CHAPTER 1 - THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK NOT THE SABBATH
As the first day of the week is now almost universally observed in the place of
the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, we design in this article to examine the
ground on which this observance rests. It is an injunction of the New Testament,
that we "prove all things; hold fast that which is good." This precept we shall
attempt to follow in this investigation. Those who are willing to submit their
opinions to the test of scripture and reason, are invited to unite with us in the
examination of this subject. If the first day of the week is the Sabbath of the New
Testament, and the Rest-day of the Christian church, that fact will appear in all its
strength, if the sacred record is examined. But if there is no divine authority for
the change of the Sabbath, then the observance of the first day, in the place of
the Sabbath of the Lord, must be regarded as a tradition of the elders which
makes void the commandments of God.
This subject is not taken up for the benefit of such as do not believe in any
Sabbath. Other portions of truth must be presented in order to benefit such. But
those who do believe in a Sabbath, yet observe a different day from that enjoined
in the commandment, may be benefited by an examination of their reasons for
this. Papists believe that their church had power to change the Sabbath, and, on
that authority alone, they are perfectly satisfied in observing the first day.
Protestants deny the authority of the Romish church, and consequently, attempt
to vindicate the change by an appeal to the Bible. This is what we desire them to
do. We cannot better weigh the testimony in favor of a change of the Sabbath,
than by introducing the Sabbath commandment, which is supposed has been
changed.
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"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, 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 stranger that is within 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; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and
hallowed it." Ex. xx, 8-11. This precept, which states the will of God in plain and
explicit language, requires us to remember and keep holy, not the day on which
God began to labor, but the day of his rest, which he blessed and hallowed. As
the commandment is now exactly reversed by the great mass of the professed
church, and that too when the majority suppose that they are observing the
commandment, we inquire for the authority on which this practice rests.
One of three things is indispensable to those who would prove the change of
the Sabbath. 1. One plain statement that God has changed the Sabbath from the
seventh to the first day of the week. 2. Or a single statement that God has
blessed, hallowed and sanctified the first day of the week. 3. Or a single
commandment to keep the first day holy as a Sabbath unto the Lord. The
reasonableness of this must be apparent to every one. For a plain
commandment from the Lord of hosts, can only be changed by an explicit, divine
statement authorizing such change. And as the God of heaven has blessed and
sanctified his Rest-day, no human authority may presume to choose in its stead
another day, and require that that day be observed, unless the Lord himself shall
transfer his blessing to that day and command that it be kept holy. These truths
are self-evident. But how many of the above particulars do the advocates of this
change claim! They do not claim one of them! They do not claim that there is one
statement in the Bible that the Sabbath has been changed. They do not claim
that there is a single testimony in the Scriptures, that God has ever blessed and
sanctified the first day of the week. Nor do they claim that there is one precept in
the Volume of inspiration which commands us to observe the first and keep it
holy. But what authority, then, do they show for changing the Sabbath! Not a
particle of direct testimony, as
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we have already seen. However, they have several inferences which they think
make the subject very plain.
1. Redemption is greater than creation; therefore we ought to keep the day of
Christ's resurrection, instead of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment.
Where has God said this? Nothing of the kind is found in either Testament!
Who, then, knows that this is according to truth! Those only, who are wise above
what is written. Is not that act by which God formed the world out of nothing,
infinitely beyond our conception! Certainly, nothing but infinite power could create
the universe; and finite man must be a poor judge of how much creation is
exceeded by redemption. But admitting that redemption is greater than creation,
who knows that we ought to keep the first day of the week on that account! Has
God said that we should? No, never. God has not said that we should keep any
day to commemorate redemption. But if it were duty to observe any day for this
reason, most certainly the crucifixion day presents the strongest claims. It is not
said that we have redemption through Christ's resurrection, but it is said that we
have redemption through his blood. "In whom we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Eph. i, 7. See
Col. i, 14. "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book,
and open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by
thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation." Rev. v, 9.
See Heb. ix, 12, 15.
Then redemption is through the death of the Lord Jesus. Consequently the
day on which he shed his precious blood to redeem us and said, "It is
finished," (John xix, 30,) is the day that should be observed as a memorial of
redemption, if any one day should be observed for that purpose. Nor can it be
plead that the resurrection day is the most remarkable day in the history of the
church. It needs but a word to prove that it is far exceeded in this respect, by the
day of the crucifixion. Which is the most remarkable event, that God should give
his beloved Son to die for a face of rebels, or that he should raise that beloved
Son from the dead? Every one must acknowledge, that while it is an event of a
most wonderful character that God should give his only Son to die for guilty man,
it is not a wonderful thing,
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that he should raise that beloved Son from the dead. Then the crucifixion day has
far greater claims than the day of the resurrection. But God has not enjoined the
observance of either. And how shameful it is to make void the fourth
commandment by wisdom that is folly in the sight of God. 1 Cor. i, 19, 20.
If we would commemorate the events of redemption, no necessity exists that
we should destroy the holy Sabbath in order to do it. God has provided us with
memorials bearing his own signature; and these we may observe with the
blessing of Heaven. Would you commemorate the death of our Lord! Then heed
the following: "For I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto
you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread;
and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body,
which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner
also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New
Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death
till he come." 1 Cor. xi, 23-26.
Would you commemorate the burial and resurrection of the Saviour! The
following scriptures teach us the will of God in this: "Know ye not that so many of
us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death! Therefore
we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death,
we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." Rom. vi, 3-5; Col. ii, 12.
We have now examined the argument for a change of the Sabbath from the
supposed superiority of the work of redemption over that of creation. As it is not
found in the Bible, it can only occupy the rank of a cunningly devised fable. Can
such an argument be deemed sufficient authority for the open desecration of the
fourth commandment!
2. But the disciples met on the day of our Lord's resurrection, to
commemorate that event, and the Saviour sanctioned this meeting by uniting
with them.
Were every word of this true, it would then amount only to
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a very slender inference that the Sabbath was changed. But to show the utter
fallacy of this inference, we will agree to prove that they did not at that time
believe that he had been raised from the dead; but were assembled for the
purpose of eating supper, and secluding themselves from the Jews. "Then the
same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut
