lord : to (hiy ye sh.dl not find it in the field. I'ix days ye shall ^'athur it j but on the .'i-reiith daij which is ; lleb. ii. 2.) <:ave them the covenant, or law, of wliich the fourth enm- niandnieiit is a i>art, and again enfin'ced the observance of the sabbnth, saying, — " ItcmeiJjrr tlie sabbath day, to keep it holy," Sic. \'\\. \x. 8. it m\ the seventh dny, to i\M : ' !ii"l fnx] hhv^scd tho lOvonlh day, .'nid s;nic titled it, Ijepanse th\( ou i! hr hud rested from all his wovii wiiieh Ood eri'iited iiiul ueide' ; iilthoiij^ii the lilessiiijjf and siinctitliMitioM, /. e. tlir rel! nioie; di.^lilH•lll>ll aiid ai'inMpriatinn of that day, waf not a'"t\ially made till many !i;.;-"s al'terward.i. 'I'lii' wovils do not assert that, that (iod fhi'ii • bless Ptl ' and ' Band ilied ' llie seveutli day, tint thai lie liles.-ietl and sanetilied it /or tliiii ri'ii.;oii : mid il' any a-ilc, wliy the sulihatli, or saiu'tilii ation uf the .seventh d ;y, ^.vax (ln'ii ine\itioiieil, if' it was not then aiijiointed, (he laimver is at liiiiid ;" the order of eonneetion, and not of time, introduee.l. ihe men lion of tlie fial)liiiili, in tiu.' hihlo'/y of the sub.i'et wiiieh it was ordained to ru!!iuu niorate." I ndnrt tlnd no one iiiiiii'qnjilnted willi the arpriimcnts for the first institu- tion of tlie sai'liath in the wildi'ine/s, would, from ri'adin;^' (fu;;. ii. :.', doubt fur a luoiiient ilini llie .-al'lialh was instituted at llie creation. I'lit in view of till' arirsiineKts referred ((,« I am compelled to believe that the view taken by Dr. I'aley is correct. Ami, indeed, in the Scrintures, things are often (•{)oken ol' by /ir<,li','>.sif: or antici])atioii, a very remarkable instance of which oecio's in (ien. ii. '.'>. 'I'lure and in several following,'' verses, .Moses uses by •Hitici]),'iiii)n tile nann^ l,()i{!> (.J i;iioVAil,) althoujj-h the name was not made known to man for iipwanls of 'y'liMt years ; as see K.\. vi. a. A^'^ain, any om; i'eu2:els' food. — Many other instances \\\'v^\\i be adduced of man being used in a very'limited sense, as — "by inmi came death," — "by man camo also tlie resurrection of the dead." 1 Cor. xv. 21. Man in each of these cases, signifies not man universiilly, but one man. So iikso in lleb. ii. 0, both " man"' and " the son of man'" must he restrict- ed to Chri>t. As the text under consideration is accounted one of tlie strong- holds of Sabbatarianism, although, in reality, when rightly under- stood, it tells against them, I must endeavour to make tlie reader understand it tlioroughly. Let us see then what called huth from our Lord the words in question. On reference to the context it appears that he had been taken to task by the Pharisees, because his disciples in going with him through the fields on the sabbath dav, i)lucked the ears of corn. " The Pharisees," we are told, " said unto him, Behold, why do they on tlie sabbath day that which is not lawful'" r 'Fhis was the question that called forth the reply — and it would be strange indeed if that reply favored Sab- batarians. " The sabbath was made /o/' man, and not man /or the ,>abb:ith : therefore the Son of man is l^ord also of the sab- bath." That is, as 'the sabbath was made for, and hence subordi- nate, or subject to man. He, being that Man, or Son ui man, s])oken of by the prophets, under whose feet "all things" made for man were, in the purpose of God, " put," (Ps. viii. 4-G, com- 'pared with lleb. ii. 6-8.) was Lord of the sabbath, — had dominion over it — and v»hatever he sanctioned thereon could not be qu ,- tioned. He eould even abolish the law respecting it ; yea, and he did abolish it. "Therefore," says his apostlp, "Let no man iudire vou in respect of the sabbath days."' Col. ii. 16. Thus, the •^ '^ • •^^ _ 1* ___ !•..!_ T 1.- _:._!.. A.^ *u„ „..i.v...4.....; ^e J readerwill seo how little our Lord's renly to the Sabbatarians of liis dav. helps the same sort in our day. " The sabbath was made iox man'' — " for MAX !" they cry, "that is, for all mankind— as 37 s void " Ilc- ■oalion, for it 1 lliu i)ruviou» •8t tiino made nuni for the of tlif sab- ; lu'Xl quoted est for man, ' to the Jhd ." Tht' word :'tiin(>s it must imjile, ill I's. )W as this has liiis ti'xt must I like inaiiiuT ohscrved l»y inado, can be iif^cLs' food. — ivig used in a ly w. rcslvict- of the stroi^i:^- •ightly undor- lUl' tlie reader ed f(uth from the context it isoes, because n the sabbath ue are tohl, ath day that died foi'tli tlie favored sali- not man J'ar of the sab- encc subordi- Son of man, hings" htadc iii. 4-0, corn- had (himinion not be (ju ,- it ; yea, and ' Let no man f). Thus, the ibbatarians of :ith was made mankind — aa s..'t? aiiv di'jlioiiary — vm\ Ihcri'f'ire ;dl luankiiid are iiouiul I.) i^b- serve it! " i'he Lord, on the other hand, says, '• th;> sabliath was mad;- /"'//■ nuai, thorefovo man, even the Son of man, is its sover- eign, ,i)id call dispose of h as it ph'asetli him. Ill lik'. lUauncr he (k-clared himself •• //r(?''?/cf than the tem|do,'' Matt. xii. (i, and by his aullioritative •' / say unto you," sc t aside the statutes of Moses ; Matt. v. .M-41 ; and in due course sab- b.iili. law. :'!;d temple were all abolished by him. and the i)riiici- paiilies and powers" (Ool. ii. 1')) — the envious priests and ruleis of Israel — iiy th.e law estalilish'd, were " sjioiled," and tlvir un- profittiblo services dispeiised v.ith. The law of Mo-^es thun- dering forth " eondeini'.ation " and " death" (2 Cor. iii. 7. 9) upon every Isi-.ielite who oiieiided in a single ])oint, Avas " disiinulleil" and'-abolisiu'd"; lleb. vii. IS. V.) : Ejihes. ii. 1.",; and not unny davs ■u'tei', the gracious promises whiclifiod had m.'deunto Abra- ham, ((Id. iii. Ul) and David v.-ere iiroelaimed, first lo the Jews and aft'M-wards to the Genliles; and ('hrist liy liis Ajioslles. as now by the word of (3od's grace, went forth into all tlie Moi'ld Ijeseelung men to acf'ept the ''free grace of God" and lav hold on thi^ promise of Internal Life, Avilhont regard to the law of Moses. A"!s ii. :;(5-l(): iii. 'I'k -!(): v. \\\ : x.'42-lS: xiii. ;5l2-18. Listriiciiiig belii'vers, neAerthel. ss, how tliey ought to wrdk and please OmI ; but giving no command tf> k'n.>n a sabbatli. (except from siiifid works) or to rest from labor on aiiv jiurlicular day. Anotlier proof of his first prf)])osii ion the Judge finds in wliat some *• de'ply h'arued and juous divine" says a'oout the sabbiuh i)oi'ig a ///;"■: and as "all tyjx^s are oi'fiul fi rce till the tiling sig- nified bv tli'in tak'S ])lac(,'; and as the thing sigriificil i>y the sab- batli is !iia1 r.sf hi ;//'>,•;/ wiiieh remaius for the iieople of God; the iiin,',// i,!i/.ii/,'fhiii of the sabbath must cuitinui' till time be swallowed \\\) in eti rnity." Il' ihis argument be s-nuiid why is not the tyiiical sabbatli observed liv sahtiatarians ? Wiiy sevcutli dn-, on whic'i (uxl resteil from his W'.^rk of (Teation ? Really, tliiiigs have come toain-eity ]kiss '(vhen " lieeply learned divi'v-, " and judges will thus argu ■ tor the ol)-^er\a!.ce of " the salibatli day." 'which yet th;-/ themselves do not pn.'tead to ol)si>rv(>I One of the very e.rgume^ts tii.:* !?aul bring'; fi;/'^/i}sl the observance of :-.''bbath days, namely, i; < ause they v:n\' types, or " shadows of t'aijigs fi come." Col. ii. 1*', 17, is I'lww advae.ced by salbatariaus in l)ir<>i- ,>t their eb-;":vance I The .h.'hre next notices l'>;odns, llUh chap., and endeavouis to show tiiat tile sabbath was iK.t a new tiling m t!ie Israelites, lie argues that lli"y had " sjiontaiieous'y and without any e:,press cr/mmai'd " g ithered th.iMlonbl" jiorT'.on t)f inanua on th" sixth day. \ most (>xtraoriiinary ])resumi)tion. b"or (ii'd had j)re- ).•(■.'/;;.■.'// Slid — o'Ji vta'se — •• On the nmv'/V day ihey ■>hall p):-epare that wliirh ;hev bring ii'. ;;ui! it se.all be hrii-r ii:< nnicii '-as ihey gather d sliv." " " These," sai?!; the Judge, "were tlie words (,f ihe Lord to Moses alone; and it does not aiipear that he made t'lem I...;!' 38 ^on'^,*n,p''-^;r';^' ""''"'""' ^^ '''•■'^' -"''^'''^^ tU. Jo.I!. pon- ton on the sixtli any, as imnti-Hie.l in vcivo L'2." Xom- is it u'-,.lv Sutir' I'r^^.^^'"^ '^''''' '''^' '^^"'^'^ ^^-^^^'^ oodi^id'toi'^ p^!;r^ryr '■'"'■'" ^''^' '/ tl.o Judge's trn(l,nn to tli ■ 1 raeli." he ami not to nuwi at the creatu)n as a dav oi' lest." He consirlerJ us opnaon so " groundless and fu.ile--' as to be " s u-' v ' biuil) He says, ni efJect, -The ,sal)bath was ordv one of the ly 1 had told il(?v uoidd , liitliorto. d htank'"P (1 oonit: 1.0 Jibbath I'fl of Israel.' ^^cript'iral tcs oi-,]y, coiisidofs ccly vor- ai;s-\vor it lie of The 1(1 tlu'Tll.'" )vor — Ui«.-> ;. \x. de- ll I uh'.s to lUildo " ;) VM difiVr. tlie Sal)- fudrrr, I ken o^' a or indi- ts KOllU'^ hi' ra in- to Xonh me and L' for a if .shall 'W ylfdl ■ <'. (ion. lis that 'redible boli.'ld im:-nio- iCdal — u' — or, d widi ■ token tied to linir to n finite 1'" old, '(/n in m reply to his question — "iRhorcby shall T know that J shall Inherit it'? — that is, "///'.' hind of promise" m which he dwelt. And vliat wonders God showed him ! HceCien. xv. 9-17. A<;ain, — ■ God <;ave his "Friend" another si(/a when he promised him that **heshouhl be the heir of the Avorld !" Ito. iv. 13; Gen. xvii. ; and it was beyond dispute a new tiling. "He received t'ae sif/n of circumcision, a seal of tlie righteousness of the faith whioli he had yet being uneircumcised." Aliraham received eircunuision just as tns ])osterity in the lino of Isaac and Jacob received the hiws and sabbaths God gave them to observe and keep, that they might be a " peculiar ])eople,"' distinct from all other nation?:, to none of whom did God give any laws, but " sufiered tlu-m all to walk in (heir oini wrn/.port of his first ]n'o])esi- tion is Xeliemiah ix. 13, 14 — " Thou catiiest down also u])oa Mount Sinai, and sj)akest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes, and com- mandments, and madest known unto them thy holy Sabh ith ; and ciunmandest them ])recepts, statutes, and laws, by the liaud of Mos<'s thy servant." "Now, here." says the Judge, "is a marki^d dift'erence in the expression as to the laws, statutes, com- mandments. Szc, and those concerning the Sabbath : and let it be observed, that all the words refer to the time of giving the laws, i 40 r-'cn-dcd 1- ^-.xod XX. Concerning tlio laws, 8tatute«. &c., tli© /7 0/ f ■' ^;'',V'' -'^''"' ".commandedst lliem," evidently nieiin a ./7y9 institution at that Ume.'' (The reader uill please note this.> nlW,;.^f''^^'''^°•*^'^"'^''=^^'^ ""^''-'^^^t J^"'^^vn to them," t n . r ?•''■. f P^-^-ViO".s appointment of the day, the recoli^-c- iXrlZ ^^ '^^;-^''"/'^'\^'"''''^'^''^>"^ ''^^'^ cither lost at the tunc d , , t" ("rntioi: c! m ]<:xodu.s), or lu.t imperfectly remember- u I . no. tnen; Ion," l,on' " ^'« l'"no. perfectly well I Z ": t, '"' ''' '''''"^'i i^^'^" ^'^'""'^^l^y observed" ? St^e the Jiicl::e s tract, paijes 5 and 7.) f.n'i.m'^'lT"'"^'^'"''''^''"'^''' ''t^tnnvs." and so Mill a sa],ba, ne.' ; ,.^'7.^^"J<''^ . ^•'^•^^•'^t them," the Jiul^^o admits, " evi.lently ^s S . id' "^^'\^"V^'» ^^' ^''^'t time." The sabbath, then, as well l'.< ' u'r^f ^ ''^ tnne AV.s-^ instituted, for br.th Moses and loi that tlie Lord A/,,/,; r//r.r?/, you ih, sabbath," Ex. xvi. 29. And whJph \il "' -1 '''^ ['^'''''^"f^' ^" ''"'^ «''"^'^ time and events of Sh ont ;ri ^J'^'^Vn^'-y^' " Wherefore I caused them to go fuu h out o he huK of l.:o.ypt, and brought them into the v.ihhT- m^nX ,•/•?''■' ^''''" '">■ ^'^tatutes, and shewed thorn my jud-. n ents which ,t a man do, he shall eyen liye in them. Moreoyer fho r,u- \ -• V'"'.^'"^ '"^^ ^''"t the sul)l)aths, as well as , -v'?/ • r •'A'."f"-that IS. according? to the J udf-'e, //..■/ /;,. nosi i r"l ^"^"■''^'^^'•"^.■^^' ?n^^ thus his - proof" dispro^e^liis pro- pos mon, w nle to mine ,; ^n'yes additional support. ^ reilvtVir I^l'? 'f'"^ •fndiv,,.'s second ].rnposition-t(^ which the read-r will a nl T7;-'''^"'^"" ''''"'"^^'"t ^•^"f^'t^'t-" ''^' the Lord's clav 1„ I, that Sunday is by chv,,„ ai)pointment either a holy or a sabbath The .Judye affirms that Col. ii. 10; Gal. iy. 9-11 ; }\o. xW T, 6; 'merely refer to Jewish festivals and other days of mekdV human appointment, which werf no moral or other obligation " 1 regret to find the Judi^e makin;,. such a statement. Li Col. ii. I>J ^^ f fim \L \ mim:iAv» ' 41 lltOS, &P.> til© ■iilly menn a n, and my :ith wiis aj)- ' ; or. wlie- ii<," (j!i!y oil read.-r will ■order and the I,ord's )y the ear- a fialihath any of the !o contend day Kcrip- eminent i-es ;]()-;i2, a sabbath o. xiv. '), of merely )liii::iti()n." Ill Col. ii. Paul shows why christians are not to Miffer themselves lo be judired in respect to lioly or sabb.ith days, namely, becanse "the handwritings'' that is. the law of Moses,— which commauiud their observance, had been "blotted out," " taken out of tlie way," and nailed by Christ to his cross. This made an end of the law, wiii all the sablmths which Israel, "under the law," had been commandi'd to keep. '• Then lore" savs Paul, " let no ma?> iudtre yon, kv. Hut the Jud^e further arp:ucs—" If the apostle had me;int to in- clude the tirst day of the week, surely Ids own conduct was very inconsistent. For on that suppositutii why did he nucL with them in their slated assemblies on the Jirsi diiy of the wick. and preach t() tli( in until mid!;i<;-ht." Now is it'])ossible the .Judjijo cannot distiii<;uish between observing a day as u sa])bath — ac- counting it a holy day, on which to lalioris siiiful— and observing it bv simidy meeting with the brethren when they came together in tlie evening, as seems jtroboble, ami ]'.retichiiig to them for some hours P 13ut, dcjubtless, Paul did not among the sab])aths he referretl to, include the " Christian Sibbath ;" for all the sab- baths known to liim were Jewish, not C hristian. J>r. I'aley, in his Moral L'liilosoplni, a standard work, after nn impartial examination of the whole subject thus sums u]), — "A ces,>arion u]>oii that day" (the Lord's 'day) "from Lbour, be- yond the time of atrendance upon public worship, is iu)t iatimat- ed in any pjis; age of the New Testament; nor did Christ or hia apostles doiivfr, that we know of, any command to their (lisci])les for a discontinuance, upon that day, of the common oiiices of their ])rofession,s. * * * In reality," the institution of a weekly sabbath is so connected with the functions of civil life, and re- quiris so much of the concurrence of civil law, in its regulation and Mipjjorr. that it cannot,. ))erha])s, properly be made the ordi- nance of any religion, Ull Ihal rcHijion he received as lite reUi/>b>dL"^' Th'.so nine words the Jud-e apparent y, deems conch.sive as to what was -the car/ir.f .uul vwan.fh/e usafje of di-' Christian Chirch." Does not his failure to produee "other well-founded autlioritv " sneak volumes '> and prove beyond questu)n that Sun.iay is not in- any well founded authoritv, to be observed as tlie Sabbath. IJesides. I have been auKht that ;« the Bible, the Hihle only, is the reli.i^n of lU"- tan ts. J his cannot be t. ue if making a sabbath of .^undav be a part of tho Protestant relij;iou. for not only is the testimoMV of fecni_)turo opposed to it, but th- very found'ers of the Prote-Uant reho'iou repudiate the idea. Macaufay in his history of J'^wland, Vok 1, to Is us to whom the Protestant Church is indebted for its Phansee-hke sablnth. Tie says-" In defianc^^ of the express and reiterated ueclarations of Lmher and Calvin, they (tho Puritans) turned the toetkly feslhml by which the Chnreh had from th'Mu-i- mitive times commemorated the resurrection of her Lord into a M. sabbath. The dres., the deportment, tiie lan/nm:. "he Studies, the amusements of the ri-id sect were re-ulaied on nrin- 2 es re^embhno- those of the Pharisees, who,^proud of 'their wa bed hands, and l)road phylacteries, taunted the Redeemer as a saobath-breakcr and a wineliib'oer." To the Puritans,_then, if Maeaulay bo an authority, Protestants owe the anti-chnstiaii and anti-reformation doctriile of keenin- buuf ay_ m accordance with the fourth commandment of the (dd Israehtish covenant. Yes, and of o-oi,,. t^^, |,,,.,„„, -^^ ,_,^,,,.._ h^^.^'T^^ themselves pertectly innocent, aiul not Ibrbidden oy tlie ,)ewish sabbath-law. _J^ tlie Judge's argument based upon an alleged mistransla- Rav8^-7hril^''.,';rn'r'' '''"• ^*' Pinc'od ou Ra.,l.anno(ation a. this. P,-,«l ■•waijBsBB [3 I'lit, un.'l nro- < whal 1 eon- M pcrsoji, as ])iin, ;il)our tlius soekin*,' " s('ri])ttirnl hi'licHc tlint vity. — I'oiy- e Lord's day th;' Jud^r", carlifi^l iiiul t his failure Innics :' and <'ll ibunded I h;ive l)(>en I of l^-Ot(!S- ^unday he a nstiojo'iy of ! Protesfnnt of J'^ni^land, 'ht(Ml for its express and e Puritans) om tiie ])ri- joi'd, into a i!i:uag t forbidden mist ran sla- ' this. p,-iul us k('(>i) fill' (M-vo Siiud.'iy Id kc'i) the )i- things for on tiu'iu — r jiccoiint of !lino.l;r tlip 111 iu;iki;!'ons services, or s()fi:;l convenience and benefit." Li reply I would say that as "the ixAvers that be" have made a sal^bath of Sunday," there is no n.eei s-^ity, as a ger.eral thing, for making the same of an v other day nf the week. I entirely approve of Sunday as a civil, but not a>, a religious institution. Also ns a " social convenience and benefit" wjien a man is not hindered by salibatarian notions from securing his livie.g on it, when ne#dful," or taking innocent recro- ation jlieveon. Some who base it on the fourth comma.ndmont, make it a dn]!, wearisonu^ day, especially to yonrg folks. It shnp.ld he among christians more like a holiday— uiore like one of Israel's f'stal days, when they rejoiced before the Lord,— a dav of "joy and gladness," liot of gloom and sadness. And "that governnient is not the wisest which places the g-eatrst restraints upon tlie people's employment or enjoyment of Sunday, 'i'lnit i)eople is not the worst which is least Sabbatarian. Nei(h'>r are the most rigid Sabbatarians adways the best men. I'robablv. the greatest sinners that ever existed 'were the " outwardly righteous," sabbath-keeping Pharisees, Matt xxiii., who nnu'dered the Lord Jesus. And now. if l>r. Cuthrie can be credited, the Capit-ds of Sabbath-keeping J']]:gland an.d Scotland witness more drunken- ness every day,* than lum-sabbath-keeping Paris ir; five months ! "In iiJH i'lcni-'iiIicjHiIt'ofnruvl-'iyi/.'^intffrijfiipnf Drn-vl-onir.'^.-^, Dr. (Jiillivic tluis tcHtili'.'s,— " TIic writer of tliis ' l'li\a 'spent iisa stmlciit, pome the or m.vnioiillis in Paris. . . . Yet. jilthou^^li our avoi-itions leil as often fliroiijrli lli»» worst i):irts of tlic cily, find uecasioniilly l;ile in tlie fvcniiiL: — JU t.i.u Lily lOnl.iiniiiL; liieii it popnliition six times i.ir<^er tiiiin Kilinliarfdi --we snw liut one drunken mini, and no drunken woman. Well, we stepped iTum the wteanier upon one of the London quays, and bad not j,'oiie many niices 44 Ami, 1)0 it rvmombeml, drunkonnes.i, liko covetousn.-^s, uill ox- dnlj a man IVoin ihu kiii^'(K;in ol' God ; Gal. v. 21 ; wialo, luuler Cliri«!t's l.iw thi'i-v is 110 such sin as sal)()alh-l)rc'akiii<^ ; nor is sab- bai.h-kec'i)in«,' - tli- fruit of tho Spirit." v. 22. I have now aiiswca'cul fully and fairly uU tiio ari,ninv..'nts aJ- vanct'il hythe JuU.' in support of his lnvo propositions, and at tho siaio time as_ fully, Lsp.'cially whon vli-wud in connection Avith wii.iL I had piv'viously wiattiai, sujjpoi'tod my own. I ni.iy, of coursi', bo mistaken, hut sahhatarians, in my opinion, to "use u familir phrase" liavc not a le^i.;- to stand on." 'Xor, in thy length and oreadth of tlu' Bihle can one solitary text be fouiul to siip- port t!h-ii- "casile in the air,'' in whicli are forj.jed tliose impotent bolts which they thuud.n- down upon " sabbath-hrt ik'a-s" ! I have now to notici' brieiiy the hist ])art of the ,lad,;',''s tract "On Ihc jr-nuinciil rtty of the ichok Movd law «/' t?n- /Uhlc."' • _ If til • rjad;-r will turn hack to j)a^a'sS, 17-20, he will see in what ll^'ht I vi/>w_what is unscni)tura!ly called "tho Moral hr.v," and what I coiisider tii- Cnristian's law. With t.he law of l^Lises as a ■ teacher of morality, I atlirm, and have fully shown, that tlieChris- tiini luis notlull^' to do. Tho l.iw of C'arist whieh iiiealcates a far higher morality than tho ten co-nma:ulments, is the only moral code tiie^Cliristian dare recoge.ize. The law of M(r.es, as a teach- er of ri.:>T.leousne,bS, T utterly and entirelv rejmdiat". /vs li.iving In it a " form" and "shadow" of tiie truth, or " hodv" uliieli is "ofChri-t," it is profitable to read and understand ;" but as to comia.n' '■ iinder" it, and hein,i^ obli;j; ited to keej) a -^w'-h' iota of U. Paul his la;i-ht mo differently to that. Christ is my liead, not Moses, illm. and him only, tlicn, 1 must hear and ohev. Moses was ihc; lavr^-iver only of the Jewish peojdo. His lr,\v 'ir v'a- wa.s bindiii^i,^ liu lir;> Gentiles, who are therefore spoiien oJ' ia le.o Scri[)- tures as hein;,^ "without law."— Ho. ii. 12. Tho Jew;;, on tlie oth-r hand, are deseriiied as bciiii^- "under the law"— G,d. iv. 5— ■ until thny •• put on Christ," when'tliev were " no lon,?(a- under the law, but under yraer."—]io. vi. M, ],-;. Thus ev(!u tho Jew who boli.'ved the_ ,;,n)spel and was baj)ti/,'d, was "delivered from the law" — 11 ). vii. (}- -became "dead" to it, but alive to Christ and Ids h\v. J'Acn as Is tho Gentile who, in the appointed v/av, takes the name of Chi'ist. _Now. Sabbitarians call tin's " jirofanc and demoralizin.^■ doc- trine." ^ 15ut why ? Is it because the moralitv inculcated by Christ is of a Iow^m- j^rade tiiau tliat of Moses ? Under Mcscs" law uwh'ss a mni killed another he wr not a murderer, but un- der Chri>fs law who,->() ha(cl/t his- brother is a murderer.— 1 John wiicn ni;r iiiitiDaiil pi-i-lc was Inimlihu]. nnd jinv Christiimil v w mav liave harl was pu*- to tlio blush, by tlio disfriisl iiii;- sjior-taclc of (!i-,inkMri!s recline alou''- tlu" streets, iiiid lilli;,";' tlu.' .'lir wi(h slrae,;,--!' iiml Ii/htkI iiiii)i-('fitious" In one hour we siev ill LoikIoh— ;iii ^M • lu-Ji, uill ex- wialo, luulcr ; ; nor is sab- r{;iiin..'iits ail- ;i()iis, and at m.'ciiop. Avith I ni.iv, ot* ion, to use u u till! length unci to sLip- esu impotent wors ! ')/ nil' htlilt!. 11 sci' ill what mI l;r,v," and f lUv)s(. s as a lat tliu Chris- 'iilciiU's a far i;; only nioviil s, as a tiMC'h- .\s 1 hiving 'ly" svliii'li is i ; l)ut as to !"vl'' ioli of my iioad, not Ijey. MoSfS \V 11: V'T wa.s in ll'.e Scrij)- inv;;, on thf? -(id!, iv. -J — :('r inider the tlio Ji A- ^vllo •cd from the I Clirist and (1 way, takes ralizin,:;' doc- icnk-atL'd by JikIl-v Closes' Ji'or, but un- rer. — 1 John w^' may liave !)k;iri!s reclinfj iinpiM'c'-itious. iicr cluirclics, Hum \vc saw in ibbaliiriuujyii!. 45 iii. lo. Under Moses' law unless a man bowed down to Idols, (a- Kervt'd graven imaji;e,s, he was not an idolater; but under Christ's law a <■■)(■< 'ord ha.d abolished the whole moral la.w, includin;.;- the ten commandments. A cliild mav see tluit it has no reference whate\er to that subji et. 'i his, however, is but one among many of the totally ina])j)iicable cita- tions, and of the absurdities involved in that erroneous iloc- trine." If tlie reader turn to page 19 he will see how I ha))pen to quote Matt. XV. 24, and will be somewhat surprised, I hiuey, that th'j .Judge should have ventured to make such a gross misstatement in regard to my application of it. The law of Moses incnicates a better morality tlian the Judge, in the above ]iaragra))h. has given a specimen of. I ho])e when he reads this, he will blush for hav- ing written such a thing, even of an opponent to Jewish Sabbath keeping. Want of space will not alhnv me to add more cm thi> moral law of the IJifde ; else I could easily ex|)lain the texts referred to l.)v the Judge— Jio. ii . l;i; iii. ;M, vii. 14, 22 ; Gal, v. 14 ; 1 Tim. i. 8; Jamc's li. 10, 11 ; 1 John iii. 4; — in harmony with my view of the Law (jf Moses. ]?esides, the question as to the ]!> vmanency of the moral precepts of the law, is quite distinct from the Hab- bath question. It always was and always^ will be immoral to mur- der, steal, commit adultery, bear false witness, c^c. ; but it is only immoral to i/o?-A; when God says — "Thou shalt not." lias lie, then, said — " Thou shalt not wcn-k ou Sunday " ? Or, has lie said anything to that cft'ect. 4(i JJiUEF Ki;i-iA TO lli:v. \V. II. 1Iu.mpijiu;y'.s two Skumons on "Tiiii Sajuiatii: a Mdual and Positive: Institution." 1. Mr. I [umnhroy commences with the •« fact" that, 'Uhp. Sahhm'Ji- law t.i a nh'jnd 1„il;—ov a natural law of our moral ])ciu,.;-." How stran<,n.\ if such be tho case, that the f;reat moralists miioi,,..- the ancieuls, Socr;ites, IMato. \-c., kept not tlie Subbath-hiu-. noi'^over :ht anv man to rest on one 'dav in seven. 2. liut " it is ])vopor that some lime should bo set apart for the worship of God." Here is an ar<,niuu'nt for the Sabbath! as if liod Wi-re oidy to be wor-^hipped on the Sabbath ; or, as if Ho would not b.; worshipped were there no S;ibb;ith. For the first LTiOO y.,M)d th-re was no Sabbath observed that we kiiow of, vet God was worshipped by the faithful,— Abel, I'hioch, Noah, AbVa- ham, Isiuic, Jacob, (Vc— even as He has been duriii<>: "the limes of the Gentiles" by men who were not Sab[).itarians." J3. In rei>-ar(l to " the benefits" of a day of rest and recreation once a week, I have before s|)oken. 4. ])ou!)tless thousands of those wdio fill penitentiaries e.nd pri- sons woulfl. wiien questioned by Sai)l)atiuians, aeknowle;!^:. thorn- selves •' Salbath-breakers." This is no proof, however, that they bad really broken the fourth commandment, any more tiian the chaplains who had the "spiritual ehari^'e" of thcin. '). Tho Sabbath was "proclaimed from Sinai"— " written on the tabl(>s of stone"— •'dei)osited in the Ark of the Covenant"— "kent Iciu'cforth in thtMiinermost tabernacle"— Israel's " naliouid stabihty. jji-ospurity and •••lory hin<,'ed on its observance" ( onon;,' other thiii«>'s)— and "severe admonitions and national calaiuities were uitered aj,Minst its desecration,"— all this is true, but, yet, what have we to do with its observance? Was what wa.s pro- ■ ned from Sinai addressed to us ? or to the people t^od br()U"-ht of Ji;;>-ypt ? See Ex. xx. 2 ; Dent. v. Vi—^^WMuemher that i?wu claim out wast o fSi'.rvaut in the lati'l n/ h'i/i/;>f, and that the Lord tliv God" brouirht tJiee out thence through a mi-hty haiul. and a stretched out arm: TiiiiiiEFOUF, the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day." Tlius we learn" ?tvh^\]\ txloruj to olijcctors! All ])roper laws, under a ])ro])er government, are of force till abrogated; and of such abrogation there should be some record ! Where is it in this case?" Where? In Col. ii. 14-ir, ; Epiies. ii. \o; Hel). vii. IS; viii. 7-lu. See- ing the Jewish Sat)bath law has thus been " disaniudled," 1 ask Mr. Hiimjdirey for his proofs that there is still a Sabbath. This (piestion he anticipates, saying — "Are we then challenged for l)roof from the Scri])tures tliiit there is still a Sabbath of divine authority and obligation? See Gen. ii. l-o ; Ex. xx. S-1 1 ; John XX. 10, 2(5; Acts ii. 1-4; xx. 7 ; 1 Cor. xvi. 2 : Kev. i. 10." A glance at these texts, by this time, I trust, familiar to the reader, shows their insulHeiency to establish anything like a Subbath l)inding on the church of Christ. 12. ]Mr. H., on page 27 of his pamphlet, makes an admission ^vorthy of notice. " The Christian Sabbath, or the first day of the week, seems never, at that age (the Apostolic), to have been (tailed the Sabbath, ))ut ^ th.e Lord's day' as if, while associaling it intimately with their Lord, to separate it as far as possibh) from I 48 nil connection with .Tudii^m, tliat fnutful sonrro of error and troul)lu." If «<>. why, in disniui'Hin^' on the suhjoct. doos Mr. II. take for his text, and base his ar;.nnnent for the Christian Hah- batli on the fourth comniindnient '.' Does (]!iotin;j: I*a. nx. S-!1, as!\ i)rool', U)()k like " separating' the I-urtl's day as far as im-;siblo from all eoniioetion with .Itidaisni ';' What elsu than Judaism can be found in l''.XM(bis ? 1-'}. Mr. II. conehides with a ]);isHaj;o from lsai:d! Iviii. 10, 11. «« If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, frtnn (l')in,u: thy pleasvire on mv holy dav. ' \-c. Tliis is addressed to Israel " un- der the law." and " the'S.J)bath" and "holy day" sp-iken of is the Jmvlsh S:ibbath. Why then ai«])ly the text to (^'Utiles :' and to a dav which, in the Scriptures, is called neither the Sabbath nor a holy day? If it be said it applies in a s))'irihial sensi' to the churcli.'theu, I say, tlie Sabbath to be kept is a xpirlliml Sabljath —a Sal)!)ath from sin. And this is the only Sabb;ith — ])er- taiiiin;,' t) this day of ^'vaee to us (Jentiles— the keepie'? of whicirwill be rewarded with a participation in the g-lorious promise with which the text concludes— " Then shalt thou ddi'^ht thvself in the Lord; and 1 will cause thee to ride upon l/n:Iii>/k plarcs o/'tlie parUi,and feed thoe willi t/ic hei-lliujc of ,ht(':i!> i\\y father •' for the mouth of the Lord hath s])oken it." See also Isa. Ivii. l'\ ; Ps. xxxvii. !). 1 i. 2l>, 2<), '.M ; Matt. v. 5. In conclusion, I woul. I say in all sincerity and ^'ood failh M'ith one who laid down his life in defence of the truth— " lle_ that thinketh that a man sinneth which workelh on the holy day, it he be weak m i<,'norant, ou-^dit better to instruct, and so to I'Mve his hold; i)Ut if he be obsthiate and jjcrsevere in his sentence, he is not of Ciod, but of the devil, for ho niakcth s'in in aurh an God kaveth free:'— Frith, quoted on page 32. soiirro of orrni- rmd siiliji'ct. (loi's Mr. H. r till.' Cliristiim H;'.l)- i]!i()tin^' \\\. XX. S-! 1, day as far as ])n-I)ath, IVom (l')iii,y; thy I'ssiul to Israel " uii- ilay" sp'ikc'U of is the to (j.'iitilL's;' and to a •r till' Sal)bath nor a ipirihin/ sonsi' to th',' is a npiriliKil S:»l)l)ath (Hily Sahhatli — ])cr- lik's — tho kct'pii'j; of lion in thu ^•lorlou*; hen shalt thnn ddi'^lit to viile npon. the Iii>/k /ierila(/c of ihtcnh thy k">n it." See also Lia. . V. T). ,■ and ;^ood faith uith [' the truth—" He th.it on the holy day, it he n, and so to I'Mvo his iji his sentence, lu; is k s'in in auch as Ood