,,the ,,constitutional ,,amendment3 ,,or1 ,,the ,,sunday1 ,,the ,,sabbath1 ,,the ,,change1 ,,and ,,restitution4 ,,the ,,constitutional ,,amendment3 ,,or ,,the ,,sunday1 ,,the ,,sabbath1 ,,the ,,change1 ,,and ,,restitution4 ,a ,,discussion ,,between ,w4 ,h4 ,,littlejohn1 ,,seventh-,,day ,,adventist1 ,,and ,,the ,,editor ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,statesman4 ,,steam ,,press ,,of ,,the ,,seventh ,,day ,,adventist ,,publishing ,,association1 ,,battle ,,creek1 ,,mich43 #ahgc4 ,entered1 according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahgc1 by the ,s4 ,d4 ,a4 ,p4 ,,association1 ,in the ,office of the ,librarian of ,congress1 at ,washington4 ,,preface4 ,as it has been thought best that the following articles1 which1 with the exception of the ,replies and ,rejoinders1 have already been published in the ,christian ,statesman1 the ,sabbath ,recorder1 and the ,advent ,review1 should have a still wider circulation1 it has been at last decided to present them to the public in the form of the present volume4 ,the occasion of their first appearance was as follows3 ,within the last few years1 a party has been organized in this country1 whose especial aims are the amendment of the ,constitution1 so that the names of ,god and ,christ may appear in it2 the recognition in the same instrument of the ,bible as the fountain of national law2 the securing of the reading of the ,bible in the common schools2 and the enforcement by law of the observance of ,sunday1 as the ,christian ,sabbath4 ,slowly1 but steadily1 the friends of this movement are bringing it to the public notice and enlarging the circle of its active supporters4 ,a single glance at the existing state of affairs reveals the fact that1 at no distant date1 the issues which these men are making up will be the ones over which contending parties will wage fierce contest4 ,already the press of the country1 by the drift of events which they find themselves incapable of controlling1 are compelled1 almost daily1 to record transactions which are not only calling the attention of the people to a conflict which is both imminent and irrepressible1 but which are also continually adding fuel to a flame which even now burns with a fierceness and volume indicative of its future scope and power4 ,in view of these facts1 the writer of the subjoined articles1 while taking no particular interest in party politics1 merely as such1 nevertheless felt a profound conviction that the time had come1 in the providence of ,god1 when ,christian men should offer a solemn protest against a state of affairs which1 while ostensibly inaugurated in the interest of the kingdom of ,christ1 will ultimately prove most destructive of religious liberty4 ,this1 he therefore attempted to do1 purely from the stand-point of the ,bible4 ,through the courtesy of the editor of the ,christian ,statesman1 which paper is the organ of the amendment party1 the first seven of the following communications were permitted to appear in the columns of that periodical4 ,subsequently1 the editor of that paper felt it incumbent upon him to take issue with what was thus published1 and to answer the same in a series of editorial articles4 ,to these again1 the author of the original communications published a series of rejoinders1 in defense of the positions assumed by him in the outset1 and in controversion of those of the reviewer4 ,these articles1 the replies of the editor1 and the rejoinders thereto1 having been grouped together in the present volume1 are offered to a candid public for serious consideration4 ,the reader will readily perceive that the whole discussion turns upon the ,sabbath question4 ,fortunately1 also1 he will discover that the ground covered in the debate by the respective disputants is that generally occupied by the classes of believers whom they represent4 ,leaving him1 therefore1 to decide for himself as to which of the views presented has the sanction of the divine mind1 the writer of the present preface can do no more than to give expression to his earnest desire that the ,god of all truth will vouchsafe his ,spirit for the illumination of every mind which comes to the consideration of this subject with an honest purpose to ascertain his will in the matter under consideration4 ,w4 ,h4 ,l4 ,allegan1 ,mich4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,article ,i4 #e ,article ,,ii4 #af ,article ,,iii4 #bh ,article ,,iv4 #cf ,article ,v4 #dh ,article ,,vi4 #eg ,article ,,vii4 #ga ,explanatory ,remarks4 #hf ,replies and ,rejoiners4 #hg ,article ,i4 #hg ,rejoinder4 #ic ,article ,,ii4 #ajg ,rejoinder4 #aaf ,article ,,iii4 #acc ,rejoinder4 #aci ,article ,,iv4 #aed ,rejoinder4 #afa ,article ,v4 #agg ,rejoinder4 #ahb ,article ,,vi4 #bjb ,rejoinder4 #bjg ,article ,,vii4 #bbe ,rejoinder4 #bca ,article ,,viii4 #bed ,rejoinder4 #bfa ,article ,,ix4 #bhj ,rejoinder4 #bhg ,article ,x4 #cac ,rejoinder4 #cba ,article ,,xi4 #cea ,rejoinder4 #cee ,index of ,points ,discussed4 #cgi ,,article ,i4 ,one of the marked features of our time is the tendency toward the discussion of the ,sabbath question4 ,nor can this subject be treated with more indifference in the future than it is at the present4 ,agitation1 ceaseless1 unrelenting1 excited1 and finally severe1 is rendered certain by the temper of all the parties to the controversy4 ,on the one hand1 the friends of ,sunday observance are dissatisfied with the laxity of the regard which is paid it1 and are loud in their demands for statutory relief2 denouncing upon the nation the wrath of ,god1 in unstinted measure1 should their petition be set at naught4 ,on the other hand1 the enemies of the ,sabbath institution1 in all of its phases1 are becoming bold in their protestations against a legalized ,sabbath1 as something extremely oppressive and inexpressibly intolerable in its very nature4 ,in all parts of the country1 activity characterizes the camps of both these contending hosts4 ,everywhere the elements of strength--hitherto unorganized1 and inefficient to the accomplishment of great results because of that fact--are being brought out and employed in effective service4 ,cincinnati1 ,chicago1 ,new ,york1 ,boston1 ,san ,francisco1 in their turn1 become the theaters where the skirmish lines of future combatants1 on a larger scale1 are brought into occasional collision4 ,the ordinary appliances of dinners1 processions1 national and ,state conventions1 city1 town1 and district societies1 are rapidly becoming the order of the day1 while those who are brought within the range of their influence are stimulated and aroused1 on the one hand1 by earnest appeals to the ,bible and religion1 and on the other1 to natural rights and individual conscience4 ,so far has the matter now proceeded1 so much has already been said1 so fully has the contest been opened1 that retrogression means defeat to either the one or the other party4 ,and as to compromise1 this can never be attained1 from the fact that the position from which both parties are now seeking to emerge is that of toleration4 ,why1 says the ardent advocate of the ,sunday law1 it is not sufficient that ,i observe the day of rest with strictness and fidelity in my own family4 ,i owe a duty to the public2 ,i am a member of a great ,commonwealth1 which ,god treats as a personality1 and if ,i do not see to it that the statute laws of the land are in harmony with1 and enforce the requirements of1 the law of ,god1 this nation1 like all others which have ignored their obligation to legalize and enforce his will in matters of this nature1 will be devoted to a ruin for which ,i shall be accountable1 and in which ,i shall be a sharer4 ,moved by such considerations as these1 his purse is open and his labors untiring for the accomplishment of that which now appears to him to be in the line of both individual interest and religious duty4 ,again1 his neighbor across the way being1 perhaps1 of the free-thinking order1 and an ardent admirer of the complete separation of ,church and ,state1 wonders that he has so long consented to that abridgment of his personal liberty which has been made by statutory provision1 and which has hitherto compelled him to surrender much of what he calls natural right to the whims and caprices of those with whom he differs so widely on all questions bearing upon the relation of man to his ,god4 ,henceforth1 says he1 ,i pledge my means1 my influence1 and my untiring effort1 to a revolution which1 if need be1 shall shake society to its very center1 rather than to consent to the legalized perpetuation of an institution which requires on my part an acknowledgment of a faith which ,i have never held1 and of doctrines which ,i detest4 ,of course1 all do not share alike1 either in the enthusiasm or the animosity which characterizes certain individuals when entering upon a conflict like the one in question4 ,in every party is found more or less of the aggressive and the conservative elements4 ,especially is this true in the incipient stages of its history4 ,some men are necessarily more earnest than are others in everything which they undertake4 ,some are bold1 headlong1 defiant2 others1 cautious1 slow1 and timid4 ,one class leaps to its conclusions first1 and looks for its arguments afterward2 the other moves circumspectly1 and1 while it gives a general assent to the desirability of results1 finds a world of trouble in deciding upon what means ought to be employed in securing them4 ,one is forever foaming because of delay1 and fears defeat as the result of hesitation2 while the other protests against too rapid and ill-considered action4 ,such is1 at present1 the condition more especially of the positive side of the ,sunday movement in this country4 ,the strong men and the weak men1 the resolute men and the undecided men1 are struggling for the mastery of the policy in the camp4 ,one sort discovers no difficulties in the way of immediate and complete success4 ,lead us to the front1 say they1 our cause is just1 and all that is necessary to success is the courage and inspiration of battle4 ,but hold1 say the others1 not too fast2 public sentiment is not prepared for the issue4 ,and besides1 we are not so clear in our minds as are you respecting the lengths to which this controversy should be carried1 and the line of argument which ought to be pursued4 ,why1 say the first1 what need can there be of more delay8 ,nothing is more manifest than the means which we ought to employ for the accomplishment of our purpose4 ,our work is simply that of enforcement4 ,has not ,god said in so many words1 in the decalogue1 8,six days shalt thou labor1 and do all thy work3 but the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work08 ,is not this language explicit8 ,is it not a part of that law which nearly all ,christians acknowledge to be binding8 ,do we not enforce the observance of the remaining commandments by statutory provision8 ,and is it not equally clear that this should be treated in like manner8 ,why delay1 then8 ,why not move upon the enemy's works with the inspiring battle-cry of 8,god in the ,constitution80 ,why not at once clamor for the amendment of that instrument1 and for the passage of statutes by which the better observance of the ,christian ,sabbath can be secured8 ,give us these1 and our victory is won4 ,our ,sunday mails1 and trains1 and travel1 and public amusements of every name and nature1 can be removed at a single stroke4 ,as a result1 the nation will stand higher in the estimation of ,god2 and the people1 having acknowledged his supremacy1 will have taken a long step in the direction of final renovation and conversion4 ,but wait1 says another1 not too fast in matters of so great moment4 ,please bear in mind the fact that this contest is to be one of words and arguments4 ,your danger is that of underrating the capacity and intelligence of our opponents4 ,if you expect to meet them successfully1 it must be by a logic which will bear criticism and examination4 ,as an individual1 ,i am by no means certain that the ,bible authority for our movement is so clear and abundant as you seem to imagine4 ,the law which you quote in justification of our course is truly a ,sabbath law1 and its import is unmistakable2 but1 unfortunately1 instead of making for our cause1 it is diametrically opposed to your efforts1 and plainly declares that the seventh day of the week is the ,sabbath of the ,lord1 whereas you are unmistakably occupying before the world a position no less awkward than that of insisting that the first1 and not the seventh1 is the one which should be enforced by legal enactment4 ,while1 therefore1 ,i am in full sympathy with the general purposes of this movement1 ,i am convinced that1 before we shall succeed1 we must rest it upon a different basis than the fourth commandment4 ,so far as my individual preferences go--in order to avoid the difficulties which lie along the line of ,scripture justification for our conduct--,i suggest that we rest it upon the broad principle of social necessity1 relying for our success upon the generally conceded fact that rest upon one day in seven is indispensable to the well-being of individuals and communities4 ,but1 says a third party1 while ,i agree with you in condemning the proposition that the fourth commandment1 as originally given1 furnishes us warrant for the observance of the first day of the week1 ,i can never consent to the idea of its unconditional repeal2 for without it in some form we are entirely without a ,sabbath law2 a condition of things which would be deplorable indeed4 ,i therefore conclude that that law has been brought over into our dispensation1 and so far changed as to adapt it to the enforcement of the observance of the first day of the week1 agreeably to the example of ,christ and the apostles4 ,with this view1 ,i can safely predict power and triumph for the grand scheme upon which we have entered4 ,give us a ,sabbath of divine appointment and backed by a sacred precept1 and victory is certain4 ,but so sure as we lower the controversy to one which is merely corporeal in its nature and results1 and pecuniary in its considerations1 defeat is written upon our banners1 since you have taken from us all the inspiration of the contest1 and dried up the very springs of our enthusiasm and courage4 ,what the final result of such discussions will be1 there is little room for doubt4 ,that a revolution is fairly inaugurated in the minds of the people1 it is now too late to question4 ,what remains to be done1 therefore1 is simply to execute the grand purpose for which it has been instituted4 ,that this cannot be accomplished by a merely negative policy1 has been illustrated too many times in history to require further demonstration4 ,men1 having once entered the field of conflict1 universally become less and less scrupulous in regard to the means employed to secure the desired object4 ,in the primary meetings of a great movement1 the voice of the conservative may be listened to with attention and respect2 but should he give expression to the same prudent counsel upon the battle field1 when the sword of the enemy is red with the blood of his compatriots1 his utterances would be silenced in a storm of indignation such as would threaten his very existence1 and consign his name to the list of those whose fidelity was at least questionable1 and whose sympathy with the common foe was far from being impossible4 ,so1 likewise1 with the half-way men in this incipient struggle1 which is about to throw open the gates of controversy upon one of those religious questions which1 above all others1 is sure to be characterized1 first1 by uncharitableness1 and finally1 by bitter hate and animosity4 ,with each advancing month1 their hold upon the confidence of their associates will grow less and less1 and the counsels of their party will come more and more fully under the control of those positive1 nervous spirits1 who are swept along by convictions so deep and strong that they will bear down everything before them4 ,nevertheless1 candid reader1 it is by no means certain that there may not be much of truth in the positions assumed by the more moderate men in the existing issue4 ,at all events--since we have not as yet entered into that impassioned state of the public mind from which calm deliberation is banished by the necessity of immediate action--let us pause here for a moment1 and carefully weigh the correctness of the suggestions presented above4 ,is it worth the while to enter the lists in the approaching struggle1 in order to secure the results proposed8 ,i say proposed1 because1 of course1 the result is as yet more or less uncertain2 nevertheless1 we incline to the opinion that the end desired will be substantially realized1 so far as appearance is concerned4 ,yet this will not be brought about in a moment1 nor will it be accomplished without a hard fight4 ,it must1 from the very necessity of the case1 be a contest which will enter1 divide1 and distract families1 and which will alienate a large portion of the community from the other4 ,but1 with a united and well-drilled ministry1 on the one band1 backed by the compact organization of their respective churches1 and opposed by a heterogeneous mass of discordant elements1 there can be little doubt as to final success4 ,first1 then1 let us suppose that the policy inaugurated shall be that of the class represented above as desiring to strip the subject of its religious garb1 and to array it in the habiliments of mere policy and temporal considerations4 ,are the benefits reasonably to be expected from such a course such as would warrant the enthusiasm now manifested by the advocates of the proposed reformation8 ,we believe not4 ,in fine1 so certain are we of it1 that we should not hesitate to predict immediate and perfect paralysis to their efforts1 so soon as they should inscribe this doctrine upon their banners4 ,how many of the gentlemen in question are really so profoundly interested in the social status of the working-man that their zeal in his behalf could be wrought up to the point of sacrificing time and money1 and of devoting voice and pen to the mere work of giving him a septenary day of physical rest8 ,what satisfaction would be afforded them by the reflection that1 as the result of legal enactment1 the carefully appointed police in our great cities should be able to meet each other on the boundary lines of their respective beats1 on the morning of ,sunday1 with the accustomed salutation1 ,all is quiet6 and cessation from labor is complete in all parts of the great metropolis8 ,who would highly prize a coerced rest of this sort8 ,what particular gratification would be afforded to the religious world1 as they gather1 in their costly churches1 by the thought that the great mass of the people were quietly sleeping1 or lazily lounging in the various places of their retirement8 ,certainly there is nothing in such a state of things which offers results sufficiently desirable either to reward them for the great sacrifices with which it would be necessary that they should be purchased1 in the first instance1 or to secure that patient continuance in vigilant perseverance which would be required to insure the perpetuity of an order of things at once so compulsory and so precarious4 ,we say1 therefore1 that to rest the contest upon this issue would be simply to falsify the facts4 ,it is not the physical consideration of rest1 in any large degree1 which animates the mind and strengthens the resolve of those engaged in the newly organized reform4 ,no2 there is something behind all this4 ,the informing soul1 that which electrifies1 stimulates1 and nerves to action1 is the profound conviction that this is a religious movement2 that which is sought is the honoring of ,god by the observance of a ,sabbath such as is found in his word4 ,if this be not so1 if the higher idea of ,christian worship as the primary one is not paramount in this matter1 then the whole thing is a farce1 from beginning to end4 ,not only so2 if what is sought is merely the improvement of bodily condition1 then the plan suggested is1 in many cases1 far from being the best which might be offered4 ,take1 if you please1 our over-populated cities1 with the dense masses of human beings who are there crowded together1 under most unfavorable circumstances1 many of them perishing for lack of pure air1 and others pale and sickly for want of exposure to the vivifying rays of the sun1 which is continually shut out from their gaze by the massive piles of masonry by which they are inclosed2 who will not say that1 leaving the spiritual out of consideration1 and setting aside the idea of the sanctity of the day1 it would be a blessing incalculably greater for them1 should provision be made whereby this should become to them a day of recreation1 while wandering amid flowers1 and over hills1 and through groves1 instead of one in which1 either from necessity or choice1 they should still perpetuate the confinement which has already nearly proved fatal in their cases8 ,,article ,,ii4 ,turning from the secular phase of this subject1 let us regard it for a moment from the religious stand-point4 ,is there anything in the purpose itself which is worthy of the cost at which alone it can be realized8 ,in other words1 since the object aimed at is ostensibly that of bringing the nation up to the point of a general regard for the first day of the week as a ,sabbath1 would such a result be one which should be profoundly desired8 ,we reply that this will depend altogether upon circumstances4 ,in this case1 as in the first1 mere cessation from labor on that day1 which is not prompted by a regard for the will and approval of ,jehovah1 could afford no relief to a nation1 which is seeking to avert divine displeasure since there is no element in the act itself calculated to recommend it to the favor of ,heaven4 ,to illustrate3 ,the individual sentenced to solitary confinement in the ,state's ,prison is precluded from the possibility of laboring on the ,sunday2 will any one therefore argue that there is any merit in his inaction on that day8 ,again3 ,the heathen nations1 in common with the majority of the ,christian world1 have many of them regarded the ,sunday as a sacred day2 should we presume1 therefore1 that they are looked upon by the ,almighty more complacently on this account8 ,you answer1 ,no2 and urge1 as a reason for this reply1 that they have been engaged in a false worship1 and have not been actuated by any regard for the true ,god4 ,where1 then1 is the line8 ,manifestly1 right here3 ,the men who honor ,god by the keeping of any day must be prompted by the conviction that they are doing it in strict and cheerful obedience to a divine command4 ,here1 then1 is the crucible in which we will try the metal of this modern movement4 ,if1 when their grand design shall be accomplished--as the result of many labors and toils--and1 even though before their purpose is attained1 it shall be found necessary for them to reach their object through a conflict intensely bitter and impassioned on the part of the opposition1 we shall witness the spectacle of a nation bowing submissively to the law and will of ,god in the humble and fervent observance of a weekly rest of divine appointment1 it will be the grandest triumph which history has recorded4 ,no treasure of gold--we were about to say no sacrifice of life--would be too great a price to pay for so glorious a victory4 ,let it be understood1 however1 that this must be a voluntary and intelligent worship on the part1 at least1 of the mass of the people4 ,but will this be true1 should our friends compass the great object of their ambition8 ,let us inquire once more after their intentions4 ,what is it they advocate8 ,the answer is1 ,a universal regard for the first day of the week1 as the ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,but what is the authority upon which the majority of them rest their argument for the proposed observance8 ,is it merely pecuniary advantage8 ,no1 say they1 it is out of a sincere regard for the ,god of ,heaven1 and a conscientious desire to fulfill his law4 ,but this implies religious duty4 ,so far1 so good4 ,it also clearly sets forth the fact that ,god has a law1 and a ,sabbath which it enforces4 ,the appeal1 therefore1 must inevitably be to that law1 as the proper instrument from which to instruct the people4 ,to that they must be brought1 again and again4 ,its import must be patiently taught1 its sacredness must be thoroughly inculcated4 ,let them but be satisfied by sound logic that the divine statute is explicit in its demands for a strict observance of the first day of the week1 let them be thoroughly educated into the idea that they are under its jurisdiction1 and let them be instructed that this whole movement proceeds upon this religious conviction1 and you have laid a foundation which will uphold a structure of imposing dimensions and enduring character1 the cornerstone whereof is the fear of ,god1 and an acknowledgment of his presence in the affairs of men4 ,but how is it in the case in question8 ,is the commandment of a nature such as to support1 in every particular1 the tenets presented by the reform under consideration8 ,this is really the vital point4 ,let it speak for itself4 ,it is the fourth of the decalogue which is urged3 8,remember the ,sabbath day1 to keep it holy4 ,six days shalt thou labor1 and do all thy work2 but the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work1 thou1 nor thy son1 nor thy daughter1 thy man-servant1 nor thy maid-servant1 nor thy cattle1 nor thy stranger that is within thy gates3 for in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is1 and rested the seventh day3 wherefore the ,lord blessed the ,sabbath day1 and hallowed it40 ,if this is not a ,sabbath law1 then there is none in existence2 for1 mark it1 this is the only instance in all the ,scriptures in which it will be claimed by any one that we have a positive command for the observance of the ,sabbath4 ,so far1 therefore1 as the first day of the week is concerned1 its friends have this advantage1 that1 if they but succeed in resting it upon this commandment1 their labor is ended2 for it--i4 e41 the commandment--has no rival4 ,all that is needed1 consequently1 is a clear1 pointed exegesis showing that the day in question is the one1 the observance of which the divine ,lawgiver has required4 ,but1 unfortunately1 such an exegesis would be beset with difficulties4 ,to begin with1 ,who shall be able to harmonize the declaration which the commandment contains in these words1 8,the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work10 with the utterance of those who1 on the contrary1 say that the first day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord1 and must be observed as such8 ,the divine ,lawgiver--as if determined that there shall be no room for debate in regard to the day which he had in his mind--has identified it in a manner such as to leave no room for dispute4 ,in the first place1 he announces his willingness that six days of the week should be devoted to secular employment1 8,six days shalt thou labor1 and do all thy work30 then follows the disjunctive1 8but--the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work40 ,here it is made plain that it is the 8,sabbath of the ,lord0 upon which we are to rest4 ,again1 passing over the intermediate space1 we come to the close of the commandment1 in which he sets forth three important transactions by which that was constituted the ,sabbath1 and by which it may ever be recognized4 ,he says1 8,for in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is1 and rested the seventh day3 wherefore the ,lord blessed the ,sabbath day1 and hallowed it40 ,that is1 the day which we are to keep as the ,sabbath of the ,lord is the one upon which he rested1 which he blessed1 and which he hallowed4 ,therefore1 before the first day of the week can1 with any show of reason1 be kept in fulfillment of this commandment1 i4 e41 before it can be regarded as the 8,sabbath of the ,lord10 it must be shown that1 at some time1 ,god has rested upon it1 blessed1 and hallowed it4 ,but this would be a difficult task2 for not only are the ,scriptures silent1 so far as the affirmation of this fact is concerned with reference to the first day of the week1 but1 on the contrary1 they positively declare that it was the very day upon which ,jehovah entered upon the stupendous undertaking of making a world4 ,should additional evidence be required on this point1 i4 e41 that the last day of the week1 and not the first1 is the one which ,jehovah intended to sanctify1 we have but to cite the intelligent reader to the fact that ,moses1 the prophets1 the ,lord himself1 the holy women after his death1 and the whole ,jewish nation--in whose language the decalogue was given--are1 and have been1 unanimous in placing this construction upon the ,sabbatic law4 ,should any1 however1 perceiving the dilemma into which they are thrown by the effort to enforce their view in the use of the law1 as it was originally given1 seek relief in the position that it was so far amended in the days of ,christ as to admit of the substitution of the day of his resurrection for that of ,god's rest at the end of creation week1 we reply1 ,if such a fact can be clearly made out1 it would certainly furnish the very help which is needed just at this juncture1 and without which confusion must inevitably characterize the movements of those who feel the necessity of a ,sabbatic law for the keeping of ,sunday4 ,let us1 therefore1 carefully investigate this most important point4 ,is it true that the ,son of ,god did so change the phraseology of the commandment of the ,father that1 from his time forward1 its utterances have not only justified the secularizing of the last1 but have also enforced1 by the penalty of eternal death1 a strictly religious regard for the first day of the week1 on the part of both the ,jewish and the ,gentile world8 ,now this1 if accomplished1 was no trifling affair1 and could not have been done in a corner2 since it involved the guilt or innocence1 the life or death1 of countless millions of men and women1 whose condemnation in the day of ,judgment for the violation of ,sunday sanctity would turn1 of necessity1 upon the words of one who both had the power to change1 and had brought the knowledge of that change clearly before them4 ,certain it is1 therefore--since ,god does not first judge1 and legislate afterward--all the light which is necessary for the proper elucidation of this subject is now to be found in his written word4 ,to this1 then1 we turn2 and with a profound conviction that the language of ,christ was true in its largest sense1 8,if any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine10--we inquire1 ,where is it stated1 in so many words1 that ,god made the amendment in question8 ,should the response be returned1 as it certainly must be1 that such a statement is not to be found within the lids of the ,bible1 we answer that this is a concession which1 most assuredly1 will greatly embarrass our friends in the proposed reform4 ,sagacious men will not be slow in discovering its bearing upon the subject1 and it will be very difficult to explain such an omission to the satisfaction of cautious and reflecting minds4 ,should it be suggested1 however1 that--notwithstanding the fact the change has not been set forth in so many words--it has nevertheless occurred1 and is therefore binding1 we answer3 ,although the transaction upon the face of it1 to say the least1 would be a singular one1 if an alteration has really been made1 the next thing to be ascertained is its precise nature4 ,we have already seen that the first law was very explicit in its statements2 and all are conversant with the fact that to it was given the greatest publicity1 and that it was uttered by the voice1 and written by the finger of ,god1 under the most imposing circumstances4 ,now1 if ,christ--whose power to do so we shall not question here--has really undertaken the task of adding to1 or taking from1 this most sacred precept1 will some one furnish us with an authentic copy of the statute1 as amended8 ,now this is a reasonable and just request4 ,to declare simply that a change has occurred1 without making known precisely what that change is1 is but to bewilder and confuse4 ,conscious of this fact1 the ,state is always extremely careful to give to its citizens--in the most public manner--every variation which is made in its enactments1 lest the loyal man should be incapable of proving his fidelity by obedience1 or the disloyal justify his violation upon the plea of necessary ignorance4 ,shall man be more just than his ,maker8 ,shall ,christ--who1 in every other respect1 has1 in matters of duty1 furnished us with line upon line1 and precept upon precept--be found1 at last1 upon this most important point1 to have been unmindful of the highest interests of his followers8 ,most assuredly not4 ,he that never slumbereth nor sleepeth1 ,he that knoweth the end from the beginning1 ,he who hath said1 8,where there is no law there is no transgression10 has certainly never required his people to occupy a position in the face of their enemies so extremely embarrassing as that in which they would be compelled to ignore the plainest dictates of reason and ,scripture1 by seeking to condemn in the world a practice which is not necessarily immoral in itself1 and against which there is no explicit denunciation of the ,bible4 ,who1 then1 we inquire again1 will furnish us from the sacred page the precept so remodeled as to meet the exigences of this case8 ,is it larger or more condensed than before8 ,does the first clause read1 8,remember the ,sabbath day1 to keep it holy80 ,if so1 it is well4 ,is the second in order expressed in these words1 8,six days shalt thou labor1 and do all thy work80 ,this1 again1 is good4 ,but how is it with the third1 8,the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work80 ,here1 unquestionably1 the change must begin4 ,who among us1 therefore1 can produce the divine warrant for a reading of this passage which shall make it harmonize with the keeping of ,sunday8 ,who dare declare1 upon his veracity1 that he has ever discovered in the sacred word an instance in which it has been so rewritten as to read1 8,but the first day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work80 ,furthermore1 passing over the instructions in regard to sons1 daughters1 servants1 the stranger1 etc41 what has the pen of the divine remodeler done with the reason of the commandment as found in the words1 8,for in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is1 and rested the seventh day3 wherefore the ,lord blessed the ,sabbath day1 and hallowed it80 ,has that been stricken out altogether8 ,or1 is there a glaring inconsistency in the remodeled statute1 by which it is made to state that the first day of the week1 instead of the seventh1 is now the ,sabbath of the ,lord our ,god1 because of the fact that1 in the creation of the world1 ,god rested upon1 blessed1 and hallowed1 the latter8 ,these are weighty questions4 ,upon them1 virtually1 turns the issue of an amended law4 ,for1 to amend1 is so to change or alter as to vary the duty of a subject2 and if no one is capable of informing definitely and particularly in regard to the precise variations of the phraseology1 then1 of course1 no one is able to decide just how far our course of action should deviate from what it has been hitherto1 in order to meet the demands of the divine will as now expressed1 in a rule which has never been seen1 and which no hand would venture to trace with any claim to exactitude4 ,who1 then1 we inquire again1 is sufficient for this task8 ,not one among the millions of ,protestants who are so earnestly clamoring for the sanctity of the day in question will seriously lay claim to the ability to perform that which would at once elevate him to a position--in view of the relief which it would bring to thousands of troubled minds--more exalted than that of any saint or martyr who has ever lived4 ,nor is this all2 behind all this pretentious claim for an amended law are very many indications of a wide-spread conviction--though undefined and hardly recognized by the individuals themselves--that the fact upon which they place so much stress is1 after all1 one in regard to which there are serious doubts in their own minds4 ,as an illustration of this1 we have but to call attention to two things4 ,first1 on each ,lord's day1 so-called1 thousands of congregations--after devoutly listening to the reading of the fourth commandment of the decalogue1 word for word1 syllable for syllable1 letter for letter1 precisely as it was written upon the table of stone by the finger of ,god--are in the habit of responding with solemn cadence to the utterances of the preacher1 8,o ,lord1 incline our hearts to keep this law40 ,now this prayer means something1 or nothing4 ,it is either an expression of desire1 on the part of those employing it1 for grace to enable them rightly to observe the commandment as it reads--seventh day and all--or else it is a solemn mockery1 which must inevitably provoke the wrath of ,heaven4 ,these people1 therefore1 judging from the most charitable stand-point1 are witnesses--unconscious though they may be of the fact--of a generally pervading opinion that the verbiage of the fourth commandment has not been changed1 and that it is as a whole as binding as ever4 ,second1 nor is it simply true that those only who have a liturgy have committed themselves to this idea4 ,it is astonishing to what extent it has crept into creeds1 confessions of faith1 church disciplines1 and documents of a like nature4 ,but among the most striking of all evidences of its universality1 when properly understood1 is the practice of nearly all religious denominations of printing1 for general distribution among the ,sunday-school scholars1 verbatim copies of the decalogue1 as given in the twentieth chapter of ,exodus4 ,yet this practice would be a pernicious one1 and worthy of the most severe censure1 as calculated to lead astray and deceive the minds of the young1 if it were really true that this code1 in at least one very important particular1 failed to meet the facts in the case1 as it regards present duty4 ,in view of these considerations1 a change of the base of operations becomes indispensable4 ,a commandment1 altered in its expressions so as to vary its import1 and yet no one acquainted with the exact terms in which it is at present couched--and all1 in reality1 being so skeptical upon the point that even its most ardent advocates reason as if it had never occurred--would certainly furnish a foundation altogether insufficient for the mighty superstructure of a great reform1 which proposes1 ere the accomplishment of its mission1 to revolutionize the ,state4 ,,article ,,iii4 ,where1 then1 shall we turn for relief8 ,there is one1 and but one1 more chance4 ,acknowledging that the law1 as originally given1 will not answer the purpose1 and that its amendment cannot be made out with sufficient clearness to warrant the taking of a stand upon it1 we turn1 for the last time1 to examine a position quite generally advanced2 namely1 that of ,sunday observance inaugurated1 justified1 and enforced1 by the resurrection and example of ,christ4 ,is it true1 then1 that such is the fact8 ,have we1 at last1 found relief from all our difficulties in the life and career of no less a personage than the divine ,son of ,god8 ,let us see4 ,the point of the argument is briefly this3-- ,our ,lord--by rising from the dead1 and by his practice of meeting with his disciples on that day--both introduced1 and made obligatory upon his followers1 the necessity of distinguishing between the first and the remaining days of the week1 as we would between the sacred and the profane4 ,now1 if this be a case which can be clearly made out1 then we are immediately relieved in one particular2 that is1 we have found authority for the observance of the ,sunday4 ,but how is it as it regards the seventh day8 ,this1 we have seen1 was commanded by ,god the ,father4 ,the obligation of that command is still recognized4 ,now1 consequently1 if ,christ the ,son has1 upon his own authority1 introduced another day immediately following the seventh1 and clothed it with divine honors1 is it a necessary inference that the former is therefore set aside8 ,to our mind1 it is far from being such4 ,if ,god has a law for the observance of a given day1 and ,christ has furnished us with an example for that of another also1 then the necessary conclusion is1 that the first must be kept out of respect for ,god the ,father1 and the last through reverence to ,christ the ,son4 ,three facts1 therefore1 must be clearly made out1 or our situation is indeed one of perplexity4 ,first1 it must be shown1 authoritatively1 that the resurrection effected the change which is urged1 and that the practice of ,christ was what it is claimed to have been4 ,second1 that that practice was designed to be exemplary2 in other words1 that what he did in these particulars was of a nature such that we are required to imitate it4 ,third1 it must also be shown that he not only sanctified the first1 but1 also1 that he secularized the seventh day of the week4 ,but can this be done8 ,let us see4 ,first1 then1 we will consider the matter of the resurrection4 ,now1 that it was an event of surpassing glory1 and one ever to be held in grateful remembrance1 there is no room for dispute among ,christians4 ,but shall we1 therefore1 decide that it must of necessity be commemorated by a day of rest8 ,this would be assuming a great deal4 ,it seems to us that it would be better1 far better1 to leave decisions of such importance as this entirely with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,protestants1 at least1 warned by the example of ,roman ,catholics1 should avoid the danger of attempting to administer in the matter of designating holy days2 since1 manifestly1 this is alone the province of ,god4 ,hence1 we inquire1 ,has the ,holy ,ghost ever said that the resurrection of ,christ imparted a holy character to the day upon which it occurred8 ,the answer must1 undeniably1 be in the negative4 ,no such declaration is found in the ,holy ,word4 ,nor is this all2 even from the stand-point of human reason1 every analogy is against it4 ,it were fitting that1 when ,god had closed the work of creation1 and ceased to labor1 he should appoint a day in commemoration of that rest4 ,the propriety of such a course1 all can see4 ,but1 on the contrary1 is it not equally manifest that to have remained inactive on that glorious morning1 when the ,son of ,god had burst the bands of death1 and the news was flying through all parts of the great city of ,jerusalem1 8,jesus has risen to life again10 would have been a condition of things wholly out of the question8 ,both the enemies and the friends of ,christ--the one class stimulated by hate1 and the other released by the mighty power of ,god from the overwhelming gloom and crushing despondency of three terrible days--were1 by the very necessities of the case1 moved to action by an energy which would cause them to overleap every barrier and to break away from every restraint4 ,everything1 everywhere1 animated by the new aspect which affairs had suddenly assumed1 demanded immediate1 ceaseless1 and untiring activity4 ,and such it had4 ,from the early morning1 until far into the hours of the succeeding night1 scribe and ,pharisee1 priest and ,levite1 believer and unbeliever1 were hearing1 gathering1 and distributing1 all that could be learned of this most mysterious event4 ,we say1 consequently1 that so far is it from being true that the day of the resurrection is one which should be hallowed1 either exactly or substantially as that of the decalogue1 the very opposite is the fact2 and1 if it were to be celebrated at all1 every consideration of fitness demands that it should be done by excessive demonstrations of outward and uncontrolled joy1 rather than by quietude and restraint4 ,passing now to the other branches of the subject1 we inquire1 finally1 ,what was there in the example of ,christ and the apostles which in any way affects the question8 ,if they are to be quoted at all upon this subject1 it is but reasonable that their history should be examined with reference both to the seventh and the first day2 for1 if precedent1 and not positive enactment1 is to be the rule by which our faith is to be decided1 in a point of this significance1 it is at least presumable that the historic transactions by which this question is to be determined will be ample in number1 and of a nature to meet and explain all the phases of the subject4 ,that is1 the ,gospels and the ,acts of the ,apostles--covering1 as their history does1 a period of about thirty years--will afford numerous and conclusive evidences that both ,christ and the apostles did actually dishonor the old1 and invest with peculiar dignity and authority the new1 ,sabbath4 ,first1 we inquire then1 ,is there1 in all the ,new ,testament1 the record of a single instance in which ,jesus or his followers transacted1 upon the seventh day of the week1 matters incompatible with the notion of its original and continued sanctity8 ,the answer is1 of necessity1 in the negative4 ,the most careful and protracted search has failed to produce a single case in which the son of ,joseph and ,mary departed in this particular from the usages of his nation1 or in which his immediate representatives1 during the period of their canonical history1 failed to follow1 in the most scrupulous manner1 the example of ,him of whom it is said that1 8as his custom was1 he went into the synagogue on the ,sabbath day1 and stood up for to read40 7,luke #d3af47 ,nor is this all2 it is a remarkable fact1 and one well calculated to stagger the investigator at the very threshold of his researches into the data for the modern view1 that1 whereas the ,sabbath is mentioned fifty-six times in the ,new ,testament1 it is in every instance1 save one 7where it refers to the annual ,sabbaths of the ,jews71 applied to the last day of the week4 ,so far1 therefore1 as the negative argument is concerned1 which was based upon the presumption that the claims of the old day were constructively annulled by the appointment of a new one1 its force is entirely broken by the record1 which1 as we have seen1 instead of proving such an abolition1 is rather suggestive of the perpetuity of the old order of things4 ,hence1 we turn to the positive side of the subject4 ,how do we know that ,christ ever designed that his example should produce in our minds the conviction that he had withdrawn his regard from the day of his ,father's rest1 and placed it upon that of his own resurrection8 ,did he1 in laying the foundation for the new institution--as in the case of the ,lord's supper--inaugurate the same by his own action1 and then say to his disciples1 ,as oft as ye do this1 do it in remembrance of me8 ,did he ever explain to any individual that his especial object in meeting with his followers on the evenings of the first and second ,sundays 787 after his return from the dead was designed to inspire in the minds of future believers the conviction that those hours1 from that time forward1 had been consecrated to a religious use8 ,if so1 the record is very imperfect1 in that it failed to hand down to us a most significant fact4 ,i say significant1 because1 without such a declaration1 the minds of common men1 such as made up the rank and file of the immediate followers of ,christ1 were hardly competent to the subtile task of drawing1 unaided1 such nice distinctions4 ,how natural1 how easy1 by a single word1 to have put all doubt to rest1 and to have given to future ages a foundation1 broad and deep1 upon which to ground the argument for the change4 ,but this1 as we have already seen1 was not done6 and after the lapse of eighteen hundred years1 men--in the stress of a situation which renders it necessary that they should obtain divine sanction1 in order to the perpetuity of a favored institution--are ringing the changes of an endless variety of conjectures drawn from transactions1 which1 in the record itself1 were mentioned as possessing no peculiar characteristics1 which should in any way affect the mere time upon which they occurred4 ,let us1 therefore1 with a proper sense of the modesty with which we should ever enter upon the task of deciding upon the institutions of the church1 when there is no divine precept for the guidance of our judgment1 examine for ourselves4 ,as we do this1 it will be well1 also1 to bear in mind the fact that our prejudices will be very likely to lie entirely upon the side of life-long practice and traditionary inheritance4 ,in fact1 nearly every consideration1 political1 financial1 and social1 will be found1 if not guarded with the strictest care1 wooing us to a decision which--though it might dishonor ,god1 and do violence to the principles of a clear1 natural logic--would exempt us1 individually1 from personal sacrifice and pecuniary loss4 ,,article ,,iv4 ,first1 then1 we suggest that it would be well to collate all the texts in the ,new ,testament in which the first day of the week is mentioned4 ,they are as follows3 8,in the end of the ,sabbath1 as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week1 came ,mary ,magdalene and the other ,mary to see the sepulcher40 ,matt4 #bh3a4 8,and when the ,sabbath was past1 ,mary ,magdalene1 and ,mary the mother of ,james1 and ,salome1 had bought sweet spices1 that they might come and anoint ,him4 ,and very early in the morning1 the first day of the week1 they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun40 ,mark #af3a1 #b4 8,now when ,jesus was risen early the first day of the week1 he appeared first to ,mary ,magdalene1 out of whom he had cast seven devils40 ,mark #af3i4 8,and they returned1 and prepared spices and ointments2 and rested the ,sabbath day1 according to the commandment4 ,now upon the first day of the week1 very early in the morning1 they came unto the sepulcher1 bringing the spices which they had prepared1 and certain others with them40 ,luke #bc3ef1 and #bd3a4 8,the first day of the week cometh ,mary ,magdalene early1 when it was yet dark1 unto the sepulcher1 and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher40 ,john #bj3a4 8,then the same day at evening1 being the first day of the week1 when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the ,jews1 came ,jesus and stood in the midst1 and saith unto them1 ,peace be unto you40 ,john #bj3ai4 8,upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store1 as ,god hath prospered him1 that there be no gatherings when ,i come40 #a ,cor4 #af3b4 8,and upon the first day of the week1 when the disciples came together to break bread1 ,paul preached unto them1 ready to depart on the morrow2 and continued his speech until midnight40 ,acts #bj3g4 ,doubtless the reader is not a little surprised1 provided he has never given his attention to the subject before1 at discovering the meagerness1 so far as numbers at least are concerned1 of the passages alluded to above4 ,nevertheless1 let us take the data1 thus furnished1 and from them endeavor to derive all the information which they can legitimately be made to afford4 ,at first glance1 it will be discovered that six of the passages of ,scripture under consideration relate to one and the same day1 which was that of the resurrection4 ,written as they were from five to sixty-two years this side of that occurrence1 and penned by men who were profoundly interested in everything which was calculated to throw light upon matters of duty and doctrine1 we would naturally expect that they would seize these most favorable opportunities for instructing those whom they were endeavoring to enlighten in regard to the time of1 and circumstances connected with1 the change of the ,sabbath4 ,let us observe1 therefore1 how they discharge this most important responsibility4 ,it will not be urged by any that ,john #bj3a1 and ,mark #af3i1 furnish anything which in any way strengthens the ,sunday argument4 ,the statements which they contain are merely to the effect that ,mary ,magdalene was the one to whom ,christ first presented himself1 and that she visited the tomb very early in the morning4 ,neither will it be insisted that the declaration found in ,matt4 #bh3a1 and ,mark #af3a1 #b1 and ,luke #bc3ef1 and #bd3a1 afford any positive testimony for the sanctity of the first day of the week4 ,on the contrary1 we think that every candid person will concede that the bearing which they have upon the subject is rather against1 than favorable to1 the case which our friends are so anxious to make out4 ,to illustrate3 ,in ,matt4 #bh3a1 we read that 8in the end of the ,sabbath1 as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week1 came ,mary ,magdalene1 and the other ,mary1 to see the sepulcher40 ,again1 in ,mark #af3a1 #b1 the same general fact is stated1 with the simple variation that1 instead of the expression1 8in the end of the ,sabbath10 are substituted the words1 8when the ,sabbath was passed10 while in ,luke #bc3ef1 and #bd3a1 it is declared that these things transpired on the first day of the week1 the context carefully setting forth the fact that the women had 8rested upon the ,sabbath1 according to the commandment10 and that it being past1 they came to the sepulcher1 bringing with them the spices which they had prepared4 ,now1 putting all these things together1 what have we learned8 ,manifestly1 the following facts3 ,first2 when the events transpired which are set forth in these scriptures1 there was a ,sabbath2 since it is stated1 by way of locating them in point of time1 that the ,sabbath had ended before the affairs spoken of were transacted4 ,secondly2 that the ,sabbath1 to which reference was made1 was the seventh day of the week1 since it preceded the first1 and was that of the commandment4 ,thirdly2 that1 if the first day of the week was a ,sabbath1 as is now claimed1 the women were ignorant of it1 since it is clear that they did not go to the tomb on the seventh day to embalm the body1 because of its being holy time2 whereas1 upon the first day of the week their scruples were gone1 and they came to the sepulcher1 bearing their spices with them1 to accomplish a work which they would not have regarded as legitimate on the ,sabbath4 ,fourthly2 that the seventh day was not only the ,sabbath at the time mentioned1 but also that1 according to the convictions of the historians1 it was the ,sabbath at the time of their writing--since they apply to it the definite article 8the20 whereas1 if there had been a change of ,sabbaths1 it would have been natural to distinguish between them in the use of explanatory words and phrases1 such as are now applied1 as1 for instance1 8the ,jewish ,sabbath10 8the ,christian ,sabbath10 c41 c4 ,fifthly2 that1 while ,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,luke do1 in every instance cited above1 honor the seventh day of the week in the most scrupulous manner1 by applying to it the ,bible title of the ,sabbath1 they do1 nevertheless1 make mention of the day of the resurrection in each case1 in the same connection1 in the use of its secular name1 8the first day of the week40 ,a slight which is utterly inexplicable1 provided the latter had really put on a sacred character2 since1 that being true1 it was much more important that its new claims should be recognized and inculcated by those who could speak with authority1 than it was that they should perpetuate the distinction of a day whose honors had become obsolete4 ,having now examined five of the six texts under consideration1 there remains but one more to occupy our attention4 ,this reads as follows3 8,then the same day at evening1 being the first day of the week1 when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the ,jews1 came ,jesus and stood in the midst1 and saith unto them1 ,peace be unto you40 ,john #bj3ai4 ,here1 again1 we are struck with the manifest disposition on the part of ,john1 in common with the other evangelists1 to avoid the application of any sacred title to the first day of the week4 ,twice1 in this chapter1 he makes mention of that which is now regarded as the 8,queen of days10 but in both instances1 he avoids1 as if with studied care1 attaching to it any denomination by which its superiority over other days should be indicated4 ,how perfectly in keeping1 for instance1 it would have been with the facts as they are now claimed to have existed--as well as with the interests and desires of millions who have since lived--had he in the text before us so varied the phraseology of the first clause that it would read as follows3 8,and the same day at evening1 being the ,christian ,sabbath1 when the disciples were assembled10 c4 ,this1 however1 he did not do1 and we inquire of the reader1 right here1 concerning his motive in omitting that which now appears to us so desirable1 and which would have been perfectly legitimate were the views of our friends correct4 ,did he intentionally omit an important fact8 ,was it left out because of an oversight on his part8 ,or1 would it be safer to conclude that perhaps1 after all1 the difficulty lies1 not with the apostle1 or with the ,holy ,spirit1 which dictated his language1 but with the theory1 which seems to be out of joint with his utterances8 ,nevertheless1 as it is still urged that1 in the absence of a positive declaration1 this1 the only remaining text1 does furnish abundant evidence of the sacred regard in which the day of the resurrection was held--since it gives an account of a religious meeting held upon it1 manifestly for the purpose of recognizing its heavenly character--let us examine more critically into the nature of the claims which are based upon its record4 ,that those with whom we differ should be tenacious in their efforts to rest their cause very largely upon the account found in ,john #bj3ai1 is not at all surprising4 ,it is the only chance1 as we have seen1 which is left them of basing their argument upon a passage of ,scripture which relates to the day of the resurrection4 ,so far as #a ,cor4 #af3b1 and ,acts #bj3g1 are concerned1 it will not be disputed by any that their testimony is merely collateral evidence4 ,if ,sunday has become the ,sabbath1 it was by virtue of transactions which occurred immediately in connection with the rising of ,christ4 ,in other words1 it was on the third day after the crucifixion that ,christ1 if at all1 began to impress upon the minds of his disciples the ,sabbatic character which had already attached to1 and was henceforth to continue in1 the day which saw him a conqueror over death and the grave4 ,nay1 more2 if the change occurred at all1 it must have dated from the very moment that the angel descended1 the guard was stricken down1 and the ,son of ,god1 glorified1 came forth4 ,this being the case1 from that time forward it would naturally be the effort of ,christ to produce in the minds of his followers the conviction of this most momentous fact4 ,every action of his would necessarily be--if not directly for the purpose of imprinting the peculiar sacredness of the hours upon those by whom he was surrounded--at least of a character such as to impart no sanction either to a deliberate1 or even an unintentional disregard1 on the part of any1 of their hallowed nature4 ,hence1 our friends1 seizing upon the fact that he met with them while assembled together in the after part of the day1 have endeavored to clothe the incident with great interest1 and have largely elaborated their arguments to show that this was not an accidental occurrence1 but rather partook of the nature of a religious meeting1 ,christ himself honoring these instinctive efforts on the part of the disciples to act in harmony with the spirit of the hour1 by his own personal presence4 ,before we sanction this view of the subject1 however1 let us give our attention for a moment to the manner in which the previous portion of the day1 then closing1 had up to that point been spent4 ,certain it is1 that ,jesus had not1 during its declining hours1 been suddenly moved by a newly created impulse for the accomplishment of an object which had been just as desirable for twelve hours as it was at that moment4 ,sunday sanctity had already become a fixed fact1 and its knowledge as essential to the well-being of the disciples in the morning1 as at the evening4 ,we naturally conclude1 therefore1 that the very first opportunity for its disclosure would have been the one which ,christ would embrace4 ,this was afforded in his conversation with ,mary4 ,but1 while there is no evidence that it was imparted1 it is at least presumable that she was left entirely ignorant of it4 ,the second occasion was presented in that of the journey of the two disciples from ,jerusalem to ,emmaus1 a distance of seven and a half miles4 ,jesus walked with them and talked with them by the way1 reasoned with them about the resurrection1 made as though he would have gone farther1 discovered himself to them in the breaking of bread1 and disappeared1 leaving them to retrace the seven and a half miles to the city1 with no word of caution against it on his part4 ,nay1 more2 his marked approval of the propriety of the act might properly have been inferred from the fact that he himself accompanied them in the first instance1 in the garb of a wayfaring man2 at the same time acting the part of one who was so far convinced of the rectitude of his own and of their action1 that he was ready to continue his journey until night should render it impracticable4 7,luke #bd3bh47 ,following these men now1 as they retrace their steps to the city from which they had departed1 and to which they were now returning--manifestly all unconscious that they were trespassing upon time which had been rescued from that which might properly be devoted to secular pursuits--let us observe them1 as they mingle once more with their former companions in grief4 ,how does it happen that they are congregated at this precise point of time8 ,is it because they have at last discovered the fact that it has been made in the special sense a proper day for religious assemblies8 ,if so1 whence have they derived their conviction8 ,certainly not from ,mary1 or the two disciples just returning from ,emmaus4 ,assuredly1 also1 not from ,christ himself4 ,but1 again1 is it not really from an induction on their own part1 by which they have themselves discovered the fitness of making the day of resurrection also that of worship8 ,listen a moment4 ,hear their excited remarks as1 at this juncture1 they are joined by the two4 ,do you catch these words1 8,the ,lord is risen indeed1 and hath appeared to ,simon08 7,luke #bd3cd47 ,does not this establish the fact of their confidence in the previous report8 ,unfortunately1 the historian adds1 8,neither believed they them40 ,here they are1 then1 manifestly still doubting the very fact which some have thought they were convened to celebrate4 ,but1 again1 what is the place of their convocation8 ,unquestionably1 neither the temple nor the synagogue4 ,the record states that where they were assembled1 8the doors were closed for fear of the ,jews40 ,evidently1 they were in some place of retirement and comparative safety1 hiding away from the fury of a people who1 in their madness and cruel hate1 had crucified even the ,lord of glory4 ,we ask again1 ,where were they8 ,let ,mark explain4 ,certainly he is competent to the task4 ,when describing the very transaction we are considering1 he says3 8,afterward he appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat1 and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart1 because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen40 ,mark #af3ad4 ,here1 then1 is the clue to the whole matter4 ,it was not a religious meeting1 because they were in a frame of mind to be censured1 rather than applauded1 because of unbelief4 ,it was merely the body of the apostles1 gathered in their own quarters for the purpose of partaking of an evening meal1 where they were in the habit of eating1 and drinking1 and sleeping--and where1 at this time1 they kept particularly close1 because of the perils which surrounded them on every hand4 ,that this is true1 is further sustained by two additional considerations4 ,first2 it was a place where ,christ expected to find meat1 and where he requested such for his own use1 and was supplied from their bounty with broiled fish and an honeycomb1 which1 the record states1 8he took and did eat before them40 7,luke #bd3da-dc47 ,secondly2 that they were in possession of just such a rendezvous1 is clearly stated in ,john #bj3aj1 where1 speaking of ,peter and ,john when going from the sepulcher1 it says1 8,they went away unto their own home40 ,a few days later1 ,luke declares 7,acts #a3ac17 that when they came in from the ascension1 they 8went up into an upper room1 where abode both ,peter1 and ,james1 and ,john1 and ,andrew1 ,philip1 and ,thomas2 ,bartholomew1 and ,matthew1 ,james the son of ,alpheus1 and ,simon ,zelotes1 and ,judas the brother of ,james40 ,thus1 by a natural and easy combination of the facts brought to view by the inspired penman1 the whole matter has been reduced to a simple transaction1 such as might have been repeated many times during the forty days1 and such as--in and of itself--fails to disclose any evidence that the occurrences narrated1 either necessarily or presumptively1 afford the slightest justification for the supposition that ,christ himself either designed1 or that the apostles might legitimately conclude that he intended1 by joining them under these familiar circumstances1 to authorize one of the mightiest innovations upon the practice of ages which the world has ever seen4 ,,article ,v4 ,nor is this matter at all relieved by the statement found in ,john #bj3bf1 that after eight days1 ,thomas being present1 he appeared unto them a second time under similar circumstances4 ,for even should we grant that this was on the next ,sunday evening--a matter in which there is1 at least1 room for a difference of opinion--the subject is merely complicated the more1 so far as the view of our friends is concerned1 since here a second opportunity1 and that a most excellent one1 for calling the attention of the disciples to the new character which a once secular day had assumed1 was entirely neglected4 ,in this also1 as in the first instance1 the conversation was of a nature to show that the object of the interview was to give additional evidence 7because of the presence of ,thomas7 of the re-animation of the body of ,christ1 without any reference to its effect upon the character of the day upon which it occurred4 ,but such silence1 under such circumstances1 in regard to so important a matter1 is in itself conclusive evidence that the change claimed had not really taken place4 ,furthermore1 it will not be urged that more than two out of the five first-days which occurred between the resurrection and the ascension were days of assembly4 ,had they been--as it had been decided1 according to the view of those urging the transition1 that the ,sunday should not be hallowed by positive declaration1 but simply inaugurated by quiet precedent1 then the presumption is1 that this precedent1 instead of being left upon the insufficient support of two ,sabbaths out of five1 would have been carefully placed upon the whole number4 ,nor would the precaution have ended here4 ,in a matter vital in its nature1 certain it is that the honest seeker after truth would not be left to grope his way through a metaphysical labyrinth of philosophic speculation in regard to the effect of certain transactions upon the character of the time upon which they occurred2 or the bearing of certain meetings of ,christ and the apostles upon the question as to whether ,sunday had assumed a sacred character1 when at the same time his perplexity was rendered insupportable by the fact1 that the historian states1 that like meetings occurred on days for which no one will claim any particular honor4 ,take1 for instance1 the meeting of ,jesus with the apostles at the sea of ,galilee 7,john #ba71 while they were engaged in a fishing excursion4 ,assuredly1 this did not take place on ,sunday2 else1 according to the view of our friends1 they would not have been engaged in such an employment4 ,just what day it was1 no one is able to decide2 but all agree that its character was in no way affected by the profoundly interesting interview which occurred upon it between the ,master and his disciples4 ,if it were1 then there is at least one holy day in the week which we cannot place in the calendar1 since no one can decide whether it was the first1 second1 third1 fourth1 fifth1 or sixth4 ,if1 however1 you would have a still more forcible illustration of the fact that religious meetings1 were they never so solemn1 can in nowise alter the nature of the hours on which they occur1 let me call your attention to the day of the ascension 7,acts #a74 ,here is an occasion of transcendent glory4 ,if the statements in the sacred narrative of events1 which transpired during its hours1 could only be predicated of either one or the other of the first-day meetings of ,christ with his disciples1 it would at least be with an increased show of reason that they could be woven into the tissue of a ,sabbatic argument4 ,here are found many of the elements essential to the idea of religions services1 of which the instances in question are so remarkably destitute4 ,in the first place1 those who followed our ,lord to the place of meeting were intelligent believers in the fact of his resurrection4 ,in the second place1 the assembly was not confined to a mere handful of individuals1 seeking for retiracy within an upper room where they were in the habit of eating1 drinking1 and sleeping2 but it transpired in the open air1 where ,jesus was in the habit of meeting with his followers4 ,in the third place1 the congregation was made up of persons whom the ,holy ,spirit had thus brought together for the purpose of becoming the honored witnesses of the resurrection and ascension of ,christ4 ,in the fourth place1 it was graced by the visible forms of holy angels in glistering white1 who participated in the services4 ,in the fifth place1 ,jesus himself addressed them at length1 lifted up his hands to heaven1 and brought down its benediction upon them1 and in the sight of the assembled multitude1 steadily and majestically rising above them1 he floated upward1 until a cloud received him out of their sight4 ,in the sixth place1 it is said1 in so many words1 that the 8people worshiped him there40 ,now1 suppose1 for the sake of the argument1 that some modern sect should endeavor to transform our unpretending ,thursday1 which was really the day of the ascension1 since it was the fortieth after the resurrection1 into one of peculiar dignity1 claiming1 in defense of their position1 the example of ,christ1 and urging that the course which he pursued could only be satisfactorily explained on the ground that he was laying the foundation for its future ,sabbatic observance1 how would our friends meet them in such an emergency8 ,deny the facts1 they could not1 for the record is ample4 ,there would1 therefore1 be but one alternative left4 ,if transactions of this character are of a nature such that they necessarily exalt the days upon which they occur to the rank of holy days1 then ,thursday is one1 and should be treated as such4 ,no line of argument1 however ingenious1 could evade this conclusion1 so long as the premises in question were adhered to4 ,planting himself squarely upon them1 with the consent of modern ,christendom1 the advocate of the newly discovered holy day1 finding the record perfectly free from embarrassments in the nature of transactions which would appear to be incompatible with the notion that everything which ,christ and his apostles did was in harmony with his view1 if possessed of that skill and ability which has marked the efforts of some modern theologians in such discussions1 could weave a web of inference and conjecture almost interminable in its length4 ,all the facts connected with the meeting could be expanded1 and turned over and over1 and exhibited from innumerable stand-points1 so as to yield the largest amount of evidence possible4 ,having dwelt at large upon everything which was said and done at ,bethany1 he might return with the solemn procession to the great city4 ,having done this1 he would not fail to call our attention to the fact that they did not conduct themselves in a manner such as men might have been expected to do under the circumstances on a common day1 but that1 on the contrary1 impressed with the sacredness of the hours which had witnessed the glorious ascension of the ,son of ,god1 they immediately repaired to a place of assembly1 manifestly for the purpose of continued worship4 ,again1 scrutinizing with polemic eye every syllable of the history1 in order to extract from it all the hidden testimony which it might contain1 his attention would be arrested by these words1 8,a ,sabbath day's journey40 ,immediately1 he inquires1 ,why employ such an expression as this--one which occurs nowhere else in the sacred volume8 ,certainly it cannot be the result of accident4 ,the ,holy ,spirit must have designed to signify something by such a use of the term in the connection under consideration4 ,a ,sabbath day's journey6 ,what importance could be attached to the fact that the particular point from which ,christ ascended was no more than a ,sabbath day's journey from ,jerusalem8 ,the expression is not sufficiently definite to designate the precise spot1 and must1 therefore1 have been employed to express some other idea4 ,what was it8 ,undeniably1 it was introduced into this connection because of the nature of the time on which the journey occurred4 ,it was a ,sabbath day1 and1 as such1 it was important that succeeding generations should not be left to infer from the account given1 that it was a matter of indifference to the ,lord how far travel should be carried on such an occasion2 but1 on the contrary1 that he was jealous on this point1 and that the expression in question was employed to show that the procession of ,christ's followers1 and ,christ1 himself1 bowed reverently to the national regulation respecting the distance to which it was proper for one to depart from his home during the continuance of holy time4 ,but this line of argument1 though plausible in itself1 and superior in fact to that which is many times used to support the tottering fabric of first-day observance1 would not1 we fancy1 persuade an intelligent public to introduce a new ,sabbath into their calendar4 ,the verdict which even those with whom we differ would be compelled to render would be that which both reason and piety would dictate2 namely1 that the fatal defect in the logic was the want of a thus saith the ,lord4 ,passing now from the first six of the eight texts which relate to the first day of the week1 let us give to #a ,cor4 #af3b1 and ,acts #bj3g1 a consideration of sufficient length only to enable us to assign to them the proper place which they should occupy in this controversy4 ,while it will be observed that they present the only mention of the first day of the week after leaving the gospels1 and while it is remembered that they are separated from the occurrences there narrated by the space of twenty-six years1 it is a remarkable fact that the first of them1 if not in itself clearly against the conception of ,sunday sanctity1 at least1 affords no strength for the argument in its favor4 ,it reads as follows3 8,upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store1 as ,god hath prospered him1 that there be no gatherings when ,i come40 #a ,cor4 #af3b4 ,now1 bear in mind that the inference here is1 that the gatherings spoken of were to be made in the assemblies of the ,corinthians1 the presumption following that1 as they must have been in the habit of convening on the first day of the week1 the apostle took advantage of this fact in order to secure the desired collections for the saints at ,jerusalem4 ,you will observe1 consequently1 that the postulate1 or assumed point in the discussion1 is that the ,corinthians were at the church1 or place of meeting1 when the 8laying by10 which was ordered above1 took place4 ,if1 therefore1 this be not true1 the whole logical superstructure which rests upon it necessarily falls to the ground4 ,let us inquire after the facts4 ,does the apostle say1 ,let every one of you lay by himself at the church8 or1 does he command that his pro-rata donation should be placed in the contribution box of the assembly8 ,we answer3 ,there is not a word to this effect4 ,nor is this all2 the very idea of the text is diametrically opposed to this notion4 ,before the contrary can be shown to be true1 it will be necessary to demonstrate that which is absurd in itself2 namely1 the proposition that what an individual has voluntarily placed beyond his own reach and control by putting it in a common fund1 can1 at the same time1 be said to be 8laid by him in store40 ,furthermore1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,w4 ,morton1 a gentleman who has given the subject mature reflection and careful investigation1 by a comparison of the different versions and the original1 has demonstrated the fact that1 if properly translated1 the idea of the passage is simply that1 for the purpose of uniformity of action1 and to prevent confusion from secular matters when the apostle himself should arrive1 each person should lay by himself at home the amount of his charities according to his ability4 ,we give the following from his pen3 8,the whole question turns upon the meaning of the expression1 #8by him2' and ,i marvel greatly how you can imagine that it means1 #8in the collection box of the congregation4' ,greenfield1 in his lexicon1 translates the ,greek term1 #8by one's self2 i4 e41 at home4' ,two ,latin versions--the ,vulgate1 and that of ,castellio--render it1 #8apud se1' with one's self1 at home4 ,three ,french translations1 those of ,martin1 ,osterwald1 and ,de ,sacy1 #8chez soi1' at his own house1 at home4 ,the ,german of ,luther1 #8bei sich selbst1' by himself1 at home4 ,the ,dutch1 #8by hemselven2' same as ,german4 ,the ,italian of ,diodati1 #8appressio di se1' in his own presence1 at home4 ,the ,spanish of ,felipe ,scio1 #8en su casa1' in his own house4 ,the ,portuguese of ,ferrara1 #8para isso1' with himself4 ,the ,swedish1 #8nr sig sielf1' near himself4 ,i know not how much this list of authorities might be swelled1 for ,i have not examined one translation that differs from those quoted above40--,vindication of the ,true ,sabbath1 p4 #fa4 ,the simple fact is1 therefore1 that while the text in question yields no proof that ,sunday was then regarded as a day of convocation1 it was one which might he encumbered with matters which would necessarily call attention to the pecuniary affairs of individual ,christians1 and so avoid the necessity of their giving thought to such things when ,paul himself should arrive2 thereby preventing delay on his part1 and leaving them free to devote their whole time to the consideration of religious themes4 ,thus much for #a ,cor4 #af3b4 ,,article ,,vi4 ,advancing now to the remaining scripture1 which is found in ,acts #bj3g1 we append its words as follows3 8,and upon the first day of the week1 when the disciples came together to break bread1 ,paul preached unto them1 ready to depart on the morrow2 and continued his speech until midnight40 ,by reading that which immediately follows the above1 we shall learn the following facts3 ,first1 that here is indeed a record of a religious meeting upon the first day of the week 7verse #g74 ,second1 that it was held in that portion of the day when the darkness prevailed1 since it was necessary to employ many lights 7verse #h74 ,third1 that ,paul preached unto them1 and that1 while he was speaking1 ,eutychus fell to the ground2 and ,paul1 having restored him to life1 returned to his labor 7verses #g-aa74 ,fourth1 that he broke bread1 or administered the ,lord's supper 7verse #aa74 ,fifth1 that he preached until break of day 7verse #aa74 ,sixth1 that ,luke1 and the other disciples1 preceding him1 sailed the vessel to ,assos 7verse #ac74 ,seventh1 that ,paul1 having preached all night1 until the dawning of the day1 crossed the country on foot1 stepped aboard of the vessel1 and went on his journey toward ,jerusalem 7verses #ac1 #ad74 ,now let it be borne in mind1 that ,troas was a city on the west coast of ,asia1 located at the base of a peninsula1 on the opposite side of which lay the city of ,assos2 distant about nineteen and a half miles in direct line from the former place4 ,let it also be remembered that the promontory in question1 projecting as it did into the sea for some miles1 made it necessary for a vessel1 passing from ,troas to ,assos1 to traverse a much greater distance1 and to consume more time than one would be compelled to do in passing from one of these points to the other by the overland route4 ,this explains the reason why ,paul1 who was exceedingly anxious to spend all the time he could with the brethren1 consented to perform the journey on foot2 thus being enabled to spend several additional hours with them1 while ,luke and his associates were toiling to bring the boat around the headland to the place of the apostle's final embarkation4 ,returning now to the consideration of the meeting in question1 it becomes important to know just when it was entered upon4 ,did it answer to what we would call a ,sunday-evening meeting8 ,if so1 then ,paul resumed his journey on ,monday morning4 ,but1 before we give an affirmative response to this question1 would it not be well to inquire in relation to the system for computing time which ought to be followed in this case8 ,we moderns have generally adopted that of the ,romans4 ,with it1 beginning the day1 as it does1 at midnight1 we would naturally answer the interrogatory above in the affirmative4 ,should we do this1 however1 we should unquestionably fall into a grievous error4 ,the days of the ,bible commenced invariably with the setting of the sun4 ,that this is so1 the following quotation from the ,american ,tract ,society's ,bible ,dictionary is sufficient to demonstrate3 8,the civil day is that1 the beginning and end of which are determined by the custom of any nation4 ,the ,hebrews began their day in the evening 7,lev4 #bc3cb72 the ,babylonians at sunrise1 and we begin at midnight40 ,art4 ,day1 p4 #aad4 ,reasoning1 therefore1 upon this hypothesis1 the bearing of the text is immediately reversed4 ,as the meeting was held in that portion of the first day of the week in which it was necessary that lamps should be lighted1 it follows that it commenced with the setting of the sun on ,saturday evening1 and continued until daylight on what we call ,sunday morning4 ,it is consequently clear that we have at last found one first day in the ,scriptures1 the first half of which was observed in a manner compatible with the idea of its being regarded as a ,sabbath4 ,but1 as a ,sabbath day is twenty-four1 and not merely twelve1 hours long1 it is indispensable that those who seek to avail themselves of the record before us1 should be able to establish the point that there is nothing in it which would go to show that the remaining portion of the day was devoted to purposes1 and employed in a manner1 irreconcilable with the hypothesis of its sanctity4 ,can they do this8 ,let us see4 ,would it be legitimate for believers at the present time to traverse on foot a distance of nineteen and a half miles between the rising and the setting of the sun1 on the first day of the week1 in order to pursue a journey toward a point of destination hundreds of miles in the distance8 ,would it be admissible for others1 prosecuting the same journey1 to weigh anchor and hoist sail in a friendly port1 and coast along the shore for a much greater distance8 ,who1 among the friends of ,sunday observance at the present time1 would venture to answer these questions in the affirmative1 without putting on the record some qualifying or explanatory clause8 ,we hazard the assertion that few of them1 conscientious as we believe many of them are1 would be willing1 by such a response1 to place themselves on the category of those who1 to say the least1 may have very lax views in regard to what may be done upon holy time4 ,and yet this is precisely the situation in which ,luke has left ,paul1 himself1 and his associates1 before the generations of ,christians who were to follow them4 ,we ask1 therefore1 again1 ,can it be true that the great apostle to the ,gentiles1 standing as a representative man in the great work of transferring the religious world from the observance of the seventh1 to that of the first1 day of the week1 and this not by positive precept1 but1 as it is claimed1 simply by precedent and example1 should have allowed himself to throw that example1 as in the case before us1 against the very work which he was seeking to accomplish8 ,in other words1 is not the obvious import of the text such that the average reader1 with no favorite theory to make out1 and a mind unbiased by the effect of education and early training1 would naturally come to the conclusion that ,paul and the disciples with him1 and those from whom he parted at ,troas1 looked upon the day of that departure as but a common one8 ,we believe that if any other meaning can be drawn from the history before us1 it will be reached through constraint1 and not through the easy process of obvious reason4 ,it is useless to talk about inability to control the vessel1 and the urgent necessity of occupying every hour in order to reach ,jerusalem in time for the feast4 ,so far as the first of these points is concerned1 if it were well taken1 is it not to be presumed that1 for the vindication of the course pursued1 and for the benefit of posterity1 it would have found a place in the sacred record8 ,and as to the matter of limited time1 the question of twelve hours longer or shorter1 was immaterial in a journey of the length of the one under consideration4 ,besides1 upon following the account as given1 we have from ,luke himself that1 before they reached their destination1 they stopped at ,tyre for seven days 7chap4 #ba3d71 and at ,cesarea1 many days 7chap4 #ba3aj71 and yet had ample time to accomplish their object in reaching ,jerusalem before the feast4 ,we say again1 therefore1 that these considerations1 in the absence of any allusions to them in the context1 are simply gratuitous1 or1 at least1 are far-fetched4 ,the narrative still remains4 ,the great fact that ,paul and his followers did travel upon the first day of the week is made conspicuous1 and the only legitimate conclusion to be drawn therefrom is that which alone harmonizes with the consistency of ,paul's life and that of his brethren1 as well as the wisdom and beneficence of the great ,god1 namely3 ,that he did so because of his conviction that it was a day which might properly be devoted to labor and travel4 ,with this understanding1 the story is relieved of all embarrassment1 and becomes a simple and highly interesting account of a meeting convened on the first day of the week1 because of the approaching departure of a beloved brother and apostle1 and rendered also worthy of record by the miracle which was performed upon ,eutychus4 ,but with such a decision1 our labor is ended1 and with it the whole theory in regard to the ,sabbatic character of ,sunday is exploded2 for1 not only does the scripture which we have been investigating fail to yield the doctrine which it was supposed to contain1 but1 on the contrary1 it presents ,paul as standing emphatically against it4 ,this being true1 it belongs to a faith which he never proclaimed1 and which1 consequently1 was associated in his mind with that which should not be received1 though it were 8preached by an angel from ,heaven40 ,nevertheless1 that we may not appear to have overlooked the two remaining texts1 which are generally quoted as affording additional proof of the distinguished regard in which the first day of the week was held1 we turn our attention for a moment to ,acts #b3a1 and ,rev4 #a3aj4 ,as it regards the first of these scriptures1 the claim is1 that the outpouring of the ,spirit occurred with reference to a divine disposition to honor the day of the resurrection4 ,to this we reply1 first1 that if this were so1 it is a remarkable fact that there is nothing in the connection to show it4 ,the name of the day1 even1 is not so much as mentioned4 ,the inspired annalist1 were this supposition true1 would most assuredly have given prominence to an idea which1 it is claimed1 was the governing one in the mind of the ,spirit1 in order to enable succeeding generations to extract from the facts narrated the true moral which they were intended to convey4 ,but mark his words4 ,is the declaration1 8,when the first day of the week was fully come08 ,if so1 we might say that this day was foremost in his own mind1 and in that of the ,spirit4 ,but such was not his language4 ,on the contrary1 his statement is1 8,when the day of ,pentecost was fully come40 ,hence1 it was the day of ,pentecost1 or the great ,jewish feast1 which is here made to stand out conspicuously upon the sacred page4 ,if1 therefore1 we are to decide that the transaction in question was intended to hallow any particular twenty-four hours1 undeniably they were those within which the ,pentecost fell4 ,but those did not occur regularly upon the first day of the week1 nor was the institution one of weekly recurrence4 ,it was annual in its return1 transpiring one year upon the first1 and perhaps the next year upon the second1 and so on1 through every day of the week4 ,to reason1 consequently1 that1 because it happened to take place at this time upon ,sunday1 the fact is necessarily significant of a change in the character of the day1 is altogether inconclusive4 ,that were a cheap logic indeed1 which would argue that the ,pentecost1 which was mentioned expressly1 and the return of which was waited for with patience1 was in no-wise affected1 illustrated1 or perpetuated1 by the outpouring of the ,spirit upon it1 whereas1 a septenary division of time--not thought worthy of mention by its peculiar title--was thenceforth rendered glorious4 ,stand together1 however1 they cannot2 for1 if it were the ,pentecost which was to be handed down in this way to those who should come after1 then it would1 of necessity1 be celebrated annually1 and not each week2 but1 if it were the first day of the week which alone was made the object of divine favor1 then why wait until the arrival of the great annual ,sabbath at the end of the fifty days8 ,why was not some other first day taken--say one of the six which had already occurred between the resurrection and that time--in this manner avoiding the possibility of confusion as to which event was thus honored8 ,should it be replied that the ,spirit could not be poured out until the great antitype of the fifty-day feast had been met in ,heaven1 we answer3 ,then it was this event1 and not the resurrection1 which furnishes the occasion for the remarkable demonstrations which were manifested before the people4 ,we repeat again1 therefore1 that from whatever stand-point we look at the text1 it is the ,pentecost1 and not the first day of the week1 to which1 if to anything1 it attaches special importance4 ,this is further demonstrated by the fact that it is to this hour a matter of grave discussion between theologians whether the day of ,pentecost1 at the time under consideration1 did really fall upon the first day of the week or upon some other4 ,leaving to them1 therefore1 the delicate and arduous task of adjusting questions of this nature--which are neither important in themselves1 nor easy of decision--we hasten to glance at ,rev4 #a3aj4 ,it reads as follows3 8,i was in the ,spirit on the ,lord's day1 and heard behind me a great voice1 as of a trumpet40 ,here is something which certainly has a bearing upon the subject4 ,the language employed is of thrilling interest4 ,says the apostle1 8,i was in the ,spirit on the ,lord's day40 ,this being uttered about ,a4 ,d4 #ie1 determines the point that ,god has a day in this dispensation1 and also proves that he has but one2 since the language would be very indefinite were there two or more days of such a nature4 ,but by what system of reasoning is the conclusion reached that this must of necessity be the first day of the week8 ,assuredly1 it can only be by inference4 ,if it can first be proved that the day of the resurrection has1 by divine authority1 been anywhere styled the 8,lord's day10 then the point is unquestionably gained4 ,when those words were penned1 more than sixty years had passed since it is claimed that ,sunday had been clothed with divine honor4 ,the whole canon of the ,new ,testament1 save the gospel of ,john1 had been written within that time4 ,ample opportunity had been afforded for the work of placing upon record the sacred appellation which was to be given to that period of time1 which1 having been separated from everything of a secular nature1 had been elevated to the dignity of a holy rest4 ,but had this ever occurred8 ,the facts are briefly these3 ,the first day of the week1 as we have seen1 being mentioned eight times in the ,new ,testament1 is always spoken of as plain first day of the week2 ,john himself1 writing his gospel after the appearance of the ,apocalypse1 everywhere applies to it this unpretending title4 ,whenever the term ,sabbath is used1 on the other hand--as we have seen that it is fifty-six times in the ,new ,testament--it is applied1 with one exception1 to the ,sabbath of the commandment1 or the seventh day of the week4 ,in view of these facts1 take a common man1 without bias or predilection1 one1 if you please1 who has never heard of the controversy in question1 place in his hands the ,bible without note or comment1 let him read the following texts which confessedly refer to the seventh day of the week1 and we think the verdict which he would render would be decidedly in favor of the venerable ,sabbath of the ,lord2 of which it is true1 as it is of no other day1 that he has again and again claimed it as his own4 ,the italics are our own4 8,if thou turn away thy foot from the ,sabbath1 from doing thy pleasure on my holy day2 and call the ,sabbath a delight1 the holy of the ,lord1 honorable2 and shalt honor him1 not doing thine own ways1 nor finding thine own pleasure1 nor speaking thine own words2 then shalt thou delight thyself in the ,lord40 ,isa4 #eh3ac1 #ad4 8,but the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work30 8for in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is1 and rested the seventh day2 wherefore the ,lord blessed the ,sabbath day1 and hallowed it40 ,ex4 #bj3aj1 #aa4 8,and he said unto them1 ,the ,sabbath was made for man1 and not man for the ,sabbath2 therefore the ,son of man is ,lord also of the ,sabbath40 ,mark #b3bg1 #bh4 ,if such a decision be a just one1 however1 where are we in the matter under examination8 ,what has become of the modern ,sabbath reform for which we have been seeking justification in the word of ,god8 ,first1 we sought to place it upon the commandment2 this1 we found to be out of the question4 ,second1 we investigated the claim of an amended law2 that1 we discovered to be entirely without authority1 and against even the conviction and practice of the very men who urged it4 ,third1 we turn1 as a last resort1 to the precedents of ,bible history2 these1 we found1 so far as they affect the question at all1 to be overwhelmingly against a movement which1 while it claims to be in the interest of the ,god of ,heaven1 is confronted by the following astounding facts3 ,first1 the day whose observance it seeks to enforce by statute law is one1 the keeping of which1 ,god has never commanded4 ,second1 ,christ has never commanded it4 ,third1 no inspired man has ever commanded it4 ,fourth1 ,god himself never rested upon it4 ,fifth1 ,christ never rested upon it4 ,sixth1 there is no record that either prophets or apostles ever rested upon it4 ,seventh1 it is one upon which ,god himself worked4 ,eighth1 it is one which1 during his lifetime1 ,christ always treated as a day of labor4 ,ninth1 it is one upon which1 after his resurrection1 he countenanced1 by his own personal example1 travel upon the highway4 ,tenth1 it is one upon which the two disciples1 in going to and returning from ,emmaus1 traveled a distance of fifteen miles4 ,eleventh1 it was on that day that ,paul walked from ,troas to ,assos1 a distance of nineteen and one-half miles4 ,twelfth1 it was on that day that ,luke and his associates passed from one to the other of these places by a longer route1 working their vessel round the promontory4 ,that all these things could be true1 and yet our friends be right in the supposition that they are engaged in a work which commands the approval of ,heaven1 is too absurd to require further discussion4 ,a movement pushed forward in the face of these facts may succeed1 so far as political success and legal enactment are concerned1 but when the logic for its ,scriptural character is scrutinized as closely as it will be before it shall plant its banners upon the capitol of the nation1 all conscientious convictions in regard to its heavenly birth will give place to an inspiration1 the source of whose strength will be found in the superiority of party drill1 and the overwhelming power of mere numbers4 ,who shall say that the ,god of ,heaven has not permitted it to come to the surface for the very purpose of calling the attention of honest men and women1 as it only could be done by the debate which will arise in controversy1 to the scantiness of that ,sunday wardrobe by which1 as with it our friends attempt to clothe a favorite institution1 we are so forcibly reminded of the bed and covering spoken of by the prophet ,isaiah3 ,the first of which was 8too short to stretch one's self upon10 and the last1 8too narrow to wrap one's self within80 ,so sure as investigation is provoked upon this subject1 so certain is it that1 sooner or later1 thinking men and women will discover--as we have already done in this article--that there is indeed a crying demand for a ,sabbath reform4 ,not one1 however1 which rests merely upon the power of ,congressional enactment1 and ,presidential sanction1 but one which shall find its authority in the highest of all laws1 and which shall have the approval of the ,king of kings and ,lord of lords4 ,,article ,,vii4 ,the conflict is finally open4 ,the spirit of inquiry has lifted itself in the nation2 and all eyes will be turned toward the ,bible1 as really the only source from which can be derived authority for a ,sabbath reform which shall be worthy of the name4 ,commencing with its opening pages1 they will trace the ,sabbatic narrative until they have been able to verify the following summary of history and doctrine3-- #a4 ,the ,sabbath1 as the last day of the week1 originated in ,eden1 and was given to ,adam1 as the federal head of the race1 while he yet retained his primal innocence4 ,proof3 8,and on the seventh day ,god ended his work which he had made2 and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made4 ,and ,god blessed the seventh day1 and sanctified it2 because that in it he had rested from all his work which ,god created and made40 ,gen4 #b3b1 #c4 #b4 ,that1 though the history of the period1 stretching from the creation to the exodus1 is extremely brief1 it is manifest1 even from that period1 that the good of those ages had not lost sight of it2 since the children of ,israel were acquainted with its existence thirty days before reaching ,mount ,sinai4 8,and ,he said unto them1 ,this is that which the ,lord hath said1 ,tomorrow is the rest of the holy ,sabbath unto the ,lord2 bake that which ye will bake to-day1 and seethe that ye will seethe2 and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning40 ,ex4 #af3bc4 8,six days ye shall gather it2 but on the seventh day1 which is the ,sabbath1 in it there shall be none40 ,ex4 #af3bf4 #c4 ,that ,god1 unwilling to commit the interest of so important an institution to the keeping of tradition1 framed a command for its perpetuity1 which he spoke with his own voice and wrote with his own finger1 placing it in the bosom of the great moral law of the ten precepts3 8,remember the ,sabbath day1 to keep it holy4 ,six days shalt thou labor1 and do all thy work2 but the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god3 in it thou shalt not do any work1 thou1 nor thy son1 nor thy daughter1 thy man-servant1 nor thy maid-servant1 nor thy cattle1 nor thy stranger that is within thy gates3 for in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is1 and rested the seventh day2 wherefore the ,lord blessed the ,sabbath day1 and hallowed it40 ,ex4 #bj3h-aa4 ,that this law has been brought over into our dispensation1 and every jot and tittle of it is binding now1 and will continue to be1 so long as the world stands4 8,think not that ,i am come to destroy the law or the prophets2 ,i am not come to destroy1 but to fulfill4 ,for verily ,i say unto you1 ,till heaven and earth pass1 one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law1 till all be fulfilled4 ,whosoever1 therefore1 shall break one of these least commandments1 and shall teach men so1 he shall be called the least in the kingdom of ,heaven2 but whosoever shall do and teach them1 the same shall be called great in the kingdom of ,heaven40--,,jesus1 ,matt4 #e3ag-ai4 8,do we then make void the law through faith8 ,god forbid2 yea1 we establish the law40--,,paul1 ,romans #c3ca4 8,wherefore the law is holy1 and the commandment holy1 and just1 and good40 ,romans #g3ab4 8,if ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself1 ye do well2 but if ye have respect to persons1 ye commit sin1 and are convinced of the law as transgressors4 ,for whosoever shall keep the whole law1 and yet offend in one point1 he is guilty of all4 ,for he that said1 ,do not commit adultery1 said also1 ,do not kill4 ,now if thou commit no adultery1 yet if thou kill1 thou art become a transgressor of the law40--,,james1 ,jas4 #b3h-aa4 8,whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law2 for sin is the transgression of the law4 ,and ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins2 and in him is no sin4 ,whosoever abideth in him sinneth not2 whosoever sinneth hath not seen him1 neither known him40--,,john1 #a ,john #c3d-f4 #e4 ,that1 agreeably to this view1 ,christ--of whom it is said1 8,thy law is within my heart0--was a habitual observer1 during his lifetime1 of the ,sabbath of the decalogue4 8,and he came to ,nazareth1 where he had been brought up2 and1 as his custom was1 he went into the synagogue on the ,sabbath day1 and stood up for to read40 ,luke #d3af4 8,if ye keep my commandments1 ye shall abide in my love2 even as ,i have kept my ,father's commandments1 and abide in his love40 ,john #ae3aj4 #f4 ,that the women1 whose religious conceptions had been formed under his teachings1 carefully regarded it4 8,and they returned1 and prepared spices and ointments2 and rested the ,sabbath day1 according to the commandment40 ,luke #bc3ef4 #g4 ,the ,lord instructed his disciples that it would exist at least forty years after his death1 since he taught them to pray continually that their flight1 at the destruction of ,jerusalem1 which occurred ,a4 ,d4 #gj1 might not take place on that day4 8,but pray ye that your flight be not in the winter1 neither on the ,sabbath day40 ,matt4 #bd3bj4 #h4 ,that the great apostle to the ,gentiles was in the habit of making it a day of public teaching4 8,and ,paul1 as his manner was1 went in unto them1 and three ,sabbath days reasoned with them out of the ,scriptures40 ,acts #bg3b4 8,and he reasoned in the synagogue every ,sabbath1 and persuaded the ,jews and the ,greeks40 ,acts #ah3d4 #i4 ,that1 in the year of our ,lord #ie1 ,john still recognized its existence4 8,i was in the ,spirit on the ,lord's day1 and heard behind me a great voice1 as of a trumpet40 ,rev4 #a3aj4 #aj4 ,that ,god has never removed the blessing which he placed upon it in the beginning1 or annulled the sanctification by which it was at that time set apart to a holy use4 #aa4 ,that1 in perfect keeping with the above propositions1 it is1 equally in the ,new with the ,old ,testament1 scores of times denominated the ,sabbath2 and that1 while ,god1 and ,christ1 and prophets1 and apostles1 and inspired men1 unite in applying to it this sacred title1 they never1 in any single instance1 allow themselves to speak of any other day in the week in the use of this peculiar appellation4 #ab4 ,that it is not only to continue during the present order of things1 but that1 in the new earth1 clothed in all the freshness and beauty of its ,edenic glory1 creation1 more than ever before1 will be the subject of devout gratitude1 and weekly commemoration on the part of the immortal and sinless beings who shall worship ,god therein forever4 8,for as the new heavens and the new earth1 which ,i will make shall remain before me1 saith the ,lord1 so shall your seed and your name remain4 ,and it shall come to pass1 that from one new moon to another1 and from one ,sabbath to another1 shall all flesh come to worship before me1 saith the ,lord40 ,isa4 #ff3bb1 #bc4 ,putting all these facts together--connected1 consistent1 and unanswerable as they are--men will discover that a great departure has taken place from the original practice of the church1 and against the explicit command of ,god4 ,should they ask1 as assuredly they will1 when1 and by whom1 it was inaugurated1 it will not be a fruitless effort on their part to obtain needed information4 ,god has made ample provision for the instruction of those who would do his will1 and for the condemnation of those who refuse so to do4 ,referring to prophecies given centuries ago1 mapping out beforehand the history of the world1 they will find the prophet ,daniel--while describing the work of the 8little horn10 which arose among the ten horns of the great and terrible beast1 and which little horn nearly all ,protestant commentators agree in applying to the papal church--stating of it1 by way of prediction1 that it should 8wear out the saints of the ,most ,high1 and think to change times and laws10 and that they should 8be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time40 7,dan4 #g3be47 ,consulting history1 they will discover that1 so far as the saints are concerned1 these terrible words have been so completely fulfilled that this power has actually put to death1 in one way or other1 at least fifty millions of the people of ,god4 ,again1 perceiving1 as they will readily1 that the 8laws10 which this presumptuous power should blasphemously claim to be able to change1 are the laws of ,god1 what will be their astonishment at learning1 from the representatives of this great oppressive system--which alone has extended through a period sufficiently long to cover the 8time1 times and half a time10 or the #abfj years of ,daniel's prophecy--that it actually boasts that it has done the very work in question4 ,nay1 more2 what limit can be put to their surprise when they find these men absolutely pointing with exultation to the practice of the ,christian world in the observance of ,sunday1 as an evidence of the ability of the ,roman ,catholic church to alter and amend the commands of ,god6 ,that they do this1 however1 in the most unequivocal terms1 will be abundantly proved by the following quotations from their own publications3-- 8,question4 ,is it then ,saturday we should sanctify1 in order to obey the ordinance of ,god8 ,ans4 ,during the old law1 ,saturday was the day sanctified2 but the church1 instructed by ,jesus ,christ1 and directed by the ,spirit of ,god1 has substituted ,sunday for ,saturday2 so we now sanctify the first1 not the seventh1 day4 ,sunday means1 and now is1 the day of the ,lord4 ,ques4 ,had the church power to make such a change8 ,ans4 ,certainly2 since the ,spirit of ,god is her guide1 the change is inspired by the ,holy ,spirit40--,cath4 ,catechism of ,christian ,religion4 8,ques4 ,how prove you that the church has power to command feasts and holy days8 ,ans4 ,by the very act of changing the ,sabbath into ,sunday1 which ,protestants allow of2 and therefore they fondly contradict themselves by keeping ,sunday strictly1 and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same church4 8,ques4 ,how prove you that8 ,ans4 ,because1 by keeping ,sunday1 they acknowledge the church's power to ordain feasts1 and to command them under sin2 and by not keeping the rest by her commanded1 they again deny1 in fact1 the same power4--,abridgment of ,christian ,doctrine4 8,it is worth its while to remember that this observance of the ,sabbath--in which1 after all1 the only ,protestant worship consists--not only has no foundation in the ,bible1 but it is in flagrant contradiction with its letter1 which commands rest on the ,sabbath1 which is ,saturday4 ,it was the ,catholic church which1 by the authority of ,jesus ,christ1 has transferred this rest to the ,sunday in remembrance of the resurrection of our ,lord4 ,thus the observance of ,sunday by the ,protestants is an homage they pay1 in spite of themselves1 to the authority of the church40--,plain ,talk about ,protestantism of ,to-day1 p4 #bbe4 ,instinctively anticipating some providential mode of escape from the terrible consequences of that great apostasy1 out of which the religious world has for centuries been endeavoring to work its way1 conscientious men and women will catch the notes of warning which for twenty-five years have been sounding through the land1 in these words3 8,here is the patience of the saints3 here are they that keep the commandments of ,god1 and the faith of ,jesus40 ,rev4 #ad3ab4 ,inquiring into the origin of the message which is thus being given to the world1 they will find that1 for a quarter of a century1 ,god has been calling attention to the subject of his law and his ,sabbath1 and that a denomination of earnest men and women1 but little known as yet among the learned and mighty of the land1 have been devoting themselves with zeal and a spirit of self-sacrifice to the tremendous task of restoring ,god's downtrodden ,sabbath to the hearts and judgments of the people4 ,they will find1 also1 that these persons have not entered upon this labor because they anticipated an easy and speedy victory2 nor1 indeed1 because they ever believed that the great mass of mankind would so far shake off the trammels of tradition and the fear of reproach as to be able to venture an unreserved surrender to the teachings of the ,bible2 but simply because they saw in it that which was at once the path of duty1 and that of fulfilling prophecy4 ,having accepted ,dan4 #g3be1 in common with the religious world1 as applying to the papacy1 and learning1 as the result of investigation1 that the days of the great persecution were to reach from the decree of ,justinian 7,a4 ,d4 #ech17 giving authority to the ,bishop of ,rome to become the corrector of heretics1 to ,a4 ,d4 #agih--when the pope was carried into captivity1 having received a wound with the sword agreeably to ,rev4 #ac3aj--these students of ,god's word at once perceived that the next thing in order would be the completion of the restitution1 which had begun in the taking away of his ability to put the saints to death1 by a work equally called for in the inspired prediction2 namely1 that of rescuing from his hands the 8times and laws0 which he thought to change4 ,or1 in other words1 that the effort of the pope to remove the ,sabbath of the ,lord from the seventh to the first day of the week should be made to appear in its true light2 namely1 as the work of a blasphemous power which had held the world in its grasp for centuries4 ,but1 while they were clear in those convictions which led them in #ahdf1 under the title of ,seventh-day ,adventists1 to claim that they were fulfilling the prophecy of ,rev4 #ad3i-ab1 they discerned that the same facts which brought them to this conclusion also compelled the conviction that theirs was to be the road of persecution3 hardship1 and privation4 ,they read in ,rev4 #ab3ag1 in these words1 8,the dragon was wroth with the woman1 and went to make war with the remnant of her seed1 which keep the commandments of ,god1 and have the testimony of ,jesus ,christ10 the history of the last generation of ,christians2 and saw that1 in ,god's inscrutable providence1 it was to be their fortune to be the object of diabolic hate1 because of the commandments of ,god and the testimony of ,jesus ,christ1 to which they cling with determined perseverance4 ,once more3 ,in studying the #aath to the #ahth verses inclusive of the #acth chapter of the same book1 they saw that--if their view of the work which was assigned them was correct--that portion of the ,scriptures was applied to the ,united ,states of ,america1 and indicated that this country was to be the theater of a mighty contest between those who 8keep the commandments of ,god and the faith of ,jesus10 and the government under which they live1 from which they could only be delivered by the coming of ,christ4 ,this view they unhesitatingly proclaimed4 ,for twenty years1 they have announced it as a part of their faith4 ,when they first declared it to be such1 they brought upon themselves ridicule and contempt1 for1 humanly speaking1 every probability was against them4 ,the government was ostensibly republican in form1 and professedly tolerant to the very extreme1 in all matters of religious opinion4 ,the ,constitution had even provided that 8,congress should make no law respecting an establishment of religion1 or prohibiting the free exercise thereof40 ,nevertheless1 so firm were they in the conviction that they had the right application of the prophecy1 that they unhesitatingly walked out upon their faith2 and for a fifth of a century they have talked it1 and published it everywhere1 notwithstanding the odium it has brought upon them4 ,lest we might appear to be drawing upon our own imagination in a matter of such importance1 we append the following extracts from their works4 ,the words in parentheses are our own1 and serve to explain that which a larger quotation from the context would make clear of itself3 8,when the #8beast' 7the papacy7 had the dominion1 all in authority must be ,catholics4 ,the popular sentiment then was that none should hold offices in the government1 except they professed the ,catholic faith4 ,the popular religion at that period was ,catholicism4 ,they legislated upon religious subjects1 and required all men to conform to the popular institutions and dogmas of the papacy1 or suffer and die4 ,the image must be made in the ,united ,states1 where ,protestantism is the prevailing religion4 ,image signifies likeness2 therefore ,protestantism and ,republicanism will unite2 or1 in other words1 the making of laws will go into the hands of ,protestants1 when all in authority will profess the popular sentiments of the day1 and make laws binding certain religious institutions 7i4 e41 ,sunday observance1 c471 upon all1 without distinction40--,advent ,review and ,sabbath ,herald1 ,vol4 #f1 ,no4 #f1 #ahed4 8,it seems to me1 even to look at the subject in the light of reason1 that a conflict must in time come between commandment-keepers and the ,united ,states4 ,this1 of course1 will lead those who find that they cannot sustain their ,sunday institution by argument to resort to some other means40--,advent ,review and ,herald1 ,vol4 #aj1 ,no4 #aa1 #aheg4 8,when all concur upon this question 7,sunday-keeping71 except a few who conscientiously observe the fourth commandment1 how long before their constancy would be attributed to obstinacy and bigotry8 ,and how long before the sentence would go forth1 as it did in the days of ,pliny1 #8that for this1 if for nothing else1 they deserved to be punished4'0--,review and ,herald1 ,vol4 #ai1 ,no4 #ae4a ,how changed the political sky to-day from what it was when these words began to be spoken6 ,now1 thoughtful men are pondering whether1 after all1 these things may not be so4 ,they see a powerful organization looming up in the country1 which appends to the call for their conventions the names of some of the most influential men in the land4 ,they hear them declaring in so many words1 that what they are determined to do is to sweep away the constitutional barrier between them and a coerced observance of ,sunday1 so that all may be compelled to regard it as sacred4 ,what we want1 say they1 and what we are determined to have1 is such an amendment of the ,constitution1 #a4 ,that it shall recognize ,god and ,christ2 #b4 ,that it shall enable us to secure the reading of the ,bible in the common schools2 #c4 ,that we may be enabled to enforce the better observance of the ,christian ,sabbath1 i4 e41 ,sunday4 ,these declarations1 a few years since1 would have appalled every lover of constitutional liberty4 ,every man and woman imbued with a proper sense of the genius of our institutions would have been struck with horror at the very thought of pursuing the course in question4 ,but a change has come over the spirit of the land4 ,steadily1 the advocates of a day which has no authority in the word of ,god are drifting where all before them have done who have sought to maintain a human institution upon the claim of divine authority4 ,it is idle for them to say at this stage of the proceedings that they propose to regard the rights of those who have conscientious scruples on this subject4 ,god has said that the matter will culminate in oppression2 nay1 even though this were not so1 reason itself would prove that this would be the case4 ,without questioning the sincerity of the men who at the present make these statements1 we appeal to that very sincerity for the evidence that this matter will end just where the ,seventh-day ,adventists have claimed that it would4 ,they have convinced themselves that they are called of ,god to a mighty work4 ,they believe that they have a noble mission4 ,they are men of mind and nerve4 ,but1 when a few months shall have revealed the insufficiency of their logic1 when ,seventh-day ,baptists and ,seventh-day ,adventists shall have confronted them with a plain 8,thus saith the ,lord10 against their favorite scheme1 they would be more than human if--refusing to yield to arguments which they cannot answer--they should continue to look with complacence upon the very men who1 after all1 will prove to be their most formidable antagonists in the great conflict4 ,in fact1 it would be a denial of both nature and history to say that they would not at last come to regard them in the light of enemies of ,god1 really more worthy of condemnation and coercion than those who were simply unbelievers in any ,sabbath at all1 and so incapable of standing before the systematic effort which they have set in motion4#b ,but1 candid reader1 the facts are before you1 and between us and these events there will be ample time for calm reflection1 and deliberate decision4 ,where do you choose to stand in this final conflict between the venerable ,sabbath of the ,lord and its modern papistic rival8 ,will you keep the commandments of ,god1 as uttered by his voice and written by his finger8 or will you henceforth pay intelligent homage to the man of sin1 by the observance of a day which finds its authority alone in the mutilated form of the commandments1 as they come from his hand8 ,may ,god help you to make a wise choice4 ,footnote #a3 ,for further information upon this subject1 the reader is referred to 8,the ,three ,angels' ,messages0 and the 8,united ,states in ,prophecy10 published at the ,review and ,herald ,office1 ,battle ,creek1 ,mich4 ,footnote #b3 ,persons desiring to investigate this question still further1 by addressing the author of these articles1 will receive by mail1 without charge1 a tract in which he has discussed at length a branch of this subject merely alluded to in this communication4 ,,explanatory ,,remarks4 ,immediately on the publication of the foregoing articles in the ,christian ,statesman1 the editor of that paper announced his purpose to review them in the columns of that periodical4 ,this purpose he subsequently carried out in the publication of eleven communications1 in which various strictures were offered upon the positions taken by me in my original contributions4 ,i immediately requested the privilege of replying to these criticisms in the columns of the ,statesman1 so that those who had read my argument in the beginning1 and the replies of the editor of the ,statesman thereto1 might have an opportunity to see the relative strength of the positions occupied by that gentleman and myself tested in fair and open debate4 ,my petition1 however1 was denied1 and ,i was compelled either to remain silent or seek elsewhere for an opportunity to make my defense4 ,fortunately1 at this juncture1 the columns of the ,advent ,review1 which is the organ of the ,seventh-day ,adventists1 were freely offered me for the purpose in question1 and in them the ,replies of the editor of the ,statesman1 and my ,rejoinders thereto1 have since been published4 ,to these ,replies and ,rejoinders1 as they appeared therein1 the remainder of the present volume is devoted4 ,to them1 the reader is earnestly invited to give his most serious attention1 since they present1 side by side1 the lines of argument usually employed for and against the ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,w4 ,h4 ,l4 ,,replies ,,and ,,rejoinders4 ,reply of the ,editor of the ,christian ,statesman4 ,,article ,,one4 ,,seventh-,,day ,,sabbatarians ,,and ,,the ,,christian ,,amendment4 ,we have given not a little space to the argument against the ,christian ,amendment of our ,national ,constitution from the stand-point of the advocates of the seventh-day ,sabbath4 ,this argument1 in brief1 is this3 ,the proposed amendment1 in its practical working1 is intended to secure the better observance of the first day of the week1 as the civil ,sabbath4 ,but the ,bible1 the revealed law of ,god1 it is affirmed1 contains no warrant either for individual or national observance of the first day of the week4 ,the amendment1 therefore1 it is maintained1 should not be favored1 but earnestly opposed1 by those who acknowledge the supreme authority of the law of the ,bible4 ,this1 it will be seen at a glance1 is no argument against the principle of the proposed amendment4 ,on the other hand1 it bases itself on that very principle1 viz41 that it is the bounden duty of the nation to acknowledge the authority of ,god1 and take his revealed word as the supreme rule of its conduct4 ,the argument1 therefore1 instead of being directed against the amendment itself1 is directed almost entirely against that interpretation of the divine law of the ,scriptures which fixes the ,christian ,sabbath on the first day of the week4 ,we consented to admit to our columns a short series of brief articles presenting an argument against the amendment4 ,pressing the lines of courtesy and fairness far beyond the limits of our agreement1 we have1 in fact1 admitted many long articles1 the burden of which has been to show that there is no warrant in the word of ,god for the observance of the first day of the week as the ,sabbath of divine appointment4 ,we shall expect equal generosity from the journals of our seventh-day ,sabbatarian friends4 ,the amendment proposed is in substance as follows3 ,an acknowledgment of ,god as the ultimate source of all power and authority in civil government2 of ,jesus ,christ as ruler of nations2 and of the ,bible as the fountain of law1 and the supreme rule of national conduct4 ,let this be distinctly borne in mind4 ,we have here a clear assertion of the very principles for which the seventh-day ,sabbatarian most strenuously contends4 ,just here1 we would take occasion to say that even if the proposed amendment contained an express acknowledgment1 in so many words1 of the first-day ,sabbath1 and if the argument for the seventh-day ,sabbath were a perfect demonstration1 there would still be1 on that account1 as matters actually stand in our land at present1 no valid objection against such explicit ,constitutional acknowledgment of the first day4 ,suppose a company of the advocates of the seventh-day ,sabbath1 going forth as missionaries1 should discover1 in a distant sea1 an island inhabited by a people in many respects highly civilized1 possessing a portion of the ,bible1 and observing one day in seven1 say the fourth day of the week1 as a day of rest and worship of the true ,god1 and acknowledging it as such in their ,constitution of government4 ,suppose that in the same island should be found a large and active minority1 thoroughly infidel and atheistic1 striving in every way to overturn the ,sabbath4 ,the missionaries1 perceiving much room and opportunity for doing good to the people1 settle among them1 and seek1 among many things1 to change the ,sabbath to what they regard as the proper day4 ,in what way would they attempt to accomplish this8 ,would they permit themselves for a moment to be classed with the infidel and atheistic opponents of the ,sabbath8 ,would they not stand side by side with those who defended the ,sabbath observances of the country against the attacks of immoral and unbelieving enemies of all ,christian institutions8 ,if these missionaries were advocates of the first-day ,sabbath1 and we were of the number1 for our part1 this is what we would do3 ,we would practice for ourselves the observance of what we are persuaded is the ,christian ,sabbath4 ,we would multiply and scatter abroad copies of the entire ,bible1 and seek to convince the people and the nation that ,god's law requires the observance of the first day4 ,in the meantime1 confident that1 by the blessing of the ,head of the church1 the circulation of the divine word and the proclamation of its truths would at length change the conviction of the islanders1 we should say to them3 8,do not cease to observe a day of rest and worship4 ,to have one such a day in every seven is right4 ,do not blot out its acknowledgment from the ,constitution4 ,you need its legal safe-guards4 ,true1 there is no divine warrant for the observance of the fourth day of the week instead of the first4 ,but a fourth-day ,sabbath is better than no ,sabbath at all4 ,we will help you to preserve from the assaults of our common enemies the observances of the ,sabbath1 that you may have them to transfer1 as we urge you to do1 to the first day of the week40 ,would the advocates of the seventh-day ,sabbath do otherwise1 except in substituting the seventh day for the first8 ,and now let us take the actual1 corresponding case in our own land4 ,the great mass of ,christians here1 as elsewhere1 regard the first day of the week as the ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,admit1 for the sake of the illustration1 that they have no better ground for their opinion than the islanders mentioned above4 ,is it not right for them to have a day of rest and worship8 ,is it not right for them to observe one such a day in seven8 ,is it maintained that1 because the day is not the proper one1 there is and can be nothing right about these ,sabbath observances8 ,then1 if all is wrong1 it must be better to have no ,sabbath at all1 and utterly secularize the week4 ,this1 our seventh-day friends cannot and will not admit4 ,they gladly testify that our first-day ,sabbath1 poorly as it may be observed1 is infinitely to be preferred to the unbroken current of the worldliness of the week4 ,a ,sabbathless week2 successive rounds of equally secularized days1 marked1 if marked at all1 by the recurrence of unusual worldly gayety and dissipation2 this is what infidelity and atheism would give us for the existing ,sabbath4 ,do the friends of the seventh-day ,sabbath desire any such substitution8 ,their argument against the proposed amendment on the ground that it expressly or impliedly contains an acknowledgment of the first-day ,sabbath1 is1 that it will enforce existing ,sabbath laws1 and strengthen first-day ,sabbath observances4 ,but is it not better to do this than accept the dread alternative8 ,even from this point of view1 then1 we claim for the proposed amendment1 what in some cases it has actually1 and1 we believe1 most consistently1 received1 the approval and support of seventh-day ,sabbatarians4 ,but we return to the form of the proposed amendment4 ,it expresses1 as it should1 only the most fundamental principles4 ,it asserts the duty of the nation to acknowledge ,god in ,christian relations4 ,it recognizes the ,bible as the fountain of the nation's laws1 and the supreme rule of its conduct4 ,now1 if we were among either the first-day or the seventh-day missionaries1 in the case of the islanders already referred to1 such a national acknowledgment of the authority of the ,bible is just exactly what we would desire4 ,if the islanders had this principle1 as has been supposed1 incorporated into their written ,constitution1 we could ask for nothing more advantageous for our missionary work4 ,if they had it not1 and certain citizens were laboring to secure its insertion by an amendment of the instrument1 we would most assuredly accord these laborers our heartiest encouragement and support4 ,we should suspect ourselves of prejudice1 or rather of a deficiency in good common sense1 if we found ourselves inclined to pursue an opposite course4 ,believing that ,god's law requires the observance of another day than the fourth1 how could we reasonably do anything else than co-operate and rejoice in the work of leading such a people to acknowledge the supreme authority of that law1 and to register their purpose in the fundamental instrument of their government1 to adjust all national affairs according to its requirements8 ,and now1 what can be said of our seventh-day ,sabbatarian brethren8 ,are they not inconsistent8 ,they proclaim the duty of the nation to acknowledge 8the highest of all laws40 ,so far1 we are agreed4 ,they maintain that the ,bible is that law4 ,here1 too1 we are at one4 ,and yet they--not all of them1 we are happy to state--oppose a movement which aims to secure in the organic law and life of the nation a sincere1 reverent1 and obedient acknowledgment of the authority of the ,bible--an acknowledgment which forecloses discussion on no question on which ,christians or others may differ1 but which brings the final appeal in all national controversies to the tribunal of the unerring word of ,god4 ,the inconsistency of this attitude of opposition to the ,christian ,amendment cannot but create unfavorable presumptions in regard to the soundness of judgment of any who may occupy it4 ,an attack from so weak a point1 upon the ,constitutional acknowledgment of the ,christian ,scriptures1 it will be generally felt1 does not betoken a very formidable assault upon the ,sabbath of the ,christian church4 ,and yet1 notwithstanding this1 to our mind1 exceedingly unfortunate connection1 we would bear cheerful testimony to the fact that the articles we have inserted1 so far as they are an argument against the first-day ,sabbath1 and this is manifestly the point which the writer had principally in view1 contain a clear1 calm1 courteous1 and attractively written presentation of one side of a very important subject4 ,we shall present the other side of the question in succeeding issues of this journal4 ,,rejoinder1 ,,by ,w4 ,h4 ,,littlejohn4 8,,seventh-,,day ,,sabbatarians ,,and ,,the ,,christian ,,amendment40 ,we have debated for some time in our own mind the propriety of attempting an answer to the strictures1 if such they may be called1 upon our articles on the ,constitutional ,amendment4 ,having decided1 however1 that they contain a show of logic which might deceive the careless reader1 we have at last determined to give them a notice commensurate with the importance they assume1 if not from their intrinsic merit1 at least from the distinguished source whence they emanate4 ,before doing this1 we take pleasure in acknowledging the generosity of their author in allowing us to discuss in the columns of his paper the subject from a stand-point of a nature calculated to dampen rather than stimulate the ardor of his readers in the work in which1 with him1 they are engaged4 ,from the outset1 we have discovered no disposition to take any advantage by which the full effect of what we had to say might in any way be lessened4 ,on the contrary1 attention has several times been called to our communications1 as being worthy of perusal by all4 ,having said thus much in reference to the treatment we received at the hands of the editor of the ,statesman up to the time of the completion of the publication of our articles1 we shall be pardoned for expressing our surprise at finding ourselves1 in his first reply1 standing somewhat in the attitude of one who had taken advantage of indulgence shown him to present a line of argument different from that proposed at the beginning4 ,it is possible that we have mistaken the design of the statements to which we allude4 ,this we hope may prove to be the case2 for1 so far as we are concerned1 individually1 we have covered the precise ground which we designed to at the first4 ,if the editor of the ,statesman has found himself disappointed1 either in the nature or the length of the argument1 he is to blame1 and not we4 #a4 ,because1 so far as the matter of length is concerned1 we stated to him that we should leave that entirely 8with his magnanimity1 convinced that he would not cut us short in our work so long as what we had to say was pointed1 gentlemanly1 and of such a nature as to bear forcibly upon the question at issue between us40 #b4 ,as it regards the scope of the articles1 we stated1 unqualifiedly1 that we should treat the subject from the stand-point of an observer of the seventh day1 appealing to the ,bible for our authority4 ,nor were we content with declaring our plan of opposition by letter1 but we went so far as to give1 in the caption of our articles themselves1 an outline of the order in which we should treat the subject4 ,it was as follows3 8,the ,constitutional ,amendment2 or1 the ,sunday1 the ,sabbath1 the ,change1 and the ,restitution40 ,in it1 as will be observed1 is exactly set forth the manner in which we discussed the propriety of the amendment2 7#a7 ,showing the emptiness of the claims of the ,sunday4 7#b7 ,the force and obligation of those of the seventh day4 7#c7 ,the manner in which the change of days occurred1 and 7#d7 ,the work which ,god has inaugurated for the purpose of bringing about the ,restitution4 ,thus much by way of personal acknowledgment and explanation4 ,we turn now to the criticism proper upon our argument4 ,first1 there is an attempt to state the positions which we assumed to prove4 ,in reply1 it is sufficient to say that it is deficient in one very important particular4 ,that particular relates to our proposition that ,god himself has inaugurated a movement entirely outside of1 and opposed to1 the ,constitutional ,amendment party1 for the purpose of bringing about a ,sabbath reform in his own way4 ,for proof of this1 we appeal to our last article in full4 ,it is1 to say the least1 not a little remarkable that the editor of the ,statesman should have overlooked this point in our communications1 since a perception of it would have saved him the perpetration of the great mistake which he has made1 as we shall see hereafter4 ,secondly1 ,it is intimated that the proposed amendment is not necessarily connected with the ,sabbath question2 and that1 therefore1 observers of the seventh day should unite with those of the first in securing its passage1 which1 being done1 the differences between them could be settled at leisure4 ,now we confess to not a little surprise that such a position should be taken by a gentleman of so much candor and penetration as the editor of the ,statesman4 ,have we then been deceived up to this point8 ,is it true that ,sunday observance has not heretofore been represented as something of vital importance to the nation1 to be secured1 and only secured1 by the alteration of the ,constitution as proposed8 ,have these gentlemen not been really in earnest when they have appealed to the strong love of the people for the strict observance of what they have been pleased to call the ,sabbath1 in their endeavors to arouse them to the significance of their movement8 ,if they have not1 then they are unworthy of public confidence1 and should henceforth be cast down from the leadership of a great party1 which boasts1 not only its morality1 but also its ,christianity4 ,let us see1 then1 whether the amendment1 which is now in their hands1 is1 or is not1 by their own confession1 to be employed in the interest of ,sunday observance4 ,that the ,christian ,statesman is a fair exponent of the opinions and intentions of the leading spirits in the movement for the amendment1 we think no one will have the hardihood to deny4 ,what it advocates and favors1 then1 is destined to stand or fall with the triumph or defeat of the men who speak through it4 ,turning to the prospectus of the identical copy of the ,statesman which contains the criticism which we are reviewing1 we find the following statement3 8,the design of this paper1 as its name suggests1 is the discussion of the principles of civil government in the light of ,christianity4 ,it has been established to advocate the proposed ,religious ,amendment to the ,constitution of the ,united ,states4 ,at the same time1 it will aid in maintaining all existing ,christian features in our civil institutions1 in particular1 laws against the desecration of the ,christian ,sabbath10 c4 ,we might pause here1 but1 in a matter of this importance1 let us make certainty doubly certain4 ,it was strange that the writer should have made the assertion which he did1 with the prospectus from which we have quoted before him4 ,it is passing strange that--as if guided by a ,providence which had doomed him to make a complete exposure of his real sentiments1 although in so doing his own consistency should be involved--he should1 within two weeks from the penning of the above assertion1 go back upon the files of his periodical for two years1 and reprint1 by way of emphasis1 according to his own statement1 the following editorial1 which forever settles the point that he believes and knows that the amendment and ,sunday-keeping are destined to be joined together in a common victory4 ,as the reader peruses this editorial1 let him bear in mind the fact that it is not the effusion of an excited and exasperated man1 but the expression of a deep and settled conviction which has once found utterance1 and which so perfectly expresses the real sentiments of its author that1 after years of deliberate reflection1 he felt the truth of what he had said so forcibly that he was constrained to give it fresh utterance4 ,let him also note the fact that the italics are not our own1 but those of the editor4 ,we regret that we have not space to give it in full1 and invite those who can do so1 by all means to turn to the copy of the ,statesman which contains it1 and read it for themselves4 8,time for the meeting of ,congress1 444 ,two years ago we printed the following telegram1 dated at ,washington1 on ,sabbath1 ,dec4 #d1 and commented on it in the following terms1 which we now emphatically repeat3 #8,the trains yesterday and to-day brought large accessions to the number of ,congressmen and visitors already here1 and by to-morrow morning it is expected that nearly every ,senator and member will have arrived4' ,thus the fact is heralded over the whole country that a large number of the members of the ,national ,congress openly and wantonly indulge in common travel on the ,sabbath4444 ,and there are other reflections suggested by their conduct4 8#a4 ,not one of those men who thus violated the ,sabbath is fit to hold any official position in a ,christian nation4444 ,the interests of a nation can never be safe in the hands of ,sabbath-breakers1 and every one of these ,congressmen has done that for which1 if our laws were right1 he ought to be impeached and removed4 8#b4 ,the sin of these ,congressmen is a national sin1 because the nation has not said to them in the ,constitution1 the supreme rule for our public servants1 #8,we charge you to serve us in accordance with the higher law of ,god4' ,these ,sabbath-breaking railroads1 moreover1 are corporations created by the ,state1 and amenable to it4 ,the ,state is responsible to ,god for the conduct of these creatures which it calls into being4 ,it is bound1 therefore1 to restrain them from this1 as from other crimes2 and any violation of the ,sabbath1 by any corporation1 should work immediate forfeiture of its charter4 ,and the ,constitution of the ,united ,states1 with which all ,state legislation is required to be in harmony1 should be of such character as to prevent any ,state from tolerating such infractions of fundamental moral law4 8#c4 ,give us in the ,national ,constitution the simple acknowledgment of the law of ,god as the supreme law of nations1 and all the results indicated in this note will ultimately be secured4 ,let no one say that the movement does not contemplate sufficiently practical ends40--,christian ,statesman1 ,vol4 #f1 ,no4 #ae4 ,now let it be borne in mind that the question at issue is one of practical bearing1 and not of mere technical distinction4 ,we are not splitting hairs as to what consistency would demand under certain circumstances2 but the matter in dispute is1 ,is it not in the highest degree probable that a party1 represented by men who express1 beforehand1 sentiments like those contained in the above editorial1 would1 when having vaulted into the seat of power1 attempt the coercion of all into a strict observance of the ,sunday8 ,is not the line of argument employed above that which would compel them to this action1 since it is there insisted that ,god holds the nation and the ,state responsible for any dereliction in duty in this direction8 ,furthermore1 is it not promised1 in so many words1 that if the amendment is carried1 the end desired shall be secured by statutes so relentless that all offending corporations shall have their charters taken away1 and by a public opinion so uncompromising that no man who presumes to violate the ,sabbath law shall be thought worthy of any position of trust8 ,thirdly1 ,waiving1 for the time being1 the point that the ,sunday and the amendment stand together1 it is urged that1 though they do1 this should not prevent seventh-day observers from supporting the latter1 since it is better to submit to ,sunday laws than to have the nation pass into the hands of atheists4 ,before debating this proposition at length1 it will be well to bear in mind that what ,i have said in the ,statesman1 as well as what ,i now say1 is spoken simply with reference to one occupying the position of a ,seventh-day ,adventist4 ,so far as our ,seventh-day ,baptist friends are concerned1 we have no disposition to hold them responsible for the views which we1 as ,adventists1 hold4 ,but so far as it regards our relation to this subject1 it is materially affected by these considerations4 ,a failure to discern this has led the gentleman into very absurd positions4 ,when he attempts to make a ,seventh-day ,adventist conscience1 he must form it upon a ,seventh-day ,adventist model4 ,before he can do this1 all his bright visions of a temporal millennium and good days to come1 must vanish into thin air4 ,to say1 as he does1 that common sense would teach him to pursue a certain line of conduct1 is one thing2 to say that1 did he occupy the position which we hold1 common sense would teach him to do the same thing1 is another1 and entirely different1 thing4 ,let it be borne in mind1 therefore1 that we are not now discussing the proposition whether we ought to be ,seventh-day ,adventists1 but1 taking the ground which he has chosen1 whether1 as ,adventists1 we ought to support the proposed amendment4 ,this being done1 we are ready to inquire1 ,what is the peculiar faith of the people in question8 ,we answer1 #a4 ,they believe that ,jesus ,christ is about to come in the clouds of heaven4 #b4 ,that they represent a body of believers which the ,lord is raising up in order that they may lift the standard of his downtrodden law and ,sabbath1 as one around which those who will be ready to hail him at his appearing1 though few in numbers1 will ultimately be gathered4 #c4 ,that1 in the light of prophecy1 those who thus break away from the errors of the papacy are in danger of persecution1 not from infidels and atheists1 bad as they may be1 but from those who1 in the guise of religion1 shall1 without warrant from ,god1 endeavor to enforce by statute law the observance of a day which finds no authority in the word of ,god1 but has for its support simply the dictum of the man of sin4 #d4 ,that the very body of men whose appearance in this country they have for twenty years so confidently predicted1 as being the ones who should do the work in question1 have actually appeared1 and are inaugurating the campaign which is very soon to be waged with unrelenting fury against those who keep the commandments of ,god and the faith of ,jesus4 ,all these features of their faith were shadowed forth in our communications in the ,statesman4 ,with this understanding1 how utterly empty and infelicitous is the logic of our friend4 ,take1 for example1 his chosen illustration of the islanders4 ,there is in it hardly a single point appropos to the case in hand4 #a4 ,the island to which the missionaries are supposed to go is one in which1 according to his statement1 the fourth-day ,sabbath is already acknowledged as such in their ,constitution of government1 and therefore carries with it the sanction and authority of statute law2 whereas1 with us there is no such ,constitutional acknowledgment4 #b4 ,in the case of the islanders1 their mistake in the selection of the day is evidently attributed wholly to ignorance1 since they were in possession of only a part of the ,bible1 and their remedy was to be found in furnishing them with copies of the complete work2 but our opponents1 on the contrary1 are in possession1 and have been from childhood1 of the ,scriptures in full4 ,nor can the ministry1 who are leading the movement in question1 plead ignorance of the line of argument by which the seventh-day ,sabbath is supported1 since1 for at least two hundred years1 it has been iterated and reiterated1 until their familiarity with it and their complete rejection of it is proved1 not only by what they say1 but also by what they do4 ,instance the fining and imprisonment1 at sundry times1 even in this country1 of men who1 having conscientiously observed the seventh day1 have attempted to enjoy the privilege which ,god has given them1 both by precept and example1 of working on the first day of the week4 #c4 ,in the case cited1 the infidel minority is supposed to be on the point of mounting the throne of power1 and of sweeping away every vestige of the ,sabbath institution2 whereas1 in our case1 as seen above1 the danger which threatens the people of ,god in these last days1 is not to be apprehended alone from those who scoff at ,god and the ,bible1 but from those who1 according to ,paul1 having 8a form of godliness10 shall 8deny the power thereof40 ,in other words1 who1 while accepting the ,scriptures1 if you please1 shall disregard their explicit statements1 as in the case of the commandments1 substituting in the place of the seventh day1 which ,god has styled his ,sabbath1 the first1 which he has never claimed as his own1 nor enjoined on any man4 ,with this statement of our views1 further remark is uncalled for4 ,we think that even our reviewer will now perceive that1 before he could bring us to accept as logical the proposition numbered three1 above1 it would be necessary for him to overturn the very foundations of the system of truth which we now hold4 ,this1 however1 we fancy is a task which our opponent judging from the line of argument which he has thus far pursued1 would not undertake with much prospect of success1 until he has become more thoroughly conversant with the scope and nature of the work in which we are engaged4 ,fourthly4 ,it is suggested that we are in danger of being classed with infidels and atheists4 ,so far as this peril is concerned1 we simply remark that it is generally found to be best in the long run to do right for the sake of right1 regardless of what men may say concerning you1 leaving the result with ,god4 ,the individual who would desert sound principles because some wicked man or set of men might1 for the time being1 be confounded with him1 is destitute of true morality4 ,besides1 in the matter in question1 who is it from whom ,seventh-day ,adventists need apprehend that such an erroneous impression will receive publicity8 ,we trust not from our friend1 because1 in the article in question1 he frankly acknowledges their devotion to the ,bible in its strict construction4 ,is it1 then1 from the infidels themselves8 ,well1 if it should be1 we think we can undeceive them4 ,i will tell you what we will do4 ,whenever they attempt to 8fawn upon us overmuch10 we will preach to them the law of ,god1 ,sabbath and all1 and my word for it1 they will themselves shortly draw a line of demarkation between them and us1 so broad and distinct that all who are not willfully blind will have no difficulty in discerning it2 for it is a remarkable fact that it is as true now as it formerly was1 that the 8carnal mind is not subject to the law of ,god1 neither indeed can be40 ,the infidel of the present day hates that law with a hatred1 the intensity of which is only equalled by that of the large body of first-day observers--we are happy to say not of the ,statesman school--who have abolished the ten commandments in order to dispose of one of them1 and whose special delight seems to consist in berating the law which ,david pronounced 8perfect10 and ,paul declared to be 8holy1 just1 and good40 ,finally1 we submit that when it can be shown1 #a4 ,that ,god would be better pleased with a nation having a ,constitution which contained his printed name1 while wielding the whole power of that ,constitution against the only ,sabbath which he has ever commanded1 than he would be with one which--while his name would fail to appear in its fundamental law--was nevertheless administered in the interests of civil and religious liberty2 and #b4 ,that the best method of converting atheists is one by which they would be exasperated by fines and imprisonments inflicted in the name of the ,god of the ,bible for the desecration of a day which they know that it nowhere commands2 and #c4 ,that it would be reasonable to expect that men should1 by their votes1 elevate to place and authority those who are destined to put manacles upon their wrists1 and padlocks upon their tongues2 then1 and not till then1 can ,seventh-day ,adventists be expected to support an amendment which1 though in many respects desirable1 will inevitably be employed against ,god1 his people1 and his law4 ,,statesman',s ,,reply4 ,,article ,,two4 ,,the ,,seventh ,,day ,,not ,,observed ,,by ,,the ,,early ,,christian ,,church4 ,having shown in our last article that seventh-day ,sabbatarians1 to be consistent with themselves in appealing to the ,bible as of supreme authority1 should be among the earnest friends of the ,religious ,amendment1 we come now to consider their argument against the first-day ,sabbath4 ,on many points dwelt upon in the articles we have published1 there is no difference of view4 ,we believe that the ,sabbath was instituted1 not in the wilderness1 for ,israel2 but in ,eden1 for mankind4 ,we maintain1 also1 that the law of the ,sabbath is an essential part of the great moral code of the ten commandments1 spoken by ,god's voice amid the awful manifestations of ,sinai1 and written by the finger of ,god on tables of stone as a law of perpetual obligation for the whole human family4 ,these1 and other points admitted on both sides1 need not occupy time and space in this discussion4 ,we are concerned here1 and now1 simply with the transfer of the ,sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week4 ,our readers have had before them an argument1 of considerable length1 to show that ,god never authorized a change of day4 ,we proceed to prove that the transfer was made by divine authority and approval4 ,in doing this1 we shall first have to inquire into the facts of history4 ,we shall have to ask1 ,was the observance of the seventh-day ,sabbath1 acknowledged as binding up to the resurrection of ,christ1 continued by the apostles and the early church after that event8 ,was any other day substituted by them in its place8 ,for an answer to these questions1 we must appeal to facts4 ,we make our appeal to the records of the ,new ,testament4 ,a careful and thorough examination of these authoritative records shows conclusively that the seventh day was not observed as the ,sabbath after the resurrection of ,christ by the apostles and the early church4 ,it is admitted on all hands that ,christ himself1 before his death1 and his disciples1 up to the time of his resurrection1 kept the seventh day holy4 ,it is also admitted on both sides that after the resurrection the apostles and other followers of ,christ kept holy one day in seven4 ,while they abounded daily in the work of the ,lord1 the seventh-day ,sabbatarians will concede with us that there was still one day marked out from the rest of the week as sacred time4 ,what day was thus distinguished8 ,was it the seventh1 otherwise known as the ,sabbath8 ,let us see4 ,the word ,sabbath occurs in the ,new ,testament1 after the close of the gospel history1 twelve times4 ,in two of these instances1 viz41 ,acts #bj3g1 and #a ,cor4 #af3b1 the word means 8week10 and not the seventh day1 as also in a number of instances in the gospels4 ,in ,acts #a3ab1 the word is used to indicate a certain distance4 ,the term is employed in two other places1 viz41 ,acts #ac3bg1 and #ae3ba1 in incidental reference to the service of the ,jewish synagogues4 ,in ,colossians #b3af1 ,paul mentions the seventh-day ,sabbath only to deny the obligation of its observance4 ,this important passage will be considered farther on4 ,there remain1 then1 six instances1 two of them in regard to one and the same day and meeting1 in which the word is found in accounts of gatherings for religious purposes on that day1 the seventh of the week4 ,these meetings were as follows3 #a4 ,at ,antioch1 in ,pisidia1 ,acts #ac3ad2 #b4 ,at the same place1 the next seventh day1 ,acts #ac3db1 #dd2 #c4 ,at ,philippi1 ,acts #af3ac2 #d4 ,at ,thessalonica1 ,acts #ag3b2 and #e4 ,at ,corinth1 ,acts #ah3d4 ,at ,thessalonica1 there were three ,sabbaths1 and at ,corinth1 every ,sabbath1 it may be inferred1 for several weeks1 thus marked by religious meetings4 ,we are informed that ,paul went into the synagogue at ,thessalonica on the ,sabbath1 or seventh day1 8as his manner was40 ,and1 accordingly1 particularly during his first and second1 or his more properly termed1 missionary tours1 as distinguished from his journeys in revisiting churches already organized1 we may unhesitatingly infer that there were other similar meetings on the seventh day1 as at ,salamis1 ,acts #ac3ae2 at ,iconium1 ,acts #ad3a2 and at ,ephesus1 ,acts #ah3ai1 and #ai3h4 ,and here we note the fact that in not a single one of these instances was the meeting a gathering of ,christians4 ,in no case was it the assembly of the members of a ,christian church for worship4 ,in every case1 these meetings on the seventh day were in ,jewish places of worship1 all in synagogues regularly occupied by ,jewish assemblies1 except that at ,philippi1 which was at a proseucha1 a ,jewish place of prayer out of the city by the river's side4 ,in every instance1 it was a gathering of ,jews and ,jewish proselytes1 with the addition of a greater or lesser number of ,gentiles1 the sight of a crowd of whom at ,antioch1 the second day of meeting in their synagogue1 excited the jealousy and rage of the ,jews4 ,and in these gatherings1 in every case1 ,paul labored as a missionary1 glad to avail himself of every opportunity to proclaim the saving truths of the gospel of ,christ4 ,can any intelligent and candid reader of the inspired records fail to understand the narrative of ,paul's missionary work8 ,he was sent forth 8to turn sinners from darkness to light40 ,as he himself states at ,antioch1 addressing the ,jews3 8,it was necessary that the word of ,god should first have been spoken to you40 ,his 8heart's desire and prayer to ,god for ,israel was that they might be saved40 ,accordingly1 wherever he went1 he was found going to them on the seventh day in their places of worship1 not in ,christian houses of prayer2 meeting with them in their assemblies1 not in assemblies of professed followers of ,christ4 ,just as a ,christian missionary1 in modern times1 going to a heathen land1 would avail himself1 if possible1 of the customary assemblies of the residents1 whatever day they might keep holy1 so ,paul and his fellow-missionaries availed themselves of the seventh-day assemblies of the ,jews1 that from among them1 as well as from among the ,gentiles1 they might gather out an ecclesia--a body of followers of the ,lord ,jesus1 in whom ,jew and ,gentile should be one4 ,the question1 therefore1 still remains to be answered3 ,which day of the week did the church at ,jerusalem1 existing at the time of ,christ's ascension1 which day did the apostles in their relations with this church1 which day did the churches1 organized and established by the apostles1 and under their example and divine authority1 observe as a holy day1 a ,sabbath to the ,lord8 ,in all the references to the seventh day1 or ,jewish ,sabbath1 there is not1 as we have seen1 a particle of evidence that that day was thus observed4 ,on the other hand1 there is positive testimony that the very congregations or churches of ,christians1 organized at the places where ,paul performed missionary labor on the seventh day1 ignored that day1 and in its stead observed another day of the week as holy time4 ,for example1 at ,corinth1 8as his manner was10 ,paul went first to the ,jews and preached to them in their synagogue1 the word of ,god1 reasoning with them1 and persuading them and the ,greeks to accept of ,christ4 ,then1 when the ,jews opposed themselves and blasphemed1 he shook his raiment1 and said unto them1 8,your blood be upon your own heads2 ,i am clean3 from henceforth ,i will go unto the ,gentiles40 ,so he left the synagogue and the ,jews1 not the city1 and entering into the house of ,justus1 received ,crispus1 the chief ruler of the synagogue1 with all his house1 and many of the ,corinthians1 as converts into the ,christian church4 ,here we have the church of ,corinth4 ,which day of the week did it observe as the ,sabbath of the ,lord8 the seventh8 ,though ,paul 8continued there a year and six months1 teaching the word of ,god among them10 there is not a word more about seventh-day services4 ,this1 it is true1 would be merely negative1 if it were all4 ,but this is not all4 ,in ,paul's direction to this same church1 a few years later1 he makes clear and certain1 what before was probable1 that their stated day for religious services was not the seventh1 but the first1 day of the week4 #a ,cor4 #af3b4 ,the plain and most explicit teaching of this passage will be fully considered hereafter4 ,again1 when ,paul entered into the synagogue at ,ephesus1 and reasoned with the ,jews 7,acts #ah3ai71 and1 because he could not tarry long at this time1 soon returned again1 and met the objections of disputatious ,jews for the space of three months 7,acts #ai3h71 his labors as a missionary are said to have been in the synagogue1 no doubt on the ,sabbath of the ,jews1 or the seventh day4 ,but once more separating the ,christian converts from the unbelieving and blaspheming ,jews1 and forming the ,christian church of ,ephesus1 he continued there in incessant labors for two years4 ,and now we hear no more of seventh-day assemblies4 ,this1 again1 may be said to be merely negative1 as we hear of no special honor put upon any day4 ,but we have not done with this4 ,passing the last years of his life in this city of ,ephesus1 the apostle ,john writes of 8the ,lord's day10 known and observed by the ,christians among whom he dwelt4 ,that this holy day of the early church1 called the ,lord's day1 was not the seventh1 but the first1 is shown by the most satisfactory historical testimony1 which will be adduced in full in its proper connection4 ,once more4 ,when ,paul came to ,troas to preach ,christ's gospel1 and a door was opened to him of the ,lord 7#b ,cor4 #b3ab71 whether it was on his first very brief visit 7,acts #af3h71 or more probably in going over 8those parts10 on his way from ,ephesus to ,macedonia 7,acts #bj3b71 he no doubt1 8as his manner was10 went into the synagogue and reasoned with the ,jews4 ,a congregation of ,christian disciples was formed1 and the apostle departed for ,greece4 ,after an absence of some months1 ,paul returns to ,troas1 and with his companions remains there seven days1 departing again on the second day of the week4 ,whether he departed on the first or second1 however1 the fact remains that1 during his abode of seven days at ,troas1 there was one seventh day4 ,do we hear of any religious meeting on that day8 ,did the disciples then assemble for divine service8 ,let us hear the record3 8,we abode seven days4 ,and upon the first day of the week1 when the disciples came together to break bread1 ,paul preached unto them1 ready to depart on the morrow40 ,the seventh day is passed by4 ,the day for the assembling of the ,christian disciples is not the ,sabbath of the ,jews4 ,another day has taken its place4 ,this most explicit instance at ,troas of ignoring the seventh day1 and honoring another in its place1 as the stated day for the religious services of ,christians1 abundantly confirms1 if confirmation were needed1 the conclusions already reached in the instances at ,corinth and ,ephesus4 ,thus the facts of the records of inspired history conclusively prove that the seventh day was not observed by the apostles and early ,christians as their sacred day of divine worship1 or the ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,we might add here that the testimony of all the earliest ,christian writers1 who received from the apostles and the companions of the apostles the institutions of the ,christian church1 is full and explicit to the same effect4 ,but we shall hear their evidence for the first day1 and thus also against the seventh1 in good time4 ,it will now be in place to consider how apostolic precept corresponds with apostolic example1 and that of the churches1 in regard to the seventh day4 ,colossians #b3af1 a most important passage1 making particular mention of the seventh-day ,sabbath1 yet singularly overlooked by seventh-day ,sabbatarians1 now claims our attention for a moment4 ,judaizing teachers1 so busy everywhere throughout the early church1 had been at work among the ,christian disciples at ,colosse4 ,they had been insisting upon the observance of the seventh day as the ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,one would think that some of these men had come down to our time and learned to use very good ,english4 ,we refer these representatives of an ancient1 but not honorably mentioned1 class for instruction to the apostle's words to the ,colossians3 8,let no man judge you in meat or in drink1 or in respect of a holy day literally1 of a feast1 or of the new moon1 or of the ,sabbath days20 i4 e41 of yearly1 monthly1 or weekly ,jewish celebrations4 ,we do not wait to examine the parallel passages in ,gal4 #d3aj1 and ,rom4 #ad3e1 where the obligation of ,jewish observances1 including the seventh-day ,sabbath1 is denied1 and where1 in the latter case1 to make the argument even stronger1 the toleration of these observances as a weakness is considerately advised4 ,surely1 it is no wonder that seventh-day ,sabbatarians seem not to be aware of the existence of these portions of the divine word6 ,it cannot be pleasant to be made to feel that1 like the ,judaizers of old1 they bring themselves under the sharp rebuke of the inspired apostle by judging ,christians in respect of the seventh-day ,sabbath4 ,we will now sum up this part of the discussion3 ,admitting that the ,sabbath was instituted in ,eden for mankind2 that it is of perpetual obligation2 that it was observed by ,christ himself before his death1 and by his disciples until his resurrection1 as by the ,jews of old1 on the seventh day of the week2 we have gone on to see that the apostles and the early church1 still having one stated day each week as a holy day1 did not continue the observance of the seventh day4 ,we have seen that the seventh day1 after the resurrection1 is mentioned only in connection with assemblies1 in ,jewish places of worship1 of ,jews1 ,jewish proselytes1 and1 in some instances1 a larger or smaller addition of ,gentiles1 among all of whom the apostle labored as a missionary for the conversion of souls1 and the formation of ,christian congregations1 or churches4 ,we have found that no instance can be adduced of the apostles in their relations to ,christian churches1 nor of assemblies of ,christian disciples1 meeting to observe the seventh day as the ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,on the other hand1 we have found them ignoring the seventh day and honoring another1 in perfect harmony with the apostle ,paul's rebuke of ,judaizing teachers who insisted on having ,christian disciples observe the seventh day1 and his condescending toleration of their weakness4 ,a ,,rejoinder4 8,,the ,,seventh ,,day ,,not ,,observed ,,by ,,the ,,early ,,christian ,,church40 ,it is1 we confess1 with some degree of embarrassment1 that we attempt the answering of the second article from the pen of the editor of the ,statesman1 in reply to the argument which we presented in the columns of that paper4 ,our difficulty does not arise from any confusion into which we have been thrown by the superior logic of our opponent2 it consists1 rather1 in knowing just where and how to commence the work4 ,so far as statements are concerned1 they are numerous and repeated again and again1 in substance4 ,but we have no disposition1 nor have we the space1 to take them up singly1 in their numerical and repetitious order1 for consideration4 ,and1 besides1 the fallacy of nearly every one of them has been demonstrated in what we have already written4 ,this being the case1 we have determined to take the general scope of the criticism1 and thus1 as briefly as may be1 make suggestions which1 if carried out1 will answer its assumptions1 as well as its attempted efforts at deduction4 ,we remark1 then1 in the outset1 that we are happy to meet the writer upon the common ground of a ,sabbath having originated in ,eden1 and inserted in a law of perpetual obligation on both ,jews and ,gentiles4 ,let the reader keep these mutual concessions continually before his eyes4 ,they are of great significance in this debate4 #a4 ,they prove that the ,sabbath is not ,jewish in its origin1 but was given to ,adam1 as their representative head1 for the benefit of the whole race1 more than two thousand years before there was a ,jew in existence4 #b4 ,they also prove that the ,sabbath institution was rendered obligatory upon all men by a divine precept1 with the phraseology of which we are all acquainted4 #c4 ,that that precept is explicit in its declaration that the last and not the first day of the week was the ,sabbath4 #d4 ,that before any other day can be substituted in the place of the one designated1 the ,power which originated it must authorize the change4 ,so much for the important results which necessarily flow from the principles which we hold in common1 if indeed we are right in supposing that the writer really means what he actually says2 namely1 that he holds to the perpetuity of the fourth commandment of the decalogue4 ,we shall see1 hereafter1 whether or not his statements are to be taken for all which they express4 ,we advance1 now1 in our examination of the criticism before us4 ,what direction1 then1 does the effort take in the main8 ,it will be granted that the plan of defense adopted is that of attempting to prove that the early church did violate the seventh1 and did honor the first1 day of the week4 ,but with what success has the effort been attended8 ,we know that it is stated several times that the apostles disregarded what the author is pleased to call the ,jewish ,sabbath--after he had conceded the principle that that of the commandment was ,edenic in its origin--but did he make out his case8 ,so far from it1 in every instance where he has found them connected in the record with the ,sabbath day1 it has ever been in the performance of duties religious in their nature4 ,for should we concede that he is right in supposing that ,paul went into the synagogues to teach on the ,sabbath day1 simply because he would find hearers there1 this1 assuredly1 would not prove that ,paul was a ,sabbath-breaker4 ,let me take the gentleman's favorite illustration of a missionary in a foreign land1 at the present time4 ,now suppose that his lot were cast in a country where the first day of the week1 or the day of the sun1 was regarded as holy by the natives1 and he should be found on that day regularly teaching them in their places of assembly1 would that decide the question that he was necessarily a violator of the first-day ,sabbath8 ,you answer immediately in the negative4 ,so1 too1 in the case of ,paul4 ,the fact that it can be shown that it was his custom to teach in the synagogues on the seventh day of the week1 if it has no power to prove that he was a conscientious observer of that day1 cannot at least be cited as furnishing evidence that he disregarded it4 ,we ask1 then1 again1 ,has a scintilla of positive testimony been given that ,paul ever broke a single ,sabbath of the ,lord1 as contained in the divine precept8 ,once more it must be conceded that there has not4 ,but is it not a little singular that in a history of thirty years1 where the ,sabbath is so often mentioned1 not one single action has ever been discovered in the least incompatible with ,paul's veneration of the seventh day8 ,we let the reader answer4 ,furthermore1 we have from the pen of our opponent himself the frank admission that1 in the historic territory over which he has been passing1 it has been uniformly true that both ,luke and ,paul have ever1 when speaking of the seventh day1 called it 8the ,sabbath40 ,now let the reader remember that this confession is full and sweeping in its character4 ,then let him ask himself whether it is natural to suppose that men1 having repudiated an old ,sabbath1 and zealous for the establishment of a new one1 would be likely to make up the record in question in such a form that the old ,sabbath1 whenever spoken of1 should always be styled 8the ,sabbath10 and the new one be mentioned merely as the 8first day of the week80 ,in order to impress the fallacy of such an idea1 we have but to call attention to the fact that men1 at the present time1 possessing the same natures and dispositions as formerly1 would avoid such a course with the most scrupulous care4 ,instance the fact that seventh-day observers never allude to the ,sunday as the ,sabbath1 but avoid such a reference under all circumstances2 while the devotees of the ,sunday1 when speaking of the last day of the week1 almost uniformly speak of it as the ,jewish ,sabbath1 if ,sabbath they will allow themselves to call it at all4 ,but again4 ,we are told1 very candidly1 that by the word ,sabbath1 in ,acts #ac3dd1 where it is said that the 8next ,sabbath day came almost the whole city together0 to hear the word of ,god1 is meant the next seventh day succeeding the first seventh day on which ,paul addressed the ,jews at ,antioch4 ,this being true1 it is settled beyond dispute that1 in the mind of ,luke1 there was no ,sabbath day occurring between the one on which ,paul spoke to the people1 and the seventh day of the next week when he addressed them the second time2 for1 if there had been1 then it would not have been proper to call the last ,sabbath mentioned the 8next0 one1 since another ,sabbath would have intervened between the two in question4 ,in other words1 according to the view of our friend1 the ,sunday1 which was the next day after the first discourse of ,paul1 was really the next ,sabbath which followed it2 whereas1 the inspired penman ignores it altogether1 and1 passing over it with silence1 calls the last day of that same week 8the ,sabbath40 ,again1 it is stated in ,acts #ae3ba1 that the 8,scriptures are read in the synagogues every ,sabbath day40 ,here1 again1 it is conceded that the reference is to the seventh day of the week4 ,if this be true1 however1 then ,james1 as well as ,luke1 had1 in his lexicon of terms1 the 8,sabbath day0 as the one which answered to the seventh day and not to the first2 for no one will insist that the ,scriptures were read in the synagogues of the ,jews regularly on the first day of the week2 but ,james says that they were read there every ,sabbath day2 therefore1 in his mind--as we have already remarked--the first day was not the ,sabbath4 ,once more3 ,it is stated of ,paul that he reasoned in the synagogues every ,sabbath1 and persuaded the ,jews and the ,greeks4 ,here also it is urged--admitting that the reference is to the seventh day--that ,paul went into the synagogue in order to get a hearing4 ,but this he could not do on the first day1 since he would have found the synagogue closed1 and no audience4 ,nevertheless1 the statement stands unqualified that ,paul preached 8every ,sabbath40 ,now if this be true1 and the first as well as the seventh day might1 according to the view of the historian1 be called a ,sabbath1 then we have him stating that ,paul preached in the place in question on both the first and seventh days4 ,on the other hand1 if he regarded the first day as alone the ,sabbath1 then he meant to teach that ,paul preached in the synagogue on that day1 and that day only4 ,but my opponent will not insist upon either of these positions4 ,the only conclusion that is left us1 therefore1 is that the ,holy ,ghost1 who inspired ,luke in the selection of terms1 employed the appellation of ,sabbath as applying only to the day which had been sanctified in ,eden1 and had always been known by that title4 ,now let us give our attention for a moment to the objection so strongly urged that in the book of the ,acts1 and in the epistles1 there is no well-authenticated instance in which the apostles held meetings1 with ,christians exclusively1 on the seventh day4 ,the point of the proposition might be thus stated3 ,if the early ,christians did hold meetings on the seventh day1 the record would have shown it3 this it fails to do2 therefore1 the presumption is that they did not regard it as holy4 ,this is a sword that cuts both ways1 if it cuts at all4 ,we do not wonder that1 when our friend laid hold of its hilt1 he said1 tremblingly1 ,this is a negative weapon2 so that1 when we should attempt to borrow it of him1 we might find the edge1 which was designed for his own neck1 dulled by his own concession4 ,but let us proceed4 ,is it true1 so far as the ancient ,sabbath of the ,lord is concerned1 that1 unless we can find historic accounts of its observance in the ,new ,testament1 we must therefore conclude that it was not regarded8 ,we answer1 ,no2 simply because its observance is not alone taught by precedent4 ,it rests upon a positive command of ,god1 incorporated in a law which was brought over into this dispensation1 as we have seen1 and made obligatory upon ,christians4 ,it was not1 therefore1 necessary that a detailed account of its observance should be placed upon the record1 in order to prove that it was regarded by the early church2 since the very fact that they acknowledged the law of ,god1 is in itself proof that they sanctified the ,sabbath which it ordained4 ,until1 therefore1 the gentleman can shake the pillars of that law--as we shall show he has not yet succeeded in doing--it is of itself a guarantee that every seventh day was regarded with solemnity by those who were endeavoring to keep its precepts4 ,in proof of this1 we have but to mention the fact that from ,moses to ,david--a space covering five hundred years--the term ,sabbath is not employed once in the sacred history1 and yet the gentleman will agree with me that the good men of those ages hallowed it1 simply because he agrees with me that they had a precept requiring them to do so4 ,but1 again1 we must be allowed to insist that the very silence of which the gentleman complains does indirectly prove1 independent of the commandment1 that the first generation of ,christians were ,sabbatarians4 ,what we mean to be understood as saying is1 that they at least did not violate the regulations concerning the strict observance of the ,sabbath1 as enforced among the ,jews2 for had they done so1 a record of thirty years could not have failed to bring to light numerous collisions1 which would have been inevitable between ,jews and ,christians1 the one class despising and trampling down the ,sabbath of the law1 and the other following them with that vulture glance of inquisition1 by which--as in the case of our ,lord--they were in the habit of watching their antagonists1 with a view to condemning them before the law4 ,and1 besides1 with what show of consistency could ,paul have stood up before them1 announcing himself as one who had never violated the customs of the fathers 7,acts #bh3ag71 if he had been seen weekly transgressing the law of one of the dearest institutions handed down to them from the remotest antiquity8 ,thus much for one side of the logic of our opponent4 ,now let us apply it to the ,sunday4 ,as we do so1 it will be recollected that there has been no effort made1 as yet1 to place it upon a positive precept4 ,its existence1 therefore1 if such it has at all1 must be attributable to precedent4 ,thus far1 such precedent has not been cited1 except by way of anticipation4 ,when it comes up1 we will consider it in order4 ,in the meantime1 let it be remembered that our friend has voluntarily taken a position which will compel him to admit that1 unless he can find at least one clear and unquestionable case in which the ,sunday was from beginning to end devoutly celebrated1 his cause is a hopeless one4 ,nay1 more1 to make out his point1 every candid mind will demand that1 in the absence of positive command1 he shall be able to show numerous instances in which the day1 whose claims he seeks to vindicate1 was intelligently honored2 for1 be it remembered1 that1 according to his own declaration1 the apostle was traveling from point to point1 writing and preaching1 and ,luke was keeping a diary of his labors1 for the purpose of instructing that generation of ,christians1 as well as this1 concerning duty and doctrine4 ,if1 therefore1 ,sunday sanctity came under the head of those doctrines1 it was important1 overwhelmingly so1 that such a fact should be set forth clearly1 since an habitual disregard on the part of any1 of the new ,sabbath1 would bring upon them the condemnation of ,heaven4 ,furthermore1 the line of demarkation1 which the new day would have drawn between the disciples and the ,hebrews1 would have been so broad1 and the discussions upon those points would have been so numerous and so full1 while the transition was taking place1 that its existence could not have failed to become discernible in the writings of that period4 ,here we must change our line of argument1 and turn to the consideration of ,col4 #b3ad-ag1 and of ,rom4 #ad3e4 ,our opponent intimates that ,sabbatarians are in the habit of evading these texts4 ,in this remark1 he does us great injustice4 ,the statement is so far from being true that ,i make no doubt that1 within the last twenty years1 ,seventh-day ,adventist preachers alone have1 by voice and pen1 commented upon them at least a thousand times4 ,but the best method of showing the charge to be untrue will be found in an examination of the texts themselves4 ,the first is as follows3 8,blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us1 which was contrary to us1 and took it out of the way1 nailing it to his cross2 444 ,let no man therefore judge you in meat1 or in drink1 or in respect of an holy day1 or of the new moon1 or of the sabbath days3 which are a shadow of things to come2 but the body is of ,christ40 ,col4 #b3ad1 #af1 #ag4 ,now be it remembered that he affirms that these scriptures teach the abolition of the creation ,sabbath2 also1 that1 while we concede the point that there are here mentioned sabbaths which were abolished at the crucifixion of ,christ1 we deny that the seventh-day ,sabbath was among them1 and insist that they were simply the ceremonial sabbaths of the ,jews to which reference is made4 ,in proof of our position1 we offer the following considerations3 #a4 ,that which was repealed is represented as having been 8blotted out40 ,now the ,scriptures are remarkable for the force and propriety of the illustrations which they employ4 ,but who will say that the terms 8blotting out0 could properly be applied to writing engraved in stone1 as was the ,sabbath law in its original copy8 #b4 ,that which was blotted out was the 8handwriting of ordinances20 but the commandments were the finger-writing of ,god4 #c4 ,that which was blotted out was found among ordinances that were 8against us1 and contrary to us40 ,but ,jesus says1 8,the ,sabbath was made for man40 ,mark #b3bg1 #bh4 #d4 ,that which was blotted out and taken out of the way 8was nailed to his cross40 ,but it is inconceivable that such language could be spoken of the tables of stone1 since they are not of a nature such that the work spoken of could be readily accomplished1 and therefore the figure will not apply to them except when forced4 #e4 ,it must be admitted that these things concerning which we are not to allow men to judge us were either all of them shadows of ,christ1 or that if the others were not1 the sabbath days were4 ,if they were all shadows1 then the sabbaths undeniably were such2 for the expression1 8which were a shadow of things to come10 stands immediately connected with the term 8sabbath days40 ,but this decides the point in controversy2 for our friend has already voluntarily declared that the seventh-day ,sabbath originated in ,eden4 ,this being true1 it cannot be regarded as a 8shadow0 or type of ,christ1 since it was in being before man had ever fallen1 and1 consequently1 before a ,saviour was either needed or promised4 ,it is commemorative in its character1 and was calculated to carry the mind back to the creation1 to the rest of ,jehovah1 rather than forward to the crucifixion of his ,son4 ,do you inquire1 then1 what sabbaths the apostle had in view8 ,we answer3 ,he locates them among 8commandments written in ordinances40 ,in other words1 in the ,mosaic ceremonies4 ,now take your ,bible and turn to the twenty-third chapter of ,leviticus1 and you will find that the ,jews had three annual feasts--the passover1 the ,pentecost1 and the feast of tabernacles--besides the new moons1 and the seven annual sabbaths4 ,the sabbaths were as follows1 to wit3 #a4 ,the first day of unleavened bread4 #b4 ,the seventh day of that feast4 #c4 ,the day of ,pentecost4 #d4 ,the first day of the seventh month4 #e4 ,the tenth day of that month4 #f4 ,the fifteenth day of that month4 #g4 ,the twenty-second day of the same4 ,these are the ones1 beyond all question1 to which reference is here made4#c #a4 ,because they were in the handwriting of ,moses1 and could be blotted out4 #b4 ,because they were found in handwriting of ordinances4 #c4 ,they were among ceremonies that were against us1 and contrary to us 7,acts #ae3aj74 #d4 ,the law in which they originated might have been nailed to the cross4 #e4 ,that law was also one which shadowed forth ,christ 7,heb1 #aj3a74 ,to the second text we shall give but little space4 ,in the presentation of it1 our friend attempts to be facetious4 ,nor are we disposed to find fault with him for this4 ,it is sometimes admissible1 even in the discussion of the gravest questions1 to indulge in harmless humor4 ,that the effort in question partakes of this character1 i4 e41 that it is harmless1 we shall not dispute4 ,at all events1 when we read it1 it amused rather than offended us4 ,a second thought1 however1 suggests the possibility that if we were not damaged by the sally1 it might have been pernicious1 nevertheless1 since it is possible for it to react upon its author4 ,certain it is1 that it will damage either him or ,paul1 because he represents the great apostle as making a special effort1 in his general labors1 to teach men that they must under all circumstances keep one day holy1 and that under some they might be allowed to regard a second also in the same light4 ,but1 unfortunately1 if this exegesis is correct1 and if the language of ,rom4 #ad3e1 applies to the weekly ,sabbath at all1 ,paul blundered egregiously in communicating his intentions2 since he virtually told them whom he was addressing that1 of the days of which he was speaking1 they need not keep them at all1 or they might1 at will4 ,here follows the text 8,one man esteemeth one day above another3 another esteemeth every day alike4 ,let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind40 ,now we have heard men ,who believed in no ,sabbath employ this text again and again to prove that there is now no holy time2 we have also heard conscientious first-day observers argue forcibly and conclusively that this text proved no such thing1 simply because it referred to days that were connected with meats and drinks1 and not to the weekly ,sabbath at all4 ,but we confess that the position of our friend is somewhat novel4 ,nevertheless1 we feel sure that the reputation of the great apostle for perspicuity will not suffer by this attempt1 and we think that1 so far as he is concerned himself1 reflection will prevent him from ever seriously urging it4 ,in conclusion on this point1 we append a brief comment from the pen of ,adam ,clarke1 whose reputation1 and the fact that he was an observer of ,sunday1 will give him no little authority with our opponent4 ,he says3 8,reference is here made to the ,jewish institutions1 and especially their festivals2 such as the passover1 pentecost1 feast of tabernacles1 new moons1 jubilee1 c4 ,the converted ,jew still thought these of moral obligation2 the ,gentile ,christian1 not having been bred up in this way1 had no such prejudices40--,com4 in loco4 ,the only remaining text cited is that of ,gal4 #d3aj4 ,after what has been said1 no further comment from us will be required4 ,the reader1 desirous of satisfying himself that this text also has no reference to the weekly ,sabbath1 and of necessity refers either to heathen festivals or ,jewish ceremonial days1 can read the context1 and consult standard authorities1 such as ,clarke or ,barnes4#d ,let us now survey the ground over which we have passed4 ,so far as we have gone1 what has been done toward proving a practice of first-day observance on the part of the early church8 ,we answer1 ,nothing1 absolutely nothing4 ,the only texts which have been cited for this purpose are #a ,cor4 #af3b1 ,rev4 #a3aj1 and ,acts #bj3g4 ,so far as they are concerned1 we have previously shown that the first of them does not in any way affect the question of ,sunday observance2 that the second relates to the seventh day of the week and not to the first2 and that the third proves that ,paul traveled nineteen and one-half miles on the ,sunday4 ,when our reviewer shall attempt to stir a single stone in the structure of argument which we reared in our former articles on these points1 we shall be by his side1 to see that he does it fairly4 ,until then1 the intelligent reader need not be told that it is vain for him to try to make capital by quoting them as above4 ,thus much for the first day4 ,we inquire next1 ,what has been conceded or proved1 which is favorable to the seventh-day ,sabbath8 #a4 ,that it originated in ,eden4 #b4 ,that it was enforced by the fourth commandment4 #c4 ,that that commandment is still binding4 #d4 ,that the effort to show a change in its phraseology from ,col4 #b3af1 ,rom4 #ad3e1 and ,gal4 #d3aj1 was a complete failure2 and therefore that it reads as it did formerly1 that 8the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord40 #e4 ,that there is a ,sabbath in this dispensation4 #f4 ,that1 being enforced by positive command1 it stands in need of no precedent4 #g4 ,that1 while the apostles did many times preach on that day1 there is not one instance in which they violated it4 #h4 ,that had they desecrated it1 the conflicts which would have been thus created1 must have found a place in the history of those times4 #i4 ,that in the book of ,acts it is always called 8the ,sabbath40 #aj4 ,that it was the only ,sabbath known to the apostles1 since they speak of it not only as 8the ,sabbath10 but as 8the next ,sabbath10 and 8every ,sabbath40 ,in concluding1 we suggest that we leave our reviewer in a situation which1 to a man of his clearness of perception1 must be a very unsatisfactory one4 ,having insisted upon the perpetuity of the fourth commandment1 he is compelled to take one of two positions4 ,either1 #a4 ,that it reads the same as it did when it enforced the seventh day2 or1 #b4 ,that its phraseology has been changed4 ,we confess that we have been unable to decide which of these positions he prefers4 ,nor is it material here4 ,if he adopts the first1 the thoughtful reader will agree with me that it is simply absurd to argue that a statute1 while reading the same1 means differently from what it did formerly4 ,on the other hand1 should he adopt the latter1 then we inquire why he has not given it to us as it reads since it has been changed1 and thus ended the controversy by gratifying our most reasonable request4 ,footnote #c3 8,it is not clear that the apostle refers at all to the ,sabbath in this place ,col4 #b3af1 whether ,jewish or ,christian2 his 1 of sabbaths1 or weeks1 most probably refers to their feasts of weeks40--,a4 ,clarke1 in loco4 ,footnote #d3 8,the days here referred to are doubtless the days of the ,jewish festivals4444 ,it is not a fair interpretation of this to suppose that the apostle refers to the ,sabbath1 properly so called1 for this was a part of the decalogue1 and was observed by the ,saviour himself1 and by the apostles also4 ,it is a fair interpretation to apply it to all those days which are not commanded to be kept holy in the ,scriptures40--,a4 ,barnes1 in loco4 ,,statesman',s ,,reply4 ,,article ,,three4 ,,testimony ,,from ,,the ,,gospels ,,for ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath4 ,in a previous article it was seen that from the resurrection of ,christ there is no instance recorded in ,scripture of the observance of the seventh day as the ,sabbath of the ,lord by any assembly of ,christians4 ,on the contrary1 it was seen that the ,judaizing spirit1 which in some instances insisted on such observance by ,christians1 was rebuked by the inspired apostle4 ,in connection with this was noted the fact that in the case of ,jews converted to ,christianity1 yet inclined still to regard the seventh day with other ,jewish celebrations1 ,christians were directed to bear with such observance as a weakness in their brethren4 ,it was also seen that while the observance of the seventh day was not continued1 another day of the week1 the first1 took its place as the stated day for religious assemblies and services4 ,let us now examine the testimony from the ,gospels for this day1 reserving the remainder of scriptural proof for another article4 ,the manner in which the first day of the week is pointed out in the ,gospels as the day of the ,lord's resurrection1 is itself striking and significant4 ,all four of the evangelists concur in making prominent the fact that it was on this day that ,christ rose from the dead4 ,this fact is stated by ,matthew1 #bh3a-f2 twice by ,mark1 #af3a-f1 and again in verse #i2 by ,luke1 #bd3a-f2 by ,john1 #bj3a1 #b4 ,this concurrent1 particular mention of the first day of the week as the day of the resurrection1 in four independent historical accounts1 the earliest of which was written probably about twenty years after that event1 has a significance readily overlooked1 but well worth noting4 ,to appreciate this fully1 we must distinguish between the words of the historians and the words of the persons whose sayings they record--a most important point in the study of any history4 ,observing this distinction1 then1 we note that the promise of ,christ1 as recorded by the historians1 was1 that he would rise from the dead on the third day1 dating from and including the day of his crucifixion and burial4 ,the chief priests and ,pharisees1 asking ,pilate to have the sepulcher guarded2 the angels at the sepulcher the morning of the resurrection2 the two disciples1 conversing with the risen ,lord on the way to ,emmaus1 and the ,lord himself1 speak of it as the third day4 ,in no other way does any one whose language is recorded by the historians refer to the day of the resurrection4 ,now1 had the historians themselves1 writing after an interval of from nearly twenty to over sixty years1 simply desired to state the fact of the ,lord's resurrection1 it would have been sufficient for them to say that1 according to ,his promise1 he rose on the third day4 ,but instead of this1 they all concur in pointing out particularly the first day of the week as the resurrection day4 ,on the supposition that1 when the historians wrote1 the first day was regarded precisely like the second and third days of the week1 as it was at the time of the resurrection1 this change of statement is singular and inexplicable4 ,on the other hand1 on the supposition that the first day had become an honored and noted day among ,christians1 this mention of it by all the evangelists1 and that1 too1 in a uniform and somewhat formal phrase1 and the difference between the language of the historians and that of the persons of whom they write1 are naturally and satisfactorily explained4 ,in this change of language1 then1 on the part of the inspired historians1 and in their concurrent and prominent mention of the first day1 we have strong presumptive evidence in favor of the marked character of that day at the time when the ,gospel histories were written4 ,testimony of this kind1 in the form of unstudied allusion or undesigned coincidence1 though easily passed without notice1 is acknowledged on all hands to be of great weight4 ,after showing himself probably four times to one or more of his disciples during the day of his resurrection1 ,christ appeared late in the evening to the disciples collectively1 ,thomas alone being absent4 8,then the same day at evening 7opsia1 late evening1 from opse1 late71 being the first day of the week1 when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the ,jews1 came ,jesus and stood in the midst1 and saith unto them1 ,peace be unto you40 7,john #bj3ai47 ,let the facts be noted4 #a4 ,it was the evening of the first day of the week4 #b4 ,the disciples were met together1 manifestly1 not to commemorate the resurrection1 but for what purpose1 or where1 it does not matter4 #c4 ,the ,lord came and blessed them1 and1 as we learn from the following verses1 imparted to them spiritual instruction1 and breathed on them the ,holy ,ghost4 ,these facts should be borne in mind as we proceed4 ,we come now to the record of the first day of the following week2 8,and after eight days again his disciples were within1 and ,thomas with them4 ,then came ,jesus1 the doors being shut1 and stood in the midst1 and said1 ,peace be unto you40 7,john #bj3bf47 ,this interval of eight days1 from and including the resurrection day1 brings us1 according to the common mode of reckoning1 and as no one is disposed to dispute1 to the first day of the next week4 ,the preceding first day1 the disciples were met collectively4 ,again1 this first day1 they are met1 and ,thomas with them4 ,it has been said that very probably the disciples met every day during the interval1 and1 therefore1 they put no special honor upon the first day4 ,but the question is not just here whether the disciples meant to honor the first day or not4 ,did the ,lord himself single it out from the days of the week and honor it8 ,this is the question at present4 ,it may be admitted that the disciples met every day during the interval4 ,this is exceedingly probable4 ,the fact remains clear that the ,lord did not meet with them4 ,and this very passing by of these supposed meetings of the disciples by the ,lord1 during six days1 the last of which was the seventh-day ,sabbath1 renders his actual meeting with them1 as recorded1 on the first day again1 all the more significant4 ,the disciples may not have designed to honor the day1 but the ,lord himself1 passing by the seventh day along with the other five intervening1 selects and homes the first day by once more meeting on it with his disciples4 ,nor is it to be admitted that the disciples were destitute of all regard to the returning first day of the week as the day of the ,lord's resurrection4 ,the very circumstances in which1 by the ordering of the ,master1 they were placed1 could not fail to teach them to look upon it with special regard4 ,they had been assembled on the evening of the preceding first day4 ,the ,lord had met with them and blessed them1 and breathed on them the ,holy ,ghost4 ,earnestly longing to enjoy his comforting and slivering presence again1 we may suppose they met on the second day4 ,but the ,lord does not come4 ,more deeply feeling their need1 they assemble again the third day4 ,still the desired presence is withheld4 ,so on1 with ever-increasing desires1 they meet1 day after day4 ,how natural would it be for them to think of the seventh day1 on which they had so often enjoyed sweet counsel with the ,master1 going to the house of ,god4 8,surely10 their thought might well be1 8,he will meet with us in our assembly to-day40 ,but no4 ,the time for the special manifestation of himself to his worshiping disciples in their collective gathering had not come4 ,would not the disciples then remember1 if they had ever forgotten it1 that it was on the first day of the week the ,lord rose from the dead1 and on that day he had stood in the midst of them and said1 ,peace be unto you8 ,and remembering this1 they would meet on the return of the first day with earnest expectation of the return of the ,master4 ,nor are they disappointed4 ,once more he comes1 and stands in the midst1 and grants his benediction4 ,here then are the facts concerning sacred time1 as recorded in the ,gospel history1 subsequent to the resurrection of ,christ4 ,the seventh day is not mentioned4 ,if the disciples met on that day1 as they probably did1 the inspired penmen take no notice of the fact4 ,there is no meeting of the risen ,lord with his disciples4 ,the seventh day is passed by4 ,on the other hand1 the first day is mentioned in a particular manner1 in changed and special language1 by all the evangelists1 as a noted day would naturally be mentioned and marked out as the resurrection day4 ,on it the ,lord repeatedly met with his disciples1 blessed them1 taught them important spiritual lessons1 and breathed on them the ,holy ,ghost1 the earnest of the abundant outpouring of the ,spirit4 ,how fell of meaning these facts6 ,on the last seventh day on which the disciples rested according to the commandment1 the ,lord himself is lying in the tomb4 ,the glory of the seventh day dies out with the fading light of that day throughout the whole of which the grave claimed the body of the ,redeemer4 ,but the glory of the ,sabbath of the ,lord survives4 ,it receives fresh luster from the added glories of the ,lord of the ,sabbath4 8,the stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner40 ,it is very early in the morning the first day of the week4 ,again ,god said1 ,let there be light1 and there was light4 ,the ,sun of righteousness has risen with healing in his wings4 ,this is the day which the ,lord hath made2 we will rejoice and be glad in it4 ,the first day of the week has become the ,lord's day4 ,a ,,rejoinder4 8,,testimony ,,from ,,the ,,gospels ,,for ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath40 ,without prolonged preliminary remarks1 we shall endeavor to consider the points of argument presented by our reviewer in the article entitled1 8,testimony from the ,gospels for the first-day ,sabbath40 ,in entering upon our task1 we feel almost as if we were doing a work of supererogation1 from the fact that what we are called upon to answer is so far from being a refutation of what we had said in our positive argument1 that it appears to be little more than a re-statement of positions which we believe we have once fairly met and conclusively answered4 ,nevertheless1 we express our satisfaction at the concessions apparently made by the writer4 ,the common plea that the disciples were assembled on the day of the resurrection in order to honor the resuscitation of the body of ,christ1 is seemingly ignored4 ,the points now urged seem to be those of a disposition on the part of the ,lord himself to honor the first day of the week1 and of such a use of language on the part of the historians as it would be natural for them to make1 provided it had become a settled thing with them to regard the ,sunday as a day which ,christ had set apart for holy uses4 ,so far as it regards the position assumed1 that there is peculiar significance in the manner in which the first day is pointed out1 with it we are ready most heartily to agree4 ,but so far as the assertion is concerned1 that1 in the manner of the pointing out1 there is found strong presumptive evidence that they design to teach succeeding generation that they looked upon the first day of the week as holy time1 we can by no means admit that it is correct4 ,on the contrary1 we believe that their language establishes1 beyond controversy1 the opposite position4 ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke1 and ,john1 were blunt1 straightforward1 direct men in all that they said4 ,they had nothing to disguise1 nor could anything be gained by indirection in statement4 ,furthermore1 every motive of esteem for ,christ1 as well as that which would actuate them in their desire to instruct subsequent generations in regard to the estimation in which they should hold the day of ,christ's resurrection1 demanded that their language should be full and explicit1 and that it should state1 in so many words1 that it was sacred to holy uses4 ,but have they done this8 ,no2 the gentleman does not so much as urge that they have4 ,all his emphasis is placed upon the fact that1 in speaking of it1 they call it the 8first day of the week10 instead of the 8third after his crucifixion40 ,he may well say that the distinction between these two forms of expression would be readily 8passed over40 ,has it come to this1 then1 that the ,holy ,spirit1 in enforcing important duties upon ,christians1 is compelled to depart from the natural1 clear1 and positive statement of facts1 and to employ polemical niceties which1 we believe1 if they have any force at all1 can only be discerned by minds whose susceptibilities for refinement are infinitely superior to those of common men and women1 and the poor and ignorant to whom the gospel was preached4 ,if the ,sunday had become the 8,christian ,sabbath10 why not say so8 ,if1 indeed1 it was on the 8,lord's day0 that ,jesus arose1 why was not this asserted8 ,or1 if the first day of the week was regarded as the ,christian ,sabbath1 why such a studied avoidance of the application of this term to that day8 ,will the gentleman insist that if the evangelists had stated1 in so many words1 that the ,lord appeared among them after his resurrection on the first 8,lord's day10 or the first 8,christian ,sabbath10 that it would not have been just what the facts would have warranted1 if his theory be correct1 and that thereby all dispute1 as to which day is the ,lord's day1 or ,christian ,sabbath1 would have been forever terminated8 ,then why endeavor to impress the reader with the thought that there is really any peculiar significance in the form of expression employed1 or that it furnishes a strong presumptive argument in favor of first-day sanctity8 ,the language of the historians is just that which men would use when speaking of a secular day1 and not that which they would naturally employ when alluding to a consecrated one4 ,the expression1 8first day of the week10 was not only the briefer--as compared to the other1 that is1 the 8third days the crucifixion0--but was definite in every particular4 ,once more1 therefore1 we insist that the fact that the inspired evangelists persisted1 twenty years after the occurrence of the events recorded1 in calling the ,sunday 8the first day of the week0--as they have done in the six times in which they have mentioned it--if guided at all in the selection of this term by the usage and opinions of the times in which they wrote1 have furnished us with a commentary which1 if it proves anything at all1 proves that the day now regarded as holy was not so esteemed at that time by the disciples generally1 else those among them who1 as historians1 would have been glad to have conferred upon it this honor1 would have referred to it in the use of its sacred title1 8,sabbath10 or the 8,lord's day40 ,as it regards the design of ,christ1 we take issue with our friend1 and offer the following reasons for our confident assertion that he is wrong3 #a4 ,his conclusion is not one which is either necessary or obvious4 ,god has shown us his method of making a holy day4 ,that method he has set forth in clear and positive statement1 and the observance of such a day he has enforced by explicit command4 ,this being the case1 we must infer that he chose that manner because it was the best4 ,hence we should naturally conclude that when he wished to change the day of his choice1 once enforced by a law still binding1 he would make known his mind in a manner so clear and impressive that there could be no room for doubt4 ,this1 however1 in the action of ,christ alluded to1 is far from being the case1 because the meeting of the ,lord with the apostles did not necessarily affect the nature of the time on which it occurred4 ,instance the fact heretofore cited1 that he met with them on a fishing day 7,john chap4 #ba71 and again on ,thursday1 the day of the ascension1 without in any way changing the character of those days1 as all will admit4 ,now1 if this could be true of those two days1 might it not also be true of the first day of the week8 #b4 ,because1 as we have seen1 there is not the slightest evidence that the apostles inferred that it was the intention of ,christ to produce the impression claimed4 ,for1 had this been the case1 their convictions must have found expression for our benefit4 #c4 ,because1 manifestly1 the conversation of ,christ is given1 so far as it inculcated any duty not elsewhere expressed2 and in his words there is no allusion to any design on his part to teach them that the time on which they were assembled was holy4 #d4 ,because there is a sufficient reason found for the meeting of ,christ with the apostles on these two occasions1 in his desire to establish them in the conviction of his resurrection1 and to instruct them in regard to future action4 ,before passing from this branch of the subject1 we must be allowed to express our surprise that1 in the anxiety of our friend to make out his case1 he has made a declaration which we think he would not have done had he been more deliberate in his selection of facts4 ,he says1 in speaking of ,john #bj3bf--the second and only additional instance in which1 after the first1 he claims that ,christ met with the apostles on the first day of the week--as follows3 8,this interval of eight days1 from and including the resurrection day1 brings us1 according to the common mode of reckoning1 and as no one is disposed to dispute1 to the first day of the next week40 ,to this we reply that1 if he means to be understood1 by this statement1 that there is no dispute as to whether the second gathering under consideration did occur just one week after the first1 he mistakes greatly4 ,it is by no means true that this is a matter about which there is no difference of opinion4 ,in order to show the reader that we are right in this1 we quote the following from many testimonies which might be introduced3 8#8,after eight days' from this meeting1 if made to signify only one week1 necessarily carries us to the second day of the week4 ,but a different expression is used by the ,spirit of inspiration when simply one week is intended4 #8,after seven days1' is the chosen term of the ,holy ,spirit when designating just one week4 #8,after eight days1' most naturally implies the ninth or tenth day2 but allowing it to mean the eighth day1 it fails to prove that this appearance of the ,saviour was upon the first day of the week40 ,in a note on the above remarks1 the same author says 8,those who were to come before ,god from ,sabbath to ,sabbath to minister in his temple1 were said to come #8after seven days4' #a ,chron4 #i3be2 #b ,kings #aa3e40--;,hist4 of ,sabbath1 by ,j4 ,h4 ,andrews1 p4 #adh4 ,right here1 also1 is the proper place to give attention to the elaborate argument which is made to produce upon the mind of the reader the impression that the presence of ,christ1 in the two instances mentioned1 was expressly designed for the purpose of distinguishing the two first-days 787 upon which he manifested himself to his disciples4 ,we should not do justice to our opponent1 should we refuse to grant him credit for making a doubtful circumstance go as far in his favor as it were possible for any man to do4 ,what he has said is both poetic and pathetic4 ,poetic1 because it is purely a figment of his own imagination4 ,pathetic1 because the spectacle here brought to view is one which appeals most forcibly to the sympathies of the generous reader4 ,who would not commiserate the condition of men who1 for six weary days1 sat in public assembly1 waiting the momentary expected advent of their ,lord8 ,who would not rejoice when finally he appeared in their midst1 even if it were on the first day of the week8 ,how natural1 too1 it would be for the reader1 having his sympathies thus aroused1 to follow him who has shown an art1 at least dramatic1 in playing upon their feelings1 to the conclusion to which he springs--not by the route of logical deduction--but by that of a more fascinating sentimentalism4 ,but before he does this1 let us descend for a moment from the hights of fancy to the lower grounds of prosaic fact4 ,it strikes us that the gentleman will discover that he has paid too high a price for what he has obtained4 ,where did he learn that they assembled on the six days in question8 ,assuredly not from the record1 for that is silent upon this point4 ,nay1 more2 he does not himself claim that he has any written authority for it1 but simply says that he 8believes0 so and so1 and then proceeds to his deductions4 ,well1 with this understanding of the matter1 and knowing that it is merely an inference of the writer1 let us follow his conclusions to their legitimate consequences4 ,having done this1 we perceive1 #a4 ,that at last we have reached a whole week1 every day of which was one of religious meetings1 and yet not one word recorded in regard to the gatherings which occurred on six out of the seven days of the week4 ,this being true by his own concession1 what has become of that argument in which he indulged so largely in his effort to prove that because there was no account of a meeting of ,christians on the ,sabbath1 they were consequently not in the habit of meeting on that day8 ,does it not fall to the ground1 utterly emptied of all its force1 if it ever had any8 #b4 ,where1 now1 is his oft-repeated declaration that there is no account of the meeting of any of the apostles with a ,christian church on the ,sabbath1 and the conclusion therefrom1 that they therefore held none8 ,here is the admission of the writer himself1 that the apostles and the church at ,jerusalem did meet on at least one seventh day after the resurrection of ,christ4 #c4 ,what has become of the instructive lesson which ,christ imparted to his followers on the evening of the day of his resurrection8 ,has it not been insisted that that visit was made for the especial purpose of teaching1 them1 by example1 and by meeting with them1 that the day on which it occurred was holy time8 ,if we have rightly apprehended the logic of our opponent1 this was the precise moral which our ,lord designed to convey by his manifestation on that occasion4 ,how clear it is that such a conviction has rested upon the mind of the writer1 and how often he has repeated it4 ,but how was it with the apostles8 ,now1 certainly1 they were not more obtuse than we are4 ,assuredly1 they knew as much about the will and purpose of ,christ in meeting with them the first time1 as we do now4 ,did they then infer that ,christ met with them expressly for the purpose1 not of honoring by positive precept1 but by the fact of his assembling with them1 the day on which that assembly occurred8 ,if so1 why should they1 according to the view we are considering1 have gathered themselves together every day for the whole subsequent week1 expecting his presence8 ,would they not have discovered that such presence1 under such circumstances1 would have utterly nullified the moral lesson of the first visit1 since it would not afterwards be true that the first day of the week was the only one which he had thus distinguished1 thereby marking it out from the rest of the week8 ,so much for the consequences which would necessarily follow1 had that occurred which the writer says he 8believes0 took place4 ,but1 fortunately1 or unfortunately for him1 the whole thing is a myth from beginning to end4 ,the only force which it posseses lies in the assumed fact that it brings together eight meetings on consecutive days1 on two of which1 and two only1 the ,lord met with his followers1 those two being first days of the weeks to which they belonged4 ,therefore1 before the statement can possess any argumentative power1 we must first grant him the privilege of assuming that six of these meetings occurred when there is not a scintilla of evidence in the sacred narrative to favor his view4 ,that must be a desperate cause indeed which compels its advocates to such a resort to make out their case4 ,nevertheless1 if the conception has accomplished nothing more1 it has furnished us a key by which we have been able to unlock the secret conviction of the writer1 and by that means1 we learn that he does not himself believe either that ,christ told his disciples on the day of the resurrection that that was holy time2 or that they had decided in their own minds that his visit necessarily pointed out this fact2 or that the meeting of a ,christian church on a secular day proves that they regarded that day as sacred2 or that it is necessary to suppose that any church disregarded the ,sabbath1 simply because there is no historic mention of their observance of it4 ,this being true1 we hope from this time forward that we shall see a line of argument pursued which will be consistent with the admissions inadvertently made above4 ,finally--as we have the concession of the writer1 that the mention of the term1 8first day of the week10 in the texts under consideration1 accorded with the use of language as employed twenty years after the crucifixion--let us glance at his proof-texts for ourselves4 ,in doing so1 the reader will bear in mind that these texts furnish all the gospel testimony in reference to the supposed repudiation of ,god's ancient ,sabbath and the substitution of a new one in its place1 and also that the terms employed1 as stated above1 were used with reference to their meaning at the time they were penned4 ,the first is found in ,matt4 #bh3a-f4 ,in ,matt4 #bh3a1 the apostle says3 8,in the end of the ,sabbath1 as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week1 came ,mary ,magdalene and the other ,mary to see the sepulcher40 ,now which day1 in the parlance of the disciples of our ,lord1 twenty years after his death1 was styled the ,sabbath8 ,which was mentioned by the use of a secular title1 whereas1 custom1 reason1 and religion1 all warranted and would have seemed to demand the application to it of a religious title1 such as ,sabbath1 or ,lord's day8 ,we leave the reader to answer4 ,the next scripture is found in ,mark #af3a1 #b4 ,here1 again1 the same distinction is preserved between the holy and the profane4 8,when the ,sabbath was past10 the women who had bought sweet spices came to the sepulcher very early in the morning1 the first day of the week4 ,the next passage is in verse #i of the same chapter1 where it is barely stated that ,jesus1 having risen on the first day of the week1 appeared first to ,mary ,magdalene4 ,did the historian1 ,mark1 ruthlessly wound the feelings of his ,christian brethren1 by neglecting two splendid opportunities for settling the matter of a change of days for all future generations1 or did he not believe in such a change8 ,which view is the more consistent1 under the circumstances1 with the manner in which he speaks8 ,the next test in order1 with the context1 will be found in ,luke #bc3ed-ef1 and #bd3a4 ,let the reader turn to these passages in his ,bible and examine them carefully4 ,in ,luke #bc3ef1 it is stated that the women 8rested the ,sabbath day1 according to the commandment20 and in the first verse of the following chapter1 it is said that 8upon the first day of the week1 very early in the morning1 they came unto the sepulcher40 ,here1 again1 ,luke--than whom there is no sacred writer who uses terms more frequently with reference to their technical meaning--furnishes us a comment in perfect harmony with that of the others4 ,mark him2 he is very specific4 ,he says the women 8rested the ,sabbath day1 according to the commandment40 ,observe1 it is not the 8old commandment10 but 8the commandment40 ,but again1 ,what day was it upon which they rested8 ,it was the ,sabbath day4 ,how did it stand related in the order of the week to the first day8 ,it was the day before it4 ,did the women1 according to his statement1 observe the first day8 ,no2 for they came to do that upon it which they would not do on the ,sabbath1 i4 e41 to embalm the body of ,christ4 ,but were they deceived1 and was the day on which they came to the tomb1 after all1 sacred to the ,lord1 because of the resurrection of ,christ1 which had occurred early in the morning8 ,was this indeed the ,lord's day1 the ,christian ,sabbath8 ,and had the old ,sabbath expired at the cross 7,col4 #b3af7 before the deluded women rested upon it8 ,then we inquire again1 ,why should an inspired apostle pass by unimproved this magnificent opportunity for recognizing the new order of things by dropping that plain1 unpretending 8first day of the week10 and stating for the benefit of posterity that the day on which they repaired to the sepulcher was the ,sabbath of the commandment1 as changed by the authority of ,christ8 ,the remaining passages are those of ,john #bj3a1 #ai4 ,here1 once more1 it is stated that 8the first day of the week cometh ,mary ,magdalene early to the sepulcher10 and also in the #aith verse1 that ,jesus met with his disciples in the evening of the first day of the week4 ,in these words1 ,john1 the beloved disciple1 like all before him1 alludes to the day as though it were a common one4 ,thus we have seen that the four gospel historians all unite in ignoring the sacred title of ,sunday1 if it had any1 and merely designate it by its proper numeral2 while three of them call the seventh day the ,sabbath1 and locate it in the week as the day which precedes the first4 ,now we appeal to the candid reader in view of these facts1 and ask him to decide which day of the week was looked upon as peculiarly sacred at the time the gospels were written1 provided the gentleman is right in supposing that the historians used language with reference to its acceptance when they wrote1 instead of what it meant when the events1 which they record1 transpired4 ,we believe the verdict will not be long delayed4 ,they call the seventh day 8the ,sabbath of the commandment40 ,that commandment1 it is conceded1 is still binding4 ,if it reads the same now that it did then1 the day which was the ,sabbath at that time1 according to that commandment1 is still the ,sabbath according to the same commandment4 ,but if that commandment has been changed1 we once more challenge the religious world to furnish us a copy of it as it now reads4 ,until they do so1 we shall continue to observe the ,sabbath upon which the devout women rested2 on which our ,lord himself rested in the tomb from his labors2 and which four inspired men1 twenty years later1 more or less1 still persisted in calling 8the ,sabbath40 ,,statesman',s ,,reply4 ,,article ,,four4 ,,argument ,,for ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath ,,from ,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,on ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,pentecost4 ,the testimony brought forward in our last number from the ,gospels for the first-day ,sabbath finds abundant confirmation in other portions of the ,new-,testament ,scriptures4 ,we shall confine ourselves in this article to the argument drawn from the beginning of the second chapter of the ,acts3 8,and when the day of ,pentecost was fully come1 they were all with one accord in one place40 ,there has been so much discussion of this passage that a somewhat careful consideration of it may be of interest in itself1 as well as from its important connection with the subject now specially in hand4 ,in regard to it1 we note3 #a4 ,the day of the outpouring of the ,spirit was the day of ,pentecost--not some day preceding or following4 ,the correct rendering of the original words is not1 as ,lightfoot gives it1 8when the day of ,pentecost had passed10 nor as ,hitzig would have it1 8as the day of ,pentecost was approaching its fulfillment20 but1 8while the day of ,pentecost was being fulfilled20 that is1 during the progress of that particular day1 or1 as our authorized ,english version has it1 8when the day of ,pentecost was fully come40 #b4 ,this day of ,pentecost1 on which the ,holy ,spirit was given1 was the first day of the week4 ,a number of eminent authorities1 chief among whom is the chronologist ,wieseler1 compute it to have been the seventh4 ,this question hinges upon that of the day of the ,lord's death4 ,it is almost universally admitted that ,christ was crucified on ,friday4 ,but it is disputed whether that ,friday was the fourteenth or the fifteenth of ,nisan4 ,from ,leviticus #bc3ae1 #af1 we learn that ,pentecost1 signifying literally the fiftieth1 was counted from the second day of unleavened bread4 ,the paschal lamb was killed at the close of the fourteenth day of the month ,abib or ,nisan1 and the next day1 the fifteenth1 was the first day of unleavened bread4 ,this day was regarded as a holy ,sabbath2 and from the morrow following1 that is1 from the sixteenth of ,nisan1 fifty days were to be reckoned to determine the day of ,pentecost4 ,wieseler contends that the ,lord was crucified on the fifteenth of ,nisan--the first day of unleavened bread4 ,the sixteenth of the month would therefore fall on the seventh day of the week1 and fifty days1 reckoned from and including this1 according to the manner of the ,jews1 would fix the day of ,pentecost on the ,jewish ,sabbath4 ,it is interesting to observe that many who agree with ,wieseler in regarding the ,friday of ,christ's crucifixion as the fifteenth of ,nisan1 still reckon the fifty days so as to make ,pentecost fall on the first day of the week4 ,prominent among these chronologists is ,canon ,wordsworth4 ,in all frankness1 we would admit that ,wordsworth's reckoning will not hold4 ,if the ,friday on which the ,lord was crucified was the fifteenth of ,nisan1 and if that day was observed as the first day of unleavened bread so that the specified fifty days would be reckoned from the following day1 then ,pentecost must have occurred on the seventh day of the week4 ,others of our ablest scholars1 such as ,greswell1 ,elliott1 and ,schaff1 maintain that the day on which our ,lord was crucified was the fourteenth of ,nisan4 ,an exhaustive discussion of this whole question would be out of place in these columns4 ,we give a brief1 and we think conclusive1 argument in favor of the view that the ,friday of our ,lord's death was the fourteenth of ,nisan1 and that therefore the fifteenth ,nisan1 or first day of unleavened bread1 coincided with the ,jewish ,sabbath4 ,the reasons in favor of this view are the following3-- 7#a47 ,the language of ,john1 chap4 #ah3bh1 intimates clearly that the ,jews had not1 on the morning of ,friday1 yet partaken of the passover4 ,friday could not therefore have been the fifteenth of ,nisan4 7#b47 ,the same day1 ,friday1 ,john states that 8it was the preparation of the passover40 7,chap4 #ai3ad47 ,it seems next to impossible to understand this expression in any other way than as referring to that day1 ,friday1 as the day of preparation for ,passover observance1 or1 in other words1 as the day preceding the fifteenth ,nisan4 7#c47 ,john's statement1 in chap4 #ai3ca1 that the ,sabbath following the day of crucifixion was 8a high day10 admits of no easy or natural explanation except that of the coincidence of the first day of unleavened bread1 or the fifteenth ,nisan1 with the seventh-day ,sabbath4 7#d47 ,the anti-typical character of ,christ1 as the ,paschal ,lamb of ,god and the true ,passover ,sacrifice 7,john #a3bi1 #cf2 #a ,cor4 #e3g71 would lead us to expect that the very day and hour of his death would correspond with the time of the killing of the typical ,passover lamb4 ,if it be urged that ,christ himself1 with his disciples1 in obeying the requirements of the law1 killed the ,passover on the evening of the fourteenth1 and that the ,synoptical ,gospels intimate this1 it may be replied that such an interpretation of ,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,luke1 is not required1 and that the exceeding difficulty1 not to say impossibility1 of harmonizing it with the statements already quoted from ,john1 is quite decisive against it4 ,it is much easier to interpret the ,synoptists in the light of ,john's ,gospel4 ,in this chapter1 #ac3a1 we are informed of a supper before the passover4 ,that this was the same supper spoken of by the ,synoptists1 though one day before the usual time1 in order that the true ,passover lamb might be put to death at the time appointed1 appears from the peculiar nature of the message sent by chosen apostle1 to the 8good man of the house0--a message of special direction1 pointing out something of an unusual character4 7,see ,matthew #bh3ah2 ,mark #ad3ad2 and ,luke #bb3aa47 ,there are also in the ,synoptical ,gospels a number of statements showing that the ,friday on which our ,lord was crucified was not marked by the ,sabbatic sacredness belonging to the first day of unleavened bread4 7,see ,matthew #bg3ei2 ,mark #ae3db1 #df2 ,luke #bc3ef47 ,this seems to be the easiest and most natural way of harmonizing the apparent discrepancies between the ,synoptists and ,john4 7#e47 ,wieseler's own chronological tables may be used against him to show that the ,friday of our ,lord's crucifixion was the fourteenth of ,nisan4 ,we would speak with becoming diffidence1 in any attempt to make out a system of chronology for the events recorded in ,scripture4 ,there are1 however1 in ,wieseler's elaborate book1 tables independently proved to be accurate4 ,by them1 admitting the year of our ,lord's crucifixion to have been ,a4 ,d4 #cj1 which is regarded by most chronologists as highly probable1 and admitting also that the day was ,friday1 which will not be disputed1 it is shown1 beyond all doubt1 that ,christ died on the fourteenth of ,nisan1 and must have eaten the passover with his disciples on the first hours of that day1 the preceding evening4 ,the tables referred to show1 by the most minute and accurate calculations1 that in the year1 ,a4 ,d4 #cj1 the new moon for the month ,nisan appeared on ,wednesday1 the next to the last day of the preceding month1 corresponding to ,march #bb1 at eight minutes past eight o'clock in the evening4 ,hence1 it would follow that the first day of ,nisan commenced on ,friday evening1 ,march #bd1 corresponding1 as to daylight1 with ,saturday1 ,march #be2 of course1 the ,friday of the next week1 would be the seventh ,nisan1 and the same day1 the following week1 the fourteenth4 ,thus1 according to ,wieseler's own tables1 ,friday of the week of our ,lord's passion is made out to be the fourteenth of ,nisan4 ,the fifteenth of ,nisan1 then1 or the first day of unleavened bread1 coincided at that time with the seventh day of the week1 or the ,jewish ,sabbath2 and reckoning fifty days from the morrow1 that day included1 we find ,pentecost falling on the first day of the eighth week following our ,lord's crucifixion4 ,so clear and emphatic is the testimony of the primitive church to this fact that many who hold that the ,friday of ,christ's death was the fifteenth ,nisan still do so in cordial indorsement of that fact4 ,they reconcile the apparent difference between ,john and the ,synoptists by supposing that the ,jewish authorities1 probably because of the crucifixion1 or for some other reason1 did not observe the ,passover at the usual time1 but1 passing by the fifteenth ,nisan1 in reality kept the sixteenth in its place2 and thus counting the fifty days from the seventeenth of the month1 instead of the sixteenth1 ,pentecost would fall on the first day of the week4 ,it is worth mentioning1 before we pass on1 that the ,karaite ,jews1 like the ,sadducces before them1 understand the word 8,sabbath0 in ,leviticus #bc3aa1 #ae1 #af1 to mean1 not the first day of unleavened bread1 which was kept as a ,sabbath1 on whatever day of the week it might fall1 but the seventh day of the week1 the regular weekly ,sabbath of the ,jews4 ,according to this understanding1 the fifty days would always be reckoned from the morrow after the seventh day1 and ,pentecost would always fall on the first day of the week4 ,having thus been at some pains to establish the fundamental position in this argument a position to which scholars generally are coming with constantly increasing unanimity1 we need not dwell long upon the manifest application of what has been proven4 ,the facts here1 after ,christ's ascension1 are full of significance1 as we have seen the facts to be concerning the days just succeeding his resurrection4 ,after the ,lord's ascension1 his disciples abode in ,jerusalem1 awaiting the promised gift of the ,spirit4 ,many days passed by1 including two seventh days1 and still no fulfillment of the promise4 ,on the first day of the second week after the ascension1 the disciples were all with one accord in one place4 ,once more1 the day which the ,lord had singled out and honored is specially honored by the plentiful effusion of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,and thus the day which ,christ taught his disciples to regard with special sacredness1 by repeatedly appearing to them in their collective gatherings1 and blessing them1 is even more clearly and significantly marked out from the other days of the week by this most marvelous outpouring of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,if it be objected that it was the ,jewish festival1 and not the first day of the week1 that was honored1 it is readily replied that there is no trace of the services of the ,jewish festival on that blessed day4 ,the ,holy ,ghost was given1 not to persons observing ,jewish ordinances and keeping the ,pentecost of the old dispensation with a new meat-offering and first-fruits4 ,he was given to ,christian disciples met on the ,christian's honored day2 and the disciples who on that day had received important spiritual instructions from the ,lord just after his resurrection1 and who now1 on the same day1 received the promised ,spirit1 begin the true work of the ,christian ,sabbath by preaching the gospel of salvation1 and three thousand souls are added to the church of ,christ4 ,the objection1 on the score that ,pentecost only happened to fall on the first day that year1 is unworthy of any one who believes that 8not a sparrow falls to the ground1 without our ,heavenly ,father's notice40 ,it has been admitted that if the view of the ,karaite ,jews were true1 and ,pentecost occurred every year on the first day of the week1 then would there be a strong argument for the first-day ,sabbath in the pre-arrangements of ,god's providence4 ,but to our mind1 the argument from the pre-arrangement of providence is stronger on the other and better interpretation of ,leviticus #bc3aa1 #ae1 #af4 ,he who in infinite wisdom arranged everything from the beginning1 so ordered all events connected with ,christ's death1 as to make the day of ,pentecost coincide with the ,christian ,sabbath1 and then gathered to himself1 not the first-fruits of the fields of grain1 but three thousand immortal souls1 the first-fruits of the ingathering of the spiritual fields white to the harvest--the harvest of all the ,gentile nations yet to be brought into the church of ,christ1 with the restoration of the covenant people of old4 ,this is a ,pentecost worthy of the church of ,him who died for sinners of every race1 and of the honored day which commemorates his rising from the dead4 ,a ,,rejoinder4 8,,argument ,,for ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath ,,from ,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,on ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,pentecost40 ,it is always a source of satisfaction to one1 in examining opinions from which he is compelled to differ1 to feel that the presentation of them which he is considering is the best which could be made under the circumstances4 ,with pleasure1 therefore1 we recognize the manifest tokens of research and erudition on the part of the author of the views presented in the columns of the ,statesman1 in the communication entitled1 8,argument for the first-day ,sabbath from the gift of the ,holy ,spirit on the day of ,pentecost40 ,we do not flatter ourselves1 however1 that all which has been said in that article was for our benefit4 ,it is not a little remarkable that three-fourths of its contents are devoted to the settlement of a point1 which--while indeed it affects the question at issue--is not one upon which we bestowed many words1 having preferred to consider1 for the sake of argument1 that the ,pentecost did1 on the year of our ,lord's crucifixion1 fall upon the first day of the week2 and then1 having done this1 to prove that this coincidence in no way affected1 necessarily1 the nature of that day4 ,nevertheless1 we must beg leave here to express our gratitude that1 notwithstanding the concession in question1 the readers of the ,statesman are at last instructed by an abler pen than our own in reference to the diversity of opinion which exists among the learned as to whether1 indeed1 it is safe to conclude that the ,sunday1 to the exclusion of the ,sabbath1 was the day upon which the ,holy ,spirit descended upon the apostles4 ,be it remembered1 also1 that the learned men who stand as the advocates of the seventh day as the one which ,god thus honored were not observers of that day as the ,sabbath4 ,all the authorities quoted are men who1 if they regarded any ,sabbath at all1 gave their preference to the first1 and not to the last1 day of the week4 ,this being the case1 they certainly cannot be charged with any bias in favor of the creation ,sabbath4 ,not only so1 but all their predilections were doubtless against that day1 and favorable to its rival4 ,hence we see that when1 under these circumstances1 it is admitted that such distinguished men as ,lightfoot1 ,weiseler1 and ,hitzig1 have agreed that the last day of the week was the one on which the ,pentecost occurred at the time in question1 they did so--not in the interest of preconceived notions1 nor for the purpose of bolstering up a theory which was in desperate need of help--but because there was1 to their minds1 at least1 much which compelled a conclusion they would gladly have avoided4 ,right here1 also1 in order to widen the breach in the wall of evidence1 we beg leave to act in harmony with the plan pursued by the writer1 and to present a note from the pen of one no less distinguished than ,professor ,hackett1 which will make it manifest beyond dispute that the scholars who at the present time sympathize with those cited above1 who regard the seventh day of the week and not the first as having been the day of the ,pentecost1 are both numerous and celebrated3 8,it is generally supposed that this ,pentecost1 signalized by the outpouring of the ,spirit1 fell on the ,jewish ,sabbath1 our ,saturday40 ,quoted in 8,hist4 of ,sab410 by ,j4 ,n4 ,a41 page #aej4 ,let the reader bear in mind that we are not assuming to decide between these long lines of doctors who differ so widely upon a very important point1 as regarded by some2 but that our purpose is simply to call attention to the fact of this discrepancy1 and to show its bearing upon the subject under discussion4 ,the first query which should be propounded1 therefore1 is this3 ,has ,god ever declared that the day of the ,pentecost1 which we are trying to locate1 was identical with the first day of the week8 ,the answer is in the negative4 ,there is not one word in the text 7,acts #b3a1 #b71 or in the ,testament1 in regard to the day of the week on which these events occurred4 ,it is simply stated that they took place 8when the day of ,pentecost was fully come10 ,how remarkable1 if the object was not to honor a feast which occurred annually1 but especially for the purpose of distinguishing the first day of the week6 ,before1 however1 that day could be illustrated by the outpouring of the ,holy ,spirit upon it1 it must first he decided--and that1 too1 from ,bible evidence--that such outpouring did occur on the day specified4 ,can this be done8 ,we appeal for a response to the average ,christian men and women of this time4 ,tell me1 after having read the three-column argument of the gentleman1 has not the effect of what he has said been to unsettle1 rather than to establish1 your convictions upon the point before our minds8 ,if never before1 is it not now true that you feel somewhat shaken in regard to the identity of the ,sunday with the ,pentecost1 on the year of the crucifixion8 ,in view of what has been written1 would you undertake to establish your faith from any deduction which you yourself could make from plain ,scripture declarations8 ,is it not true that your opinion in the promises depends entirely upon the faith of the one or the other class of scholars who have ranged themselves on both sides of this subject8 ,has the religion of ,jesus ,christ then changed8 ,is it no longer true that its great and important practical truths are withheld 8from the wise and prudent1 and revealed unto babes08 ,has ,god left the important question of first-day sanctity1 not upon the solid basis of explicit command1 but upon the doubtful inference which is to be derived from certain transactions which occurred on a certain day1 and then left the day of their occurrence to occupy a position in the week so doubtful that the most learned of those who had a desire to keep it should be honestly divided in opinion as to which day it was8 ,we believe not4 ,to our mind1 it is simple presumption to intimate that ,god--who is not willing that any should perish1 and who has said that he will do nothing but he will reveal it to his servants the prophets--should deal with his creatures in a manner at once so indirect and so obscure4 ,having seen that there is a wide divergence of views among the very men who are the observers of the modern ,sunday1 in regard to its claims to distinction on the score of its having been first honored by the outpouring of the ,spirit on the fiftieth day after the resurrection1 let us look for a moment at the situation with reference to the possible effect upon the seventh day1 of the logic employed4 ,taking it for granted that our friends would not fly from their favorite deduction provided it should prove to be true that they are mistaken in regard to the time of the ,pentecost1 let us concede1 for the time being1 that the long line of celebrities1 headed by such men as ,lightfoot1 ,weiseler1 and ,hitzig1 were right in arguing that ,saturday1 and not ,sunday1 was the day on which the great ,jewish festival occurred2 then1 beyond all dispute1 it must be conceded by our opponents that this was but another effort on the part of ,jehovah to illustrate1 for the benefit of succeeding generations1 the day which he had previously made memorable by his resting1 his blessing1 and his sanctification4 ,in other words1 with this view of the design of the outpouring of the ,spirit1 the effect upon the ancient ,sabbath would be the same as it is now claimed to have been upon the first day of the week4 ,the point1 therefore1 of the identity of the days is to them a vital one4 ,if they are wrong in this1 they are wrong in all4 ,we appeal to them1 therefore1 in view of the infinite consequences which hang upon the proper celebration of the right ,sabbath1 to at least make their logic so plain that it will be accepted by men of their own faith1 before they speak of its strength with great assumption of confidence4 ,before any person has a right to employ the events which transpired at the time of the ,pentecostal outpouring of the ,spirit in the interest of ,sunday sanctity1 he must be able to solve1 at least to the satisfaction of his own mind1 all the difficulties which complicate this question4 ,as ,god has never seen fit to say that the ,jewish feast1 at the time under consideration1 transpired on the first day of the week1 he must be able to establish that proposition independently of an explicit thus saith the ,lord4 ,there are two ways by which this may be attempted4 7#a47 ,by proving that the ,pentecost always took place on the first day of the week2 or1 7#b47 ,by demonstrating that ,christ was crucified on ,friday1 the fourteenth day of ,nisan1 and that consequently the ,pentecost must have fallen upon a ,sunday following1 and separated from that day by about fifty days4 ,but1 so far as the first proposition is concerned1 which would be by far the easier of demonstration1 if it were true--should the reader be inclined to favor it--he must convince himself that he could establish it against the conviction and the learning of the writer in question2 for he rejects it as being untenable4 ,should he therefore turn to the second1 then1 as remarked above1 he must be able to prove1 not merely that ,christ died on the fourteenth day of the ,jewish month ,nisan1 but that likewise that fourteenth day of the month was also the sixth day of the week4 ,when we say that this will be a task which few minds are capable of performing1 and from which those who are best informed will the most readily turn away1 ,we but assert what the writer in question has very distinctly shadowed forth in the facile manner in which he disposes of the obscurity of the statements in the three ,synoptical ,gospels by arbitrarily deciding that they must be interpreted by that of ,john4 ,what the real object of the writer was in making the statement that the ,karaites and the ,sadducees hold to the first theory stated above1 we are at a loss to decide1 since he himself concludes that they were wrong in their hypothesis4 ,but let us suppose for a moment that they were right1 and that the ,pentecost always followed the weekly ,sabbath2 would that prove that it occurred on ,sunday8 ,we answer1 ,yes4 ,but would it prove that ,sunday was therefore holy time8 ,we answer1 ,no2 it would not so much as touch this independent question4 ,or rather1 it should be said1 if it affected it at all1 it would increase the strength of the seventh-day ,sabbath argument4 ,do you ask1 ,how8 ,we answer that1 according to their theory1 you must first have a weekly ,sabbath before you could decide when you had reached the ,pentecost ,sunday4 ,the direction in ,leviticus was1 that they should count to themselves seven ,sabbaths from the day that they brought the sheaf of the wave-offering1 which would bring them to the feast in question4 ,now let it be supposed that the crucifixion answered to the ancient ,passover1 and that the apostles proceeded to the determination of the time when the ,pentecost would be reached1 according to the theory of the ,karaites4 ,the first thing which would have been necessary was1 the weekly ,sabbath1 which immediately followed the crucifixion of ,christ4 ,having found it1 they would have numbered seven ,sabbaths1 and have decided that the day immediately following the last of these answered to the feast4 ,but unfortunately for them they would have discovered--had they believed in the modern doctrine that the law of the ,sabbath was nailed to the cross1 ,col4 #b3af787--that they were deprived of a starting point2 for the ,sabbath institution is a thing of commandment4 ,take away the commandment1 and the institution is gone4 ,therefore1 as the cross had accomplished its work1 and had been taken down on ,friday1 ,god had removed the landmark from which they were commanded to measure the time which should bring them to the ,pentecost at the very period when they needed it most4 ,in reality1 there was left them no ,sabbath which answered to the one in ,leviticus4 ,should it be replied1 however1 that the ,sabbath1 though gone in fact1 existed nevertheless in name1 it might be responded that this would indeed be an anomalous condition of things4 ,mark it3 it is not the incidental mention1 by its proper name1 of an institution which had ceased to be1 which we are considering2 but it is the deliberate action of that ,god who knows the end from the beginning1 in compelling the disciples to treat the seventh day of the week as the ,sabbath1 in order to the decision of an important fact2 for eight weeks after1 as is claimed1 it had lost its ,sabbatic character4 ,again2 should it be urged1 as a means of escape from the embarrassments of the situation1 that ,god did not actually require them to count the seventh day as the ,sabbath1 since there was really no day of ,pentecost which they were obliged to keep on the year of our ,lord's crucifixion1 we answer1 ,very good4 ,then1 of course1 we shall hear nothing hereafter from the argument for ,sunday sanctity which is based upon the hypothesis that the day of ,pentecost fell on the first day of the week in the year in question1 since it will have been admitted that there was no ,pentecost that year1 and consequently that it could not properly be said to have fallen upon any day4 ,once more2 should it be insisted that though the ,pentecostal feast was not binding in the year of our ,lord #cj1 or thereabout1 but that the antitype of the feast was the thing of importance1 then1 in reply1 it may be said that ,god rendered it necessary for them1 in order to locate that antitype according to the ,karaite view1 to count the ,sabbath which followed the crucifixion as the ,sabbath of emotion1 a thing which certainly will be very difficult of explanation by those who can speak as becomingly of the providence of ,god as did the gentleman in the article which is passing under review4 ,finally1 we repeat1 therefore1 that1 if indeed there were a legal ,pentecost this side of the death of our ,lord1 and if the ,karaite system for locating it were the right one1 then the seventh day which followed the death of ,christ was distinguished by three very significant facts4 #a4 ,it was honored by the women 7and therefore by the disciples7 by their resting upon it4 #b4 ,luke1 in speaking of it thirty years subsequent to its occurrence1 mentions it as the ,sabbath1 8according to the commandment40 #c4 ,god made it necessary that the whole ,jewish nation should keep the ,pentecostal feast fifty days after the crucifixion of the ,lord2 and1 in doing so1 that they should count the seventh day of the week as still continuing to be the ,sabbath4 ,in passing to the last branch of the subject1 which will be treated in this article1 we invite the reader to note the following facts1 as we shall have occasion to employ them hereafter3 #a4 ,that the writer proceeds with his reasoning upon the hypothesis that the months at the time of the crucifixion were ,jewish months1 commencing with the new moon4 #b4 ,that the days were ,jewish days1 commencing and ending with the setting of the sun4 ,these points we have previously urged1 and are happy to see that they are conceded as being correct4 ,in conclusion1 we turn our attention to the remaining feature of the communication in the ,statesman1 i4 e41 that portion of the article which relates to the real matter in dispute1 namely--granting1 for the sake of argument1 that the first day of the week was the one on which the ,pentecost fell in the year under consideration--whether that fact necessarily affected the character of that day so as to mark it out as one which ,god had chosen as peculiarly his own4 ,for1 be it remembered1 that--though the whole argument which has been made respecting the identity of those two days should be conceded--we should then simply be prepared to decide whether the facts agreed upon would prove what is claimed1 or not4 ,we ask1 therefore1 the candid attention of all to the use which has been made of the elaborate argument which we have been carefully considering1 point by point4 ,we would naturally have expected--if the gentleman felt that he had proved what he desired to1 namely1 that the ,pentecost fell upon the first day of the week--that the real sinews of a masterly logic would have been discovered in an effort to show that it followed of necessity that it must therefore have been holy time4 ,but has he done this8 ,or1 in other words1 if he has1 in what manner has he brought it about8 ,has it been by fair logical deduction8 ,we believe that there are very few who will insist that he has attempted such a deduction1 with any measure of success1 at the very point where it should have been expected most4 ,what he has said in the connection is very pretty4 ,yes1 pretty is the word which precisely expresses it4 ,how handsomely he alludes to the analogy between the natural harvest and the in-gathering of souls4 ,but who does not know that such analogies are cheap things1 and that one gifted with a prolific fancy can multiply them indefinitely8 ,what was expected1 and what we had a right to demand1 was something which partook of the nature of certainty4 ,how great was our disappointment at learning that the writer did not even pretend to have any authority from the ,lord1 so far as written statements are concerned4 ,the whole thing he thought was fairly deducible from the coincidence of days1 since nothing ever merely 8happens0 to occur in the providence of ,god4 ,what has been gained1 then8 ,manifestly1 simply the point that ,god had some object in view in having the ,pentecost fall on the first day of the week in the year of our ,lord #cj1 or thereabout4 ,the next question to be decided is1 ,what was that object8 ,right here is where we need help4 ,god could have given it to us1 had he seen fit so to do4 ,he has not done so1 therefore it is safe to conclude that it was not important that we should know what his purpose was4 ,but if any gentleman can be found who is wise above what is written1 and who is able to decide with unerring certainty as to the motives of ,god at all times1 and under all circumstances1 we should like to propound a few questions to him4 ,first1 what did ,god mean when1 in his providence1 he allowed the ,pentecost to fall upon ,monday1 ,tuesday1 ,wednesday1 ,thursday1 ,friday1 or ,saturday8 ,it is said that ,god had a purpose in it2 but can any one tell us what that purpose was8 ,when he has answered this1 then we have a list of similar interrogatories1 to the solution of which his wisdom will be invited4 ,in the meantime1 we shall adopt the suggestions of men in regard to plans of ,deity with great caution1 for1 if it should fall out in the day of ,judgment that we had followed their fallacious inferences1 to the disregard of a positive1 written law of ,god1 we know not what defense could be made for our course of conduct1 since we had been previously informed that 8his judgments are unsearchable10 8and his ways past finding out40 ,now let us look at the proposition concerning the outpouring of the ,spirit4 ,it is agreed on all hands that the manifestation occurred as written4 ,it is inferred by the writer in question that it was done with reference especially to the honoring as sacred of the day of the resurrection4 ,here1 again1 is the assumption of knowledge which has never been imparted by divine authority4 ,god has never said that he meant any such thing4 ,not only so1 but it cannot even be fairly inferred that such was his purpose4 ,first4 ,because he does not so much as mention1 in the record1 the first day of the week by name1 an omission which can never be explained satisfactorily by those who insist that the events which occurred on the day of ,pentecost transpired with especial reference to the honoring above all others1 on the part of ,jehovah1 of the first day of the week4 ,secondly4 ,because1 were we to judge at all in the matter1 as he passed over six first-days1 waiting for the arrival of the ,pentecost1 we must conclude that there was something in connection with that feast which induced him to act when he did1 and as he did4 ,thirdly4 ,because the ,pentecost furnished an opportunity for the display of the power of the ascended ,christ before thousands of ,jews and proselytes from all parts of the habitable globe1 more advantageously than could be done at any other time2 thus rendering it unnecessary that any other reason should be sought in explanation of its selection from among the other days of the year for the great outpouring of the ,spirit4 ,fourthly4 ,because1 in apostolic times1 it was not an uncommon thing for the ,holy ,ghost to fall upon men on all days of the week2 thus proving that ,god is not restricted in the outpouring of his ,spirit to holy times and places1 and that it is not safe to conclude that any display of his power in this direction was made at any one time because of a special regard for the particular hours on which it took place4 ,in conclusion1 as the fabric of ,sunday sanctity1 in so far as it is based upon the transactions of the day of ,pentecost1 is seen to rest1 purely upon the opinions of men1 and since those who observe the day are divided in sentiment as to whether the ,pentecost did indeed really fall upon it at all1 we close this article1 as we did the last1 by stating that we have a positive commandment which is admitted to be binding1 and which1 as given in the ,bible1 says that the 8seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god2 in it thou shalt not do any work40 ,also1 that our advice to those who are weary with threading the interminable labyrinth of conjecture and hypothesis is1 ,place your feet upon the rock of the written word2 there1 and there only1 you are safe4 ,should any one seek to lure you from this position by the assertion that the law upon which you have planted yourself has been amended1 it will be safe to follow them only when they are able to tell you when and where the commandment1 as given in ,exodus1 was changed1 and exactly how it reads since the change has occurred4 ,,statesman',s ,,reply4 ,,article ,,five4 ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath ,,at ,,troas4 ,the day on which the ,saviour rose from the dead1 the day which the risen ,saviour singled out and blessed repeatedly with his presence1 the day on which the ,holy ,ghost was given to the church1--this honored day certainly could not pass without stated observance by the disciples of the risen and ascended ,lord4 ,it is but reasonable to expect that the day which ,christ and the ,holy ,spirit honored would be honored by the early church4 ,passing on in the sacred narrative1 we come to the account of first-day ,sabbath observance some twenty-six or twenty-eight years after the ,pentecostal gift of the ,spirit4 ,in just such a matter-of-course way as that in which a well known and established custom would be noted1 is the observance of the first day at ,troas mentioned in ,acts #bj3f1 #g3 8,we sailed away from ,philippi after the days of unleavened bread1 and came 444 to ,troas in five days1 where we abode seven days4 ,and upon the first day of the week1 when the disciples came together to break bread1 ,paul preached unto them1 ready to depart on the morrow1 and continued his speech until midnight40 ,several important points should here be noted3-- #a4 ,paul and his companions remained at ,troas seven days--from the third day of one week until the second day of the next week4 #b4 ,at this time1 there was at ,troas a company or church of ,christian disciples1 who would1 of course1 hold regular religious services4 #c4 ,besides the ,trojan ,christians1 there were at ,troas1 during these 8seven days10 at least nine others1 including ,paul and ,luke 7see verse #d71 who would not let a week pass without observing a stated day of worship4 ,and yet1 #d4 ,neither the disciples resident at ,troas1 nor ,paul and his companions1 pay any regard to the seventh day4 ,the whole narrative plainly intimates that ,paul held himself in readiness to depart waiting only for the stated weekly day of public service4 ,and the seventh day has no more sacredness assigned to it than the fifth or sixth4 ,had it been the customary day of meeting1 the disciples would have assembled on it1 and ,paul would have been ready to depart on the morrow1 the first day of the week4 ,on the other hand1 #e4 ,the first day of the week was observed as the stated1 customary weekly day of divine service by the ,christians at ,troas4 ,the word1 rendered 8came together10 indicates this4 ,it is most intimately related to the word in ,hebrews #aj3be1 rendered 8assembling together40 ,the latter is the noun1 with an added preposition from the former word1 the verb4 ,these two terms1 and another kindred word1 are the common terms for regular church meetings in the ,new ,testament4 7,see ,hebrews #aj3be2 #a ,cor4 #aa3ag1 #ah2 #ad3bc1 #bf47 ,again1 it will be noticed that the meeting of the disciples on this first day was for regular public services of the ,christian church4 ,they came together to 8break bread10 or observe the ,lord's supper1 and to hear the preaching of the gospel4 ,besides1 let it be noticed1 it is not said that ,paul summoned the disciples together2 but it is said that they 8came together40 ,or1 if we follow the reading of the oldest manuscripts1 the customary character of this ,christian first-day assemblage will be made even more manifest4 ,this reading is as follows3 8,and upon the first day of the week1 when we came together40 ,whether this is the correct reading or not1 it expresses undoubtedly the fact4 ,paul1 ,luke1 and their companions1 as well as the ,trojan ,christians1 met for divine service1 according to the usual practice of ,christians generally1 on the first day of the week4 ,it remains for us to consider the mode of reckoning time which would fix ,paul's departure from ,troas on the morning of the first day of the week4 ,frankness and justice require us to state that even so authoritative a writer as ,mr4 ,howson1 in that able and scholarly work1 8,the ,life and ,epistles of ,st4 ,paul10 adopts this mode of reckoning1 and1 in accordance with it1 pictures out ,paul's solitary journey from ,troas to ,assos on the hallowed hours of the ,christian ,sabbath4 ,no one will dispute for a moment that1 according to the ,jewish mode of reckoning1 the day would begin at sundown1 and in this way the evening of the meeting at ,troas would be the evening succeeding the seventh day1 and ,paul's journey of nearly twenty miles would be on the first day of the week4 ,but it is perfectly clear from the ,scriptures that the ,roman method of reckoning the commencement of the day had already1 to some extent1 supplanted the ,jewish mode4 ,nor is it any wonder that the method of the ,romans1 who were at the time in authority in ,palestine1 should have obtained some recognition1 even among the ,jews4 ,john1 in a passage quoted in a former article1 uses the following language3 8,the same day at evening1 being the first day of the week40 7,john #bj3ai7 ,the meeting at ,troas1 in the evening of the first day1 may not have been without reference to the meeting of the ,lord with his disciples late in the evening of the same day he arose from the dead4 ,but whether there is any reference in the meeting at ,troas to the meeting recorded by ,john or not1 the passage above quoted clearly proves that the late evening succeeding the first day of the week was reckoned a part of the first day1 and not a part of the day following--8,the same day at evening opsia1 late evening1 after dark1 it would appear1 being the first day of the week40 ,matthew1 writing particularly for ,jewish ,christians1 adopts the ,roman method in chap4 #bh3a1 in the expression3 8,in the end of the ,sabbath literally1 late of the ,sabbath1 opse1 late1 away on after dark1 as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week40 ,here1 manifestly1 the seventh day is reckoned as continuing during a number of hours1 which1 according to the ,jewish mode1 belonged to the following day4 ,if ,matthew1 writing for ,jewish ,christians1 employs the ,roman mode of reckoning1 is it not altogether probable that ,luke1 writing especially for ,gentiles1 would adopt the same mode8 ,but we need only look carefully at ,luke's own language to settle this point4 ,his statement is that ,paul preached1 8ready to depart on the morrow40 ,it is agreed on all hands that the ,christian disciples at ,troas came together on the first day of the week1 and that ,paul preached to them on that day4 ,now1 if the time of meeting was the evening succeeding the seventh day1 according to the ,jewish mode of reckoning1 could it be said that ,paul1 taking his leave at a later hour that same day1 departed on the morrow8 ,the original term1 epaurion1 is an adverb1 literally signifying 8upon the morrow40 ,but connected with it is the feminine article1 agreeing with the word1 8day10 understood4 ,this makes the expression1 if possible1 still more explicit--8the day which is the morrow10 the next day4 ,can there remain the slightest doubt as to ,luke's meaning8 ,the ,christian congregation at ,troas met on one day of the week4 ,paul preached to them on that day4 ,it was the first day4 ,on the morrow1 not the same day1 but another1 the following1 the second day of the week1 ,paul departed1 as he had held himself for some days in readiness to do1 on his way to ,assos4 ,thus1 as we have a right to expect1 there is no violation by the apostle and his fellow-,christians of the law of the ,sabbath4 ,we have not dwelt upon this question of different modes of reckoning because of any importance which may be claimed for it in connection with the main inquiry before us4 ,it is entirely immaterial to the point at issue in this discussion whether ,luke employs the ,jewish or the ,roman mode4 ,even if it could be made to appear that he makes use of the former1 there could be found nothing in his narrative in favor of the seventh-day ,sabbath4 ,the argument for the first-day ,sabbath would still remain in its integrity1 leaving for consideration simply the question as to the consistency of certain acts1 in a certain case1 with the law of a holy day of rest and worship4 ,for the sake of giving a pretty full exposition of a passage important in itself1 and because a wrong interpretation has been given by high authority in countenance of a mischievous theory of the ,sabbath1 we have occupied much of our space for this issue in showing that the evening or night of the first day of the week was the end of the ,christian ,sabbath1 and that ,paul and his companions1 like good1 ,sabbath-keeping ,christians1 waited1 though ready to depart1 until ,monday morning1 before starting on their journey to ,assos4 ,we propose to conclude the argument from ,scripture in our next number4 ,after this1 we shall give the testimony of the standard authorities of the first three centuries of the ,christian era4 ,and then1 with the facts concerning sacred time before us1 we shall inquire what theory of the ,sabbath harmonizes all the authenticated facts into one consistent whole4 ,a ,,rejoinder4 8,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath ,,at ,,troas40 ,in entering upon an examination of the propositions laid down in the article entitled1 8,the ,first-day ,sabbath at ,troas10 it will be well for us first to inquire into the object which the writer had in view in presenting them for our consideration4 ,in doing so1 we shall find that he does not claim that the test or context of ,acts #bj3g1 furnishes any positive precept for ,sunday observance4 ,his effort is merely to establish a custom4 ,suppose1 therefore1 that we should grant all that he asks1 so far as the church of ,troas is concerned1 would that prove that ,christians universally are under obligation to follow a like custom8 ,we think not1 unless it can be shown that ,god has adopted this mode of inculcating religious duty4 ,but this he has never done4 ,if the writer had first established a positive law1 then he might1 with some show of reason1 appeal to custom to show that that law was interpreted as he understands it2 but when he reverses the order1 and endeavors to prove the law by the custom1 then he has reversed ,god's great plan1 which is that of teaching by explicit statute4 ,furthermore1 even should a custom be established1 the writer must be able to show that such a custom was kept up1 not as a matter of convenience or taste1 but because of a conviction of religious duty4 ,in other words1 it is possible1 to say the least1 that the church at ,troas were in the habit of meeting on the first day of the week1 not because they looked upon it as holy time1 but for certain utilitarian purposes1 best known to themselves4 ,let us furnish an illustration precisely in point3-- ,should some person1 eighteen hundred years hence--provided time should last so long--write a history of the present period1 as he cast his eye over the literature of our day1 he would find that1 in all parts of this country1 ,christians were in the habit of assembling on ,wednesday evening1 for the purposes of worship4 ,would he1 therefore1 be justified in concluding that ,wednesday is regarded by us as peculiarly sacred to the ,lord8 ,you answer1 ,no1 and most properly1 for you know that our motives are entirely different from what he would understand them to be4 ,so1 too1 with ,troas4 ,granted1 for the sake of the argument1 that1 as the writer claims1 they were in the habit of assembling on the late ,sunday evening2 it by no means follows that they did so because they regarded it as devoted to the ,lord4 ,does he say that they partook of the sacrament on that day8 ,grant that1 for the sake of the argument4 ,but does not every student of the ,bible know1 and is it not the conviction of the world to-day1 that the ,lord's supper can be partaken of with as much propriety at one time as at another8 ,is it not a fact that the time of its institution did not coincide with ,sunday8 ,is it not true that originally they partook of it on all days of the week8 7,acts #b3db1 #df47 ,if so1 it would manifestly be unsafe to attach any special significance to the fact that1 at this time1 it was celebrated on the ,sunday1 ,so much for the hypothesis of the custom1 in question4 ,now that we have said what we have with reference to a custom made out1 it will be well to inquire in the next place1 ,has the writer established the usage which he sought to prove8 ,if so1 we have failed to discover the process by which it has been done4 ,has he found an explicit statement that the church at ,troas was in the habit of meeting on the first day of the week8 ,very far from it4 ,having traced the sacred narrative for twenty-six years--mark it1 reader1 over one-fourth of a century--he has found a solitary assembly of ,christians convened on the first day of the week4 ,but what were the facts in the case8 ,was this an ordinary occasion8 ,were they by themselves alone8 ,no2 it was a time of unusual interest4 ,the great apostle to the ,gentiles was there1 paying them a flying visit4 ,he was about to depart on the morrow4 ,it was perhaps the last time they would ever see him4 ,they wanted to partake of the emblems of the ,lord's body from his venerated hand4 ,they wanted to shake that hand in a final farewell1 and to plant the kiss of love upon his careworn face4 ,the circumstances1 then1 were unusual4 ,the same combination of facts might never exist again4 ,there is1 therefore1 so far as the general view is concerned1 nothing which would justify the decision that they had ever convened for like reasons1 previously1 at the same time of the week1 or that they ever would thereafter4 ,the writer evidently felt this1 and1 with an acuteness of intellectual perception which to the common mind is almost incredible1 he has discovered overwhelming support for his theory1 where the ordinary reader would have discerned none4 ,how strange it is that1 again and again1 we find that the strongholds of ,sunday sanctity are located just beyond the boundary where the man of average ability and learning is permitted to go4 ,the ,greek1 he is told1 has a significance which1 if lightly expressed1 would establish a custom beyond all doubt4 ,well1 we have seen above what the value of a custom is1 unless explained4 ,but we ask--and we ask it in the behalf of the millions who have never so much as seen even the ,greek alphabet1 and yet to whom eternal life is as precious as to the man of letters--can it be possible that ,god has suspended the terrible realities of ,heaven and hell upon the discharge of a duty vailed from their eyes by the obscurity of a language whose mysteries they can never hope to penetrate8 ,for1 mark it1 this is not one of those points which can be settled without difficulty1 even by those familiar with the tongue in question4 ,were our learning equal to that of the gentleman who has penned the criticism under consideration1 we might flatly contradict the statements which he makes2 but this would simply serve to produce a dead-lock in the mind of the reader1 while he remained as far from a satisfactory solution of the difficulty as ever4 ,the only reply which we shall make1 therefore1 is as follows3-- ,the distinction drawn between the present text and the original is either obscure1 or it is obvious4 ,if it is obscure1 it is unimportant2 if obvious1 then it could be seen by scholars1 and is so important that it would have attracted universal attention and comment by first-day writers and translators4 ,what1 therefore1 are the facts in the case8 ,certain it is that1 if it exists at all1 it escaped the notice of the translators of our common version4 ,that they would have given a rendering as favorable to the first day as the facts would warrant1 no man will dispute4 ,the suggestion that the text would bear the translation1 8we having come together to break bread10 c41#e while it does not materially alter the sense1 so far as the practice of the church at ,troas is concerned1 if admissible1 renders it highly probable that ,luke and his associates were there until the breaking of the bread2 a point which we shall use hereafter4 ,in the meantime1 we give the following translations in order to show the conviction of their authors1 respecting the meaning of the original3-- 8,and on the first day of the week1 when we assembled10 c4--,syriac4 8,on the first day of the week1 when we were met together40--,wesley1 ,n4 ,t41 with ,notes4 8,and upon the first day of the week1 when the disciples were got together40--,wakefield4 8,and on the first day of the week1 the disciples being assembled40--,whiting4 8,and on the first day of the week1 we1 having come together to break bread40--,am4 ,bible ,union4 8,and on the first day of the week1 we being assembled to break bread40--,sawyer4 8,and on the first day of the week1 when the disciples met together40--,doddridge in ,campbell and ,macknight's ,trans4 8,and on the first day of the week1 we having assembled40--,emphatic ,diaglott4 ,we think the reader is now ready to admit that the traces of a custom which relies for its existence upon an original text1 rendered as given above by so many different persons1 none of whom can be charged with favoring the seventh-day ,sabbath1 are1 to say the least1 too faint to be of practical argumentative utility4 ,to our mind1 the inference is simply this3 ,paul1 about to depart on his journey to ,jerusalem1 appointed1 for himself and his companions and the disciples at ,troas1 a final meeting1 at which it was announced that the ,eucharist would be celebrated4 ,at this meeting1 all the parties came together1 agreeably to the announcement previously made1 and partook of the ,lord's supper4 ,a fitting close of a week of apostolic labor in an ,asiatic city4 ,the next item worthy of our attention is found in the hypothesis1 that1 during the time ,paul was at ,troas1 the seventh day of the week was passed by without any religious meeting occurring thereupon2 and that ,paul waited until the arrival of the first day1 because that was the one on which the meetings of the church were regularly held4 ,how a writer so intimately acquainted with the character and labors of ,st4 ,paul1 the individual in question undoubtedly is1 could draw the inference which he has1 is more than we can fathom4 ,who1 that has read the history of a man whose nervous activity drove him to dispute daily in the school of ,tyrannus 7,acts #ai3i71 and to seek every opportunity for the presentation of his gospel to the ,jews in their synagogues1 and the ,greeks in their places of public gathering1 could be induced to believe that he could remain for seven long days in the city of ,troas without a solitary religious assembly1 until the expiration of that time8 ,and yet this is the very decision which we are called upon to indorse4 ,before we can do this1 however1 we ask for the proof4 ,the answer is1 it must be so1 because the record contains no account of the holding of such meetings until the first day of the week4 ,but is this satisfactory8 ,do not all the circumstances of the case1 as well as the temperament and character of ,paul1 render certain the act that such meetings were held1 even1 though it is not stated in so many words8 ,paul with a ,christian church at ,troas for one week1 and not preach to them6 ,impossible4 ,to show the writer that the mention of religions meetings in brief history is not necessary in order to prove that they occurred on a given day1 or on stated days1 let me call his attention to the fact1 that1 between the day of ,pentecost and the meeting at ,troas1 according1 to his own showing1 there were at least twenty-six intervening years2 that during those years1 agreeably to his view1 there were thirteen hundred and fifty-two first-days1 all of which were holy time1 and nearly all of which must have been honored by stated meetings on the part of the apostles2 and yet1 out of that whole number1 he only claims to produce the record of one solitary day on which such meeting occurred4 ,what are the facts1 then8 ,paul probably preached every day of the seven1 while he was at ,troas4 ,do you ask why the account is not given of such meetings in the book of the ,acts8 ,i answer that the ,holy ,spirit was giving1 through ,luke1 a succinct history of the more striking occurrences which transpired in their travels4 ,the story of the first-day meeting at ,troas found its way into the sacred narrative1 because its importance to after generations was enhanced by the accidental fall1 and the miraculous restoration to life of ,eutychus1 and perhaps by other facts connected with that event1 of equal interest4 ,i think that one of them was a disposition on the part of ,god to provide his commandment-keeping servants in succeeding generations with a passage in the life of ,paul1 which should forever silence the cavils of men who should undertake to belittle his ancient ,sabbath1 and to foist into its place a day which ,he never commanded4 ,this we will further consider in our next point4 ,having endeavored to establish the point that the seventh-day ,sabbath was not observed at ,troas1 an effort is made to show that a change of time had occurred1 so that ,luke1 in giving his account of the transactions mentioned above1 treated the day as commencing and ending1 not according to the ,jewish method1 with the setting of the sun1 but after the ,roman fashion1 with midnight4 ,the reader will readily discover the object to be gained by this maneuver1 if such ,i may be allowed to call it4 ,we had insisted that the first day of the week commenced at sunset2 that ,paul met with the disciples in the dark portion of that day 7verse #h71 preached to them during that night1 and on the next morning commenced a journey of nineteen and a half miles on foot1 on that which answered to the daylight portion of our ,sunday4 ,this1 if true1 with the majority of readers1 would have forever settled the question that ,paul did not believe in first-day sanctity4 ,a remedy1 therefore1 must be had4 ,the gentleman thinks he has found one4 ,that he has made a desperate effort to obtain it1 we are compelled to admit4 ,no man1 it seems to us would ever resort to an experiment so hazardous1 who did not find himself in the stress of a situation which otherwise would be utterly insupportable4 ,with the most deliberate calculation1 and in the face of authority which he himself highly honors1 he has decided that the journey in question occurred on the second day of the week1 instead of the first1 which ended at twelve o'clock the previous night4 ,well1 suppose we admit1 for a moment1 that this was true2 what then8 ,the ,sunday is thereby rescued from profanation by ,paul2 but it is also true that the second day of the week is thereby honored with the meeting of a ,christian church1 and that it was it1 and not the first1 after all1 which was honored by the breaking of bread during its hours4#f ,so much for some of the consequences of the position1 if well taken4 ,but now let us turn to the argument for the change4 ,is it really true that ,roman1 and not ,jewish1 time1 is employed in a portion of the ,new ,testament8 ,if so1 the perplexities of the situation are very great4 ,how shall we know when to apply the one1 and when the other8 ,how can we tell precisely where the dividing line should be drawn8 ,we hope1 in all conscience1 independently of the question at issue1 that the writer is not correct4 ,he seems to find the first intimation of a change in the gospels4 ,matt4 #bh3a1 and ,john #bj3ai1 are referred to in support of his view4 ,now suppose we concede for a time the point which he desires1 and admit that these passages prove the use in them of ,roman time2 also that1 as he claims1 the meeting spoken of in ,john #bj3ai1 occurred in the evening 7,roman time71 and after the coming on of darkness4 ,this done1 we inquire1 ,was it a ,jewish day or a ,roman day that was sanctified by the resurrection of ,christ1 and his appearance to his assembled disciples8 ,we think that few will dispute that it was a ,jewish day4 ,but when did the ,jewish day commence8 ,the undeniable answer is1 ,at sunset4 ,but when did ,christ appear to the disciples1 according to ,roman time1 as argued8 ,we answer1 ,in the darkness of the evening1 and1 therefore1 after the ending of the ,jewish first day4 ,what is the necessary conclusion8 ,we reply1 ,one of two things4 #a4 ,either that the visit of ,christ had no reference to the sanctity of the day on which it occurred2 or #b4 ,that it was designed to honor the second day of the ,jewish week4 ,we leave the writer in question to take whichever horn of this dilemma he pleases4 ,if he should insist that ,john employed ,roman time1 then all which he has said in reference to the effect of the visit of ,christ upon the first day of the ,jewish week is emptied of all force4 ,never was self-stultification more complete4 ,in his effort to escape from the paws of the ,trojan bear 7secular travel on ,sunday71 the writer has thrown himself into the jaws of the lion 7no ,scripture precedent for ,sunday-keeping74 ,for1 if he is right in supposing that the meeting in ,john #bj3ai1 occurred on the ,roman evening of that day--that is1 after sunset1 and the coming on of darkness--then1 of course1 it did not transpire on the ,jewish first day of the week1 which had previously ended1 according to his own admission1 at the going down of the sun2 but it actually took place after the commencement of the second day of the ,jewish week4 ,not only so1 but the second meeting1 of ,christ with his disciples 7after eight days71 according to his own reasoning1 must have fallen on the second ,jewish day of the next week4 ,and1 finally1 accepting his logic that the meeting of ,acts #bj3g1 also fell on the ,roman evening of the first day of the week1 that precedent1 so long cherished1 and so often cited1 is now forever disposed of1 since it1 too1 illustrates the second ,jewish day of the week1 and not the first1 if1 indeed1 it adds luster to any4 ,but1 reader1 it would be neither ,christian nor manly to adopt an exegesis of ,scripture presented by an opponent1 simply because such an exegesis would prove his overthrow4 ,truth is worth more than mere victory4 ,the gentleman has made a mistake in deciding that ,roman time is employed in the ,bible1 and that mistake has brought him to confusion4 ,but now we propose to show that ,roman time is not employed1 even though in so doing we shall assist him out of his trouble for the time being4 ,let no one suppose1 however1 that the relief which we shall afford him will be permanent1 for1 unfortunately for him1 we shall rescue him from one death simply to deliver him to another4 ,the whole question turns upon the commencement and end of the ,bible day4 ,if it can be shown that it began and terminated with the setting of the sun1 then1 beyond all dispute1 the meeting in ,troas occurred at the commencement of the first day of the week1 at the coming on of darkness1 the only period in that day when lights could be employed to advantage 7verse #h74 ,we proceed1 therefore1 to our task4 ,we have heretofore quoted from the ,tract ,society's ,bible ,dictionary1 under the article1 day1 to prove a general agreement that the ,hebrews commenced and ended their day with the setting of the sun4 ,in addition to this1 we might refer the reader to ,smith's ,comprehensive ,dictionary of the ,bible on the same subject4 ,in fact1 we might multiply authorities without end2 but this is not necessary here4 ,by turning to ,genesis1 chapter #a1 the reader will find that ,god measured the day by 8the evening and the morning0 7darkness and light74 ,he will here observe that with the ancient ,hebrews the whole night preceded the day to which it belonged4 ,advancing to ,leviticus #bc3cb1 he will there read the command of ,god1 that the people should keep their ,sabbaths 8from even to even40 ,but as the ,sabbath was the last day of the week1 and was to commence and end with the evening1 he will discover that it will be necessary that all the other days should commence and end in the same manner4 ,passing now to the ,new ,testament1 he will find the same custom prevailing in the days of our ,lord4 ,nay1 more2 he will there obtain the authority of ,luke himself1 who wrote the book of ,acts1 for believing that ,christ and the ,jews followed that system of beginning and ending the day which ,god had inaugurated in the outset4 ,we read in ,luke #d3dj3 8,now when the sun was setting1 all they that had any sick with divers diseases1 brought them unto him2 and he laid his hands on every one of them1 and healed them40 ,by tracing back the event1 as given by ,luke1 in its parallel1 as found in ,mark #a1 we find that ,christ was healing in the synagogue on the ,sabbath day1 and that he subsequently repaired to the house of ,peter1 and healed his wife's mother2 and that1 8at even1 when the sun did set10 the ,jews brought to him all those that were diseased1 and possessed with devils1 for the purpose of having him heal them4 ,this1 however1 they could not have done on the ,sabbath day1 according to their views2 therefore they prove that the custom was still prevalent among them of ending the days with the setting of the sun4 ,but1 furthermore1 has it not been argued by the writer himself1 that the day of ,pentecost was coincident with the first day of the week8 ,we think this will hardly be disputed4 ,if it be true1 however1 and if the logic be sound1 that the ,spirit which was poured out on the day of ,pentecost was designed to indicate that it corresponded with the ,christian ,sabbath1 then we need not argue further1 for no man will deny that that day was emphatically ,jewish in its beginning and ending4 ,this army of ,scripture testimony1 gleaned from a history of #djjj years1 if met at all1 it will be necessary that it should be done by clear and emphatic statements emanating from the same source from which the authorities in question are drawn4 ,has the gentleman furnished any such evidence8 ,the reader will readily discover that he has not4 ,the only texts brought forward in support of the change upon which he insists are ,john #bj3ai1 and ,matt4 #bh3a4 ,in reference to the first of these1 it will only be required that attention should be called to the fact that1 with the ,hebrews1 each day had two evenings4 7,exodus #ab3f1 margin2 and ,numbers #i3c1 and #bh3d1 margin47 ,on this point1 the ,bible ,dictionary says3 8,the ,hebrews reckoned two evenings in each day4444 ,according to the ,karaites1 this time between the evenings is the interval from sunset to complete darkness1 that is1 the evening twilight4 ,according to the ,pharisees and the ,rabbins1 the first evening began when the sun inclined to descend more rapidly2 that is1 at the ninth hour2 while the second or real evening commenced at sunset40 7,art4 ,evening47 ,now let it be supposed that ,christ met with his disciples somewhere between three o'clock and sunset1 on the day of the resurrection1 and the statement that he met with them the 8same day at evening10 is at once verified1 and the necessity for the supposition of a change of time disappears4 ,in explanation of ,matt4 #bh3a1 we cannot do better1 perhaps1 than to append the following comment from ,albert ,barnes3 8,the word end1 here means the same as after the ,sabbath2 i4 e41 after the ,sabbath was fully completed1 or finished1 and may be expressed in the following manner3 #8,in the night following the ,sabbath2 for the ,sabbath closed at sunset1 as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week4'0 ,that ,mr4 ,barnes is right in his criticism1 will become apparent when we compare ,matt4 #bh3a1 with the parallel passage in ,mark #af3a1 #b1 where the same historic fact is introduced with these words3 8,when the ,sabbath was past40 ,a complete harmony is thus preserved between the two evangelists1 and all requisition for the extreme resort to the hypothesis of a sudden and unprecedented employment of the ,roman system for the computation of time is dispensed with4 ,as it regards the objection1 which is based upon the use made in ,acts #bj3g1 of the words1 8on the morrow10 we reply that it is not well taken4 ,that it was perfectly compatible with a ,jewish custom1 when speaking of the daylight portion of any day from the stand-point of the previous evening1 to allude to it as 8the morrow10 we cite the following passages3 8,then the soldiers1 as it was commanded them1 took ,paul1 and brought him by night to ,antipatris4 ,on the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him1 and returned to the castle40 ,acts #bc3ca1 #cb4 8,saul also sent messengers unto ,david's house1 to watch him1 and to slay him in the morning2 and ,michal1 ,david's wife1 told him1 saying1 ,if thou save not thy life to-night1 to-morrow thou shalt be slain40 #a ,samuel #ai3aa4 ,in addition to the above texts1 we might quote the authority of ,mr4 ,howson1 who is so justly complimented for his scholarship by the writer4 ,he cannot be charged with leaning toward our views of the ,sabbath1 and1 therefore1 if he had any bias in the case1 it would be against1 and not in favor of1 the position which we are trying to maintain4 ,if there was really any force in the criticism which is offered respecting the use of the preposition and the term with which it is connected1 assuredly the discriminating eye of this gentleman would not have allowed it to escape detection4 ,nevertheless1 he1 as the writer admits1 deliberately decides1 while examining at length the very passages now before us1 that the events there spoken of1 journey and all1 did transpire on the ,sunday4 ,in doing so1 it follows1 as a matter of course1 that he did not regard the difficulty which is urged concerning the words1 8on the morrow10 as one at all formidable4 ,thus much by way of a brief refutation of the diversity theory for the commencing of the days of the ,bible4 ,we have seen heretofore1 that1 if the advocate of this theory were right and we wrong1 he has lost to his cause the three precedental meetings of ,john #bj3ai1 ,john #bj3bf1 and ,acts #bj3g1 since they occurred on the second1 and not the first1 ,jewish day of the week4 ,let us now view the situation from the stand-point of one who believes that the sacred1 instead of the heathen1 method is followed consistently throughout the ,scriptures4 ,in ,acts #bj3g1 the text which is passing under review1 it is said that there was a meeting held upon the first day of the week1 and that ,paul preached until midnight4 ,it now becomes important to know on what portion of the first day of the week this meeting fell4 ,by examining the record1 we find the statement that there were many lights employed in the chamber where they were gathered4 ,we know1 therefore1 that the meeting must have taken place during the dark portion of the first day of the week4 ,but as we have seen that the ,jewish day commenced with sunset1 the only hours of darkness which belong to it were to be found between that time and the next morning4 ,advancing1 we learn that1 having spent the night in preaching1 breaking of bread1 c41 the apostle devoted the daylight portion of the first day of the week to the accomplishment of a journey of nineteen and a half miles1 while his companions sailed the vessel a greater distance round the headland to ,assos4 ,here1 then1 is apostolic example for travel upon the first day of the week4 ,the writer endeavored to escape this conclusion1 by asserting that the meeting in question and the travel took place on the second day of the week4 ,this view1 we have met1 and successfully answered4 ,the record states that it was upon the first day of the week when they came together4 ,it then proceeds to give a connected account of what transpired on that day1 and among other things1 is found the story of ,paul and his companions starting for ,jerusalem4 ,now1 if the events related did really transpire on two days1 instead of on one merely1 as would naturally be inferred from the context1 the burden of the proof is with our opponent4 ,we rest the matter1 therefore1 right here4 ,the only attempt which he has made has been a complete failure4 ,that he thought it was the best he could do under the circumstances1 we doubt not4 ,there remains now no item of difference between ourselves and the writer in the ,statesman which should occupy us longer4 ,for1 between him and myself there is no room for dispute respecting the morality of traveling on the ,sabbath1 since1 according to his own confession1 the object which ,paul had in remaining at ,troas was that of a good 8,sabbath-keeping ,christian10 who was unwilling to violate the sacredness of holy time by the performance of secular labor4 ,here1 then1 we pause4 ,as we do so1 we appeal to the judgment of the candid men and women who have read the criticism of our friend and our reply thereto4 ,did ,paul conscientiously regard the first day of the week1 while traveling on foot nineteen and a half miles upon it1 and did ,luke and his six companions1 in sailing a much greater distance on the same hours1 transgress the law of ,god1 and ignore the example of ,christ2 or1 did they look upon the first day of the week as one which ,god had given to man for the purposes of labor and travel8 ,if you still decide that it was holy time1 you must be able to reconcile their action with this theory4 ,this1 however1 you can never do4 ,if1 on the contrary1 you shall determine that they treated it as a secular day1 then it remains so still1 for its character has not changed from that day to this4 ,footnote #e3 ,as it is not insisted that this translation is a correct one1 ,i shall not turn aside for the purpose of showing1 as might easily be done1 from the original1 that it is not admissible where the rule of strict construction is followed4 ,footnote #f3 ,the honoring of the second day here alluded to rests upon the hypothesis that the breaking of bread spoken of in ,acts #bj3aa1 answers to the ,lord's supper4 ,it is1 however1 by no means certain that this was the case1 since scholars differ widely in opinion respecting the matter2 some holding to the opinion that reference was made to the ,lord's supper1 and others to the view that the breaking of bread referred merely to a common meal4 ,,statesman',s ,,reply4 ,,article ,,six ,,testimony ,,of ,,paul ,,and ,,john ,,to ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath4 ,two important portions of the inspired records remain to be considered4 ,the first of these reads as follows3 8,now concerning the collection for the saints1 as ,i have given order to the churches of ,galatia1 even so do ye4 ,upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store1 as ,god hath prospered him1 that there be no gatherings when ,i come40 7#a ,cor4 #af3a1 #b47 ,from this passage it is clear that the churches of ,galatia1 as well as the church at ,corinth1 or that ,christians generally1 were required to set apart a proportion of their worldly goods1 as ,god prospered them1 for benevolent purposes4 ,it is also clear that the act of setting apart the required proportion of means was to be performed statedly1 every week1 on the first day of the week4 ,whatever may be the correct interpretation of the words1 8lay by him in store10 enough is beyond all doubt and agreed upon by all1 to show that the first day of the week was regarded by the apostle and the ,christian churches as a special day1 and one more fitting than others for the benevolent and religious duty enjoined4 ,the phrase rendered in our version 8by him10 is unquestionably an idiomatic ,greek expression for 8at home40 7,compare ,luke #bd3ab1 and ,john #bj3aj47 ,and even if we understand this phrase to be connected with the word rendered1 8in store10 which is a participle signifying 8treasure up10 the proof of first-day sacred observance is still clear and strong4 ,but the true connection of the words1 8at home10 is with what precedes4 8,let every one place or devote at home40 ,place what8 ,the answer is not hard to find--a proportion of the weekly earnings2 a suitable part of what ,god in his bounty had given4 ,when this proportion was separated by each ,christian at home1 from the rest of his weekly earnings1 it was to be treasured up4 ,but where8 ,this is the important question4 ,where was the money each ,christian set apart at home on the first day of the week1 from his weekly receipts1 to be kept in store8 ,it appears that this treasuring up was not at each ,christian's home3 #a4 ,because the phrase1 8at home10 grammatically connects1 not with the word 8treasuring10 but with the preceding verb4 ,this verb does not mean 8lay by10 but 8lay10 or 8place40 ,the preposition rendered 8by0 is part of the phrase1 8at home40 ,if it is insisted that the idea of treasuring in store is in the word rendered 8lay10 then we have this tautology3 8,let every one place in store or lay by at home1 placing in store40 ,paul did not write in this way4 #b4 ,the first day of the week must have offered a special facility for doing what was required4 ,true1 if nothing more is meant than laying by at home1 even that marks the first day with distinguishing honor4 ,but the placing or putting of ,god's portion by itself2 separated from the remainder of the receipts of the past week1 on each first-day1 in each ,christian's home1 was in order to something else1 for which the first day alone gave opportunity4 ,on that day1 as we have learned from ,acts #bj3g1 and other portions of ,scripture1 ,christians were accustomed to meet for public religious services1 and at these public gatherings1 each ,christian put into the treasury of the church what he had set apart at home from the rest of the gains of the week4 #c4 ,the most conclusive argument1 however1 is drawn from the end that ,paul desired to accomplish4 ,he states expressly that his aim in giving his directions was to avoid the necessity of gatherings or collections when he should come4 ,the force of this consideration is evaded by explaining the apostle's words as meaning 8small collections40 ,but if every ,christian had his money laid by at home1 whether it were much or little1 the 8collections0 would still have to be made4 ,each ,christian1 it is true1 would have his sum already made up1 and would need to make no personal gathering4 ,but the apostle's word is much more naturally and fittingly applied to collections on a larger and wider scale4 ,and to effect the apostle's end1 and avoid such collections at his coming1 the ,corinthians1 like the ,galatians1 were to make a collection every ,lord's day1 of what each one at home had set apart or placed aside from the proceeds of his business during the preceding week4 ,in no other way would the moneys needed be in perfect readiness for the apostle4 ,if left in the hands of individuals scattered around1 there would be uncertainty about the apostle's receipt of them1 and there would still be trouble in connection with collections on his arrival4 ,but with the moneys already gathered1 at the regular weekly meetings1 into the common treasury of the church1 and there waiting his coming1 his aim is satisfactorily accomplished4 ,the only remaining passage is ,rev4 #a3aj3 8,i was in the ,spirit on the ,lord's day40 ,it has been admitted by opponents of the first-day ,sabbath1 that if1 by the ,lord's day in this passage1 the first day of the week is meant1 their cause is lost4 ,and lost it is2 for no other day can be meant4 ,three interpretations have been given of ,john's words3-- #a4 ,by the ,lord's day is meant the day of ,judgment4 ,wetstein1 in his elaborate edition of the ,greek ,new ,testament1 in the year #ageb1 first advanced this view4 ,his comment is2 8,hunc diem judicii vidit in spiritu2 i4 e41 prvidit representatum40 8,john saw in ,spirit the day of ,judgment2 that is1 he foresaw it represented40 ,the phrase1 8the day of the ,lord10 does mean in the ,scriptures the day of ,judgment4 ,but that phrase is different from the one here employed4 ,the literal rendering of the former is1 8the day of the ,lord40 ,the literal rendering of the other is1 8the dominical day40 ,this was not a day foreseen1 but a day on which ,john was in the ,spirit--a day of weekly recurrence which the ,lord claims as his own1 as he claims the dominical supper4 #b4 ,by the ,lord's day1 it is maintained again1 is meant the seventh-day ,sabbath4 ,in support of this view it is said that the phrase employed by ,john corresponds with such ,old-,testament expressions as 8a ,sabbath to the ,lord10 and with the ,saviour's language3 8,the ,son of man is ,lord even of the ,sabbath40 ,but the very fact that the seventh day had a well-known and distinctive name by which it was always designated1 is strong presumptive proof that this new and unusual phrase used by ,john cannot apply to it4 ,it would be most natural to suppose that some other day is meant1 and this is clearly proved to be the fact4 #c4 ,the phrase1 the ,lord's day1 was the common expression for designating the first-day ,sabbath from ,john's time onward4 ,as the meal which the ,lord hallowed as his own was called the ,lord's supper1 so the day hallowed by the ,lord's resurrection1 by his repeated meeting with his disciples after rising from the dead1 by the descent of his ,spirit1 by the weekly religious assemblies of his people with their communions1 preaching and hearing the word1 prayers and almsgiving1 was properly termed the ,lord's day4 ,it has been argued on the other side of the question that the ,lord had a day1 and but one in the week1 called specially his own4 ,but as has been shown1 ,jesus himself1 after his resurrection1 paid no regard to the seventh day4 ,his disciples did not observe it4 ,it could not1 therefore1 have been the ,lord's day4 ,on the other hand1 ,jesus did honor the first day1 and the ,christian churches everywhere did the same2 and thus this honored day is the only one of which ,john could speak when he said he was 8in the ,spirit on the ,lord's day40 ,by this name1 as will be seen in our next article1 the first day of the week was known in the early church4 ,a ,,rejoinder4 8,,testimony ,,of ,,paul ,,and ,,john ,,to ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath40 ,with no small degree of interest we have perused the article entitled1 8,testimony of ,paul and ,john to the ,first-day ,sabbath10 ,the two texts which it brings forward in defense of the theory of a changed ,sabbath1 are regarded by the friends of that theory1 generally1 as among the strongest of its supports4 ,the first of them 7#a ,cor4 #af3a1 #b71 we had assailed1 and adduced a criticism1 from the pen of ,mr4 ,j4 ,w4 ,morton1 which was of great importance4 ,in it1 the very stronghold of the ,sunday argument had been fearlessly attacked1 and1 to our mind1 carried beyond all question4 ,the writer whom we quoted presented twelve versions and translations1 all of which clearly sustained the position that the expression1 8by him10 was equivalent to the term1 8at home0 ,if this were true1 then beyond all dispute the ,sunday argument had been denuded of all its strength1 provided it ever had any2 for the support of its logic was the assumption that the transaction brought to view in this text was to take place in the respective assemblies of the saints4 ,it is1 therefore1 with the most profound satisfaction that--if we rightly apprehend the remarks of our reviewer--we accept his concession of the point that the words1 8by him10 do indeed answer to a ,greek idiom1 of which the original terms are equivalent to the expression1 8at home40 ,this being true1 we are agreed that at least a portion of the duty which ,paul commanded was to be performed1 not at the house of assembly1 but at the dwelling of the individual ,christian4 ,in other words1 he admits that the money which they were to 8place or devote0 to charitable purposes1 was first to be estimated and separated while yet they were in their own houses4 ,having conceded thus much1 he reasons that the money was to be carried to the place of worship1 and laid up in store1 or deposited among the collections regularly made on the first day of the week4 ,in order to sustain this view1 he offers a grammatical criticism to which it cannot be objected that it is not drawn finely enough to meet the taste of the most fastidious4 ,but the writer does not seem to plant himself so squarely upon it as we would naturally expect one would who feels that he is standing upon solid ground4 ,the force of his logic seems to be drawn from the object which ,paul had in view1 in ordering beforehand this weekly laying aside of money for the poor saints at ,jerusalem4 ,the writer thinks that the evident reference of ,paul1 in the words1 8that there be no gatherings when ,i come10 is to contributions to be taken up in the congregation when he should have reached the place4 ,if he is wrong in this1 he is wrong in all2 for no one will dispute that money could#g be 8laid by in store0 at home1 as well as in the church1 since to lay by in store1 is to put in some safe and accessible place4 ,right here1 then1 we inquire1 ,what were the 8gatherings0 which ,paul sought to avoid on his arrival8 ,they could refer to but one of two things2 either1 first1 the collection of moneys in the church2 or1 secondly1 the collecting of them by individuals from those who were indebted to them4 ,that the first was not the sense in which ,paul employed the word1 we submit is apparent1 from the fact that the end to be gained by writing months beforehand1 in order to prevent the taking up of a collection in the church1 was not commensurate with the dignity which is given to it by so prominent a place in the sacred epistle4 ,so far as the collection itself was concerned1 it could have been brought about1 unquestionably1 within the space of fifteen minutes4 ,the amount of time1 therefore1 which it would consume1 is too insignificant to be worthy of mention4 ,again1 as it regards the moral complexion of the act1 it will not be objected by our reviewer that it was to be avoided from any scruples in that direction1 since he believes that such collections were taken up on every first day of the week4 ,on the other hand1 taking the second view as being the one which properly expresses the facts1 we find that it is in perfect harmony with the circumstances of the case1 and consistent with the notion that ,paul had a sufficient motive for writing before hand1 as he did1 concerning the collections4 ,he was about to make a brief visit to ,corinth4 ,how long he should remain1 he could not tell4 ,while there1 he wanted the undivided attention of the people to be given to religious purposes1 and also that the money which he expected1 should be in readiness1 so that no delay might be necessary4 ,this1 however1 could not be1 since1 not knowing the exact time of his arrival1 they would not be likely to have it on hand when he should come1 unless they laid it by1 weekly1 at their homes4 ,should he1 therefore1 drop in upon them suddenly1 they would be thrown into a confusion of mind illy compatible with the purposes of daily worship during his visit1 since they would be annoyed and distracted by the necessity of gathering from this direction and that1 the amounts of the weekly contribution which they had agreed to make for the benefit of the suffering saints at ,jerusalem4 ,but once more3 ,having settled the point that the explanation claimed does not satisfactorily account for the mention of the subject in an epistle1 while the one which we present meets the requirements of the case in every particular--since it both supplies the money1 and furnishes the apostle with a body of ,christians ready to listen to the preaching of the word--let us look at the matter from another stand-point4 ,the plan proposed by ,paul could have been arrived at in but one of two ways4 ,every ,christian was expected1 either1 first1 to give a fixed sum1 every week1 of an amount equal to that which the general valuation of his property would require2 or1 secondly1 he was1 as the writer supposes1 to pay in a fluctuating amount weekly1 that amount to be determined by the gains or losses of the week4 ,we will suppose1 for a moment1 that the first theory is correct1 and will test the plan in question thereby4 ,while doing so1 for convenience' sake1 we will employ the currency of our own time4 ,here is a ,corinthian ,christian who is worth1 say #aj1jjj4 ,he decides that he will give1 for the purposes mentioned1 ten dollars per week4 ,he has money in his purse1 and nothing to prevent his doing it at any time4 ,being anxious to obey the injunction of ,paul1 he proceeds as the writer suggests4 ,on ,sunday morning he is at home1 knowing just what he must contribute on that day1 when he goes to church1 having previously decided this point4 ,the amount1 as we have seen1 is precisely ten dollars4 ,but ,paul says he must do something with it 8at home10 before going to church4 ,what was he to do with it8 ,the writer says1 8to place or devote it40 ,well1 he takes out his purse2 from it he extracts just ten dollars4 ,he holds it in his fingers4 ,now1 what shall he do with it8 ,the writer says he must 8place or devote it40 ,yes1 but we inquire4 ,what does place or devote mean1 in such a connection as this8 ,in other words1 ,what shall he do with the money at home8 ,shall he take it out1 and turn it over1 and look at it1 and put it back into his purse again1 and then go to church and place it in the contribution box8 ,we answer that this would be a solemn farce4 ,to say1 also1 that having taken it out of his purse he must not put it back again1 but must place it in some other pocket1 and then carry it to church1 is simply ridiculous4 ,so far1 therefore1 as the men were concerned whose property was fixed1 and whose contributions were the same1 weekly1 all that was said by ,paul about 8devoting or placing0 at home was pure nonsense1 in the light of the exposition offered4#h ,now for the other class1 or the men of fluctuating resources4 ,how shall they proceed8 ,were they to estimate the amount of their weekly gains1 and to collect in the sum1 on the last day1 which they were to give on the first day of the week8 ,if so1 then in their cases1 as well as in those of the first order1 the whole process was a mere sham1 an empty and meaningless form4 ,for they also1 at their homes1 would simply have to take out their money and look at it1 and then put it back and go to the church for the purpose of donating it4 ,but again2 as we have seen1 that unless the work of deciding how much they ought to give1 and separating the amount for that purpose while at home on the first day of the week1 was a part of the plan of the apostle1 the whole suggestion had in it neither rhyme nor reason1 we now turn to the only alternative left our opponent2 which is the conclusion that the work indicated by the term1 8place or devote at home10 was that of deciding upon1 and separating the sum which they could spare to the weekly contribution4 ,what are the consequences of such a position8 ,we reply1 ,it overturns and utterly uproots the whole theory of ,sunday sanctity2 for the lesson taught by #a ,cor4 #af3a1 #b1 instead of being favorable to the conception that ,paul held to such a theory1 shows that he regarded the first day of the week as secular time4 ,do you ask1 ,how do you reach such a conclusion8 ,i answer1 ,it is inevitable1 since the men who were acting under the instruction of ,paul could not carry out the work prescribed by him without devoting at least the morning of the first day of the week to worldly business1 such as that of figuring up and deciding upon the losses and profits of the preceding week1 and1 perhaps1 collecting from outstanding matters the pro-rata amount necessary for the stated collection at the church4 ,should it be objected that our suggestion is open to the criticism that the well-to-do class of ,christians could have furnished their means at any time1 we answer1 ,very true2 but that1 should week after week elapse without the separation1 on the part of the wealthy1 of the stipulated sum1 it might1 before the arrival of the apostle1 reach figures which it would be difficult even for them to meet without perplexity4 ,and besides1 the better1 easier1 more natural1 and we think1 spiritually1 the more profitable method1 even for them1 would be found in doing it weekly4 ,we might offer many reasons for this conviction1 had we space4 ,paul was giving a general rule to meet the condition of all classes4 ,the poor comprised the larger portion of these classes1 and a principle was laid down1 therefore1 which1 while it was better for the rich than any other1 was indispensable1 for the purposes in question1 to the men of moderate circumstances4 ,our interpretation1 stated in brief1 is simply this3 ,the apostle instructed them on the first day of the week to lay by in store1 at home1 what they proposed to give to the saints at ,jerusalem1 hoarding it up until he should visit them1 so that at his arrival they might put it into the common treasury2 thus avoiding the possibility of being unable1 on the one hand1 to meet their pledges1 and on the other1 of being necessitated to have their minds occupied with temporal affairs1 during his stay4 ,this conception is free from embarrassments4 ,even were the gentleman's translation of the passage correct1 it cannot be shown to be unsound4 ,he would read the scripture substantially as follows3 8,let every one of you devote at home1 treasuring up1 that there be no gatherings when ,i come40 ,to our mind1 there is no tautology1 even in the declaration of the apostle thus expressed1 which is worthy of mention2 for should the term1 8treasuring up10 be interpreted to mean the same as placing or devoting at home1 it is explanatory1 not of the command1 but of the purpose of the command4 ,a paraphrase1 which is often employed with profit in the writings of ,paul1 will make it all clear3 8,upon the first day of the week1 let every one of you lay aside1 or devote to the ,lord1 an amount commensurate with the prosperity which he has bestowed upon you1 treasuring it up1 so that there need be no gatherings when ,i come40 ,the only difference between the gentleman and myself1 therefore1 would be as to the place where it was to be treasured up2 he insisting that it was at the church1 and we1 at the house of the individual ,christian4 ,we have shown that his opinion is not only unnecessary1 but that it is also absurd1 since it divides a transaction which ,paul does not divide2 and1 after admitting that a part of it transpired at the home of the individual1 it represents the other part as having taken place at the church2 whereas1 neither the church1 the contribution box1 nor the assembly1 are so much as mentioned4 ,and besides1 it presents ,paul in an attitude which certainly does not compliment his sagacity4 ,mark you1 it is 8every one of you0 that he instructs to 8lay by at home40 ,it must therefore be1 not the church collectively1 but its individual members who are called upon to treasure up1 or lay by in store4 ,just here we submit that the language employed is literal1 and not figurative1 and that1 this being true1 the moment that the saints at ,corinth placed their funds in the common treasury1 they violated the injunction of the apostle1 which was that they should treasure it up1 or lay it by in store1 individually4 ,by way of enforcing our logic1 we inquire of the reader1 who has doubtless contributed many times to church collections1 ,can you look upon money thus bestowed as in any proper sense of the term belonging to you individually8 or as still treasured up or laid by in store8 ,we think that your answer will not be equivocal4 ,to lay by in store1 as before stated1 is to put in some safe and accessible place2 but money once donated is not accessible to the individual contributor1 since he has no longer any individual property in it4 ,here we must terminate our remarks on #a ,cor4 #af3a1 #b4 ,as we do so1 we have disposed of the last ,bible text which will be cited in the support of a supposed practice of ,sunday-keeping on the part of the early church4 ,error begets error4 ,having rejected the obvious teaching of ,acts #bj3g1 that ,paul1 after holding a meeting on the first day of the week1 traveled nineteen and a half miles on foot1 and having endeavored to explain away this journey by inferring that it took place on the second day of the week1 which is not mentioned in the connection1 our opponent comes to the consideration of #a ,cor4 #af3a1 #b1 lugging along in his arms a precedent which ,god had clearly taught him was not designed to teach the lesson which he sought to extract from it4 ,with this precedent1 thus illegitimately obtained1 he seeks to explain the language of ,paul which we have been considering4 ,by this means1 he has been led to indorse error4 ,but we need not recapitulate4 ,in conclusion on this point1 we remark3 ,how admirable is the providence of ,god6 ,he has instructed us in his word1 in regard to duty1 by clear precepts1 and has never told as to study its requirements simply in the light of human example4 ,how remarkable1 therefore1 that he should have condescended to so order1 by his ,spirit1 the record which has been made in the case of every precedent brought forward1 that the text and context would utterly overthrow every effort of him who should attempt to employ them in the interest of a false doctrine4 ,on the day of the resurrection1 as if to show that it was not holy time1 two disciples are brought to view as traveling fifteen miles2 a portion of the distance in company with their approving ,lord1 and the remainder of it after he had appeared to1 walked and conversed with1 them4 ,in ,acts #bj3g1 apparently perceiving the use which might be made of it1 he places1 in the foreground of the sacred record1 the apostle1 threading a weary journey on foot from ,troas to ,assos2 and lastly1 in #a ,cor4 #af3a1 #b1 he framed the language so that it should inculcate1 not the idea that the first day of the week was holy time1 but1 on the contrary1 that it might be devoted to the secular work of casting up accounts and collecting funds4 ,with the exposition offered of the words1 8,i was in the ,spirit on the ,lord's day10 ,rev4 #a3aj1 we shall make short work4 ,what we have previously said on that passage is not sufficiently disturbed to warrant extended remark4 ,be it remembered1 then1 that1 as said above1 the passage proves that ,god has a day in this dispensation4 ,at this point commences our divergence4 ,we say that the term1 8,lord's day10 refers to the seventh-day ,sabbath4 ,the writer says that it refers to the first day of the week4 ,the declaration that ,christ paid no attention to the seventh-day ,sabbath after his resurrection1 needs no reply here1 except that he was under no obligation to do so1 and there was no good reason why he should1 since he regarded it strictly in his lifetime1 and enjoined it upon his followers4 ,perhaps1 however1 it would be well to add that he at least never did anything after his resurrection which might be construed into a desecration of it2 whereas1 in the case of the only first-day on which it can be proved that he ever met with his disciples1 after his death1 be devoted a portion of its hours to travel on the highway4 ,to the objection of the writer that1 if the term1 8,lord's day10 in the case before us1 does apply to the seventh-day ,sabbath1 it is strange that it should have been called in every case but this 8the ,sabbath10 we reply that1 were this true1 this would simply prove a choice in titles1 and implies no disrespect to the day itself1 since the term 8,sabbath10 equally with that of 8,lord's day10 was a sacred denomination4 ,not so1 however1 if he be right in the supposition that the term1 8,lord's day10 applies to the ,sunday2 for1 if he be correct in this1 then indeed we have something which is passing strange4 ,for1 in all the ,new ,testament1 that which he is pleased to style the 8,christian ,sabbath10 and to which1 according to his theory1 belonged the honorable name of 8,lord's day10 is not only so called but once2 but1 being spoken of nine times by inspired men1 it is mentioned eight times out of the nine by them in an utter disregard of its hallowed nature1 in the terms employed1 since it is referred to by its secular name1 first day of the week1 in all these instances4 ,the reader will recollect that1 in our positive argument1 we showed that the term1 8,lord's day10 was a fitting one for the last day of the week1 provided the term translated 8,lord0 was applicable to ,god1 the ,father1 as well as to ,christ1 the ,son4 #a4 ,because it was the day which he blessed and sanctified in ,eden1 thus claiming it as his own 7,gen4 #b3c74 #b4 ,because1 in the commandment1 he calls it 8the ,sabbath of the ,lord40 #c4 ,because1 in ,isa #eh3ac1 #ad1 he makes mention of it in the use of the terms1 8,sabbath10 8my holy day10 8the holy of the ,lord10 c4 ,in addition1 we might cite other honorable and distinguishing terms by which it is pointed out in the ,bible as a day which belongs peculiarly to the ,lord our ,god1 but these are sufficient4 ,if it be replied that the word translated 8,lord0 in ,rev4 #a3aj1 is necessarily limited to ,christ1 we answer3 #a4 ,as we have argued formerly1 that he said he was ,lord of the ,sabbath4 ,mark #b3bg1 #bh4 #b4 ,that the following texts show conclusively that the divine ,son of ,god was engaged1 equally with the ,father1 in the creation of this world2 and1 therefore1 that he undoubtedly shared in the rest which furnished the foundation for the ,edenic ,sabbath1 as well as in the act of blessing and sanctifying it1 or setting it apart for religious purposes4 8,all things were made by him ,christ3 and without him was not anything made that was made40 ,john #a3c4 8,he was in the world1 and the world was made by him1 and the world knew him not40 ,john #a3aj4 8444 ,who ,god created all things by ,jesus ,christ40 ,eph4 #c3i4 8,for by him were all things created1 that are in heaven1 and that are in earth2 444 all things were created by him1 and for him40 ,col4 #a3af4 8,god 444 hath in these last days spoken unto us by his ,son1 whom he hath appointed heir of all things1 by whom also he made the worlds40 ,heb4 #a3a1 #b4 ,even though we should grant1 therefore1 which we do not1 that the term translated 8,lord10 as above1 applies exclusively to the ,son of ,god1 we cannot see why the seventh day might not1 with all propriety1 be called after him1 the ,lord's day4 ,in the concluding remarks on this branch of the subject1 it will not be considered out of place for us to remind the reader of the protest which we offered1 in the rejoinder to the second article of the gentleman of the ,statesman1 against his effort to obtain all the benefit which could be derived from his interpretation of ,rev4 #a3aj1 before he had struck a single blow1 either in the direction of overturning our construction1 or establishing1 by fair argument1 his own4 ,the reason why this protest was offered is now apparent4 ,the gentleman there1 by anticipation1 assumed that ,john meant by the term1 8,lord's day10 the first day of the week4 ,he promised that in due time he would make good his assertion4 ,but how has it proved1 now that he has reached the very point where he should have fulfilled this engagement8 ,every one must see that he has utterly failed4 ,proof was the very thing which was promised1 and which was needed1 right here4 ,it is the very thing1 also1 which he has neglected to adduce4 ,all that is said in reference to the theory of ,wetstein1 may have served to give respectability1 in point of length1 to the treatment of that which he has regarded a most important scripture in his line of evidence2 but it was utterly irrelevant to anything which we had said2 for the reader will remember that we emphatically planted ourselves on the position that it was the weekly ,sabbath to which allusion is made4 ,to the restatement of the scriptures employed in vindication of this last opinion1 there can be no objection1 but we inquire again1 ,where are the passages1 where the deductions from ,scripture teachings1 by which the gentleman has proved that the ,lord's day is the first day of the week8 ,he has not so much as cited one4 ,he has not made even a respectable effort at argument2 but1 with a haste which is irreverent1 if not indecent1 he rushes away from the book of ,god1 as if impelled by the conviction that his view will find no support there1 and plunges headlong into the regions of patristic myth and moonshine4 ,at this we are not surprised4 ,it is just what we expected4 ,sabbatarians are as well acquainted with this device as they are with the emptiness of the so-called ,bible argument for the ,sunday4 ,it simply serves to strengthen their conviction1 so often expressed in these articles1 that the stronghold of first-day observance will ever be found in writings which have been manipulated1 retrenched1 and interpolated1 by the church of ,rome4 ,for1 be it remembered1 it is from the authorities to which the gentleman now appeals1 that the papacy brings its stoutest testimonials for apostolic succession1 papistic supremacy1 and the other heresies which blacken the record of its apostasy4 ,all it is necessary to say to the reader here is1 therefore1 that he should bear in mind that ,sabbatarians are willing to leave the arbitrament of this whole question where it can be determined from the standpoint of ,bible evidence4 ,it is the opposition1 and not we1 who make it necessary1 in the investigation of this subject1 to go upon forbidden ground4 8,all ,scripture is given by inspiration of ,god1 and is profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction in righteousness2 that the man of ,god may be perfect1 thoroughly furnished unto all good works40 #b ,tim4 #c3af1 #ag4 ,if1 therefore1 first-day sanctity has no warrant in the ,bible1 which we have seen to be the case1 then it is not among those things which are profitable1 or which1 as ,christian doctrines1 are necessary to furnish the man of ,god unto all good works4 ,footnote #g3 ,this point is an important one2 and as we are anxious to satisfy the reader that it is well taken1 we append the following remarks of ,albert ,barnes1 who--though agreeing with the writer in the ,statesman that this passage furnishes proof for ,sunday observance--nevertheless frankly concedes1 as will be seen1 that the construction of the original phrase for 8treasuring up10 is such as to admit of the idea that the work was to be done at home4 ,he says3 8,the phrase in ,greek1 #8treasuring up1' may mean that each one was to put the part which he had designated into the common treasury4 ,this interpretation seems to be demanded by the latter part of the verse4 ,they were to lay it by1 and to put it into the common treasury1 that there might be no trouble of collecting when he should come4 ,or1 it may1 perhaps1 mean that they were individually to treasure it up1 having designated in their own minds the sum which they could give1 and have it in readiness when he should come40 ,footnote #h3 ,instead of selecting a wealthy person1 able to contribute ten dollars per week1 as has been done above1 let an individual be chosen from the poorer classes of ,corinthians--say from among these who would be able to donate only twenty-five cents per week--and the reader will be more forcibly impressed with the unreasonableness of that construction which makes it necessary that so small a pittance should first be placed or devoted at home1 and then carried to the church1 and there deposited in the general collection4 ,,statesman',s ,,reply4 ,,article ,,seven4 ,,testimony ,,of ,,the ,,early ,,fathers ,,to ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath4 ,besides the inspired records of the ,scriptures1 there have come down to us the writings of men who were contemporaneous with some of the apostles1 and the writings of others who lived in the immediately succeeding generations4 ,we shall quote from the writings of those who lived during the two centuries following the close of the canon of inspiration4 ,these writers give evidence enough that they were not inspired1 as were the penmen of the ,divine ,word4 ,but it will be borne in mind that we appeal to them here simply as witnesses to a matter of fact4 ,many of their opinions and interpretations of ,scripture may not be worthy of acceptance2 but their testimony to the existence of the ,lord's day1 an admitted fact1 cannot be disputed4 ,as there has been a great deal of loose citation from the early fathers on this question1 we have been at considerable pains to translate carefully from the original in every case1 and accompany each quotation with minute and accurate reference4 ,the first writer from whom we shall quote is ,ignatius4 ,this father stood at the head of the church at ,antioch at the close of the first century and the beginning of the second4 ,after occupying that position for many years1 he was condemned to death1 as a ,christian1 by ,trajan1 transported in chains to ,rome1 and there thrown to lions in the ,coliseum for the amusement of the populace1 probably in the year #ajg4 ,on his way to ,rome1 he wrote seven epistles to various churches4 ,eusebius and ,jerome arrange these writings as follows 7#a7 ,to the ,ephesians2 7#b7 to the ,magnesians2 7#c7 to the ,trallians2 7#d7 to the ,romans2 7#e7 to the ,philadelphians2 7#f7 to the ,smyrneans2 7#g7 to ,polycarp1 bishop1 or presbyter1 of ,smyrna4 ,these seven epistles1 in connection with a number of others confessedly spurious1 have come down to us in two ,greek copies1 a longer and a shorter4 ,a ,syriac version of three epistles has recently been found4 ,without entering into the controversy concerning these ,ignatian ,epistles1 we give the conclusion reached by ,dr4 ,schaff1 which is very generally accepted3 8,the question lies between the shorter ,greek copy and the ,syriac version4 ,the preponderance of testimony is for the former1 in which the letters are no loose patch-work1 but were produced1 each under its one impulse1 were well known to ,eusebius1 probably even to ,polycarp1 and agree also with the ,armenian version of the fifth century40 7,history of the ,christian ,church1 vol4 i4 p4 #dff47 ,it is admitted1 even by those who do not accept the ,greek copy as genuine1 that it is the work of the close of the second century1 or a little later4 ,in any event1 then1 it is important testimony4 ,in the epistles to the ,magnesians occurs the following language3 8,be not deceived with false doctrines1 nor old1 unprofitable fables4 ,for1 if we still live in accordance with ,judaism1 we confess that we have not received grace4 ,for even the most holy prophets lived according to ,jesus ,christ4444 ,if1 then1 they who were brought up in ancient things arrived at a newness of hope1 no longer keeping the ,sabbath1 but living according to the ,lord's life1 444 how can we live without him8444 ,since we have been made his disciples1 let us learn to live according to ,christianity40#i--;,ad ,magnes4 capp4 #h1 #i2 ,coteler's ,edition1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #ai1 #bj4 ,amsterdam1 #agbd4 ,in this passage1 it will be observed1 the writer draws a contrast between ,judaism and ,christianity4 ,to keep the seventh-day ,sabbath was to live according to ,judaism4 ,to live according to the dominical life1 or1 as the thought is otherwise expressed1 to live according to ,christianity1 was opposed to the keeping of the seventh-day ,sabbath4 ,the argument of ,ignatius tells strongly in favor of the first-day ,sabbath4 ,if ,jews1 he argues1 brought up in the old order of things1 on turning ,christians1 no longer keep the seventh-day ,sabbath1 but live according to the dominical life1 observing as part of that life1 the dominical day1 the day on which the ,lord rose from the dead1 surely those who never had been ,jews should live according to ,christianity1 and not give heed to ,judaizing teachers4 ,passing on1 we come to a document called 8,the ,epistle of ,barnabas40 ,this letter1 though not the composition of the ,barnabas of the ,new ,testament1 was written in the early part of the second century4 ,it cannot be determined who was the author1 but the early date of the letter is fully established2 and that is the main point4 ,its language is3 8,we celebrate the eighth day with joy1 on which ,jesus rose from the dead40--,coteler's ,edition of the ,apostolic ,fathers1 vol4 i4 p4 #dg4 ,the testimony of ,justin ,martyr is full and explicit4 ,as an itinerant evangelist for many years during the first half of the second century1 just after the time of the apostle ,john1 he enjoyed an excellent opportunity of becoming1 acquainted with the customs of the whole church4 ,writing in the year #aci to the ,emperor ,antoninus ,pius1 in vindication of his ,christian brethren1 he gives the following account of their stated religious services3 8,on the day called the day of the sun is an assembly of all who live either in cities or in the rural districts1 and the memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read20 i4 e41 the ,old and ,new ,testaments4 ,then he goes on to specify the various parts of their first-day services4 ,just as at the present day1 in ,christian congregations1 there were preaching1 prayer1 the celebration of the ,lord's supper1 and the contribution of alms4 ,as reasons why ,christians should observe the first day1 he assigns the following3 8,because it was the first day on which ,god dispelled the darkness and chaos1 and formed the world1 and because ,jesus ,christ1 our ,saviour1 rose from the dead on it40--,robert ,stephens' edition of the works of ,justin ,martyr1 p4 #afb4 ,luteti1 #aeea4 ,in another of his works1 the ,dialogue with ,trypho the ,jew1 written about the same time as the ,apology1 from which we have quoted1 occurs this passage3 8,the command to circumcise infants on the eighth day was a type of the true circumcision by which we were circumcised from error and evil through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who rose from the dead on the first day of the week2 for the first day of the week remains the chief of all the days40 7,stephens' ,edition1 p4 #ei4 ,see also ,trollope's edition of the ,dialogue with ,trypho1 pp4 #he1 #hf47 ,the careful reader of ,justin ,martyr will observe that1 in addressing ,trypho the ,jew1 he uses different terms for the days of the week from those which he employs in addressing the ,emperor ,antoninus4 ,addressing a heathen emperor1 he employs the heathen names for both the seventh and the first day of the week4 ,two important notices of the ,lord's day1 all the more important because of their incidental character1 are found in the ,history of ,eusebius4 ,dionysius1 bishop or presbyter of ,corinth1 ,a4 ,d4 #agj1 in a letter to the church at ,rome1 a fragment of which is preserved by ,eusebius1 says3 8,to-day we kept the ,lord's holy day1 in which we read your letter40 7,hist4 ,eccles4 iv4 #bc1 ,paris ,ed4 #afgh1 pp4 #aag1 #aah47 ,the other of these notices is in regard to a treatise on the ,lord's day1 by ,melito1 bishop of ,sardis1 ,a4 ,d4 #agj4 ,this treatise1 ,eusebius remarks1 along with others by the same writer1 had come to the historian's knowledge4--,hist4 ,eccles4 iv4 #bf1 ,paris ,ed4 #afgh1 p4 #aai4 ,although the letter of ,pliny to ,trajan is so well known as hardly to need quotation1 we shall close this article with its interesting testimony in confirmation1 from a pagan quarter1 of what has already been adduced from ,christian writers3 8,they the ,christians affirmed that the sum of their fault1 or error1 was that they were accustomed to assemble on a stated day--,stato die--before it was light1 and sing praise alternately among themselves to ,christ as ,god--carmenque ,christo1 quasi ,deo1 dicere secum1 invicem40 7,plin4 ,epist4 x41 #ig47 ,here we have the fact that ,christians in the early part of the second century met regularly on a stated day1 and this stated day1 as all the ,christian authorities of the same date prove1 was the first day of the week1 the ,lord's day4 ,additional patristic evidence will be given in the next article4 ,footnote #i3 ,not a few eminent writers1 such as ,dwight1 and ,wilson1 of ,calcutta1 who are followed by many lesser authors1 quote ,ignatius1 as saying3 8,let us no more ,sabbatize1 but keep the ,lord's day40 ,from the literal rendering of the original above given1 it will be seen that these writers take an unwarrantable liberty with their author4 ,the words of ,ignatius are1 4 ,to separate the noun from the preceding adjective1 and connect it with the following participle1 so as to read1 8,living a life according to the ,lord's day10 is an unnatural separation of the words of the original4 ,to drop out the word is unwarranted4 ,if this word were spurious1 then the rendering would be1 8,living according to the ,lord's day10 the adjective without the noun for 8day0 being expressed occurring frequently for 8the ,lord's day40 ,but there is no ground for rejecting the word 8life40 ,to color the language of an author for the sake of giving it point in favor of one side of a question is unworthy of a seeker after truth4 ,in the present case there is really nothing gained by departing from the precise language of the writer4 ,another passage1 often quoted as from ,ignatius1 is part of the spurious epistle to the ,galatians4 ,it is as follows3 8,during the ,sabbath1 ,christ continued under the earth1 in the tomb in which ,joseph of ,arimathea had laid him4 ,at the dawning of the lord's day1 he arose from the dead4 ,the day of the preparation1 then1 comprises the passion2 the ,lord's day contains the resurrection40 ,this certainly has some weight as the testimony of comparatively early writer1 but it must not be ascribed to ,ignatius4 ,a ,,rejoinder4 8,,testimony ,,of ,,the ,,early ,,fathers ,,to ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath40 ,there is one feature which has characterized this debate1 hitherto1 which has been a source of considerable satisfaction4 ,the controversy1 up to this point1 has been urged purely with reference to the teaching of the ,bible1 as drawn from its sacred pages4 ,henceforth1 however1 this is not to be the case4 ,we are now to have1 not the 8sure word of prophecy10 with the clear and forcible lines of textual evidence1 drawn from its inspired utterances1 but that 8word of prophecy10 supplemented and explained by the apostolic fathers4 ,it has been said1 and well said1 that history repeats itself4 ,if there was one thing which marked the religious impulse that ,protestantism gave to the world1 it was an utter rejection1 in the decision of religious opinions1 of everything but ,bible authority4 ,the voice of ,martin ,luther even now seems to reverberate in our ears1 as--when fighting the very battles which ,sabbatarians am being called upon to fight over again--he retorted in sharp and stinging words upon his cowled and priestly opponents1 who were ever citing patristic evidence1 ,the ,bible1 and the ,bible alone1 is our rule of faith4 ,again1 as we read the words addressed by him to those friends who were hopefully waiting the expected reply from the ,romanists of his time1 to a courageous assault which he had made upon them from the stand-point of the ,bible1 it seems as if they were designed to be prophetic of our time1 rather than descriptive of his own4 ,he said3 8,you are waiting for your adversaries' answer2 it is already written1 and here it is3 #8,the fathers1 the fathers1 the fathers2 the church1 the church1 the church2 usage1 custom2 but of the ,scriptures--nothing6'0--,d',aubirgne's ,hist4 ,ref41 vol4 viii41 p4 #gag4 ,wearisome as these repeated conflicts may be to the child of ,god1 there is a satisfaction in the thought that we hold in our hands the same weapons1 and bear aloft the same banners by which1 under the blessing of ,god1 victory1 complete and universal1 has been attained in the past4 ,the opponents of ,bible truth have never yet been able to stand before the thunder of its power1 or to balance the ponderous weight of its influence1 in the decision of religious questions4 ,the homely phrase of the great reformer is just as potent and irresistible in the present contest as it was in that for which it was framed 8,when ,god's word is by the fathers expounded1 construed1 and glossed1 then1 in my judgment1 it is even like unto one that straineth milk through a coal-sack1 which must needs spoil the milk1 and make it black2 even so1 likewise1 ,god's word of itself is sufficiently pure1 clean1 bright1 and clear2 but through the doctrines1 books1 and writings1 of the fathers1 it is very surely darkened1 falsified1 and spoiled40 ,the elegant and convincing logic of ,philip ,melancthon1 the greatest theologian of the sixteenth century--who1 in the following brief lines1 discussed and summed up the whole question--is just as sound and unanswerable now as it was when1 under the blessing of ,god1 it carried confusion and defeat into the ranks of the papacy1 three hundred years ago4 ,he says3 8,how often has not ,jerome been mistaken6 how often ,augustine6 how often ,ambrose6 ,how often do we not find them differing in judgment--how often do we not hear them retracting their errors6 ,there is but one ,scripture divinely inspired1 and without mixture of error40 7,idem41 p4 #bai47 ,in fine1 we might prove from history that nearly every ,protestant writer1 for the last three centuries1 has forged for us weapons which could be employed with the most telling effect in the controversy in which we are now engaged4 ,this1 however1 we have not space to do1 but must content ourselves with several brief citations1 by which we will show that the authorities of our own times--equally with those of the past--are uniform in their expressions of contempt for testimony which is so largely relied upon by our reviewer in the present discussion4 8,to avoid being imposed upon1 we ought to treat tradition as we do a notorious and known liar1 to whom we give no credit1 unless what he says is confirmed to us by some person of undoubted veracity4444 ,false and lying traditions are of an early date1 and the greatest men have1 out of a pious credulity1 suffered themselves to be imposed upon by them4--,archibald ,bower4 8,but of these1 we may safely state that there is not a truth of the most orthodox creed that cannot be proved by their authority2 nor a heresy that has disgraced the ,romish church1 that may not challenge them as it abettors4 ,in point of doctrine1 their authority is1 with me1 nothing4 ,the ,,word of ,god alone contains my creed4 ,on a number of points1 ,i can go to the ,greek and ,latin fathers of the church1 to know what they believed1 and what the people of their respective communions believed2 but after all this1 ,i must return to ,god's word to know what he would have me to believe40 7,a4 ,clark1 ,com4 on ,prov4 #h47 8,we should take heed how we quote the fathers in proof of the doctrines of the gospel2 because he who knows them best1 knows that on many of those subjects they blow hot and cold40 7,quoted in ,hist4 of ,sab4 from ,autobiography of ,adam ,clarke47 8,most of the writings1 bearing the name of the apostolic fathers1 are regarded as spurious by various modern critics4 ,the genuineness of all has been disputed2 but the fragments that remain are curious as relics of an early age1 and valuable as indicating the character of primitive ,christianity40 7,am4 ,cyc41 ,art4 ,apostolic ,fathers47 ,thus much for the estimate which ,protestants place upon the authorities which are brought forward by the gentleman in the ,statesman4 ,assuredly1 he would never have appealed to them1 had he not felt that his cause was hopeless one1 when left to the arbitrament of ,scripture4 ,should it be pleaded in extenuation of his cause that they have not been advanced with a view to influencing the judgment of the reader in reference to the continuity of the old ,sabbath1 but were introduced simply to furnish1 as suggested in the outset1 a criticism showing the use of the term1 8,lord's day10 in the first three centuries1 then1 we inquire1 why cite ,ignatius at all8 ,it will be perceived at a glance that1 according to the rendering which he has given us--and for which1 and his note thereon1 he will receive our thanks1 since it will save us much labor--there is not in it a single mention of the term1 8,lord's day40 ,if the passage conveys any meaning at all1 it is either that the ,sabbath should be observed in a manner differing from that in which it was kept by the ,jews1 or else that it should not be observed at all4 ,but the last of these propositions1 the writer will not admit to be sound1 since he has fairly repudiated such a conception1 and has1 in so many words1 stated that he heartily agrees with us in the perpetuity of the ,edenic ,sabbath4 ,he has also stated that the fourth commandment--which it will be admitted commences with the words1 8,remember the ,sabbath day1 to keep it holy0--is a ,sabbath law which is still binding1 and which1 the words of ,ignatius to the contrary notwithstanding1 forever settles the question that this is not a ,sabbathless dispensation4 ,what shall be done1 then1 with the language of the venerable father8 ,we are well acquainted with the office which it has performed hitherto1 and are anxious to know where it is to throw its baleful shadow hereafter4 ,in the past1 hundreds of individuals whose consciences have been aroused by appeals to the ,bible on the subject of the perpetuity of ,god's holy day1 have had their fears quieted1 and have been lulled into security by the very extract with which we are here favored4 ,why1 they have said1 was not ,ignatius a disciple of ,john1 and did he not therefore know what ,john believed8 ,did he not also prove his integrity by becoming a martyr to the faith8 ,since1 therefore1 he was possessed of both knowledge and piety1 and since he has called the first day of the week the ,lord's day1 are we not justified in keeping the day which he kept1 and rejecting the day which he rejected8 ,supported and encouraged in this position1 as they have been by the brethren of the writer who--having either less candor1 or less scholarship1 than he--have insisted again and again that ,ignatius did call the first day of the week the ,lord's day1 it has been in many cases utterly impossible for ,sabbatarians to disabuse their minds of this impression4 ,with gratitude1 therefore1 we shall add the name of the gentleman to the rapidly increasing list of scholars who1 headed by ,kitto1 and others of equal distinction1 frankly concede that ,sabbatarians have been in the right1 and that ,ignatius did not speak of the ,lord's day at all1 but simply alluded to the ,lord's life4 ,but what shall we say for those who have been deluded upon this point1 and have thus been prevented from doing what they felt that duty required8 ,there is a terrible responsibility somewhere4 ,for the scholars who have abetted this deception1 there can be no defense4 ,for the unfortunate victims of the fraud1 it may be said that their situation would be more hopeful had they not brought themselves into the difficulty by going upon forbidden ground4 ,should one be led astray by an incorrect translation of the ,scriptures1 ,god would undoubtedly pardon the mistake2 for the person had done the best he could under the circumstances1 and had sought for light where ,god had instructed him so to do4 ,but to those who1 having left the only true source of trustworthy knowledge1 have allowed any class of persons1 ancient or modern1 to shape their belief differently from what it would have been had they relied wholly upon the ,bible1 we fear that ,christ will say--as he did to those in like circumstances in his day1 who1 having followed the traditions of their ancestors1 were found violating the law of ,god--8,in vain do ye worship me1 teaching for doctrines the commandments of men40 ,before closing on this point1 and in order that the citation may not be employed in the interest of no-,sabbath views1 let the reader consider1 for a moment1 another feature1 and a very important one in this argument4 ,having seen that ,ignatius--if he wrote the above--did not mention the ,lord's day1 it is proper now to inquire whether it is certain that he ever penned the language in question1 at all8 ,to this it may be replied1 that it is very far from being so4 ,nay1 it is in the highest degree probable1 as the following extracts will prove1 that the venerable man either never wrote a word of those which are cited1 or1 if he did1 what he said has been so manipulated that it is very far from conveying the impression which he intended4 8,from ,smyrna1 he 7,ignatius7 wrote to the churches at ,ephesus1 ,magnesia1 ,trallia1 ,rome1 and ,philadelphia1 and on his voyage1 to ,polycarp1 and the church at ,smyrna4 ,these letters are still extant1 though the genuineness of the first three is doubted by some learned men40 7,cyc4 ,relig4 ,knowl4 ,art4 ,ignatius47 ,the distinguished historian and scholar1 ,kitto1 speaks on this point in his ,cyclopedia1 ,art4 ,lord's ,day1 as follows3 8,we must notice one other passage as bearing on the subject of the ,lord's day1 though it certainly contains no mention of it4 ,it occurs in the epistle of ,ignatius to the ,magnesians 7about ,a4 ,d4 #ajj74 ,the whole passage is evidently obscure1 and the text may be corrupt40 ,originally1 there were fifteen letters attributed to ,ignatius4 ,centuries ago1 however1 eight of them were rejected as hopelessly spurious4 ,the remaining seven have been also denounced as forgeries1 by many writers1 with ,john ,calvin at their head4 ,others1 while holding on to four of the seven1 have condemned three1 and among them the letter to the ,magnesians1 from which the citation which we are considering was taken4 ,a poor stone1 this1 which purports to come from ,antioch1 for the head-stone of the corner of the temple of patristic testimonials to the ,sunday4 ,the way is now prepared for the consideration of the second extract1 namely1 that of ,barnabas4 ,here1 again1 the confession of the gentleman is of service to us1 by way of saving labor1 since he unequivocally admits that the ,barnabas who wrote the letter from which he quotes1 was not the ,barnabas of ,new-,testament fame4 ,it becomes important1 however1 that we should know just who he was who wrote this epistle1 before it should be received as authority in a grave religious discussion4 ,few persons would have the temerity to commit their spiritual interests to the hands of nameless individuals who lived #agjj years ego1 unless they could feel some assurance that the men in whom they were thus confiding were persons whose judgment should have weight in the decision of matters of faith4 ,it is not enough that it should be established1 even beyond doubt1 that the writer in question lived in the second century4 ,for no one will insist that all the men who lived at that time were proper exponents of the views held by ,christians in that period4 ,it is1 therefore1 but reasonable that1 before any man is brought forward to testify in so important a matter1 he should have either a name which will show that he was qualified1 both morally and intellectually1 to act the part of a public teacher of the opinions held in his time1 or1 at least1 that what he has written must be of a nature to commend his utterances to our judgments4 ,neither of these requisitions1 however1 is met in the case of the ,barnabas 7if his name was really ,barnabas7 quoted above4#aj ,that his epistle has been employed in a gigantic fraud1 no one will dispute4 ,it is headed1 8,the general ,epistle of ,barnabas40 ,at its close1 as given in the apocryphal ,new ,testament1 is the subscription1 8,barnabas1 the apostle1 and companion of ,paul40 ,now1 if he wrote these words himself1 the gentleman will admit that he is unworthy of the slightest confidence1 since he has told a deliberate falsehood4 ,if1 on the other hand1 it be insisted that this was the work of subsequent generations1 then we must move with extreme caution4 ,in the region where this epistle lies1 are the unmistakable footprints of men base enough to pervert the facts1 and to employ its contents for an unworthy purpose4 ,the only alternative left us1 therefore1 since the author of the document is unknown to history1 is that of examining what he has said1 with reference to its character4 ,before doing this1 however1 it will be well to state--by way of putting the reader on his guard--that the history of this epistle is of a nature to awaken the most serious suspicion4 ,by consulting the ,am4 ,cyc41 ,art4 ,epistle of ,barnabas1 he will find it there stated that this epistle was lost to the world for eight hundred years1 namely1 from the ninth to the seventeenth century1 and that1 when it came to the surface after its long disappearance1 it was found in the hands of one ,sigismond1 a ,jesuit of that age4 ,the desperate character of the order to which this man belonged1 and the recklessness with which its members treat documents of the most sacred character1 when they can thereby serve a favorite purpose1 need no comment here4 ,prof4 ,stowe1 while arguing favorably to the epistle1 in some respects1 employs the following words1 which have in them great significance1 in view of what has been said above3 8,we admit that the epistle of ,barnabas is strongly interpolated40--,hist4 of ,books of the ,bible1 p4 #dbc4 ,it is now time to ponder1 for a moment1 the words of the nondescript writer quoted above4 ,they are as follows3 8,we celebrate the eighth day with joy1 on which ,jesus rose from the dead40 ,in them is found not a single fact which1 granting their authenticity1 is at all decisive in the matter at issue4 ,for1 be it remembered1 the controversy is not as to whether the ancients were in the habit of holding convocations for any purpose whatsoever1 on the first day of the week1 but1 whether they called it the ,lord's day4 ,it will1 therefore1 be admitted that the term1 ,lord's ,day1 is not so much as mentioned2 whereas1 the day which it is supposed was entitled to the honor of being thus designated1 is termed the 8eighth day1 the one on which ,jesus rose from the dead40 ,nor is it so much as intimated that the day in question was observed as a ,sabbath1 or esteemed as holy4 ,the statement employed is that 8they celebrated it with joy40 ,but this could be said with perfect propriety of any day of the week on which there regularly occurred a religious festival4 ,as an illustration of this1 it might be mentioned here that a historian of the present time1 while mentioning the usages of this period1 could not be charged with inaccuracy should he declare that the #beth of ,december1 which is supposed by some to be the day of the ,lord's nativity1 is regularly celebrated4 ,should he do so1 and should coming generations infer therefrom that it is now regarded as holy1 you will readily perceive the mistake into which they would fall4 ,what we want1 if we must have recourse to such miserable material as that which we are handling over1 is something positive and definite4 ,this the text undeniably fails to give4 ,we leave it1 therefore1 as worthless2 #ast4 ,because we do not know who wrote it4 #b;d4 ,because we do not know when it was written4 #c;d4 ,because it is found in an epistle so corrupted by interpolations that it is not at all reliable as authority4 #dth4 ,because it has no direct bearing upon the subject4 #eth4 ,because its author--by the absurd and ridiculous sentiments to which he gave expression--manifestly had a judgment too weak to allow us to suppose that1 in the providence of ,god1 in which nothing falls out by mistake1 he should constitute a pillar in any way necessary to the establishment of sound religious doctrine4 ,the third authority brought forward is ,justin ,martyr4 ,from him we learn that1 on the day of the sun1 the church at ,rome were in the habit of convening1 partaking of the ,lord's supper1 listening to preaching1 engaging in prayer1 and in the contribution of alms4 ,it will be at once perceived that here is the nearest approach yet made to the accomplishment of the task which our reviewer assigned himself1 and for which he has led the reader away from the oracles of ,god to the opinions and practices of men liable to error and mistake4 ,let it not be forgotten that the prominent object to be gained by this departure1 was the production of patristic authority for the use of the term1 ,lord's day1 in the first three centuries4 ,that this purpose has not been accomplished1 hitherto1 all must admit4 ,the next inquiry1 therefore1 is1 should all points of dispute respecting the reliability of what has been quoted above1 be waived1 and should it be granted that ,justin ,martyr said what is attributed to him1 ,has the desired object been reached8 ,the answer is emphatically in the negative4 ,justin ,martyr avoids the application of ,lord's day to the day of the sun1 as if prevented from using it by the same fatality which has withheld all the others from doing so1 who have thus far been cited4 ,here we might pause1 and insist that the gentleman has utterly failed1 in the citation before us1 to prove anything which is really relevant to the subject4 ,it is in vain that he urges1 in extenuation of the fact that ,justin calls the first day of the week1 the 8day of the sun10 that he is addressing a heathen emperor4 ,he was not afraid to speak to that emperor of the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 of the preaching of the word1 of the ,lord's supper1 and of the resurrection of ,christ2 and why should he thus carefully avoid mention of the ,lord's day8 ,surely1 he did not wish to convey the impression that ,christians observed the day of the sun because of its heathen character1 since he gives the reasons for their doing so4 ,but1 again1 it is claimed that at this period the chosen and peculiar appellation which had been given by the ,holy ,spirit1 was that of ,lord's day1 and that the ,lord's day1 or the ,sunday1 had become the holy ,sabbath which ,god commanded4 ,this being true1 assuredly we might expect that1 in the work of ,justin entitled1 8,a ,dialogue with ,trypho1 the ,jew10 he would set forth1 in the use of its peculiar title1 the claims of that day which had been elevated1 by divine command1 to the position of the ancient ,sabbath4 ,but does he do this8 ,the gentleman does not urge it4 ,he does say that1 in writing to the ,jew1 he drops the heathen titles of ,sunday and ,saturday1 and speaks of the first1 and the seventh1 day of the week4 ,but mark again2 it is not urged that he anywhere calls the first day the ,lord's day4 ,once more1 therefore1 he has failed on this branch of the subject4 ,now it will be well to regard the matter from the other side of the question4 ,it must be conceded1 as remarked above1 that what ,justin ,martyr says furnishes stronger support for the idea of worship on the ,sunday than anything else which has been adduced4 ,but here again1 we protest that the ,bible1 alone and unexplained1 is sufficient for the settlement of this point4 ,others1 if they like1 may form their religious faith upon the practice of uninspired men1 handed down to us through the perilous transit of the ages1 protected and shielded from corruption and innovation by no denunciation of divine wrath against those who change its phraseology2 but we much prefer to stand under the covering gis of these words3 8,if any man shall add unto these things1 ,god shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book40 7,rev4 #bb3ah47 ,nor do we think that the gentleman himself would seriously urge that this position is unsound4 ,let us test it4 ,justin ,martyr is assumed to be a fair exponent of the religious sentiment of his time4 ,now1 therefore1 what he believed they believed2 and what they believed1 we ought to believe1 if our position1 taken above1 is not correct4 ,proceeding a step farther1 we inquire1 what was the faith of ,justin ,martyr and his contemporaries1 allowing his writings to be the criterion of judgment8 ,to this it may replied3 #ast4 ,that they believed in no ,sabbath in this dispensation4 ,proof3 8,for if before ,abraham there was no need of circumcision1 nor of ,sabbaths1 nor of feasts1 nor of offerings before ,moses2 so now in like manner there is no need of them1 since ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 was1 by the determinate counsel of ,god1 born of a virgin of the seed of ,abraham1 without sin40 7,dial4 of ,trypho47 ,does the writer believe this8 ,the reader well knows that he does not1 for he has nobly repudiated it1 again and again4 #b;d4 ,they believed that the ,sabbath was imposed upon the ,jews for their sins4 ,proof3 8,it was because of your 7i4 e41 ,jews7 iniquities1 and the iniquities of your fathers1 that ,god appointed you to observe the ,sabbath40 7,idem47 ,but our reviewer holds--as must all who accept the words of ,christ 7,mark #b3bg1 #bh7--that it was given to ,adam in the garden of ,eden1 as their representative head1 for the benefit of the whole race1 more than two thousand years before there was a ,jew in the world4 #c;d4 ,they believed that1 in the administration of the ,lord's supper1 water should be employed4 ,proof3 8,at the conclusion of this discourse1 i4 e41 that of the ,bishop on ,sunday1 we all rise up together and pray2 and prayers being over1 there is bread1 and wine1 and water offered40 7,first ,apol4 ,tras4 by ,reeves47 ,but modern ,christendom look upon this as an innovation of popery4 #dth4 ,they believed that the reasons why ,christians should observe the first day of the week were found in the facts that ,god dispelled the darkness and chaos on the first day of the week1 and that on that day1 ,christ rose from the dead4 ,proof3 ,extract given above by the writer in his article4 ,but the first of these opinions1 modern ,christians will not admit at all1 and the latter furnishes only one-half of the obligation1 since it ignores all positive law upon the subject4 ,so we might proceed1 but enough has been said to show that ,justin ,martyr1 as quoted above1 is no criterion for the faith of those who have the ,bible in their hands1 from which they can learn1 contrary to his views3 #ast4 ,that we have a ,sabbath4 #b;d4 ,that it was given to all mankind as a blessing1 and not to the ,jews for their sins4 #c;d4 ,that both the bread and the wine belong to the laity1 as well as to the priests4 #dth4 ,that the reasons for the observance of the ,lord's day do not rest upon the circumstance that ,god dispelled the darkness on the first day1 but upon an explicit command of ,heaven4 ,if the reader would satisfy himself from other sources that the statements of ,justin ,martyr are to be taken with extreme caution1 and that his judgment was so easily imposed upon as to render him an unsafe guide in the plainest matters of fact1 he will read the following extract from a publication of the ,am4 ,tract ,society3 8,justin ,martyr appears indeed peculiarly unfitted to lay claim to authority4 ,it is notorious that he supposed a pillar erected on the island of the ,tiber to ,semo ,sanchus1 an old ,sabine ,deity1 to be a monument erected by the ,roman people in honor of the impostor1 ,simon ,magus4 ,were so gross a mistake to be made by a modern writer1 in relating a historical fact1 exposure would immediately take place1 and his testimony would thenceforward be suspected4 ,and1 assuredly1 the same measure should be meted to ,justin ,martyr1 who so egregiously errs in reference to a fact alluded to by ,livy1 the historian40--,spirit of ,popery1 pp4 #dd1 #de4 ,in concluding the remarks which will be offered here--in reference to those productions which are attributed to ,justin ,martyr1 and which have been brought forward for the purpose of influencing the mind of the reader in favor of a cause which has found no support in the ,scriptures--it is proper to state that their authenticity is by no means above suspicion2 or1 to speak more accurately1 that some of them have been tampered with1 is a matter which is settled beyond dispute4 ,already the reader has seen that by some means they have been made to contribute to the interests of the ,romish doctrine of the use of water in the sacrament1 as early as the first part of the second century4 ,if it be granted that the statement in question is historically true1 then the leaven of the papacy had begun to work so manifestly in the lifetime of ,justin1 that the opinions of his associates1 as well as of himself1 ought to have no weight with us who have repudiated the great apostasy4 ,on the other hand1 should it be denied that water was then employed1 as stated by the venerable father1 there remain but two conclusions between which the reader can take his choice2 either1 #ast4 ,justin did not correctly represent the faith of his time2 or1 #b;d4 ,what he did say originally has been molded and fashioned by the plastic hand of the man of sin1 until it is made to support the heresies of the hierarchy4 ,to our mind1 the latter conclusion is undoubtedly the true one4 ,below will be found an extract from a distinguished historian of the church1 which proves that what is said above respecting the treatment which the writings of ,justin ,martyr have received is correct3 8,like many of the ancient fathers1 he ,justin appears to us under the greatest disadvantage4 ,works really his have been lost1 and others have been ascribed to him1 part of which are not his2 and the rest1 at least1 of ambiguous authority40--,milner's ,history of ,church1 ,book #b1 ,chap4 #c4aa ,the fourth historic mention of the ,lord's day1 as brought forward1 is in the following words of ,dionysius4 8,to-day we kept the ,lord's holy day1 in which we read your letter40 ,by turning to ,eusebius1 the curious reader will discover that the citation incidentally given occupies but little more space than is required for the words as quoted4 ,their importance in this discussion does not demand for them any more room than was assigned them by the historian from whom they are extracted4 ,the dispute is not whether there is indeed a ,lord's day1 for both parties are agreed respecting this question4 ,what we wish to ascertain is1 ,which day of the week is entitled to this appellation8 ,the reference before us in no way helps in the settlement of this point4 ,it simply states that the letter was read on the ,lord's day4 ,whether that was the first or the seventh in the cycle of the week is not stated1 so we pass the language as unworthy of further consideration4 ,the allusion to the fifth authority is even more unsatisfactory than that of the fourth4 ,it seems that ,melito1 bishop of ,sardis1 had written a discourse on the ,lord's day1 which had been seen by ,eusebius4 ,as to its contents1 the letter says not one word1 neither shall we2 for1 as it is not now in existence1 it is impossible that any person should be able to decide which view it would favor1 provided it were in being4 ,the sixth proof is brought from the writings of ,pliny4 ,it is couched in these words3 8,they the ,christians affirmed that the sum of their fault1 or error1 was1 that they were accustomed to assemble on a stated day1 before it was light1 and sing praise alternately among themselves1 to ,christ1 as ,god40 ,without debating the propriety of bringing forward a heathen writer to prove the practice of a ,christian church1 we proceed to examine the testimony itself4 ,its utter inability to fill the place assigned to it will be discerned by every intelligent person who examines its phraseology4 ,in it is the declaration that ,christians were in the habit of assembling on a stated day1 at which time they sang praises alternately among themselves1 to ,christ1 as ,god4 ,now that the statement of the facts is not incompatible with the idea that they were observers of the seventh day1 all must admit4 ,for surely1 there is no incongruity in the notion that it would be in the highest degree proper for the observers of the ancient ,sabbath of the ,lord to devote its sacred hours to the delightful task of singing hymns of praise1 and worshiping ,christ1 as ,god4 ,that the language itself as completely harmonizes with this view1 as with any other1 will be felt when we remember that the writer does not say that they assembled on the first day of the week1 or the ,lord's day1 at all2 but1 simply1 that it was on a stated day that they gathered themselves together for the purposes of worship4 ,a stated day is one which recurs at fixed intervals4 ,the ,sabbath might have been the stated day2 or1 so far as anything to the contrary in the passage is concerned1 the ,sunday might have been the one4 ,pliny does not decide the point for us4 ,his declarations1 therefore1 have not the slightest force in proving anything favorable to the opinions of the gentleman4 ,furthermore1 if inference is to be taken at all1 the preponderance would rather be in favor of the last day of the week1 since1 in devoting it to the worship of ,christ1 they would not only bring upon themselves the wrath of the heathen1 because of their acknowledgment of our ,lord's divinity2 but1 also1 in the sum of their fault would be found the fact1 that they ignored the sacredness of the day of the sun1 and celebrated another1 as holy1 by divine command4 ,thus much for the uninspired witnesses1 brought forward from the first1 and the early part of the second1 century of the ,christian era4 ,had they flatly contradicted what we have seen the teachings of the ,bible to be1 they would not have moved us one hair2 for we remember that the great apostle has said1 that1 though 8an angel from ,heaven preach any other gospel unto you1 let him be accursed40 ,but1 strangely enough1 their testimony is utterly worthless for the purpose for which it has been introduced4 ,not one of them has styled the ,sunday the ,lord's day2 not one of them has called it the ,sabbath2 not one of them has stated that it was regarded as holy1 or that its hours might not1 without sin1 be devoted to secular pursuits4 ,here1 then1 we leave them1 and wait for a fresh inundation of such as will answer the purpose for which they are called in a more satisfactory manner than the foregoing4 ,footnote #aj3 ,did it not appear to be indispensable to the enlightening of the reader1 as to the consummate folly of the author of the epistle of ,barnabas1 we should not append1 as we do1 his language in the following note1 since it is hardly worthy of a place in a chaste and dignified discussion4 ,for its citation we hold those1 responsible who have made this action necessary1 and who value the testimony of a man so utterly devoid of common-sense3 8,neither shalt thou eat of the hyena2 that is1 again1 be not an adulterer2 nor a corrupter of others2 neither be like to such4 ,and wherefore so8 ,because that creature every year changes its kind1 and is sometimes male and sometimes female40 ,chap4 #i3h4 ,footnote #aa3 ,since1 writing the above1 the following interesting item in the ,christian ,union1 for ,feb4 #ai1 has been brought to my notice1 and will serve to show that continued investigation on the part of scholars is rendering the authenticity of the writings of ,justin ,martyr more and more doubtful3--8,dr4 ,franz ,overbeck has lately examined1 with great care1 the #8epistle to ,diognetus1' which has been regarded as one of the most precious relics of the age succeeding that of the apostles4 ,he urges several reasons for coming to the conclusion that the work was written later than the era of ,constantine1 and was intended by its author to pass as a work ,justin ,martyr's4 ,critics had already proved it no genuine work of ,justin1 and if ,dr4 ,overbeck is right1 it can no longer be assigned to the age of ,justin40 ,,statesman',s ,,reply4 ,,article ,,eight4 ,,patristic ,,testimony ,,to ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath4 ,the testimony already adduced from the early fathers in our last issue will be regarded by most of our readers as sufficient in itself4 ,but for the sake of giving a complete view of the patristic testimony to the first-day ,sabbath up to the close of the third century1 we shall occupy some additional space with extracts1 on the accuracy of which our readers may confidently rely4 ,first among the witnesses now cited is ,irenus1 bishop or presbyter of ,lyons1 ,a4 ,d4 #agh4 ,let it be remembered that in the case of this witness we have the testimony of one who was brought up at the feet of ,polycarp1 the disciple and companion of the ,apostle ,john4 ,the first point to be noted in the testimony of ,irenus is the abrogation of the seventh-day ,sabbath4 ,as the rite of circumcision was no longer required1 so the observance of the seventh-day ,sabbath had ceased4 ,each was a sign or shadow of the substance to come4 ,this thought is dwelt upon at great length4 7,see ,contra ,hreses1 book iv4 ch4 #cj1 ,grabe's ,edition1 ,oxford1 #agjb1 pp4 #cah1 #cai2 also ,benedictine ,edit41 ,paris1 #agaj1 p4 #bdf47 ,lest his statements might be understood to be opposed to the authority of the ten commandments1 ,irenus adds the following sentences3 8,the ,lord spoke the words of the decalogue in like manner to all4 ,they remain1 therefore1 permanently with us1 receiving1 through the ,lord's advent in the flesh1 extension and increase1 not abrogation40 7,book iv4 ch4 #ca1 p4 #cbj47 ,thus the law of the ,sabbath remains1 though not binding to the observance of the seventh day4 ,we now come to this writer's clear and distinct testimony1 in its more positive aspect1 to the ,lord's day4 ,irenus took a prominent part in what has been called the ,quarta-,deciman controversy4 ,the question at issue was--,should the anniversary of the ,lord's resurrection be in connection with the ,jewish passover1 on whatever day of the week that might occur1 or on the ,lord's day invariably8 ,this question first arose on a visit of ,polycarp1 bishop or presbyter of ,smyrna1 to ,aniest1 bishop of ,rome1 about #afj1 and was discussed for many years4 ,irenus1 acting as the representative of the ,christians in ,gaul1 wrote to ,victor1 then bishop of ,rome1 in these terms3 8,the mystery of the ,lord's resurrection should be celebrated only on the ,lord's day40 7,euseb4 ,hist4 ,eccles4 book v4 chap4 #bc1 #bd2 ,paris ed41 #afgh1 pp4 #aee1 #aef47 ,it will be remarked here that while there was diversity of view in regard to the yearly celebration of the ,lord's resurrection--a celebration of which we have no account whatever until the year #afj1 there was no question concerning the sacred observance of the first day as the weekly commemoration of the ,lord's rising from the dead4 8,we simply add a reference to one of the best known of the fragments of ,irenus in which there is further explicit testimony to the ,lord's day--testimony all the more important1 because it occurs incidentally in a treatise concerning the passover1 and in connection with a statement in regard to ,pentecost40 7,fragmentum lib4 de ,pascha1 ,bened4 ed41 ,paris1 #agdb1 p4 #dij4ab7 ,for the sake of presenting a complete view of the testimony of the fathers for the first three centuries1 we had thought of quoting from ,clement of ,alexandria1 ,a4 ,d4 #aid2 ,minucius ,felix1 #baj2 ,commodian1 about #bgj2 ,victorinus1 #bij2 and ,peter1 bishop of ,alexandria1 #cjj4 ,but as the testimony will be perfectly conclusive without these witnessess1 and as space is valuable1 we shall cite only three more authorities--three well-known fathers1 ,tertullian1 ,origen1 and ,cyprian4 ,at the close of the second century1 ,carthage1 the metropolis of ,northern ,africa1 was the center of numerous flourishing ,christian congregations4 ,living in ,carthage for many years1 ,tertullian knew well the practice of the ,african churches4 ,and although he became1 about #bjb1 one of the errorists known as ,montanists1 his testimony1 however unreliable as to doctrines1 is still indisputable as to facts4 ,from the frequent references to the ,lord's day in this author we select the following3 8,by us1 to whom the ,jewish ,sabbaths are strange1 and the new moons and festivals once pleasing to ,god1 the ,saturnalia1 ,january1 and mid-winter feasts1 and ,matronalia of the heathen are frequented4 ,o better fidelity of the heathen to their own religion6 ,they would not share with us the ,lord's day1 nor ,pentecost1 even if they knew them1 for they would fear lest they should seem to be ,christians40 7,de ,idolatria1 cap4 xiv1 ,semler's edit41 ,hal ,magdeburg1 vol4 iv41 pp41 #afg1 #afh47 ,the testimony of this passage is decisive in three points3 7#a47 ,the ,jewish1 or seventh-day1 ,sabbath was not observed by ,christians4 7#b47 ,they were enjoined not to observe heathen festivals4 7#c47 ,to the ,lord's day1 as the proper day for ,christian service1 belonged the honor to which ,jewish and heathen days had no claim4 ,the exercises of the ,lord's day1 when ,christians assembled for public service1 are described by ,tertullian in a manner very similar to that of ,justin ,martyr1 whose account has already been quoted4 ,prayer1 reading the ,scriptures1 exhortation1 and collections for benevolent purposes are all mentioned4 7,apol41 cap4 xxxix1 vol4 v41 pp4 #ib-id47 ,it is to be noted that ,tertullian1 like ,justin ,martyr1 in addressing the heathen1 calls the first day of the week 8the day of the ,sun10 as he also designates the ,jewish ,sabbath by its heathen name4 7,see ,apol41 cap4 xvi47 ,we close these citations from ,tertullian1 with one which is of the greatest importance in proving that the early ,christians observed the first day of the week1 not as a mere holiday1 but as a day of rest and worship--a holy ,sabbath to the ,lord4 8,on the ,lord's day1 the day of the ,resurrection1 we should not only abstain from that1#ac bending the knee1 but also from all anxiety of feeling1 and from employments1 setting aside all business1 lest we should give place to the devil40 7,de ,oratione1 cap4 xxiii41 vol4 iv41 p4 #bb47 ,contemporary with ,tertullian at the beginning of the third century was ,origen of ,alexandria1 one of the most scholarly and learned of all the early fathers4 ,this writer contrasts the ,lord's day with the ,jewish ,sabbath1 and shows the superiority of the former4 ,we may not agree with him when he maintains that the superiority was indicated by the giving of manna to the ,israelites on the first day of the week1 while it was withheld on the seventh4 ,his testimony to the fact of the sacred observance of the ,lord's day instead of the seventh-day ,sabbath is valid1 though his reasons for the admitted superiority may not all be satisfactory4 ,in the same connection he remarks3 8,on our ,lord's day the ,lord always rains manna from heaven40 7,comment on ,exodus1 ,delarue's ed4 of ,works of ,origen1 ,paris1 #agcc1 vol4 ii41 p4 #aed47 ,in another of his works he contends that it is one of the evidences of a true ,christian 8always to keep the ,lord's day40 7,contra ,celsum lib4 viii1 vol4 i41 pp4 #geh1 #gei47 ,the most important passage in the writings of ,origen is found in his ,homilies on the ,book of ,numbers4 ,here we first meet with the name 8,christian ,sabbath0 for the first day of the week1 or the ,lord's day3 8,leaving1 then1 the ,jewish observance of the ,sabbath1 let us see what the observance of the ,sabbath by the ,christian ought to be4 ,on the ,sabbath should be performed no worldly acts4 ,if1 therefore1 you desist from all secular works1 and do nothing of a worldly nature1 but occupy yourselves with spiritual duties1 assembling at the church1 listening to the sacred readings mad instructions1 thinking of celestial things1 concerned for the hopes of another life1 keeping before your eyes the ,judgment to come1 and looking not at the things which are present and visible1 but at those which are invisible and future--this is the observance of the ,christian ,sabbath40 7,hom4 xxiii in ,numeros1 vol4 ii41 p4 #ceh47 ,cyprian1 bishop of ,carthage1 about the third century1 gives this explicit testimony to the ,lord's day3 8,since in the ,jewish circumcision of the flesh the eighth day was celebrated1 the ordinance was foreshadowed in the future1 but completed in truth at the coming of ,christ4 ,for inasmuch as the eighth day1 that is1 the first day after the ,sabbath1 was the day on which the ,lord rose and gave us life and spiritual circumcision1 this eighth day1 that is the first after the ,sabbath and the ,lord's day1 preceded in an image1 which image ceased when the truth afterwards came1 and spiritual circumcision was given to us40 7,epistle lxiv41 ,works of ,cyprian1 ,brem1 #afij1 vol4 ii41 p4 #afa7 ,the weight of this testimony is not a little augmented by the fact that the epistle1 in which it is found is a synodical epistle1 which was sent forth in the name and with the authority of the ,third ,council of ,carthage1 ,a4 ,d4 #bec4 ,the epistle bears this inscription at its head3 8,cyprianus et ceteri ,colleg qui in concilio affuerant numero ,,lxiv4 ,fido patri ,salutem40 ,with this authoritative statement of ,cyprian and his sixty-six colleagues1 or co-presbyters1 we close our citations from the fathers4 ,the testimony of succeeding writers is equally clear1 but it simply confirms what has already been fully proved4 ,and now1 with the facts of history in view1 as we have learned them from inspired writers and their immediate successors1 it remains for us to examine opposing theories of the institution of the ,sabbath4 ,we shall endeavor to dispose of this concluding1 and perhaps most interesting part of our subject1 in two or three articles4 ,footnote #ab3 ,the culpable carelessness of ,dwight1 ,wilson1 and other authors1 in citing from the early fathers1 is nowhere more noticeable than in the case of ,irenus4 ,these writers quote him as saying3 8,on the ,lord's day1 every one of us ,christians1 keeps the ,sabbath1 meditating on the law1 and rejoicing in the works of ,god40 ,there is no reference given to the writings of ,irenus4 ,and for good reason4 ,after a most careful examination1 we are persuaded no such passage is to be found in his writings4 ,the mistake was probably first made by ,president ,dwight1 whose weakness of sight compelled him to depend upon an amanuensis4 8,for twenty years of his presidency10 we are informed by his biographer1 8he was rarely able to read as much as a single chapter in the ,bible in the twenty-four hours40 7,dwight's ,theology1 ,london1 #ahba1 vol4 i4 pp4 #ia1 #ie47 ,others followed this high authority4 ,in order to guard our readers against injuring the cause they would advance1 we must mention another important instance of considerable negligence4 ,in a number of works on the ,sabbath1 ,dr4 ,justin ,edwards' 8,sabbath ,manual10 for example1 we find not only the blunders already noticed1 but another quite as bad4 ,the language--8,both custom and reason challenge from us that we should honor the ,lord's day1 seeing on that day it was that our ,lord ,jesus completed his resurrection from the dead10 is ascribed to ,theophilus1 bishop of ,antioch1 about ,a4 ,d4 #afb4 ,the words quoted are in reality those of another ,theophilus1 who was bishop of ,alexandria1 at the close of the fourth century4 ,we hand over these criticisms upon advocates of the first-day ,sabbath to our seventh-day ,sabbatarian friends1 trusting to their honor and fairness not to separate them from the rest of this discussion4 ,for our own part1 whether it may be pleasant to the advocates of the seventh-day ,sabbath1 we desire to have for ourselves1 and to aid others to have1 the whole truth4 ,it was in this spirit that we gave room in our columns for a full presentation of the arguments on the other side of this question4 ,footnote #ac3 ,as a matter of independent interest and importance1 we would ask all who are interested in the question of the posture in prayer of worshipers in the early church1 to compare with ,tertullian's statement1 that of ,peter1 bishop of ,alexandria1 ,a4 ,d4 #cjj1 who says3 8,we keep the ,lord's day as a day of joy1 because of ,him who rose on that day1 on which we have learned not to bow the knee40 7,bibl4 ,patrum1 apud ,gallard1 vol4 iv41 p4 #ajg47 ,to the same effect is the decision of the ,council of ,nice1 ,a4 ,d4 #cbe1 requiring1 as there were certain ones who bent the knee on the ,lord's day1 that it should be the uniform practice to give thanks to ,god1 standing4 7,canon1 xx47 ,a ,,rejoinder4 8,,patristic ,,evidence ,,to ,,the ,,first-,,day ,,sabbath40 ,in the rejoinder to the previous article on patristic testimony1 the attention of the reader was called to the fact that our opponent had utterly failed to find a single instance in which the first day of the week was called the ,lord's day1 by the authorities which he cited1 or in which it was stated by them that it was observed by divine command4 ,had we possessed the space necessary for the purpose1 the significance of this failure would have been enlarged upon2 for it must be borne in mind that in the one hundred and thirty-nine years which intervened between the death of ,christ and the writing of the latest citation produced in his seventh article1 lies the most important1 and the most promising1 field for such testimonials as would be of the highest value to the opposition4 ,this is so1 not only from the fact that the period in question was the one in which it is alleged that the transition from the old to the new ,sabbath occurred2 but1 also1 because it was one1 which1 from their premises1 was the most likely to yield reliable evidence in regard to apostolic faith1 since it lay the nearest to apostolic times4 ,it is true that even then apostasy had begun its career2 for ,paul states that1 in his time1 8the mystery of iniquity had begun to work40 ,but all will agree that the farther we come this side of the fountain-head1 the more natural it would be to find that the pure waters of the original stream should become steadily darker and more turbid1 until they lost themselves in the sloughs of those corrupt teachings1 which were so far to excel all others1 that they were thought to be of a nature to demand especial attention in the prophecies4 ,but here we are1 as already remarked1 seventy-five to eighty years this side of the cross1 and the case of our reviewer in no-wise helped by his effort4 ,in fact1 not only has he failed to place his ,sabbath upon the foundation of the successors of the apostles1 but he has also greatly weakened his probabilities for the future1 since in the territory over which we have passed1 we have seen not only the utter unreliability of the fathers themselves1 as teachers1 but1 also1 that their sayings have been tampered with by the 8man of sin10 who1 reaching backward as well as forward1 is reckless in his efforts to make everything contribute to the power and authority of the hierarchy4 ,but we must proceed in the examination of those individuals who are now introduced as additional witnesses for the ,christian ,sabbath4 ,the first in order is ,irenus1 ,bishop of ,lyons1 ,a4 ,d4 #agh4 ,it will not be necessary to consider the language of the gentleman1 in which he states that ,irenus taught the abrogation of the seventh-day ,sabbath1 since we have not quoted that father in the defense of an institution which ,god has commanded4 ,nor shall we enlarge upon the fact that ,irenus inculcates the binding obligation of the ten commandments1 since it is enough for us to know that this doctrine is plainly set forth in the ,bible4 ,the witness is the gentleman's4 ,he has brought him forward to prove that1 in his time1 the year of our ,lord #agh1 the term1 ,lord's day1 was applied to the ,sunday4 ,has he succeeded1 at last1 in the achievement of his purpose8 ,if so1 it is the first instance in which he has accomplished the desired object4 ,apparently1 he has triumphed here4 ,but let us proceed with caution4 ,has he produced the writings of ,irenus himself8 ,no1 he has not4 ,the words quoted are these3 8,the mystery of the ,lord's resurrection should be celebrated only on the ,lord's day40 ,by turning to the ,hist4 of ,eusebius1 book v41 chap4 #bc1 the reader will find that the language employed does not purport to be that of ,irenus1 as penned by himself1 but that of ,eusebius1 who is giving an account of a decree passed by certain bishops1 which decree was in harmony with a letter from ,irenus4 ,we quote enough in the #bc;d chapter to verify our statement3-- 8,hence there were synods and convocations of the bishops1 on this question2 and all unanimously drew up an ecclesiastical decree1 which they communicated to all the churches1 in all places1 that the mystery of our ,lord's resurrection should be celebrated on no other day than the ,lord's day2 and that on this day alone we should observe the close of the paschal fasts4 ,there is an epistle extant1 even now1 of those who were assembled at the time4444 ,there is an epistle extant1 on the same question1 bearing the name of ,victor4 ,an epistle1 also1 of the bishops of ,pontus1 among whom ,palmas1 as the most ancient1 presided2 also of the churches of ,gaul1 over whom ,irenus presided1 444 and epistles from many others1 who1 advancing one and the same doctrine1 also passed the same vote1 and this their unanimous determination was the one already mentioned40 ,it will be observed here that the historian does not quote the language of the decree as being the exact language of the bishops2 also that he does not pretend to give the precise words of ,irenus1 but that he simply recounts the fact that the epistle of ,irenus was in harmony with the decree which he had previously given4 ,this it was legitimate for a historian to do4 ,eusebius died one hundred and fifty years after ,irenus1 and in his time1 we frankly admit that the term1 ,lord's day1 was frequently applied to the first day of the week4 ,the historian1 therefore1 using the nomenclature of his own period1 represents the bishop of ,lyons as favoring the celebration of the ,passover on the ,lord's day1 simply because he had said it ought to be observed on the first day of the week4 ,if we are right in this1 then1 of course1 our opponents will throw up the whole passage as irrelevant to their present purpose--since they have not assumed to employ ,eusebius1 who lived in the fourth century1 as a witness--but have cited his statement because it was supposed to contain the declaration of ,irenus1 who lived at a much earlier period4 ,for the purpose of clinching the argument1 and showing that the historic fact is in harmony with what we have said1 we quote the following on the point from ,eld4 ,j4 ,n4 ,andrews1 in which it will be seen that in the original1 the term1 first day of the week1 and not the ,lord's day1 as supposed1 might have been employed3-- 8,observe 444 ,eusebius does not quote the words of any of these bishops1 but simply gives their decisions in his own language4 ,there is1 therefore1 no proof that they used the term1 ,lord's day1 instead of first day of the week2 for the introduction to the fiftieth fragment of his lost writings1 already quoted1 gives an ancient statement of his words in this decision1 as plain first day of the week4 ,it is ,eusebius who gives us the term1 ,lord's day1 in recording what was said by these bishops concerning the first day of the week40 ,that which has been said above in reference to the testimony found in book v41 chap4 #bc1 of ,eusebius1 will largely apply1 in principle1 to the citation found in chap4 #bd1 of the same book4 ,in the latter1 as in the former1 case1 the historian is not giving the exact utterance of ,irenus1 but simply declares1 in substance1 his decision in regard to the proper time for the celebration of the passover festival4 ,before passing from ,irenus to the consideration of another case of the fathers1 it would be proper to commend the candor of our opponent1 as manifested in his hearty condemnation of the looseness of ,dwight and others in their statements of historic facts4 ,in making the concession which the gentleman has1 he will doubtless bring upon himself the condemnation of those who exalt success above truth4 ,he has taken from such one of their most potent weapons4 ,the language of ,irenus1 which is here admitted to be of spurious origin1 has figured largely in the discussion of this question1 in the past4 ,it was pointed and decisive1 and seemed to furnish just the material necessary to the satisfactory making out of a case1 otherwise sadly deficient in the proofs which it needed4 ,it will1 therefore1 be yielded up with reluctance4 ,nevertheless1 we hope that the acknowledgment1 made by our opponent in this article1 will lead clergymen1 for the future1 to desist from the use of it1 until they are able to refute what the writer in the ,statesman here asserts4 ,in the meanwhile1 the reader must not allow himself to suppose that the gentleman1 by saying what he has1 has really brought ,sabbatarians under obligation to hint for new light1 since what he here asserts is but a fact with which they have been familiar for years1 and which they have iterated and re-iterated until they have almost despaired of bringing their opponents to an acknowledgment of the real state of things4 ,occasionally1 others outside of their ranks have1 as does the gentleman1 borne testimony to the accuracy of their statements4 ,if the reader would have an illustration of this1 taken from the writings of an anti-,sabbatarian author1 he will find it in the works of ,domville1 in which1 substantially1 the same conclusions are reached1 ,mr4 ,domville not only tracing the mistake to ,dr4 ,dwight1 but also allowing that the language cited was probably taken from the interpolated epistle of ,ignatius to the ,magnesians4 ,up to this point1 we have carefully examined1 one by one1 the historic quotations from ancient writers1 which have been presented for our consideration2 henceforth1 we shall pursue a different course4 ,as we have now reached1 in the person of ,tertullian1 the close of the second1 and the opening of the third1 century of the ,christian era1 we find ourselves in a period when it is so generally acknowledged that the work of apostasy was so manifest that the utterances of the men of those times--even though they were pointed and explicit in regard to the sanctity of the first day of the week1 as looked upon by themselves--could furnish no reliable standard of ,christian faith in our day4 ,the gentleman himself is compelled to admit that his own witness1 ,tertullian1 became1 in the second year of the third century1 an ardent advocate of the errors1 follies1 and heresies1 of ,montanus4 ,not only so1 but the writings of that father are proverbial1 among scholars1 for the fanciful conceits and the false notions which are so conspicuous upon their pages4 ,tertullian was a fiery zealot and a bitter partisan1 manifestly credulous beyond bounds1 and more earnest for his sect than anxious for the reliability of the sources of his information4 ,zell1 in his popular ,encyclopedia1 speaks of him as follows3-- 8,after he was past middle age1 he embraced the doctrines of ,montanus1 to which his ardent1 sensuous imagination1 and ascetic tendencies would incline him4 ,he is said to have been determined to that course by the ill-treatment he received from the ,roman clergy4 ,whether he remained a ,montanist till his death1 cannot be decided4444 ,they his works are characterized by vast learning1 profound and comprehensive thought1 fiery imagination1 and passionate partisanship1 leading into exaggeration and sophistry4 ,his style is frequently obscure40 ,montanus was a false prophet of the second century1 who believed himself to have received1 from the ,holy ,ghost1 revelations which were withheld from the apostles2 he denied the doctrine of the trinity1 the propriety of second marriage1 and the forgiveness of certain sins4 ,the disciple of such a man is surely a strange witness to be found in the employ of orthodoxy4 ,should his appearance1 however1 be excused1 as it is above1 by the statement that he was introduced1 not because of the reliability of his own opinion1 but simply to testify of the usage of his own times2 it may be replied1 first1 that an ardent partisan1 a person of strong imagination1 and a notorious heretic1 is hardly qualified to speak reliably1 even in a matter of this nature1 since1 from the very constitution of his mind1 he would almost of necessity allow what he said to be warped by prejudice1 or biased by conceptions of interest2 secondly1 that in the quotation presented from his pen1 it is not a little remarkable that1 instead of asserting a general usage of ,sunday-keeping1 he is manifestly finding fault with a large class of his fellow-,christians for not regarding the day in the same light1 and observing it with the same rigor1 that he did2 thirdly1 that it is by no means impossible that the very men1 whom in his fiery zeal he thus upbraids1 were1 after all1 sounder than himself in the faith1 and would1 could they be fairly heard upon this subject1 vindicate their supposed desecration of the first day1 from the same grounds as do the ,sabbatarians now1 i4 e41 because they did not look upon it as holy time4 ,if the above responses are not satisfactory1 and if it be insisted that the testimony of the witness shall1 after all1 he received1 then we propose that he be called to the stand once more1 and be allowed to fill up the measure of what he has to say upon this subject4 ,we have seen that1 according to his opinion1 many of his fellow-disciples were lax in their ,sunday-keeping habits1 and that to one who believed that no labor should be performed upon it1 whatever1 they treated it very much as men would treat a mere festival occasion4 ,but where did ,tertullian and his sympathizers obtain their notions of the manner in which ,sunday should be kept8 ,was it from the ,scriptures8 ,we shall see2 here is the witness2 let him speak for himself3 8,as often as the anniversary comes around1 we make offerings for the dead as birth-day honors4 ,we count fasting or kneeling in worship on the ,lord's day1 to be unlawful4 ,we rejoice in the same privilege1 also1 from ,easter to ,whitsunday4 ,we feel pained should any wine or bread1 though our own1 be cast upon the ground4 ,at every forward step and movement1 at every going in and out1 when we put on our clothes and shoes1 when we bathe1 when we sit at table1 when we light the lamps1 on couch1 on seat1 in all the ordinary actions of daily life1 we trace upon the forehead the sign 7of the cross74 ,if for these and other such rules1 you insist upon leaving positive ,scripture injunctions1 you will find none4 ,tradition will be held forth to you as the originator of them1 custom1 as their strengthener1 and faith1 as their observer4 ,that reason will support tradition1 and custom1 and faith1 you will either yourself perceive1 or learn from some one who has40--,de ,corona1 sects4 #c and #d4 ,the reader will at once observe that tradition is the foundation which is here laid for that kind of ,sunday observance for which ,tertullian was so great a stickler4 ,not only so1 but the fact is brought to light1 also1 that the men whom he represented were in the habit of offering prayers for the dead2 of signing themselves with the sign of the cross2 and going through other ceremonies1 which to us1 at the present time1 are not only ridiculous in the extreme1 but bear upon their face the impress of the man of sin so unmistakably that none will be deceived4 ,if ,tertullian was indeed a fair specimen of the ,christian men of his time2 if his writings have not been tampered with2 and if the opinions of the men of his day1 as expressed by himself1 should have weight with us in the decision of religious questions1 where shall we stop in our acceptance of their creeds8 ,if1 because they believed with him in the change of the ,sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week1 this fact should have weight with us in bringing us to the same conclusion1 independently of ,scripture proof1 then how can we stop short of their faith in other particulars8 such as the acceptance of tradition in doctrinal matters1 prayers for the dead1 the sign of the cross1 etc41 etc4 ,in fact1 how can we avoid becoming papists ourselves1 in the largest sense of the term1 since1 having gone as far as we have for the purpose of making out ,sunday sanctity1 we have surrendered nearly all the distinctive principles of ,protestantism8 ,of course each individual is at liberty to use his own discretion as to the measure of confidence which he will give to the writings before us2 so far as we are concerned1 personally1 we would not attach to them the slightest weight in the decision of a grave religious question4 ,from the very nature of that which has been already cited1 it is manifestly a serious slander upon the true church of the second1 and the first part of the third century1 to hold them responsible for the fanciful conceits and destructive errors of this reputed defender of the faith4 ,certain it is1 that if ,tertullian is correctly reported1 his writings are not a safe criterion of the sentiments of the ,christians of his age in very many points1 and it may be fairly concluded1 that among them is that concerning the ,sabbath1 since what he has said of it finds no warrant in the open ,bible1 which the men of this day hold in their hands4 ,not only is what he has written absurd and dangerous in the extreme1 but his productions are characterized by the most glaring contradictions4 ,another has said of him3 8,it would be wiser for ,christianity1 retreating upon its genuine records in the ,new ,testament1 to disclaim this fierce ,african1 than identify itself with his furious1 invectives1 by unsatisfactory apologies for their unchristian fanaticisms40 7,milman1 in note on ,gibbon's ,dec4 and ,fall of the ,rom4 ,emp41 chap4 xv47 ,we leave him1 therefore1 with his follies and foibles1 his errors and faults1 his assertions and contradictions1 with those who have a taste for this kind of literature4 ,with the case of ,origen it will not be necessary that much time should be consumed4 ,mr4 ,mosheim has well remarked of him1 that had 8the justice of his judgment been equal to the immensity of his genius1 the fervor of his piety1 his indefatigable patience1 his extensive erudition1 and his other eminent and superior talents1 all encomium must have fallen short of his merits40 ,unfortunately1 however1 with an erudition which was truly remarkable1 he united a credulity almost without parallel4 ,so numerous and so grave were the errors of his personal faith1 that his individual opinions1 unsupported by facts and arguments1 are utterly worthless in the decision of any theological proposition4 ,having adopted the mystical system of interpreting the ,scriptures1 he reached conclusions utterly unsound and preposterous in many cases4 ,that this is so1 the orthodox reader will at once perceive1 when we state1 first1 that he was a believer in the pre-existence of the human soul1 and that souls were condemned to animate mortal bodies1 because of sins committed in a pre-existent state2 secondly1 that he was a ,restorationist1 and believed in the final universal salvation of all men1 after enduring long periods of punishment4 ,nor does the advocacy of such sentiments furnish the only difficulty in the way of his testimony1 as drawn from his writings now extant4 ,there would indeed be some satisfaction derived from the study of these documents1 fanciful though they might appear to be in many respects1 if we could only feel assured that they represented correctly the sentiments of the alleged author4 ,unhappily1 this is not the case4 ,those who admire ,origen most1 while attributing much in what he is said to have written1 to that weakness of discrimination which is everywhere so manifest in his productions1 are compelled to go beyond this1 in order to explain many of the grosser views therein contained1 by admitting that they were not his own1 but that they are the result of fraud and interpolation4 ,on this point1 another1 with great candor and friendly charity1 when speaking of the sect known as ,origenists1 after first stating that 8he was a man of great talents1 and a most indefatigable student1 but having a strong attachment to the ,platonic philosophy1 and a natural turn to mystical and allegorical interpretations1 which led him to corrupt greatly the simplicity of the gospel1 declares that these circumstances render it very difficult to ascertain exactly what his real sentiments were40 ,he says1 also1 8#a4 ,being a man of unquestionable talents and high character1 his genuine works were interpolated1 and others written under his name1 in order to forge his sanction to sentiments of which1 possibly1 he never heard4444 #c4 ,origen had many enemies1 who probably attributed to him many things which he did not believe1 in order1 either to injure his fame1 or bring his character under censure40--,encyc4 of ,rel4 ,knowl41 ,art4 ,origenists4 ,having said thus much in reference to the testimony before us1 it would be possible to take up the writings of this distinguished father1 and show from them that there is room for a difference of opinion as to whether he believed that the so-called ,christian ,sabbath was indeed to be regarded as of twenty-four hours' duration1 merely1 or whether it covered alike all days of the week1 and the whole of our dispensation4 ,this1 however1 would be a tedious and unprofitable expenditure of time and labor4 ,we leave the whole question1 therefore1 respecting the teaching of the works of ,origen1 as one of no significance in this controversy2 first1 because if we know anything about what he did believe1 he was wholly unreliable1 either as a teacher of sound doctrine1 or as a representative of the better men of his own time2 and1 secondly1 because what he has written has been so corrupted1 that we have no guarantee that it truthfully expresses what he believed4 ,as we presume the majority of our readers are not particularly interested in reference to which posture was assumed in prayer on the first day of the week1 by the early church1 and as ,peter of ,alexandria and the ,council of ,nice are quoted solely in reference to 8this independent question10 we shall not discuss the note in which reference is made to them4 ,there remains1 therefore1 only the case of ,cyprian1 bishop of ,carthage1 to occupy us longer4 ,what this author says was written about ,a4 ,d4 #bec4 ,it will be observed1 that in what is declared by him and the ,council1 the first day of the week is called the ,lord's day2 beyond this1 his testimony is of no value4 ,it is neither stated that the title was applied by divine authority1 nor is it affirmed that this day had superseded in ,sabbatic honor the ancient ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,there is1 however1 in reference to circumcision as something which prefigured the ,lord's day1 or eighth day1 enough of mysticism to furnish us with a clue to the character of the men whose intellectual perceptions were so fine that they could discover in an institution which was administered on the eighth day after the birth of the male child1 on whatever day of the week that eighth day might fall1 a prefiguring of the distinction which was to be bestowed on the definite first day of the week1 which had in it1 not eight1 but only seven1 days1 in all4 ,mr4 ,mosheim1 in alluding to a period in close proximity to that in which ,cyprian lived1 mentions it as one in 8which the greater part of the ,christian doctors had been engaged in adopting those vain fictions of ,platonic philosophy and popular opinions1 which1 after the time of ,constantine1 were confirmed1 enlarged1 and embellished in various ways10 and from which he declares 8arose that extravagant veneration for departed saints1 and those absurd notions of a certain fire destined to purify separate souls1 that then prevailed1 and of which the public marks were everywhere to be seen40--,eccles4 ,hist41 ,fourth ,century1 part ii41 chap4 iii4 ,it is now time to take a retrospective view of the territory over which we have been passing4 ,be it remembered that the reader was lured from the contemplation of the ,scriptures1 with this precious promise1 that outside of them were to be found the most convincing proofs that the ,lord's day was and had been the proper title of the first day of the week since the resurrection of ,christ2 but what have we seen8 ,manifestly1 not that which we had anticipated3 ,first1 we have discovered that ,ignatius1 the first witness introduced1 does not mention the ,lord's day at all1 but simply speaks of the ,lord's life4 ,secondly1 that the epistle of ,barnabas was a forgery1 made up of the most absurd and ridiculous fancies1 and written by an unknown character somewhere1 perhaps in the second or third century1 though purporting to be the work of the companion of ,paul4 ,thirdly1 that it is becoming more and more a matter of doubt whether that which is attributed to ,justin ,martyr was ever seen by him1 and that he not only does not call the ,sunday the ,lord's day1 but also inculcates in what he says1 the ,romish heresy respecting the use of water in sacrament1 c41 c4 ,fourthly1 that ,dionysius1 bishop of ,corinth1 and ,melito1 bishop of ,sardis1 while indeed they do speak of the ,lord's day1 do not furnish any clue by which we can determine which day they regarded as such4 ,fifthly1 that ,pliny1 a heathen writer1 employs neither the term ,lord's day nor ,sabbath1 but simply speaks of a stated day1 without identification4 ,sixthly1 that ,irenus is not properly represented as speaking of the ,sunday in the use of the title ,lord's day1 since that expression1 in both the instances alluded to1 was the language of ,eusebius1 who lived in the fourth century1 and not of ,irenus1 who lived in the second4 ,seventhly1 that ,tertullian1 who lived at the close of the second and the commencement of the third century1 and who was a wild fanatic of the ,montanist school1 utterly unworthy to represent the sentiments of his times1 is the first witness from whom the gentleman has succeeded in obtaining an unequivocal application of the term1 ,lord's day1 to the first day of the week2 also1 that he had connected with it1 prayers for the dead1 the sign of the cross1 c41 c4 ,eighthly1 that ,origen was a man of great learning2 that it was questionable whether he believed in a septenary ,sabbath1 or in one that covered the whole dispensation2 and that1 in fact1 it is admitted by his friends that his works have become so corrupt as to be utterly untrustworthy in the matter of deciding respecting his real opinions4 ,ninthly1 that ,cyprian and his colleagues addressed us from a point of time too far removed from the period of the alleged change of ,sabbaths1 and too fully within that of the great apostasy1 to be of service in an exegesis of the ,scriptures4 ,tenthly1 that three of the most pointed and satisfactory of the testimonies heretofore employed by first-day writers1 are now abandoned as having been the result of mistake in translation1 or in the matter of attributing them to the proper persons4 ,summing1 up1 therefore1 in a word we inquire again1 ,what has been gained by this departure8 ,we believe that all must see that it has been an entire failure2 for1 so far as the ,sabbath is concerned1 we think the reader will hesitate long before he will leave the ,scriptures1 in the matter of deciding upon its obligation1 in order to build the structure of his faith from such material as we have been handling over4 ,also1 as to the question of what day ,john referred to in ,rev4 #a3aj1 when he said1 8,i was in the ,spirit on the ,lord's day10 he will deliberate very much before he will decide that it was the first day of the week1 simply because an untrustworthy man1 admitted to have been heretical on many points1 called it such #bjj years after the birth of ,christ1 while ,jehovah himself has given to the seventh day that honor1 styling it the 8,sabbath of the ,lord10 8the holy of the ,lord1 honorable10 c41 and while ,christ himself has declared in so many words1 that he was the ,lord of the ,sabbath day4 ,mark #b3bg1 #bh4 ,,statesman',s ,,reply4 ,,article ,,nine4 ,,theories ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,sabbath4 ,with the facts of history before us concerning sacred time for nearly three centuries after the resurrection of ,christ--facts drawn from the inspired writers of the ,new ,testament and their immediate successors1 we are prepared to consider the different theories of the ,christian ,sabbath4 ,these theories may be summed up in three4 ,of one or another of these1 all the remaining theories are simply modifications4 ,the first of these three leading theories is as follows3 8,the ,sabbath was a ,jewish institution1 and expired with the ,jewish dispensation4 ,the ,lord's day is not in any proper sense a ,sabbath4 ,it has an origin1 a reason1 and an obligation1 not drawn from the fourth commandment1 but peculiarly its own1 as an institution belonging specially to the ,new-,testament dispensation40 ,the second theory1 in the order in which we notice these different views1 maintains that the observance of the ,sabbath1 as required under the ,old-,testament dispensation1 knows no change in any particular4 ,the observance of the seventh day of the week is essential to the proper observance of the ,sabbath under the gospel dispensation4 ,the observance of the first day of the week is without divine warrant--a departure from the law of ,god through the corruptions which crept into the church4 ,the third theory agrees with the second in maintaining that the ,sabbath existed from the beginning1 and that it has never been abolished or superseded4 ,it disagrees with the second theory in maintaining that the essential idea of the law of the ,sabbath is not the holiness of a portion of time1 but the consecration of a specified proportion of time1 one day in seven2 that1 in accordance with this1 a change of day was admissible2 that a change was actually made by divine warrant from the resurrection of ,christ2 and that the first day of the week1 the ,lord's day1 is the true ,christian ,sabbath1 having its moral sanction in the fourth commandment4 ,by many of those who hold the first of these theories1 the ,lord's day is made a purely ecclesiastical institution1 without any other warrant for its observance than the action of the church1 by whose authority and in whose wisdom1 the day is set apart for divine service4 ,by others who accept the same general theory1 apostolic authority in the early church is admitted to afford a divine warrant for the observance of the day4 ,in a complete treatise on the ,lord's day1 a careful discussion of this theory would be required4 ,its want of any sufficient foundation could be satisfactorily shown by a presentation of the following points3 7#a47 ,the declaration of the ,lord of the ,sabbath is explicit--8,the ,sabbath was made for man40 ,it was not made for any portion of the human family1 but for the race of mankind4 7#b47 ,thus1 from the design of its ,lord1 and the very nature of the institution1 the ,sabbath cannot be limited to any locality or dispensation4 7#c47 ,accordingly1 it was given to man at his creation4 7,gen4 #c3c47 7#d47 ,for the same reason1 the law of the ,sabbath has its proper place1 not among ceremonial1 local1 or positive enactments1 but among the immutable moral precepts of the decalogue4 7#e47 ,this law is1 therefore1 of universal and perpetual obligation upon our race4 ,these points would give room for many articles2 but1 inasmuch as on all of them there is entire agreement between our seventh-day ,sabbatarian friends and ourselves1 we pass to a consideration of the second theory1 which they accept as correct4 ,to make good their case1 the advocates of the second theory must show that the seventh day continued to be the ,sabbath observed by the church after the resurrection of ,christ1 just as before2 and that1 in the observance of the first day1 a great departure took place from the original practice of the ,christian church4 ,they must not make bare statements1 but they must furnish proof4 ,instead of appealing to the letter of the law1 and insisting that fact must conform to their interpretation of it1 they must accept the facts of history1 and put their interpretations to the test4 ,it is more reasonable to conclude that an interpretation of law is wrong1 than to reject the attested facts of history1 when the interpretation and the facts do not harmonize4 ,let us briefly sum up the facts already fully brought to view4 ,christ himself1 after his resurrection1 passed by the seventh day1 and repeatedly put special honor on the first day of the week4 ,this same day was honored by the ,pentecostal gift of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,christian congregations met for regular weekly service1 not on the seventh day1 but on the first day of the week4 ,the inspired apostle ,paul pointedly condemned the ,judaizing teachers who insisted on the observance by ,christians of the seventh-day ,sabbath4 ,the early writers1 companions of the apostles1 and others of the succeeding generations1 bear the clearest and most explicit testimony to the same facts--the non-observance of the seventh-day ,sabbath1 and the stated meetings of ,christians for divine service on the first day of the week1 the ,lord's day4 ,now1 if their theory is correct1 how will the seventh-day ,sabbatarians explain the fact that ,christ himself1 the ,holy ,spirit1 inspired apostles1 and ,christian congregations all through the early church1 ignored the seventh day and honored the first8 ,a general and vague statement to the effect that an unwarranted change was made from the original practice of the ,christian church will not do here4 ,was not the practice of the apostles and first organized congregations of ,christians the original practice of the ,christian church8 ,that practice was1 as we have seen1 to observe the first day of the week4 ,we repeat what we have already proved at length1 viz41 that there is not an instance in the ,scriptures of the observance of the seventh day by any ,christian church1 nor of any regard to that day1 after ,christ's resurrection1 by apostles or their fellow-laborers1 except as they availed themselves1 in their missionary work1 of the meetings of ,jewish assemblies in ,jewish places of worship4 8,an unwarranted change60 ,let those who take such language upon their lips consider that their charge lies at the door of ,christ and his ,spirit1 and the inspired apostles4 ,but now1 for the sake of the argument1 let us leave all the testimony of the inspired writers of the ,new ,testament to the first-day ,sabbath out of view4 ,again we have the vague charge of unwarranted change4 ,perhaps the most definite form of this charge is that which makes the change the work of the little horn in ,daniel's prophecy1 chapter seven4 ,but will the expounder of ,daniel be a little more explicit1 and tell us who the historical personage is1 and give us the dates and names of history8 ,does the little horn represent ,antiochus ,epiphanes8 if so1 then1 of course1 his change of the law of the ,sabbath must have been before the ,christian era4 ,will our expositor give us some facts just here8 ,if the little horn means the papacy1 then1 according to the prophecy itself1 it did not arise until the ,roman ,empire1 represented by the fourth beast1 was broken into ten fragments1 represented by the ten horns4 ,the little horn sprang up after these1 and its change of the law of the ,sabbath must date after the fall of the old empire of ,rome4 ,but for centuries before this event1 we have the testimony of numerous writers that the ,christian churches everywhere observed1 not the seventh1 but the first1 day of the week1 the ,lord's day4 ,again we ask for facts1 not mere statements and theories4 ,leaving this vague attempt to connect the assumed unwarranted change with ,daniel's prophesy1 we come to what is1 if possible1 still more vague and indefinite4 ,a change1 it is asserted1 was made by some particular officer or council of the church1 as it became corrupt and began to depart from the practice of the original church of ,christ4 ,who was this officer8 or where did this council meet8 ,but we will not make unreasonable demands for historical testimony4 ,let us grant that such an officer or such a council there was at some time or other4 ,the question then arises1 ,when did the change take place8 ,in the days of ,cyprian1 ,a4 ,d4 #bej8 ,the answer is clear4 ,the change most have been made before his day4 ,origen and ,tertullian1 fifty years earlier1 knew only the first day of the week1 the ,lord's day1 as the ,christian ,sabbath4 ,was the change then made in their day8 ,we might assume that it was1 only for the clear testimony of ,irenus and ,justin ,martyr1 carrying us back another half century1 and the equally explicit testimony of still earlier writers1 carrying us back to the apostles themselves4 ,notwithstanding all this dearth of historical testimony as to the existence of the supposed ruler or council1 let it be further granted that by some such corrupting authority1 at some time a decree changing the day for ,sabbath observance was issued4 ,how did the supposed legislators establish their decree8 ,how did they make it effectual over all the different parts of the church8 ,must we we suppose that a change like this was effected in the church1 and not a scrap of a record left concerning it8 ,the attempt made by the church to establish a common day for the anniversary of ,christ's resurrection gave rise to long and bitter controversy1 and led to division4 ,and yet1 as ,prof ,f4 ,d4 ,maurice has well said1 8,it is supposed that this far more important change1 affecting all the daily relations and circumstances of life1 took effect by the decree of some apostle or some ecclesiastical synod1 of which no record1 no legend1 even is preserved6 ,or1 perhaps1 a half-heathen1 more than half-heathen1 statute of ,constantine1#ad about the ,dies ,solis accomplished what the legislators of the church could not accomplish--succeeded not only in securing its adoption by ,athanasians1 ,arians1 ,semi-,arians1 whose controversies ,constantine could never heal1 but in securing the allegiance of all the barbarous tribes which accepted the gospel under such various conditions in later times4 ,can any suppositions make greater demands on our credulity than these80 ,a ,procrustean bed indeed must be that interpretation of the law of the ,sabbath which1 to conform them to itself1 must thus deal with the facts of history and the probabilities of historical evidence4 ,just here is the difficulty in the theory of ,seventh-day ,sabbatarians4 ,they have somehow got lodged in their mind the idea that the last one of the seven days of the week is the sacred day1 the observance of which is absolutely essential to the proper keeping of the ,sabbath4 ,what has already been proved from history1 inspired and uninspired1 is sufficient to show that this theory is unworthy of men who1 like ,christ and his apostles1 would grasp the true significance of the law of the ,sabbath4 ,but as so much stress is laid upon the question of time1 we shall devote our next article to this crucial and very practical point4 ,footnote #ad3 ,the attempt to attribute the change of day to ,constantine's decree is hardly worth noticing4 ,it is enough to remember that it was issued in the beginning of the fourth century4 ,no one who knows anything of the writings of ,tertullian and ,origen dating back more than a century before ,constantine1 to say nothing of still earlier writers1 will venture to ascribe the change to ,roman ,emperor's decree4 ,besides1 the language of the very decree referred to recognizes the honorable diameter of the first day of the week4 ,it recognizes that day as already 8venerable40--,the ,christian4 ,a ,,rejoinder4 8,,theories ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,sabbath40 ,the thoughtful reader need not be told that the article which he has just read1 entitled1 8,theories of the ,christian ,sabbath10 has advanced the discussion of the question before us in no material respect4 ,the space devoted so generously to the consideration of theories1 in regard to the unsoundness of which there is no difference of opinion between the gentleman and myself1 is thrown away1 so far as the present argument is concerned4 ,while this is true1 however1 if it serves no other purpose1 it has at least made it clear that1 if the gentleman fails to make out his case in the end1 it will not be because he has not had ample room for the presentation and elaboration of facts and arguments1 since one who was crippled in his effort by a lack of space would hardly be willing to devote so much time and attention to subjects foreign to the present issue4 ,that which is said with reference to these theories might also be repeated in reference to the statement and restatement of points which it is claimed have been proved4 ,of course1 it is the prerogative of any writer to conduct his own argument in his own way4 ,all that we would call attention to is the fact that the line of policy pursued1 in these things1 is of a nature to satisfy even the most casual observer1 that one who felt that he had resources upon which to draw1 without limit1 would not compel us to pass again and again over the same ground4 ,there is1 however1 an apology which might properly be offered in the case of the gentleman1 for calling our attention to these trivial points so repeatedly1 which is found in the fact that his articles were written before our rejoinders were in print4 ,we believe that1 were not this the case1 and had he perused what has been said in reply to them1 we should be spared the monotony of answering them again4 ,however1 lest we should seem to avoid them1 it will only be necessary that we say enough1 bearing upon each point1 to revive1 in the mind of one who has followed us thus far1 the fuller consideration given to all of them heretofore4 ,to the statement that ,sabbatarians1 in order to make good their case1 must make their views harmonize with the facts of history1 it is enough to say that1 if it is meant by this1 the facts of sacred history1 as contained in the ,bible1 this we have already done2 for before it can be urged that the opposite is true1 as we have elsewhere seen1 it must be shown that there is some transaction found in the sacred record which is in conflict with our interpretation of the law4 ,this has not been done2 for not only has it been made to appear that the ,sabbath law is explicit in its requirement of the observance of the seventh day of the week1 but also that there is not a single case of its violation1 by a good man1 to be found in the inspired pages4 ,nor is this all2 we have gone beyond this1 and proved1 by the record1 that the opposite was true of the ,sunday1 since upon it ,christ and two of his disciples1 on the day of his resurrection1 as well as ,paul and ,luke and others at a subsequent period1 did perform upon it labor1 which the gentleman himself has not attempted1 and will not undertake1 to harmonize with any just conception of intelligent ,sabbath-keeping4 ,so far as it regards the absence of any mention of meetings of ,christians on the ,sabbath1 it is sufficient to say1 as we have already done1 that1 as in the history given1 the account relates largely to missionary trips1 where there was no church as yet developed1 and1 consequently1 no possibility of separate meetings1 such a record would be out of the question2 also1 that the argument is only a negative one1 and really can have no force1 until it can be demonstrated that ,god's plan is first to command1 and then show1 in every instance what the commandment means1 by practical illustrations furnished from the history of his people2 a doctrine which is not only unsound and untrue1 but absurd in the extreme4 ,if1 on the other hand1 the gentleman means to be understood as insisting that the history of the church since the close of the canon of inspiration must be made to teach the faith which we hold as one which has always been entertained by the church1 and therefore sound1 we repudiate1 in the name of ,protestantism1 this most pernicious view1 and in all matters of practical duty1 such as ,sabbath-keeping1 we decide according to the written word4 ,to the first source 7church history71 the gentleman has appealed1 and if every candid man and woman who has witnessed his effort has not been disgusted with the source to which he has applied1 then we know of nothing which would be calculated to create in him this condition of mind4 ,with the summary1 in which it is claimed that ,christ1 and the apostles1 and the ,holy ,spirit1 and the early church1 did repeatedly honor the first day of the week1 we will not weary the reader here4 ,we have disproved every one of these points1 and we trust to the intelligence of those whom we are addressing1 in the confident belief that what has been said1 in the absence of even an attempt at refutation1 needs not to be reproduced here4 ,we had barely mentioned1 in our original articles1 that ,seventh-day ,adventists held to the opinion that the pope of ,rome had been instrumental in bringing about the change of the ,sabbath4 ,no effort was made to develop the argument on that point1 since we did not dare to presume that room would be granted for the perfecting of the work2 in fact1 what was said was uttered rather with a view to calling the attention of the curious to our published works upon that subject1 than for any other purpose4 ,now1 however1 this point is made to assume a prominence which does not really belong to it1 in an argument so largely doctrinal rather than historic4 ,with this1 nevertheless1 we have no fault to find4 ,nothing is more satisfactory than the awakening of a spirit of investigation on all branches of this great subject2 at the same time1 we submit that the attitude of the gentleman must be very unsatisfactory to himself1 since he will readily perceive that to an opponent1 chafing under a denial of the privilege of answering him in the columns of his own paper1 this whole affair wears the aspect of an empty bravado4 8,tell us10 says the editor1 and he repeats his invitation again and again1 8,whom did this little horn represent8 ,was it ,antiochus8 or the pope8 ,if the latter1 then how1 and when1 and where1 did he bring about the transition80 ,but we reply1 ,whom do you mean1 sir1 by the term1 8us08 ,truly1 you would not require us to come to ,philadelphia to enlighten you personally upon that point4 ,certainly1 you are not particularly anxious that we should write a series of articles for the benefit of the readers of the ,review1 on a matter with which they are as familiar as they are with the history of their own country2 but if1 indeed1 you had in your mind the readers of the ,statesman1 then it may be inquired again1 ,how has it been possible for us to reach them1 under the circumstances8 since1 throwing your forces behind the wall of your editorial prerogative1 and closing against us the gate of possibility1 you have shut us out from all access to them4 ,gladly would we have availed ourselves of the opportunity of doing that which we have been denied the privilege of attempting before the men1 many of whom1 we believe1 would have been glad to follow this matter to the end2 but as this cannot be done1 a brief reply will be made here4 ,the first inquiry1 relating1 as it does1 to the point whether ,antiochus ,epiphanes or the pope1 was meant by the 8little horn10 in the seventh of ,daniel1 need not consume time4 ,it has been urged by some that the 8little horn10 of ,dan4 #h3i1 applied to the former character4 ,we believe the papists still insist upon this2 but the gentleman1 upon reflection--if in what he has said he has confounded the two--will not seriously argue against the almost universal admission of ,protestant writers1 that the power brought to view in the seventh chapter of ,daniel's prophecy1 is that of the papacy4 ,in fact1 reasoning as he does himself1 most satisfactorily1 that it could not arise until after the appearance of the original ten1 which represented the final breaking up of the ,roman ,empire into ten parts1 he more than intimates his personal conviction that it could not represent ,antiochus ,epiphanes1 who reigned one hundred and seventy-five years before ,christ1 since the ,roman ,empire was not partitioned among the barbarians who invaded it1 until ,a4 ,d4 #dhc1 more than six hundred years after the death of the ,syrian king4 ,the following1 from a standard authority1 will serve to show an almost universal agreement on this subject2 and with its presentation we pass to the investigation of questions more difficult1 and more worthy of our reflection4 8,among ,protestant writers1 this 7#8the little horn1' of ,dan4 #g3h7 is considered to be the popedom40--,a4 ,clarke1 ,com4 in loco4 8,to none can this 7#8,he shall speak great words againt the ,most ,high'7 apply so well1 and so fully1 as to the popes of ,rome40--,idem1 v4 #be4 ,the real point of debate1 as intimated above1 is the question whether the ,roman ,catholic church has been instrumental in bringing about the change of the ,sabbath4 ,the gentleman errs in asserting that we have anywhere stated that such a change was brought about by any particular officer or council4 ,this we have never urged1 nor does it accord with the view held by us4 ,the 8little horn0 represented1 not one1 merely1 but a whole line of priest-kings1 who were to extend from the time of their rise1 to the ,judgment1 and the setting up of the kingdom of ,god4 ,of this line of rulers1 it is stated--not that they should really succeed in bringing about an actual change in the requirements of the law of ,god--but that they should 8think0 to accomplish this end4 ,it is also said that1 for a time1 times1 and dividing of time 7#abfj years71 the saints of ,god and the law of ,god should be delivered into their hands4 ,not1 indeed1 that ,god would forsake either his people or his law1 utterly1 but that1 for the period in question1 they should be permitted to pursue a course destructive to the one1 and antagonistic to the other4 ,in other words1 that they should put to death the saints1 and presume to alter the commandments of ,god4 ,these specifications are simply introduced by way of identification4 ,it is not said that the power indicated should spring into life suddenly1 and without a previous stage of development2 nor is it declared that the principles which were to characterize it in its mature life should be wholly peculiar to itself4 ,other powers1 such as pagan ,rome1 might have persecuted the people of ,god before the rise of the papacy1 as they unquestionably did4 ,other men might have begun the work of tampering with the law of ,god1 long before the days of the hierarchy1 and might have prepared to its hands the materials necessary to the accomplishment of the final blasphemous work of the man of sin4 ,in the days of ,paul1 8the mystery of iniquity began to work10 and from that point1 its history was one of gradual development4 ,some of the most destructive heresies afterward incorporated into the faith of papists1 it is well understood1 were fully fledged1 and quite generally accepted1 before the installation of the first pope4 ,so1 too1 concerning the first-day ,sabbath4 ,there can be little doubt that before the bishop of ,rome became the 8,corrector of ,heretics10 in ,a4 ,d4 #ech1 or entered the chair of ,st4 ,peter1 the ,sunday had come to be regarded1 by many1 as the rival1 if not the superior1 of the ancient ,sabbath4 ,just how extensively the sentiment prevailed1 however1 it is hard to determine from church history1 because1 as has been shown in a previous article1 the sources of our information have been so corrupted by unprincipled ,romanists1 that it is difficult to arrive at the facts in the case4 ,one thing is certain2 there was a mighty struggle on this question1 the gentleman to the contrary1 notwithstanding1 which has left the marks of its existence in the records of the past4 ,clear down to the rise of ,roman ,catholicism1 there were men who were strenuous for the observance of the seventh day1 and rejecters of its rival4 ,doubtless the ,sunday1 by slow degrees1 had worked itself into almost universal acceptance as a festival resting upon human1 and not divine1 authority2 but the ,sabbath of the ,lord still continued in the faith of many1 especially in the ,east1 as a day to be sacredly devoted to the worship of ,god4 ,on this point1 ,neander1 the learned church historian1 has given distinct and unequivocal utterance3-- 8,the festival of ,sunday1 like all other festivals1 was only a human ordinance1 and it was far from the intention of the apostles to establish a divine command in this respect2 far from them and from the early apostolic church to transfer the laws of the ,sabbath to ,sunday4 ,perhaps at the end of the second century1 a false application of this kind had began to take place2 for men appear1 by that time1 to have considered laboring on ,sunday as a sin40--,rose's ,translation of ,neander1 p4 #ahf4ae ,giesler also remarks as follows3 8,while the ,christians of ,palestine1 who kept the whole ,jewish law1 celebrated1 of course1 all the ,jewish festivals1 the heathen converts observed only the ,sabbath1 and in remembrance of the closing scenes of our ,saviour's life1 the passover1 though without the ,jewish superstitions4 ,besides these1 the ,sunday as the day of our ,saviour's resurrection1 was devoted to religious worship40--,church ,hist41 ,apostolic ,age to ,a4 ,d4 #gj4 ,lyman ,coleman1 in his 8,ancient ,christianity ,exemplified10 testifies as follows3 8,the observance of the ,lord's day as the first day of the week was at first introduced as a separate institution4 ,both this and the ,jewish ,sabbath were kept for some time2 finally1 the latter passed wholly over into the former1 which now took the place of the ancient ,sabbath of the ,israelites4 ,but their ,sabbath1 the last day of the week1 was strictly kept in connection with that of the first day for a long time after the overthrow of the temple and its worship4 ,down even to the fifth century1 the observance of the ,jewish ,sabbath was continued in the ,christian church1 but with a rigor and solemnity gradually diminishing1 until it was wholly discontinued4444 ,both were observed in the ,christian church down to the fifth century1 with this difference1 that in the eastern church1 both days were regarded as joyful occasions2 but in the western1 the ,jewish ,sabbath was kept as a fast40 ,chap4 #bf1 sect4 #b4 ,wm4 ,twisse1 whose antique style comports with that of the period in which he wrote1 most pointedly declares the same fact in a work entitled1 8,the ,morality of the ,fourth ,commandment30 8,yet for some hundred years in the primitive church1 not the ,lord's day only1 but the seventh day also1 was religiously observed1 not by ,ebion and ,cerinthus only1 but by pious ,christians also1 as ,baronius writeth and ,gomaius confesseth1 and ,rivut also40 ,page #i1 ,london1 #afda4 ,morer1 in speaking of the early ,christians1 remarks of them as follows3 8,the primitive ,christians had a great veneration for the ,sabbath1 and spent the day in devotion and sermons1 and it is not to be doubted but they derived the practice from the apostles themselves40--,morer's ,lord's ,day1 p4 #ahi4 ,edward ,brerewood1 professor in ,gresham ,college1 ,london1 writes3 8,the ancient ,sabbath did remain1 and was observed by the ,christians of the east church above three hundred years after our ,saviour's death1 and besides that1 no other day1 for more hundred years than ,i spoke of before1 was known in the church by the name of the ,sabbath40 ,page #gg1 ed4 #afca4 ,prof4 ,stuart1 in speaking of the period between ,a4 ,d4 #cba and the council of ,laodicea1 ,a4 ,d4 #cfd1 furnishes the following interesting statement1 which discloses the historic fact concerning the ebb and flow of discussion on this subject in the early church3 8,the practice of it the keeping of the ,sabbath1 was continued by ,christians who were jealous for the honor of the ,mosaic law1 and finally became1 as we have seen1 predominant throughout ,christendom4 ,it was supposed at length that the fourth commandment did require the observance of the seventh-day ,sabbath not merely a seventh part of time1 and reasoning as ,christians of the present day are wont to do1 viz41 that all which belongs to the ten commandments was immutable and perpetual1 the churches in general came gradually to regard the seventh-day ,sabbath as altogether sacred40--,appendix to ,gurney's ,hist4 of ,sabbath1 pp4 #aae1 #aaf4 ,concerning the same council1 ,prynne has made a similar historic record2 8,the seventh-day ,sabbath was solemnized by ,christ1 the apostles1 and primitive ,christians1 till the ,laodicean ,council did1 in a manner1 quite abolish the observance of it4444 ,the ,council of ,laodicea1 ,a4 ,d4 #cfd1 first settled the observance of the ,lord's day1 and prohibited keeping of the ,jewish ,sabbath1 under an anathema40--,dissertation on the ,lord's ,sabbath1 pp4 #cc1 #dd1 ed4 #afcc4 ,in alluding to the differences in practice between the eastern and the western churches1 ,neander distinctly sets forth the resolute animosity of the latter to the ancient ,sabbath of the ,lord1 and the manner in which they sought to bring it into disrepute1 while elevating the ,sunday into favor4 ,he says3 8,in the western churches1 particularly the ,roman1 where opposition to ,judaism was the prevailing tendency1 this very opposition produced the custom of celebrating the ,saturday as a fast day4 ,this difference of customs would1 of course1 be striking1 where members of the ,oriental church spent their ,sabbath day in the western church40--,hist4 ,chris4 ,rel4 and ,church1 ,first ,three ,centuries4 ,rose's trans41 p4 #ahf4 ,peter ,heylyn also marks the peculiar favor shown to the first day of the week in the western church2 and while he declares at one time that it was near 8nine hundred years from the ,saviour's birth before restraint of husbandry on this day ,sunday had been first thought of in the east10 he elsewhere records the fact that in the fifth and sixth centuries general unanimity respecting the exaltation to divine honor was reached4 ,he writes3 8,the faithful1 being united more than ever before1 became more uniform in matters of devotion1 and in that uniformity did agree together to give the ,lord's day all the honors of a holy festival1 yet this was not done all at once1 but by degrees1 the fifth and sixth centuries being fully spent before it came unto that hight which has since continued4 ,the emperors and the prelates in these times had the same affections1 both earnest to advance this day above all others2 and to the edicts of the one1 and to the ecclesiastical constitutions of the others1 it stands indebted for many of those privileges and exemptions which it still enjoyeth40--,hist4 ,sab41 part #b1 chap4 #d1 sect4 #a4 ,thus it has been proved1 by citations from men who have possessed the resources1 as well as the disposition1 to make themselves acquainted with the history of the first centuries of the ,christian church1 first1 that the first day of the week was looked upon for a long time as a merely human institution2 secondly1 that the ,edenic ,sabbath was for centuries after the crucifixion of ,christ quite generally celebrated2 thirdly1 that prejudice against it seems to have been strongest and to have originated earliest at ,rome1 where1 in order to bring it into odium1 it was made a day of fasting1 while the ,sunday was treated as a festival2 fourthly1 that after a struggle1 which extended through hundreds of years1 the ancient ,sabbath was finally quite generally repudiated1 and the ,sunday1 through the united efforts of prelates1 councils1 and emperors1 was enthroned and enforced upon all4 ,into the details of this long and varying conflict1 in which victory seems first to have favored the one side and then the other1 we are restricted by the limits of our communication from entering4 ,the intelligent reader can readily fill in the outlines which have been given1 and will not be slow to perceive that the contest1 from the very nature of things1 must have been one of intense interest and heated debate4 ,if he would satisfy himself most fully that the gentleman is mistaken in saying that it has left no traces1 we refer him for a more full discussion to the authorities quoted4 ,changing now the point of view1 we will come to the present time4 ,we return once more to the charge that the church of ,rome1 availing itself of the condition of things which preceded its rise1 has consummated the terrible work which was begun with the great apostasy1 long before the papacy proper was fully developed4 ,in prosecuting the labor thus entered upon1 the reader is invited to pause a moment and decide upon certain principles which ought to govern in the decision of the question4 ,he will remember that if he has been educated in the observance of ,sunday1 he will be in danger of requiring more testimony than could reasonably be demanded1 since his education1 and personal interest1 and standing1 would all incline him to a conservatism which needs to be guarded with a jealous care1 lest it should result in a bias which would terminate in the rejection of sufficient light4 ,all that we ask him to do is to treat this subject the same as he would any other matter of fact4 ,to illustrate3 ,if the body of a murdered man were discovered upon the street1 and if there should be found in the community one whose character was bad in every respect1 concerning whom those who knew him best had given warning2 if on the garments of this suspicious personage blood stains were found2 if1 in the meantime1 a careful examination of the wounds should show that they had been inflicted by a weapon peculiar to the notorious individual2 and if1 in addition to the foregoing1 he should step forward and frankly confess that he had done the deed1 no court in the world would hesitate to inflict the penalty of the law1 because of any doubt regarding the guilt of the offending party4 ,now applying the same principles to the case in hand1 if every one can be shown to hold good in every particular1 then consistency demands that they should produce a conviction equally clear and strong with that in the mind of the court1 in determining in the case of the homicide upon the infliction of punishment4 ,but is it true that the charge against the ,roman ,catholic church can be made out as conclusively as that against the individual mentioned above8 ,let us see4 ,the first point there brought forward was the unquestionable fact that the man had been murdered4 ,this was the starting point of the whole affair4 ,that which answers to it in the case before us is the fact that the change of the ,sabbath has been made out beyond reasonable doubt2 for ,god commanded the observance of the seventh day1 while1 somehow1 ,christendom is generally observing the first1 though utterly incapable of furnishing ,scripture warrant for the change4 ,the second point was that respecting the bad reputation of a certain character in the community--its parallel in the persons of the popes is found in the fact that1 as we have seen1 their rise and history were symbolized centuries before their appearance under the type of the 8little horn0 of the seventh of ,daniel1 by one who never errs in his analysis of character1 and who declared of the 8man of sin0 that he should 8think to change times and laws10 and that they should be given into his hands for 8a time and times and the dividing of time10 thus proving that this blasphemous power who was to open his mouth in blasphemy against ,god is capable of attempting the transfer of ,god's holy ,sabbath to a day different from that pointed out in the commandment4 ,the third point1 which related to blood stains upon the garments of the suspected person1 finds its counterpart in the teachings of ,romanism1 most clearly4 ,we learn1 in the writings of ,moses1 that the blood is the life of the individual4 ,this1 however1 is not more true than it is that the fourth commandment is the life of the ,sabbatic institution4 ,if you mar that commandment1 you mar the ,sabbath in the same ratio4 ,if you destroy that commandment1 you destroy the ,sabbath4 ,but the assumed ability to alter this precept as well as others of the decalogue is one of the very crimes of which ,rome has been guilty1 by which she has blotched all over in the most loathsome manner the garments of a once spotless ,christianity1 and a profoundly reverent faith4 ,that this is so will become manifest when we present a copy of the decalogue as it has been mutilated by the ,romish church in the exercise of a pretended divine right to accomplish such a work4 ,for this purpose we append the ten commandments as they stand in ,butler's catechism4#af 8#a4 ,i am the ,lord thy ,god4 ,thou shalt not have strange gods before me1 c4 #b4 ,thou shalt not take the name of the ,lord thy ,god in vain4 #c4 ,remember that thou keep holy the ,sabbath day4 #d4 ,honor thy father and thy mother4 #e4 ,thou shalt not kill4 #f4 ,thou shalt not commit adultery4 #g4 ,thou shalt not steal1 #h4 ,thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor4 #i4 ,thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife4 #aj4 ,thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods40 ,hero it will be seen that the second commandment is dropped out altogether1 and that the tenth is divided2 a portion of it retaining its ancient number1 and the remaining portion of it being numbered as the ninth commandment1 thereby making the complement of the original ten1 which would have been reduced to nine by ignoring the one against image worship4 ,it will also be perceived that with the exception of the words1 8,remember that thou keep holy the ,sabbath day10 the fourth commandment is left out entirely4 ,true1 it may be that in the ,douay ,bible the original commandments are allowed to remain intact1 but we shall see hereafter that the above arrangement is not accidental1 and that the power to make these changes is unhesitatingly claimed4 ,the fourth point was that concerning the form and nature of the wound1 whereby it was discovered that it was made with a weapon precisely such as one possessed by the suspected party4 ,the correspondence in this particular will be found in the boundary of the new ,sabbath2 in its beginning and ending1 occurring as they do at twelve o'clock1 midnight1 are the unmistakable marks of the band of one who most assuredly did not live at ,jerusalem1 and who left upon the creature of his own power the badge of its origin at ,rome4 ,the ,jews1 as we have seen heretofore1 by the agreement of commentators and scholars generally1 as well as by the testimony of the ,bible1 commenced and ended their days with the setting of the sun4 ,at ,rome1 on the other hand1 as well as in other parts of the world1 the day began as we now begin the ,sunday--at midnight4 ,in this1 it is made apparent that some one has been tampering with a day which it is claimed was hallowed by ,christ eighteen hundred years ago2 since1 if it had originated at that time and in that place1 it would have conformed in its beginning and ending to the weekly ,sabbath1 the day of ,pentecost1 and the other days in the ,jewish calendar4 ,the presumption concerning whom this person is1 is already made out4 ,the certainty respecting it will be established under the next heading4 ,the fifth point cited above was the confession of the culprit4 ,under ordinary circumstances1 this alone would have made a conviction inevitable4 ,answering to it in the fullest degree are the oft-repeated declarations of ,romanists1 that they have changed the ,sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week1 and that they had the ability and the right thus to do4 ,respecting these assumptions1 we might introduce quotations almost without number1 but we must content ourselves with a few brief but pointed ones4#ag 8,ques4 ,what are the days which the church commands to be kept holy80 8,ans4 #a4 ,the ,sundays1 or our ,lord's day1 which we observe by apostolical tradition instead of the ,sabbath4 #b4 ,the feasts of our ,lord's nativity1 or ,christmas day2 his circumcision1 or ,new ,year's day2 the ,epiphany1 or twelfth day2 ,easter day1 or the day of our ,lord's resurrection1 with the ,monday following10 c4 8,ques4 ,what was the reason why the weekly ,sabbath was changed from the ,saturday to the ,sunday80 8,ans4 ,because our ,lord fully accomplished the work of our redemption by rising from the dead on ,sunday and by sending down the ,holy ,ghost on ,sunday2 as therefore the work of our redemption was a greater work than that of our creation1 the primitive church thought the day in which this work was completely finished was more worthy her religious observation than that in which ,god rested from creation1 and should be properly called the ,lord's day40 8,ques4 ,but has the church power to make any alterations in the commandments of ,god80 8,ans4 ,the commandments of ,god1 as far as they contain his eternal law1 are unalterable and indispensable1 but as to whatever was only ceremonial they cease to oblige1 since the ,mosaic law was abrogated by ,christ's death2 hence1 as far as the commandment obliges us to set aside some part of our time for the worship and service of our ,creator1 it is an unalterable and unchangeable precept of the eternal law in which the church cannot dispense4 ,but1 forasmuch as it prescribes the seventh day in particular for this purpose1 it is no more than a ceremonial precept of the old law which obligeth not ,christians1 and therefore1 instead of the seventh day and other festivals appointed by the old law1 the church has prescribed the ,sundays and holidays to be set apart for ,god's worship1 and these we are now obliged to keep in consequence of ,god's commandment1 instead of the ancient ,sabbath40 8,ques4 ,what warrant have you for keeping the ,sunday preferable to the ancient ,sabbath1 which was the ,saturday80 8,ans4 ,we have for it the authority of the ,catholic church and apostolic tradition40 8,ques4 ,does the ,scripture anywhere command the ,sunday to be kept for the ,sabbath80 8,ans4 ,the ,scripture commands us to hear the church 7,matt4 #ah3ag1 ,luke #aj3af71 and to hold fast the traditions of the apostles4 #b ,thess4 #b3ae4 ,but the ,scriptures do not in particular mention this change of the ,sabbath4 ,john speaks of the ,lord's day 7,rev4 #a3aj72 but he does not tell us what day of the week this was1 much less does he tell us that this day was to take the place of the ,sabbath ordained in the commandment2 444 so that truly the best authority we have for this1 is the testimony and ordinance of the church4 ,and1 therefore1 those who pretend to be so religious of the ,sunday1 whilst they take no notice of the festivals ordained by the same church authority1 show that they act by humor1 and not by reason and religion1 since ,sundays and holy days all stand upon the same foundation1 viz41 the ordinance of the church40--,cath4 ,christian ,instructed1 pp4 #bji-baa4 8,ques4 ,have you any other way of proving that the church has power to institute festivals of precept80 8,ans4 ,had she not such power1 she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her--she could not have substituted the observance of ,sunday1 the first day of the week1 for the observance of ,saturday1 the seventh day1 a change for which there is no scripture authority40--,doctrinal ,catechism4 8,ques4 ,if keeping the ,sunday be a church precept1 why is it numbered in the decalogue1 which are the commandments of ,god and the law of nature80 8,ans4 ,because the substance1 or chief part of it1 namely1 that the day be set apart for the service of ,god1 is of divine right and of the law of nature2 though the determining this particular day1 ,sunday1 rather than ,saturday1 be a church ordinance and precept40--,abridgment of ,chris4 ,doc41 pp4 #eg1 #ei4 ,thus much for the connection of the papacy with the change of the ,sabbath4 ,the reader1 repudiating the claim for apostolical tradition1 which is of no value with ,protestants1 and rejecting as fallacious the assumed antiquity of the ,roman ,catholic church1 will discover that there still remains the bold assumption of the ability on the part of that church to change the ,sabbath1 and also of the historic fact that it has done so4 ,mr4 ,gilfillan1 while1 of course1 from his standpoint rejecting the notion that the pope has either in reality changed1 or even possessed the ability to change1 the divinely appointed day of rest1 frankly acknowledges that he arrogates to himself the power so to do1 in the following language3-- 8,rome1 professing to retain1 has yet corrupted every doctrine1 institution1 and law of ,jesus ,christ1 recognizing for example1 the mediator between ,god and man1 but associating with him many other intercessors2 avowing adherence to the ,scripture1 but the ,scripture as supplemented and made void by the writings and traditions of men2 and1 in short1 without discarding the ,lord's day1 adding a number of encumbering holidays1 giving them in many instances an honor equal and even superior to ,god's own day1 and claiming for the #8,vicar of ,christ' lordship even of the ,sabbath40--,the ,sabbath1 p4 #deg4 ,into the details respecting the fasts2 the decrees of councils2 the bulls of popes3 the myths concerning the calamities which have befallen those laboring on the ,sunday2 the forgery of an epistle in its interests1 which it was claimed fell from ,heaven2 and the astounding miracles with which the hierarchy has accomplished the prodigious task of making the transfer1 we are not permitted to enter here1 nor will it be required that we should do so4 ,any person acquainted with the arts usually employed at ,rome will readily perceive the methods which she has called to her assistance4 ,all that a reasonable man could possibly ask is found in the transition from one day to another1 in the fact that the law of ,god was to be tampered with by a persecuting power which was to continue its oppressions of the saints of ,god for twelve hundred and sixty years1 and in the further consideration that no persecuting power except that of ,rome has ever continued for that length of time4 ,concerning the decree of ,constantine1 the only place which we assign to it in the controversy between the friends of the ,lord's ,sabbath and its rival1 is that which it holds because of its having made the transition easy4 ,the first day of the week being the one generally observed by the heathen and by this decree enforced by statute1 had in its favor the practice and sympathy of the masses of men4 ,this law1 though passed by a heathen1 and in the interest of the heathen religion1 was1 as would naturally have been the case1 of great service to those who subsequently favored the change of day1 since it gave to their effort not only the color1 but also the material advantage1 of legality2 by it1 men1 under certain circumstances1 were compelled to celebrate the day of the sun even though they had previously regarded that of the ,lord4 ,this1 of course1 was burdensome1 and worked greatly to the advantage of the heathen festival4 ,one of two views must be taken of the statute of ,constantine3 ,if it were ,christian1 then it proves that ,sunday observance1 at the time of its passage1 was exceedingly lax1 since by its terms only men in the cities and towns were prohibited from laboring upon it1 while those in the country were by it allowed and encouraged to carry on the vocations of the farm4 ,if1 on the other hand1 it were heathen in its origin1 then the suggestion that it recognizes the venerableness of the day of the sun1 even at so early a period as that of its promulgation1 is entirely without force1 since it thereby becomes manifest that it received this dignifying appellation1 not because it had long been venerated by the disciples of our ,lord1 but because from time immemorial it had been honored by the heathen--a doubtful compliment to the ,christian ,sabbath4 ,footnote #ae3 ,for the extracts given in this connection1 the reader is referred to 8,sabbath and ,sunday10 by ,a4 ,h4 ,lewis1 and to 8,the ,history of the ,sabbath10 by ,j4 ,n4 ,andrews4 ,footnote #af3 ,the commandments as given above are supposed to be repeated by the individual ,romanist in response to the injunction1 8,say the ten commandments of ,god40 ,footnote #ag3 ,the following citations will be found in a small tract published at the 8,review and ,herald0 ,office1 entitled1 8,who ,changed the ,sabbath80 ,,statesman',s ,,reply4 ,,article ,,ten4 ,,the ,,principle ,,as ,,to ,,time ,,in ,,sabbath ,,observance4 ,our readers will recollect that the chief difference between the second and the third theories of the ,christian ,sabbath1 as we stated them in our last issue1 is in reference to the question of time4 ,seventh-day ,sabbatarians1 on the one hand1 maintain that the last one of the seven days of the week is the sacred day1 and that the observance of this very day is absolutely essential to the proper observance of the ,sabbath of the ,lord1 and the keeping of the fourth commandment4 ,on the other hand1 we set forth what we believe to be the true theory of the ,christian ,sabbath1 according to which the essential idea of the law of the ,sabbath is the consecration to ,god of an appointed proportion of time--one day in seven1 and not the essential holiness of any particular day4 ,we have already seen that the interpretation of the fourth commandment which insists on the essential holiness of the last day of the week would convict the risen ,lord1 and his inspired apostles1 and the whole church of ,christ1 even in its purest days1 of the violation of that precept of the divine law4 ,but let us now examine a few practical points in connection with this second theory4 #a4 ,if the seventh day of the week is to be rigidly adhered to1 as the law of the fourth commandment1 it must be the seventh from the creation1 in regular weekly succession4 ,will any seventh-day ,sabbatarian venture to affirm that1 through all the changes of our race1 through all the breaks of history1 through the bondage in ,egypt1 and the repeated captivities of ,god's ancient people1 to say nothing of the miracles in connection with ,joshua's victory1 and ,hezekiah's sickness1 unbroken succession of the weekly divisions of time has been maintained8 ,does the last day of our week answer1 in an exact numbering of days1 to the seventh day on which ,god rested after completing the work of creation8 ,the interpretation which we are now considering demands this conformity to the fourth commandment in its letter4 ,he would be a bold man indeed1 who would affirm that his seventh day in this nineteenth century is the exact day which his own view of the law of the ,sabbath would require him to keep holy4 ,our present first day may correspond to the original seventh day4 ,who knows8 #b4 ,but admit that these essentially holy twenty-four hours1 at the close of each week1 may be marked without doubt1 how can all ,christians in different parts of the world keep them8 ,how can men in different longitudes and latitudes so mark off the week as to have it end with this intrinsically holy portion of time8 ,the difference in local time in different parts of the earth is a fact familiar to every school-boy4 ,the circumference of the earth1 for the convenience of calculation1 is divided into three hundred and sixty degrees4 ,as the sun appears to make a circuit round the earth every time the earth rotates on its axis1 that is1 every twenty-four hours1 the apparent motion of the sun from east to west will be fifteen degrees each hour4 ,let it be noon of the seventh day at any given point in our land1 and it will be sunset ninety degrees east1 and sunrise ninety degrees west4 ,at what point of the earth's surface shall men claim the right to have the seventh or holy day begin with their sunset or their midnight1 and demand that all others east and west shall measure their holy day from so many hours before or after their own midnight or sunset1 as their portion may require8 ,or1 again1 in extreme northern and southern latitudes1 where perpetual day and constant night alternate with the annual revolution of the earth1 how shall the seventh day be marked8 ,how shall this essentially holy day of twenty-four hours be known8 ,as ,god1 in his infinite wisdom1 has seen fit to make our earth1 and ordain the laws of its diurnal revolution on its axis1 and its annual orbit round the sun1 it is simply impossible for the inhabitants of the world to keep holy the same identical period of time4 ,the interpretation of the law of the ,sabbath at which we are looking is in conflict1 therefore1 with the laws of the solar system4 #c4 ,our seventh-day friend1 perhaps1 retreats to his last refuge4 ,there is no portion of absolute time essentially holy4 ,that was never meant4 ,very well1 then1 what is meant8 ,why1 that each one in his own longitude or latitude should observe the seventh day as it is measured by his own local time4 ,we apprehend that1 in some latitudes1 the seventh day1 measured by local time1 running through some thousands of hours1 would be a weariness to the strictest even of seventh-day ,sabbatarians4 ,but we will leave these extreme cases4 ,they must keep holy the appointed proportion--one-seventh of their time4 ,that must be the law of the ,sabbath to them4 ,but in the belt of the earth nearer the equator1 local time1 measured by the natural division of days1 must be followed4 ,now1 let it be said1 we have no desire to treat a serious subject lightly4 ,but our friends insist on an interpretation of the fourth commandment which can hardly be treated seriously4 ,we can scarcely blame ,dr4 ,geo4 ,junkin for employing this shaft of ridicule4 ,he says1 substantially1 suppose all our seventh-day ,sabbatarians 7and their number is not an insuperable objection to the experiment71 having labored six days1 according to the commandment1 come to the night of ,friday4 ,by an excusable artifice1 sponges1 saturated with a powerful ansthetic agent1 are held to their noses1 and they are laid up1 in perfect unconsciousness1 for a whole day beyond the close of their usual time of sleep4 ,they awake1 supposing it to be the seventh day of the week1 as to them1 so conscious intelligent beings1 and subjects of law1 it certainly would be to all intents and purposes4 ,but in fact1 by the actual measurement of time1 it is the first day of the week4 ,might there not be in this way a practical solution of the whole difficulty8 ,but the actual rising and the setting of the sun may be insisted on whether our seventh-day advocates are conscious or not4 ,suppose1 then1 that one of them takes the now rather popular trip of a tour round the world4 ,going west at the rate of1 say thirty degrees a week1 starting from ,new ,york1 he would lengthen each of his days from sunrise to sunrise--supposing the sun to rise at six o'clock1 local time1 all along the belt of his course--a little over seventeen minutes2 and thus1 keeping his own count of time1 and observing every seventh solar day1 on his return to ,new ,york at the end of twelve weeks1 his seventh-day ,sabbath would really be the first day of the week4 ,though he might not be mentally converted to the first-day theory of the ,christian ,sabbath1 he would at least be physically converted1 and would either be compelled to accept the change1 or make a week of six solar days to harmonize in ,sabbath observance with his seventh-day brethren at home1 or take to his journeying again1 and complete the circuit of the earth in the opposite direction1 in order to maintain unbroken the succession of weeks of seven days each1 and have his ,sabbath fall on the one and only day which will suit his interpretation of the fourth commandment4 ,if1 instead of going by the west1 our traveler should go by the east1 journeying at the same rate of thirty degrees each week1 he would diminish the length of each of his days a little over seventeen minutes1 and on arriving once more at ,new ,york1 at the end of twelve even weeks by the time of that city1 but twelve weeks and one day by his own time1 his seventh-day ,sabbath would fall on the sixth day of the week1 and we would have a new order of ,sabbatarians4 ,the reason of the diversity is obvious4 ,the trip around the world1 according to the supposed rate of travel1 would occupy just twelve weeks1 or eighty-four days of twenty-four hours each1 measured by local time at ,new ,york4 ,the total number of hours1 reckoning each day twenty-four even hours1 would be #b1jaf4 ,the traveler1 proceeding westward at the rate of thirty degrees a week1 would add to each day's length just seventeen and one-seventh minutes--making each day from sunrise to sunrise1 reckoning this always at six o'clock1 local time1 twenty-four hours1 seventeen and one-seventeenth minutes long4 ,he would1 therefore1 in the whole number of hours of his trip1 #b1jaf1 see the sun rise only eighty-three instead of eighty-four times4 ,going east1 he would shorten each day's length1 reducing it from sunrise to sunrise1 to twenty-three hours and forty-two and six-seventh minutes4 ,in this case1 the whole number of hours1 #b1jaf1 would divide up into eighty-five solar days4 ,to one remaining at ,new ,york1 there would be eighty-four solar days2 to the one going west around the world1 the same absolute time would be summed up in eighty-three solar days2 and to the one going east1 it would extend itself to eighty-five solar days4 ,thus at the close of every trip round the world1 the ,christian traveler or sailor must readjust the reckoning of his days1 in order to observe the ,lord's day with his brethren at home4 ,when our ,constitution shall have been amended1 and a true ,christian regard shall be shown to all citizens1 if our seventh-day friends feel grievously oppressed by the ,sabbath laws1 which will then be no dead letter1 we shall do our utmost to have the national government provide a number of comfortable vessels1 and give our friends a gratuitous trip round the world4 ,we shall take care that the officers are instructed not to sail by the east2 for our seventh-day ,sabbatarians would then go away only to come home and be sixth-day ,sabbatarians4 ,due care will be taken to have them proceed in the right direction1 and to induce them on their return to stay at home1 and government's oppression of them by ,sabbath laws will then forevermore have ceased4 ,in all seriousness1 we ask1 ,how can a thoughtful man1 in view of the fact of the earth's revolution round the sun1 and its effect on the measurement of time1 hold to the second theory of the ,christian ,sabbath8 ,we have a matter of fact to record just here4 ,in #agij1 nine mutineers from the ,english vessel1 the ,bounty1 along with six men and twelve women from ,tahiti1 landed on what is known as ,pitcairn's island in the ,pacific ,ocean4 ,john ,adams1 one of the mutineers1 after the violent death of the other men1 was converted by reading a copy of the ,bible1 and became a true ,christian4 ,keeping his own count of the days1 he observed the weekly ,sabbath1 with the community which was growing up1 and which he was at great pains to instruct in the ,christian religion4 ,some time after1 an ,english vessel visited the islands1 keeping their count of the days4 ,the officers and crew of this vessel landed at the island on ,saturday1 but1 to their astonishment1 found a ,christian community keeping the ,christian ,sabbath4 ,the original settlers and the visitors had gone to the island in different directions4 ,did the sailors1 who kept one day1 not observe the ,sabbath8 ,or did the islanders1 who kept another day1 violate the fourth precept of the decalogue8 ,two colonies of seventh-day advocates might leave the same port1 one going east and the other west1 and might locate on islands on the same parallel of longitude1 but on different parallels of latitude4 ,each1 keeping its own record of time1 would be found1 on settling in their permanent home1 to be observing a different day as the weekly ,sabbath4 ,would either colony admit that it was in the wrong8 ,if they were to live apart1 each might properly observe its own day2 if together1 would it matter which day might be observed8 ,thus the principle as to time in ,sabbath observance insists1 not on the essential holiness of any twenty-four hours in themselves1 but on the dedication to ,god of one day in seven1 one seventh of the time as nearly as that proportion can be measured by the most convenient means available4 ,this1 the third theory does1 while it accepts all the facts of history4 ,with one more article1 in favor of the third theory of the ,christian ,sabbath1 we shall close this whole discussion4 ,a ,,rejoinder4 8,,the ,,principle ,,as ,,to ,,time ,,in ,,sabbath ,,observance40 ,were it not true that we had long since ceased to be surprised at anything which an individual could say when opposing the claims of the ,lord's ,sabbath1 after having received the light concerning them1 our astonishment at the position taken by the gentleman of the ,statesman1 in the foregoing article1 would have no bounds4 ,to one who has followed him thus far in an elaborate argument1 running through a series of nine communications1 all for the purpose of establishing1 from both ,scripture and history1 the change of the ,sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week1 and the obligation under which all men are now placed to observe the latter instead of the former1 it will be extremely difficult to explain1 on grounds honorable to himself1 this sudden repudiation of all which he has said in the past1 while endeavoring to defend the newly found theory of the observance of one day in seven1 to the exclusion of any definite day whatever4 ,in his second article1 he says1 8,we are concerned here and now simply with the transfer of the ,sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week40 ,in the third article1 when speaking of apostolic times1 he remarks again1 8,it was also seen that while the observance of the seventh day was not continued1 another day of the week1 the first1 took its place as the stated day for religious assemblies and services40 ,farther on1 he writes again1 as follows3 8,on the last seventh day on which the disciples rested1 according to the commandment1 the ,lord himself is lying in the tomb4 ,the glory of the seventh day dies out with the fading light of that day1 throughout the whole of which the grave claimed the body of the ,redeemer4 ,but the glory of the ,sabbath of the ,lord survives4 ,it receives fresh luster from the added glories of the ,lord of the ,sabbath4 #8,the ,stone which the builders refused has become the head of the corner4' ,it is very early in the morning1 the first day of the week4 ,again1 #8,god said1 ,let there be light2 and there was light' ,the ,sun of ,righteousness has risen with healing in his wings4 ,this is the day which the ,lord has made2 we will rejoice and be glad in it4 ,the first day of the week has become the ,lord's day40 ,but we must cease from our quotations1 for them is no limit to expressions synonymous with the above4 ,not only so1 but were additional proof necessary1 by more ample extracts1 it could be made to appear that the whole theory of his defense1 as already declared1 has rested entirely upon the change of the day from the seventh1 which was observed till the death of ,christ1 to the first1 which was honored especially by our ,lord1 by his personal appearance to the disciples on the first and second ,sundays following the resurrection1 and by the outpouring of the ,holy ,spirit on the day of ,pentecost1 with the especial view of teaching the disciples that it had become holy time2 also1 that they1 grasping the moral of the lesson imparted by example1 if not by positive precept1 inculcated the doctrine of the change1 and made it binding upon all4 ,if we are right in this1 and the reader who has followed the debate thus far will unhesitatingly admit that such are the facts1 then1 of course1 the gentleman is arrayed against himself in a manner most distasteful1 no doubt1 to his personal feelings1 as well as disastrous to his polished logic2 for to the mind of the merest school-boy it must be apparent that a change of ,sabbath from one day of the week to another1 involves the definiteness of the day thus honored2 i4 e41 if the first day of the week is now the ,christian ,sabbath because of the nature of events which transpired upon it in particular1 then1 of course1 it occupies that position to the exclusion of all other days2 but this utterly demolishes the seventh-part-of-time theory1 which the gentleman has adopted1 the very essence of which is1 that there is now no superiority in days1 and the individual is left free to choose any one which may best accord with his tastes or subserve his interests4 ,here1 then1 we come to a dead halt4 ,which shall we believe1 the nine articles of the gentleman1 or the tenth1 which is in direct conflict with their teachings8 ,should we go by the bulk of the testimony1 then we must decide that there is a definite day1 according to the conviction of our opponent4 ,but if he still holds to that doctrine1 then that which he has said against the seventh-day ,sabbath1 on the ground that the earth is round1 and1 therefore1 that the ,edenic ,sabbath could not be kept in all portions of it1 is deprived of all its force4 ,for1 assuredly1 if he believes that ,god now requires all men to honor the first day of the week1 the world over1 then he must admit that it is possible for them to do so4 ,but if it is possible for men both to find and to celebrate the first day of the week1 on a round world1 then1 beyond all dispute1 the same process which will enable them to do this1 will also qualify them to locate and to observe the seventh-day ,sabbath4 ,for it is just as certain as mathematical demonstration can make it1 that in a week consisting of seven days1 having found the first of the number1 in order to discover the last1 you have but to take the one which preceded the known day1 or1 if you please1 count forward six days from the one already established1 and you have the last day of the ,week to which it belongs4 ,so1 too1 with every objection urged in the communication4 ,the one in regard to the difficulties which would be experienced in an attempt to keep the ,sabbath of the commandment at the poles1 is just as fatal to the first day as it is to the seventh4 ,all this talk1 also1 in regard to the impossibility of preserving a correct count1 and of the lengthening and shortening of the days1 as the traveler passes from the east to the west1 if it has any force at all1 or even the semblance of force1 must be met and answered equally by the observers of the so-called ,christian ,sabbath1 with those of the ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,this being true1 we might pause right here1 and roll the burden onto the opposition4 ,having raised the dust which is blinding the eyes of the ignorant1 yet conscientious1 it would be but substantial justice for ,sabbatarians to fall back and say to them1 ,take the field1 gentlemen1 and wrest from the hand of the infidel and the atheist the weapons with which you have armed them to be employed against you in the very work in which you are engaged2 for1 be it remembered that the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light1 and they will readily perceive the advantage which they have gained by such doctrines and difficulties as those to which the gentleman has called their attention4 ,this1 however1 we shall not do1 but shall ourselves1 in due time1 strike at the very root of the error1 in the interest of a definite and universal day of holy rest4 ,before entering upon this work1 nevertheless1 there is a matter which concerns ,sabbatarians most deeply1 to which attention should be directed4 ,the gentleman and his friends are pressing upon the nation the necessity of the ,constitutional ,amendment--contrary to his former declaration1 in which he said there was no necessary connection between the ,sabbath and the amendment4 ,he now justifies our strictures upon the disingenuousness of his argument1 by deliberately stating1 in the article before us1 with an air of triumphant exultation1 that1 the amendment once secured1 the ,sabbath laws in this country will then cease to be a dead letter4 ,by this1 he means1 of course1 that they will be carried into operation4 ,but what are those ,sabbath laws8 ,they are laws enforcing the first day of the week1 in nearly every ,state in the ,union4 ,now1 we believe that what the gentleman says will be fulfilled2 but right here is the proper place to offer a solemn protest4 ,will the gentleman fine and imprison my brethren and myself for disregarding the first day of the week1 after having conscientiously kept the seventh8 ,if so1 we ask for the logic by which such a course could be justified1 on the ground that the seventh-part-of-time theory is correct8 ,now1 mark it1 the object of the amendment is to make the ,bible the fountain of national law4 ,all the enactments of the ,congress and all the decisions of the judiciary are to be in harmony with it4 ,if1 therefore1 ,sabbath laws are passed1 they must be such as the ,scriptures would warrant2 for the ,sabbath1 be it remembered1 which this movement seeks to enforce1 is the one which the ,bible teaches4 ,but1 according to the last theory1 the day which ,god now requires to be observed is not any one in particular1 but simply one in seven1 the individual being left to make the selection of the one which he prefers thus to honor4 ,now1 therefore1 it is submitted that if ,god has given to man this prerogative of choice1 then be has done so because this course was the one which commended itself to infinite wisdom1 and no person or set of persons has a right to come between the creature and the ,creator1 depriving the former of rights which the latter has guaranteed to him4 ,if the ,bible ,sabbath is indeed an indefinite one1 we say to these gentlemen1 ,hands off2 in the name of religion and the ,bible you shall not perform a work which twill do violence to a large class of conscientious citizens1 and which1 according to your own argument1 is contrary to the doctrine of the ,christian ,sabbath1 as laid down in the word of ,god4 ,be consistent with yourselves and your views of ,scripture4 ,if1 indeed1 you are sincere in believing that ,sabbatarians violate no divine law in the keeping of the seventh day1 then we say to you in the name of charity1 ,why not allow them1 so long as they are ,christian men and women1 and obedient citizens1 to carry out their convictions of duty1 without compelling them1 by the appliances of persecuting legislation1 to keep the particular first-day ,sabbath which indeed you have chosen for yourselves1 but for which you have now ceased to claim any special divine honor8 ,to form them1 either to disregard their own convictions of duty1 or to keep two days holy1 would lie an act of despotism but one remove from that terrible bigotry which1 in the ,inquisition1 resorted to the rack and the thumbscrew2 not1 indeed1 to make men better ,christians or better citizens1 but to coerce them into the acceptance of institutions for which there was no divine authority4 ,but we must pans to the consideration of other points4 ,to the objection that the seventh day may have been lost since creation1 and that he is a bold man who would affirm his ability to locate it now1 it may be replied that1 while ,sabbatarians claim for themselves no unusual amount of courage1 they do insist that it is an easy matter to demonstrate the succession of weeks1 and the proper place of the original seventh day in the septenary cycle at the present time4 ,the way in which this may be done is as follows3 ,at the creation of the world1 ,god blessed and sanctified the seventh day1 because that on it he had rested4 ,at the exodus from ,egypt1 he gave to the people a written law1 enforcing the ,sabbatic observance of the day on which he had originally ceased from his labors4 ,on the sixth1 ,moses said to the people1 8,to-morrow is the rest of the holy ,sabbath unto the ,lord40 ,for forty years subsequent to this1 ,god marked out this day from the others by causing that no manna should fall upon it whatever1 whereas it fell upon every other one of the seven4 ,thus we have the authority of ,god himself1 who assuredly could not mistake1 that the people of ,israel1 in the outset1 had committed to them the original seventh day1 since ,god not only gave them a ,sabbath1 but also1 according to the reason of the commandment1 the ,sabbath of the ,lord4 ,descending the line of history to the days of ,christ1 we find him declaring that he had kept his ,father's commandments 7,john #ae3aj74 ,but one of these commandments was that relating to the ,sabbath2 in order1 therefore1 to the proper observance of it1 ,christ must have been able to decide which day in the week it was4 ,that this was the case1 none will dispute4 ,thus the day is located in his time satisfactorily1 since he kept the same one which the ,jews regarded1 and which preceded the day of his resurrection4 ,from that time to this1 we have the general agreement of ,jews1 ,christians1 and heathen1 in regard to the precise place in the week of both the first and the seventh day4 ,surely1 this is all which could be demanded in order to reach reasonable certainty4 ,the difficulty which the gentleman finds in harmonizing the will of ,god1 as expressed in the law of nature and that of a definite ,sabbath for the people living near the poles1 is apparently possessed of some force4 ,it is1 however1 not peculiar to him4 ,these barren wastes of ice and snow1 though far removed from our civilization1 are apparently destined to figure as largely in the spiritual world as they do in that of scientific research2 not only on the ,sabbath question1 but also in that of baptism1 it has a part to act4 ,think1 says the advocate of sprinkling1 as a shudder runs through his whole system1 think of an immersion administered in the regions of eternal ice4 ,then having suitably impressed his auditors with the physical difficulties in the way of ,bible baptism1 he concludes that ,god never could have ordained immersion as the only method1 since it is impracticable in the extreme north1 and ,god surely would have commanded a form of ordinance which could be carried out in all parts of the world4 ,in harmony with this line of deduction is the difficulty stated by our friend4 ,chiming in with the theory that the laws of nature and the law of ,god must run harmoniously together1 it is shown that at the poles the days and nights are six months long2 and1 therefore1 that a twenty-four hour ,sabbath1 definitely located upon the last day of the week1 is out of the questions4 ,the conclusion drawn is that1 as the theory of the seventh-day ,sabbatarians is in conflict with the ordinance of nature in these portions of the globe1 it must be contrary to the original design of ,god4 ,but pause a moment2 suppose we should grant that in the region in question there are men who cannot keep the seventh-day ,sabbath as originally ordained1 does that prove of necessity that it ought not to be hallowed in those portions of the world where there is no difficulty in the way of its observance8 ,we think not4 ,to illustrate3 ,were a man to pass his life in a coal mine1 hundreds of feet beneath the surface1 laboring continually1 and never seeing the sun at all1 would he1 therefore1 be exempted from the definite ,sabbath8 ,you answer1 ,no4 ,but why is this reply returned8 ,manifestly1 because the difficulty is not with ,god and ,isis laws1 or the sun1 but with the individual who has voluntarily placed himself under abnormal circumstances4 ,in other words1 he has located himself where the ,god of nature never designed that he should1 and1 in so doing1 he has himself created a difficulty which he himself can remove4 ,so1 too1 with the ,northman4 ,if he finds it impossible to keep a ,sabbath which is most perfectly adapted to the wants of mankind1 it is simply because he has placed himself in a region which ,god has doctored waste and uninhabitable as emphatically as can be done by nature speaking through the language of eternal ice and snow1 and the disappearance for six months in a year of that great luminary whose light and heat are so indispensable to the comfort and advancement of the race4 ,but1 if this is true1 then the argument from the conflict between the law of the ,god of nature and that of revelation1 concerning a definite day of rest1 loses all of its force2 for the whole trouble arises1 not from any want of adaptation on the part of such a rest to the circumstances of those who are where ,god would have them located1 but from a disregard1 in the first place1 on the part of the nations in question1 of the manifest law of prohibition to the settlement of regions which were designed to remain unoccupied4 ,their relief can be found in one of two directions3 ,they can1 in the interest of their own progress1 retrace their steps to localities where the more advanced portion of the race feel the genial influence of a diurnal sun2 or1 should they insist upon remaining in the bleak regions of their choice1 it is possible for them1 according to the accounts of travelers1 to mark by the variations of the twilight1 even in their six months' night1 the boundaries of the ,sabbath and the week days as they come and go to those residing in more temperate regions4 ,it is now time to grapple with the theory that it is impossible for those traveling around the world and those living in different portions of it to keep one and the same day4 ,the first thing to be settled is the matter of what is meant by the expression1 8the same day40 ,upon this point1 the gentleman has wasted many words4 ,we have never insisted upon the identical hours4 ,all that we demand is that the mine day should be observed throughout the habitable globe1 i4 e41 each individual should celebrate in his own particular locality the seventh day of the week as it comes to him in its passage round the earth--to use the language of common parlance4 ,whether this can be done or not is a question which involves the wisdom of ,god2 for1 granting that he gave the fourth commandment as a ,sabbath law1 and the regulations concerning the ,sabbath1 as found in the books of ,moses1 there is no room for dispute that he understood the statute to enforce the keeping of a definite day1 and not merely one-seventh part of time1 ,in the sixteenth chapter of ,exodus1 where the ,sabbath is first introduced1 is found an excellent opportunity to test this matter4 ,he there marks out the day which he had hallowed as the one which followed the sixth1 and the only one on which no manna fell4 ,for forty years1 also1 this practice of separating the day of his rest by a weekly miracle from all others was continued4 ,but why should he have done this if there was no choice1 and if the keeping of the seventh part of time was all that was necessary8 ,nay1 more1 why did he make it absolutely impossible for a man to celebrate any other day but the seventh day of the week8 ,that he did so1 we can prove in a few words4 ,we will suppose that a person entertaining the sentiments of the gentleman should have attempted to carry them out in the forty years during which ,god led the people in the wilderness2 also1 that his first experiment was that of ,sunday rest4 ,in this he would have failed utterly4 ,do you ask1 ,how8 ,i answer that ,god had decreed that no manna should fall on the seventh day 7,ex4 #af3bf71 and that the manna which was to be eaten on the ,sabbath should be gathered on the day before 7,ex4 #af3e74 ,it would therefore have been impossible for the individual in question to provide food for his ,sunday rest4 ,but1 disgusted with this kind of ,sabbath-keeping1 suppose he should have tried1 in order1 ,monday1 ,tuesday1 ,wednesday1 ,thursday1 and ,friday1 the result would not have varied materially4 ,on ,sunday1 there was an utter absence of all food2 on the other days1 that which had been previously gathered1 instead of being fit for use1 would have been found corrupted and changed into loathsome worms1 since ,god had told the people that only the manna which was gathered on the sixth day should be kept until the day following2 and some of them1 having made the experiment of disobeying in the particular in question1 found the result as cited above 7,ex4 #af3ai1 #bj74 ,on the other hand1 should the same individual have decided finally to consecrate the seventh day of the week1 he would have found no difficulty whatever4 ,gathering his double portion of the manna on the sixth day1 by a miracle of ,god it would have been preserved pure and wholesome through the last day of the week4 ,but how can this be accounted for on the hypothesis that no particular day was chosen by the ,lord8 ,if1 indeed1 he had adopted the indefinite plan1 and had left the people to choose for themselves1 it is certain that he did this because it was the best method4 ,but if it were the best method1 and if it were in accordance with his view of the statute1 then1 assuredly1 he would not have stultified himself and mocked the people by first granting them a privilege and then1 by his providence1 preventing them from carrying it out4 ,should it be suggested that this law was confined to the land of ,palestine and to the ,jews in its operation1 ,i answer2 first1 that at the time spoken of the people were in ,arabia1 not in ,judea1 and that even should that be granted1 which is not true1 viz41 that the fourth commandment related simply to the ,hebrews1 this does not affect the question at all1 for no one will insist that ,jews were only obliged by it when in ,judea4 ,wherever they might be1 they were required to keep the ,sabbath1 whether in bondage in ,assyria1 or traversing the known world in quest of gain4 ,from ,spain to ,india1 from ,scythia to ,africa1 this law was designed to apply and did apply for hundreds of years before it will be even claimed that it was abolished4 ,this being true1 it is established beyond question that ,god himself imposed upon men1 traversing the whole of the eastern continent1 a uniform day of worship4 ,do you inquire when they commenced it8 ,i answer1 ,at sunset1 agreeably to the direction in ,lev4 #bc3cb4 ,did they go eastward to the ,pacific1 or westward to the ,atlantic1 they were required to commence their rest at that hour4 ,was it impossible for them to do so8 ,he that says so charges ,god with folly4 ,were they capable of carrying out the requirement8 ,then1 at least on the eastern continent1 the definite day was a practicable thing4 ,god knew how his people would be scattered2 he gave them the institution of the ,sabbath1 adapted to whatever circumstances they might be placed in2 he marked out that ,sabbath from the rest of the week1 and in the outset settled beyond controversy the question that it was not movable in its nature4 ,therefore1 he who would accept the theory which we have been considering and repudiate the one which we indorse1 must do it in the face of ,god's explanatory providence1 in the teeth of his written law1 and against the practice of his people1 ,israel1 who for centuries have had no difficulty in finding the ,sabbath in every latitude4 ,so much for the law and its history1 making clear1 as it does1 that our opponents do not understand the possibilities of the case as ,god looks upon them4 ,we will now proceed to the consideration of the difficulties which they discover in the realization of our theory4 ,it is claimed that1 in going around the world eastward1 a day is gained2 and in going around westward1 a day is lost1 to the traveler4 ,from these premises it is argued that a definite day cannot be kept4 ,has it ever occurred to the gentleman that his own theory would be somewhat disturbed by the same trip8 ,mark it1 it is exactly one-seventh part of time which is to be kept4 ,it will hardly be urged that all the old watches in the land are reliable enough to be trusted in a journey of this length1 and1 besides1 suppose we had lived in a period when such time-pieces were not known1 then what8 ,oh6 says the objector1 we would have gone by the sun4 ,then you agree with us1 after all1 that the sun presents the most available method of marking the day2 but remember1 now1 that you are on your journey round the earth1 westward2 you travel six days1 each one considerably lengthened out by the fact that you are going with the sun2 you stop and rest on the seventh day1 which you call the ,sabbath4 ,unfortunately1 however1 as you have been lying still1 it is considerably shorter than your six days of work2 by this means you have cheated the ,lord out of one-seventh of the whole time which all of the six days had in excess over the one on which you rested4 ,traveling eastward1 the opposite would be true1 and your days of rest would be longer than your days of labor1 and would not1 therefore1 represent one-seventh part of time4 ,again1 we might show by argument the complete anarchy into which the community would be thrown by the realization of this doctrine1 that each man for himself is at liberty to fix upon his weekly ,sabbath4 ,nothing would be easier to prove than that it would seriously obstruct your courts of justice2 that it would render stated worship impossible2 in fine1 that it would bring confusion into every walk in life4 ,do you reply that you will obviate the difficulty by legislative enactment1 and that you will make this whole nation1 from ,new ,york to ,san ,francisco1 regard the ,sunday for the sake of uniformity and good order8 ,i answer2 first1 have you then improved upon ,god's great plan8 ,did he not know that a definite day would be the best1 and would he not have been likely to give it to us8 ,secondly1 then you admit that it is1 after all1 possible to keep one and the same day across the whole of this continent2 for were this not true it would be idle for you to attempt to produce uniformity by legislation4 ,but putting this concession of yours in regard to the western1 alongside of ,god's enforcement of a definite day for centuries1 on the whole of the eastern1 continent1 the circuit of the globe is made1 and the possibility of keeping a definite ,sabbath on both hemispheres is established4 ,before me lies the draft of an electrical clock1 which is styled1 8,the clock of all nations40 ,the design is an ingenious one1 and serves to show at a glance the difference in time between prominent cities in all parts of the globe4 ,for this purpose1 a central dial is drafted1 representing the meridian of ,new ,york4 ,the hands on this dial indicate the precise hour of noon4 ,around this central figure are arranged twenty additional dials1 on each one of which is marked by the hands the time of day as it will exist in the cities named1 commencing on the east of ,new ,york with ,pekin1 and terminating to the west of it with ,san ,francisco4 ,by it1 you perceive at a glance the precise variation of time in the different longitudes to which these cities belong4 ,for example1 while the clock of ,new ,york indicates twelve1 noon1 the one in ,pekin indicates twenty minutes before one in the morning2 the one in ,rome1 fifteen minutes to six ,p4 ,m42 the one in ,london1 five minutes of five ,p4 ,m42 and so on until you reach ,new ,york1 where it is twelve ,m4 ,then passing westward of that point1 where the time is1 of course1 slower1 the dial for ,chicago marks seven minutes past eleven ,a4 ,m42 that of ,st4 ,louis1 five minutes of eleven ,a4 ,m42 that in ,san ,francisco1 fifteen minutes before nine ,a4 ,m4 ,by this means1 the variation between ,pekin and ,san ,francisco is shown to be about sixteen hours1 or nearly two-thirds of one whole day4 ,by the same method1 the reader will at once discern that it is possible to locate the commencement of the day at any one of these points in its passage around the world4 ,in order to do this1 let it be supposed that the day begins when it did in ,bible times1 with the setting of the sun4 ,it is1 if you please1 ,sunday at ,pekin1 and those who keep that day commence to celebrate it at sunset4 ,now1 if we would ascertain just when the citizens of ,rome would enter upon a like service1 it is only necessary to determine how long it would take the sunset to travel the distance separating these two cities4 ,by consulting the draft in question1 we find that the time at ,rome is six hours and fifty-five minutes slower than that at ,pekin4 ,this being the case1 the sunset would reach them1 and they would enter upon the first day of the week just six hours and fifty-five minutes after those dwelling on the meridian of ,pekin have done so4 ,so we might go through the whole list4 ,as the world revolves upon its axis1 it would bring ,london to the same point where the people of ,rome saw the sun sink in the west and entered upon the ,sunday1 just fifty minutes subsequent to that event4 ,the citizens of ,new ,york would begin their ,sunday1 also1 with the sunset1 four hours and fifty-five minutes after those of ,london did so2 and those of ,chicago1 fifty-five minutes later than those of ,new ,york2 and those of ,san ,francisco1 two hours and twenty minutes subsequent to those of ,chicago4 ,all1 however1 would be hallowing the same day1 though not1 for a portion of the time1 the same hours4#ah ,each1 in his own proper locality1 would commence to keep the day when it reached him1 and continue to keep it until by a complete revolution of the earth he is brought around to the commencement of another day1 as indicated by another decline of the sun4 ,this is as ,god would have it4 ,in the passage from ,egypt to ,palestine there was a variation of some minutes2 but there was no change in the time of commencing the ,sabbath4 ,from even to even shall you keep your ,sabbaths1 was the divine edict1 and his people1 in going eastward or westward1 obeyed this injunction4 ,in doing so they needed no time-piece2 nor would the traveler at the present time4 ,in every habitable region1 according to ,god's plan1 the great luminary of heaven visibly marks the boundaries of sacred time4 ,the day began in the east1 and travels to the west4 ,a complete revolution of the earth brings it1 with its complement of light and darkness1 to the home of every man1 no matter as to the meridian of longitude in which he lives4 ,it is the same day1 in the ,bible sense1 as that kept by the ,christian thousands of miles to the east of him1 though it may not begin at exactly the same moment4 ,practically1 this question has no real significance whatever4 ,though it may puzzle the brain of one who has not before him the facts1 it has been settled forever in a most remarkable manner by the usage of mankind4 ,the fact is beyond cavil that1 from the extreme eastern boundary of the eastern continent to the extreme western verge of the western continent1 there is such a perfect agreement upon this point that each day of the week1 commencing on the western shore of the ,pacific1 continues its course across ,asia1 ,europe1 and ,america1 until it arrives at the eastern shore of the same sea4 ,so true is this that1 were there a line of churches surmounted with bells1 in hearing distance of each other1 they could ring in the commencement of any day2 say at ,yokohama in ,japan1 and its march could be made known along the whole line from that place to ,san ,francisco by a like practice in each of the churches1 without a solitary break until the last bell on the ,pacific coast had announced its arrival there4 ,whether it be admitted that it can be done or not1 it is a fact that the ,christians from ,china to ,california do observe the same ,sabbath or ,sunday all along the line between the two points4 ,should it be replied that1 although there is a uniform reckoning of the days to those passing from ,san ,francisco eastward to ,china1 or from ,china westward to ,san ,francisco1 that1 nevertheless1 should they cross the ,pacific ,ocean from ,san ,francisco westward to ,china1 or from ,china eastward to ,san ,francisco1 it would be necessary for them in the first case to add a day1 and in the last1 to drop one1 in order to make their time harmonize with that of the people in these two countries1 the reply is1 that this is very true4 ,it does not1 however1 prove that there is no definite day which can be kept alike by the inhabitants of the two continents2 for in order to the keeping of the same day on a round world there must somewhere be a day-line1 in other words1 there must be a point where the day begins4 ,in crossing that line the same result would ensue as that claimed in the passage from ,california to ,china via the ,pacific1 i4 e41 a day must be either dropped or added in the reckoning of the individual making the transit4 ,we have already seen that ,god's plan was to measure the days by the setting of the sun4 ,this being the case1 the fourth day1 on which the sun was made1 commenced at the precise point where at the time of its creation it would have appeared to a person to the east of it as sinking out of sight in the west4 ,the day commencing at that point passed around the earth until every portion of it had in succession witnessed the setting of the sun on the fifth day4 ,the only difficulty that remains in the case1 consequently1 is that of deciding where the day-line should be located4 ,as already discovered1 the practice of nations has fixed it in the ,pacific ,ocean4 ,it is not a little remarkable that sailors change their reckoning while crossing that ocean backward or forward1 and circumnavigate the globe at will without the slightest confusion4 ,the only instance which has been cited in which any trouble has occurred1 or any confusion of date has arisen1 is that of ,pitcairn's ,island1 in which they failed to make the change under consideration4#ai ,had they done this1 they would have found themselves in harmony with the great mass of men living on the same meridian with their insignificant island4 ,the only matter of debate which remains is that concerning the proper location of the day-line4 ,has there or has there not been a mistake made in fixing upon the place where it belongs8 ,certain it is that the providence of ,god seems to harmonize with the present arrangement4 ,man commenced his existence in the east4 ,the progress of empire has been westward4 ,emigration has carried with it a harmonious system of counting the days1 by which they have been recognized as beginning on the eastern1 and traveling to the western1 continent4 ,especially is this true of the ,christian world4 ,but1 again1 is there not1 aside from this providential arrangement and from the universal opinion that the day does begin in the east1 as well as the fact that scientific men have established the point of changing the reckoning somewhere in the ,pacific ,ocean1 some additional reason for supposing that ,god would choose this locality for the beginning of the day8 ,we answer1 ,there is4 ,should the day-line run through any continent or large body of land1 it will be readily perceived that it would produce great confusion1 since1 on the one side of it1 though imaginary in its character1 individuals would be keeping the seventh day of the week1 while on the other1 their neighbors in close proximity to them would not yet have made their exit from the sixth4 ,to avoid this difficulty1 therefore1 the only remedy which could be found would consist in the employment of some great natural boundary1 such as a range of mountains or an expanse of water1 by which those on one side of the day-line would be so separated as to prevent the disorder which must arise from constant and uninterrupted intercommunication4 ,that there is any range of mountains stretching northward and southward from pole to pole which would answer the purpose in question1 no one will insist4 ,the only resource left1 consequently1 is that of those vast bodies of water called seas or oceans4 ,turning now to the one which is known as the ,atlantic ,ocean1 it is found that the day-line could not be run through it without intercepting some habitable portion of the globe4 ,the only resource which remains is found in the ,pacific ,ocean1 which1 as has been seen1 has been selected by the mass of mankind as a suitable place in which to make those changes that would be necessary in case the day-line was actually located therein4 ,happily1 an examination of a large globe will prove that a line drawn from ,behring's ,straits southward across the latitudes which are available for the homes of mankind will not touch any portions of land whatever1 or at least if it strikes any they would be so insignificant in their character that they would not be worthy of mention4 ,with these remarks1 the subject of the day-line is dismissed with the conviction that the necessity of its existence1 the fact that it must be found in the ,pacific ,ocean if anywhere1 and the uniform recognition in practice1 if not in theory1 by all nations1 of its location in that sea1 unite in furnishing a combination of facts which render assurance justifiable in the mind of one who does not insist upon more testimony than he ought to demand4 ,there remain now but two matters in the article of the gentleman which need to be disposed of4 ,these are found in the contemptuous sneer at the insignificance of the numbers of ,sabbatarians1 and the witticisms1 if such they may be called1 which are indulged in in the employment of the suggestion concerning the use of the sponges saturated with stupefying chemicals and the gratuitous trip around the world1 which it is proposed to give them4 ,to answer these sallies to the satisfaction of some would be impossible1 while with others1 possessing the power of logical discrimination and knowing that the office of mere wit is most frequently that of diverting the attention from a course of reasoning which it is felt cannot be met1 such an effort would be uncalled for4 ,the paucity in numbers is the same old1 threadbare objection which every great reform has been compelled to meet since the world began4 ,while the administration of narcotics and the trip round the world would be just as fatal to the exact observer of the seventh part of time as it would to one celebrating a definite day1 even though it were admitted that the consequences of such a journey would be as claimed by the writer4 ,but besides all this1 it will be discovered that the basis of the whole transaction1 both in the case of the sponge and the vessel1 is fraud1 deceit1 and force4 ,stupefy a man with narcotics for twenty-four hours2 or nail him down under the hatches of a circumnavigating vessel2 break the compass2 send him round the world2 let the whole community conspire to falsify the facts in the case2 do not let him know where he has been2 falsify the truth regarding the day observed by first-day keepers2 and then1 forsooth1 you have changed the practice1 if not convinced the judgment1 of a little handful of conscientious1 definite ,sabbath-day keepers4 ,wonderful1 gentlemen6 ,wonderful in the extreme6 ,what results for such prodigious efforts6 ,alas1 for truth1 when it must pass such an ordeal as this6 ,we blush1 but not for ourselves4 ,we would almost be willing to inhale the ansthetic or run the hazard of the voyage at sea1 taking our chances respecting the proper preservation of the ,heaven-appointed day of rest1 if1 by so doing1 we might prevent our brethren of the ,amendment school1 for whose welfare we have the most earnest desire1 from making so sorry a show of the low estimate which they place upon the importance of employing in a controversy like this1 arguments which appeal only to the ,christian's head and heart1 instead of those which appeal to the baser faculties of the mind4 ,a summary of the ground traveled in this rejoinder would run somewhat as follows3-- #a4 ,that in adopting the seventh-part-of-time theory1 the gentleman has abandoned the definite first day which he sought to establish in the first nine of his articles4 #b4 ,that the seventh-part-of-time theory is just as fatal to the ,sunday as it is to the ,sabbath4 #c4 ,that it overturns the practicability of the proposed ,amendment1 since it seeks to enforce a definite day1 and since1 according to it1 ,sabbatarians have a ,bible right to observe the seventh day in the exercise of a divinely given choice of days4 #d4 ,that it is possible to establish the identity of the last day of the week at the present time with that upon which ,god rested at the completion of the emotion2 from the providential manner in which ,god pointed it out in the exodus from ,egypt2 the fact that ,christ and his disciples kept the ,sabbath according to the commandment2 the general agreement among ,jews1 ,christians1 and heathen concerning its place in the week from that time to this4 #e4 ,that the objection concerning the conflict between a definite ,sabbath and the laws of nature at the poles does not array the ,god of nature against himself1 or our version of his commandment1 since the trouble does not imply any want of foresight on the part of the ,deity1 but rather a disregard of the plainest teachings of both providence and nature on the part of those who have placed themselves where it was never designed that men should locate4 #f4 ,that if a definite day is impossible1 then the wisdom of ,god is impeached1 since1 both by the letter of the commandment and by his providential interpretation of it for forty years1 that is the very thing which it inculcates4 #g4 ,that a definite day can be kept on the eastern continent1 since this had been done for hundreds of years before the change of the law will be even claimed4 #h4 ,that a definite day can be observed on the western continent1 since this is the very object which the ,amendment is designed to secure4 #i4 ,that the trip around the world would render it as impossible to keep an exact seventh part of time as it would a definite seventh day4 #aj4 ,that the seventh-part-of-time theory would introduce into society the direst confusion1 defeating even the administration of justice4 #aa4 ,that1 practically1 the whole world from the extreme east to the extreme west does keep a definite day4 #ab4 ,that the loss and gain of time creates no disturbance except in the crossing of the ,pacific ,ocean4 #ac4 ,that with a definite day1 there must be a day-line4 #ad4 ,that that day-line is1 by the uniform practice of nations1 and the providence of ,god1 which renders it impossible that it should exist anywhere else1 drawn through the ,pacific ,ocean4 #ae4 ,that it only remains for us to do just what we are doing and have been doing for centuries in order to prove by actual demonstration that all the difficulties in the way of a definite ,sabbath can be readily disposed of by those who are desirous of keeping the law of ,god as it reads4 ,footnote #ah3 ,by consulting the figures given above1 the reader will be able to demonstrate1 not only the fact that the inhabitants along the line from ,pekin to ,san ,francisco1 can hallow the same day1 but also that the day which they hallow will be identical in some of its hours4 ,for example3 ,it was shown that the people of ,rome commence their day six hours and fifty-five minutes later than do those of ,pekin4 ,deducting these six hours and fifty-five minutes from twenty-four hours we have left seventeen hours and five minutes as the period of time during which the citizens of these two cities would be celebrating the ,sabbath in common4 ,applying the same principle to other cities1 we find that ,london and ,pekin would worship together for sixteen hours and fifteen minutes2 ,new ,york and ,pekin1 eleven hours and twenty minutes2 ,chicago and ,pekin1 ten hours and twenty-five minutes2 ,s4 ,francisco and ,pekin1 eight hours and five minutes4 ,footnote #ai3 ,the gentleman might have cited the case of ,alaska1 also1 as a parallel to that of ,pitcairn's ,island4 ,the inhabitants of this region1 like those of the island mentioned1 sailed eastward to this continent across the ,pacific ,ocean1 and failed to drop the required day in their reckoning4 ,the result was1 that when we purchased that territory1 they were found to be keeping ,saturday instead of ,sunday4 ,we believe1 however1 that the mistake is now rectified4 ,,statesman',s ,,reply4 ,,article ,,eleven4 ,,the ,,true ,,theory ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,sabbath4 ,the third theory of the ,christian ,sabbath1 in the order in which we have been considering the different theories1 affirms that the ,sabbath was instituted at the creation of man1 and that it has never been abolished or superseded4 ,this theory further maintains that the essential idea of the law of the ,sabbath is not the holiness of any particular portion of time1 but the consecration of a specified proportion of time1 viz41 one day in seven2 that1 in accordance with this essential idea of the ,sabbath1 a change of day was admissible2 that a change was actually made by divine warrant1 on account of1 and dating from1 the resurrection of ,christ2 and that the first day of the week1 the ,lord's day1 is the true ,christian ,sabbath1 having its moral sanction in the fourth commandment4 ,enough has already been written in these columns1 in disproving the opposing theories1 to show that this theory of the ,sabbath is the true one4 ,two things being admitted1 there appears to be no escape from this theory4 ,let it be admitted1 first1 that ,god instituted the ,sabbath for all mankind1 and that its law is of unchanging as well as universal application4 ,this is readily conceded by those with whom we are now in discussion4 ,then1 in the second place1 let it be admitted that the inspired apostles1 under the guidance of ,christ and his ,spirit1 and with their manifest approbation1 ceased to observe the seventh day1 and actually observed the first day of the week4 ,this our opponents are very loth to admit4 ,but the testimony given by us at considerable length is simply overwhelming and incontrovertible4 ,the third theory1 and it alone1 harmonizes the immutable law of the ,sabbath with the actual change of day4 ,in further confirmation of the correctness of this theory1 it remains for us1 in concluding this discussion1 to show that this third theory accords with the fourth commandment1 and meets every aspect of the design of the institution of the ,sabbath4 ,the principal feature of the design of the ,sabbath is the setting forth of ,god's sovereign control1 as creator1 of man and the time of man1 as ,god's creature4 ,called into being by the ,creator1 and made lord over the irrational and material creation1 man was taught that his time was to be used for ,god's honor4 ,it was a trust from the ,creator2 and that man might not forget this1 one-seventh of the time in regular recurrence was marked out to be consecrated specially to the ,lord of all4 ,this is the very idea in the commemoration of the work of creation4 ,it is to keep alive the knowledge of ,god as the ,creator and ,sovereign ,ruler of man4 ,to commemorate the creation1 is to keep before the mind1 week by week1 the duty of using our time for the honor of the ,author and ,upholder of our being4 ,nor is the example of ,god's resting the seventh day made insignificant by this theory of the ,christian ,sabbath4 8,in six days ,god made the heavens and the earth1 and rested the seventh day40 ,god's people in different parts of the world do and must begin their work at different times1 and yet in each locality they labor six days and rest the seventh4 ,it is the proportion of time which is the law of the commandment1 enforced by the divine example2 and hence the ,christian ,sabbath1 in the true import of the commandment1 is as really the seventh day as the ,jewish ,sabbath4 ,the ,christian labors six days1 and not the seventh1 according to the divine example and the divine command4 ,in this way1 also1 the true theory of the ,christian ,sabbath meets the design of the institution as it was intended to arrest the current of the outward life and lead up the soul to unseen and eternal verities4 ,and here there is a most important argument for the change of the day for ,sabbath observance4 ,it is most reasonable to believe that1 if there be any work which more gloriously manifests the perfections of ,god1 and serves better to turn the thoughts of men to things above1 than the work of creation1 the day which commemorates such a work would be the appropriate time for ,sabbath observance4 ,so far as the essential idea of the ,sabbath connects itself with a particular day1 the argument is of great weight in favor of a change from the seventh to the first day of the week4 ,the weekly division is the main thing1 let the week begin when it may4 ,it may begin on what we now call the third1 or fourth1 or any other1 day4 ,it will matter little4 ,but as the first day1 in our enumeration of the days1 will always bring to mind the great work of redemption1 accomplished by the ,saviour1 who on the first day of the week rose from the dead1 the observance of this day as the ,sabbath best answers one of the principal designs of that institution4 ,and then1 how fittingly does the observance of the first day1 the day of the ,lord's resurrection1 correspond to the design of the ,sabbath as a foretaste of the heavenly rest--the ,sabbatismos or ,sabbath-keeping that remains for the people of ,god4 ,rejoicing here on the ,christian ,sabbath in what our ,redeemer has done for us1 we look forward with joyful anticipations to the many mansions which he has gone before us to prepare1 that we may be 8forever with the ,lord40 8,bright shadows of true rest2 some shoots of bliss2 ,heaven once a week2 ,the next world's gladness prepossessed in this1 ,a day to seek ,eternity in time2 the steps by which ,we climb above all ages2 lamps that light ,man through his heap of dark days2 and the rich ,and full redemption of the whole week's flight4 #8,the milky way chalked out with suns2 a clue ,that guides through evening hours2 and in full story ,a taste of ,heaven on earth2 a pledge and cue ,of a full feast2 and the out-courts of glory4'0 ,a ,,rejoinder4 8,,the ,,true ,,theory ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,sabbath40 ,it is a peculiarity of this discussion that we are prevented1 in our rejoinders1 from anticipating the positions which our opponent has in store for us4 ,were it possible to proceed upon principles of consistency1 in debate1 and conclude that he1 having adopted such and such views1 would continue to maintain them steadily for the future1 there would be a sort of satisfaction found in preparing material to be employed hereafter4 ,but we have learned1 by actual experience1 that in this debate such anticipatory action would be labor lost4 ,for example3 ,in the last reply1 which had to do with the seventh-part-of-time theory1 we had intended to show that1 were it true1 and that1 were the observance of one day in seven all that is now required1 even then ,sabbatarians stood upon a footing as safe as that of their opponents1 since the observance of the seventh day answered to the keeping of one-seventh part of time1 equally with that of the celebration of the first day of the week4 ,being prevented by want of space from indulging in these reflections1 we laid them over for another week1 supposing that they would come in play equally well at this time1 ,alas6 what a mistake6 ,we should have struck when the iron was hot4 ,unfortunately1 we are not now confronting the no-day-in-particular doctrine1 as we were then2 but it is the 8,lord's day0 again1 the first day of an indefinite week1 8a particular1 definite day1 enforced by the command and the example of ,christ and the apostles10 which once more stands before us4 ,how it is that we have been borne so rapidly over the space which separates these antagonistic positions1 the reader will have to decide for himself2 for we confess to a perfect want of ability1 on our own part1 to render him any assistance4 ,without the slightest attempt at logical deduction1 we are first informed that the essential idea in ,sabbath observance is not that of the keeping of a particular day1 but the consecration of one day in the week1 allowing the week to begin wherever it may4 ,this1 we are told1 would suitably commemorate ,god's rest at the creation of the world2 and1 also1 that if1 in addition1 we make the day of our rest identical with the first day of the week1 we can thereby celebrate both creation and redemption4 ,for this very purpose1 we are informed1 the ,sabbath commandment was changed1 so as to admit of the introduction of a new day4 ,but pause a moment4 ,has the gentleman told us just what change was made8 ,has he told us what words were stricken out8 and how it now reads8 ,the reader has not forgotten that this is the very thing the opposition were challenged to perform4 ,he will perceive that this1 also1 is the very thing which the gentleman has failed to accomplish1 and cannot hereafter do1 since the reply under review is the last of his series4 ,if it be said that he has cited us to the fourth commandment1 as given in the twentieth of ,exodus1 as containing the law as it now reads1 then he is self-condemned2 for he admits that the phraseology of that commandment did enforce a definite day1 and that1 the last day of the week4 ,but once more3 ,passing over the absurdity of claiming a change in the law1 where there is no ability to produce the statute as amended1 let us go back from ,sinai to ,eden1 along with the gentleman1 and see if we cannot find1 independent of the commandment1 evidence that the creation ,sabbath was not a portable institution1 to be trundled about at the caprice of any and every individual4 ,mark it1 now1 it is granted that what is called the ,jewish ,sabbath law enforced the keeping of the seventh day1 and admitted of no other as a substitute4 ,but whence is this conclusion drawn8 ,undeniably1 from the words1 8,the seventh day is the ,sabbath of the ,lord thy ,god2 in it thou shalt not do any work40 ,but where has the gentleman learned that the creation ,sabbath was enjoined in the use of language less explicit and limited in its meaning than are the words of the decalogue8 ,if he knows anything about the original decree of ,jehovah1 and the limitations with which he guarded the ,sabbath in the outset1 he1 like ourselves1 is compelled to go to the sacred record for information4 ,if1 in going there1 he has been able to find anything which would prove that the ,edenic ,sabbath was less fixed in its character than that of ,sinai1 then he has made some progress4 ,the only scripture which will throw any light upon the subject will be found in ,gen4 #b3a-c4 ,unhappily for the gentleman1 however1 it is fatal to his conception that the original ,sabbath varied in any way from that of the ,jews--so-called4 ,in the account of its institution1 the language employed is almost precisely the same with that subsequently traced upon the tables of stone4 ,it is there declared that ,god sanctified 7i4 e41 set apart to a holy use7 the seventh day4 ,the reason for this action is the fact that he had rested upon it4 ,now1 it will be observed that it was the 8seventh day0 that ,god blessed and sanctified1 and no other4 ,it is submitted1 therefore1 as the gentleman concedes1 that the same expression 7i4 e41 the seventh day71 when employed in the commandment given to ,moses1 did locate the ,sabbath institution immovably upon the last day of the week1 until the law was changed2 that the same language1 when employed originally1 must have produced the same result2 in other words1 if the command to keep the seventh day1 as given on ,mount ,sinai1 held the people strictly to the observance of the last day of the week1 so1 too1 ,jehovah1 in the beginning1 restricted the whole race to a ,sabbath which was1 equally with the other1 the seventh1 and1 therefore1 the last day of the week4 ,in order to avoid this conclusion1 it will be required that1 by some means1 he should be able to show that the same terms which were employed by ,god1 at one time1 have a different meaning from that attached to them1 as employed by him at another time4 ,not only so1 the ,sabbath in ,genesis1 like that in ,exodus1 is further limited and defined by two additional facts4 ,first1 it was the day on which ,god rested2 secondly1 it was the day which he blessed because ,he had rested upon it4 ,therefore1 before any other day could be substituted for it1 these two things must be true of it1 as matter of history4 ,this1 however1 can never be the case1 as it regards any day of the week1 save the last2 consequently1 he who celebrates any other is not celebrating the one which ,god imposed in the beginning4 ,so much for the definiteness of the ,sabbath which was given to ,adam4 ,should it be replied that what has been remarked is correct1 and that it is not argued that any one was at liberty to keep any other day than the seventh of the week1 until ,christ changed the law1 and thereby authorized them so to do1 we reply1 ,very good2 that brings us back again to the original proposition1 which is1 ,did he make such a change8 ,if he did1 then it is just as important that we should have clear and conclusive evidence that such an alteration was made by him1 as it is that we should have the abundant testimony which we now possess that a definite ,sabbath was originally given to mankind4 ,all this speculation in regard to what might have been done with perfect consistency under a given state of facts is worse than idle4 ,what we demand is this--,what has been done8 ,instead of concluding that ,christ did a certain thing because it would have been right so to do1 first show us1 by actual ,scripture quotation1 that he really performed the work in question1 and the consistency of his action will take care of itself4 ,a theology which has no broader1 firmer basis than individual conception of the propriety of certain occurrences which may never have taken place at all1 is not worth the paper on which it is drawn out4 ,this1 nevertheless1 is the very material with which we are dealing4 ,eleven articles1 ostensibly written to afford divine authority for the change of days1 are concluded2 and1 from beginning to end1 there is not found in them a 8,thus saith the ,lord0 for the transfer4 ,again and again it is inferred that such and such transactions meant so-and-so4 ,again and again it is concluded that such and such things are admissible1 not because of any scriptural warrant1 but because they seem good in the eyes of those with whose practice they best conform4 ,the reason why this is so1 the reader will readily perceive4 ,it is found1 not in the fact that the learned gentleman who represents the opposition is insensible to the superiority of positive ,bible statements over individual surmise1 but in the necessity under which he is placed1 to employ the only material which he has at hand4 ,meeting him1 therefore1 where he is1 let us prove the unreliability of such deductions as he is indulging in by actual test4 ,the points which he is attempting to establish are these3 #a4 ,the original idea of the ,sabbath can be met by the observance of the first day of the week1 as well as by that of the last4 #b4 ,that the commemoration of ,christ's resurrection can only be suitably carried out by hallowing the first day of every week4 ,now1 as to the first of these propositions1 it will only be safe to decide that it is correct after giving it mature reflection4 ,we have already seen that ,god's original plan for preserving the memory of creation week was that of setting apart the last day of each subsequent week for the imitation1 on our part1 of his rest thereon4 ,to say1 therefore1 that it would have answered just as well to allow the individual to take any other day--say the first day of the week--for this purpose1 is to argue that ,god acted without cause in making the selection which he did and enforcing it for four thousand years4 ,if the question were one of indifference1 why did he not leave the day unfixed8 ,why not allow them then to commemorate his rest on the first day1 as the gentleman would have done now1 arguing that the ends of the original ,sabbath would1 in this way1 be fully met4 ,certain it is that no good reason can be assigned why it would now be more proper to commemorate the rest of ,jehovah by a variable ,sabbath than it has been heretofore4 ,this being true1 the gentleman's logic is found to be unsound1 or else the action of the ,deity was inconsiderate4 ,turning1 now1 to the second proposition1 the reader will be instantly struck with its unqualified antagonism to the first point which is sought to be made out4 ,remember1 now1 that the gentleman is arguing stoutly for first-day sanctity4 ,he is not so particular when the week begins1 but it must have just seven days1 and the first of them must be devoted to the commemoration of the ,lord's resurrection1 ,should you ask him why he is thus particular in the selection of the first day of the week1 he would reply1 8,why1 that is the day on which the ,lord arose1 and it is his resurrection1 as the crowning act in the work of redemption1 which we seek to honor40 ,but1 reader1 would it not occur to you1 immediately1 that this is a repudiation of all which he has said concerning the ,edenic ,sabbath8 ,nosy1 mark it2 what ,god demands1 is1 that we should honor the seventh day of the week1 as the one which he rested upon1 blessed1 and sanctified4 ,if1 therefore1 the rest1 the blessing1 and the sanctification of that day can be suitably remembered by the observance of another day differing from it1 then the assumption that an event is most impressively handed down by the dedication1 for this purpose1 of the very day on which it transpired1 is unsound4 ,but if this assumption be unsound1 then all of the gentleman's talk in regard to the necessity for a change of days1 in order to the suitable commemoration of the resurrection of ,christ and the completion of the work of redemption1 is without force4 ,for1 assuredly1 if he is right in supposing that ,god's rest in ,eden1 on the seventh day1 can he commemorated as well on the first day as on the seventh1 then the same principle will hold good in regard to the events which transpired on the first day of the week1 i4 e41 they can be kept in remembrance by the hallowing of the seventh day as well as by that of the first4 ,but this being true1 his argument for the necessity of the change of ,sabbaths is gone1 and his philosophy of the change proved to be unsound4 ,the only purpose which it has served in this controversy has been the revelation of that which is really the conviction of its author1 as it is that of men generally1 that there is no time in which great transactions can be so suitably commemorated as that of the day on which they took place4 ,when the nation wishes to celebrate the anniversary of its independence1 it sets apart for this purpose the fourth of ,july1 which answers exactly to the day of the month on which the ,declaration of ,independence was made4 ,substitute for this another day1 and you have marred the impressiveness of the occasion4 ,so1 too1 with ,god's rest on creation week2 it must be so celebrated that all the associations connected with it will be calculated to lead the mind back to its origin and object4 ,turn it around1 as the gentleman proposes to do1 i4 e41 substitute the first day of the week in the place of the last1 and you have precisely reversed ,god's order4 ,you have put the rest-day first1 and cause the six laboring days to follow2 whereas1 ,god1 knowing that rest was only needed after labor1 worked six days and then rested the seventh1 not because he was weary1 but because he desired to put on the record for us an example to be strictly followed4 ,the gentleman1 however1 without the slightest warrant1 has1 with a rash hand1 laid hold of the divine procedure1 and now says that the order pursued was not necessary to the inculcation of the great lessons which ,god designed to impart4 ,to this1 ,i reply1 #a4 ,that ,god's actions are never superfluous4 #b4 ,that1 if we err at all1 it is safer to err on the side of the divine example4 #c4 ,that if the idea of ,god's working six days is in any way connected with a proper ,sabbath rest1 then it is indispensable that the ,sabbath should follow1 and not precede1 the working portion of the week4 #d4 ,that if the rest of ,god1 merely1 is the object which we should keep before our minds by a proper regard for the ,sabbatic institution1 the gentleman has himself shown1 by the logic which he has employed1 that the only suitable period for the keeping of that rest is found in that portion of the week on which ,god ceased from his labors4 ,the remark of the gentleman that the work of redemption furnishes a subject worthy of being remembered by observance with ,sabbatic honor of the day on which it was completed1 is worthy of passing notice4 ,the idea which he advances is one which is quite prevalent1 and employed with great satisfaction by clergymen generally1 when controverting the claims of ,god's ancient rest-day4 ,the strength of the position lies in the fact that it distinguishes between redemption and creation1 assuming1 perhaps correctly1 that the latter is more exalted than the former4 ,having won the assent of the mind to this proposition1 the reader is quietly carried over to conclusions much less obvious than the first4 ,almost unconsciously he is led to decide1 with his instructor1 that1 since redemption is a greater work than creation1 it ought1 therefore1 to be honored by a day of rest4 ,now we shall not enter into this matter largely1 but we simply suggest that either this decision is the result of human1 or else it is the product of divine1 wisdom4 ,if it is human wisdom1 then its teachings should be followed with extreme caution4 ,if it is divine wisdom1 then they can be obeyed with the most implicit confidence4 ,just at this point1 therefore1 it is all-important that the test be applied4 ,has ,jehovah ever said that the commemoration of creation week had become less desirable on account of the possible redemption of a fallen race1 by the death of his ,son8 ,the most careful reader of the ,bible has failed to find any such language2 in fine1 the intimation that such is really the fact is rather a reflection upon the ,deity himself1 since1 from it1 it might be inferred that the glory of his work had been dimmed by the fall of the race4 ,but1 again1 if the ,lord has not said that he would not have the memory of creation cherished still1 has he ever said that he would have the work of redemption signalized by a weekly rest8 ,once more the student of the ,scriptures unhesitatingly answers in the negative2 but if ,god has failed to make this declaration1 who shall presume to put words in his mouth1 and read the thoughts of his mind1 as those having authority so to do8 ,the man who will undertake to do it is venturing upon ground which lies hard by that of blasphemy4 ,god never neglects to say that which ought to be said2 he never calls upon any man to go beyond his commandments1 for in them1 says ,solomon 7,eccl4 #ab3ac71 is found the whole duty of man4 ,furthermore1 were we to reason upon this matter at all1 every consideration would lead us to the conclusion that the inference of our opponents is not correct4 ,in the first place1 redemption is not yet fully completed in the case of any individual4 ,in the second place1 the ,scripture says we have 7are to have7 redemption through his blood 7,col4 #a3ad74 ,but his blood1 it is generally supposed1 was shed upon ,friday1 and1 therefore1 it is not impossible that the hallowing of that day would more suitably commemorate redemption than that of any other day4 ,in the third place1 it was proved at length in a former article1 that if creation was suitably commemorated by a day of rest1 redemption1 which is an event entirely opposite in its character1 would naturally be celebrated by some institution of an entirely different nature4 ,in other words1 the ,sabbath inculcates cessation from labor by the indulgence of inaction1 while all the events connected with the resurrection of ,christ rendered inactivity impossible4 ,but finally1 we are not left1 in a matter of this significance1 to the unreliable decisions of the human mind4 ,not only is it true that ,god has never appointed a day of septenary inactivity1 as the ,heaven-chosen memorial of the resurrection of the divine ,son of ,god2 but it is also true that ,god himself1 in the exercise of a wisdom which will hardly be impugned by finite beings1 has selected an institution entirely different from that under consideration for the illustration of that phase of the work of redemption which was seen in the resurrection of ,christ4 ,says the great apostle to the ,gentiles3 8,therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death2 that like as ,christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the ,father1 even so we also should walk in newness of life4 ,for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death1 we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection40 ,rom4 #f3d1 #e4 8,buried with him in baptism1 wherein also we are risen with him through the faith of the operation of ,god1 who hath raised him from the dead40 ,col4 #b3ab4 ,baptism1 that is1 ,bible baptism1 or the immersion of the individual beneath the water1 most forcibly commemorates the death of our ,lord4 ,as the administrator lowers the body of the passive subject beneath the yielding wave1 by the very necessity of the case1 breathing is1 for the time1 suspended1 and the person1 as nearly as may be while in life1 as he lies motionless in the hands of the individual to whom he has committed himself in the exercise of an act of faith1 shadows forth the death and burial of his ,lord in a most impressive manner4 ,as he rises1 also1 from that position1 and1 proceeding to the shore1 unites once more with the throng of living beings who surround him1 he most forcibly illustrates the coming back again of our ,lord from death and the grave to a life of infinite activity and glory4 ,all1 therefore1 which is necessary in order to the remembering1 by outward expression1 of that most glorious event1 which gave back to the disciples1 from the nations of the dead1 the body of the beloved ,master1 is that we go forward in the fulfillment of an ordinance which has been provided for that purpose1 and which sets forth the events which are thought worthy of a memento in a manner as superior to that in which it could be done by mere inaction1 as ,god's conception of what would be suitable under such circumstances is higher than that of man4 ,the wonder is that any one should have lost sight of the original design of an institution which is remarkably expressive of the purpose for which it was created4 ,in fact1 had not the same power which has changed the ,sabbath also tampered with the ordinance of baptism by changing the original form into one less expressive of its historic associations1 we believe that the view which is now passing under consideration never could have suggested itself to any mind4 ,but1 reader1 it is now time that our labor should be drawn to a close4 ,in the providence of ,god1 we have walked together over the territory devoted to the great and important ,sabbath question4 ,with pleasure1 we are about to lay down our pen for the last time1 and submit the whole matter to you for the pronouncing of the final verdict of your individual judgment4 ,as we do so1 it is with feelings of most profound gratitude to ,god for a truth which1 while there is underlying it a cross so heavy that it cannot be lifted by human strength unaided1 is1 nevertheless1 so plain that its mere statement is its most complete demonstration4 ,were it not true that society is at present so organized that the keeping of the seventh day involves social1 political1 and pecuniary sacrifice1 much greater than he is aware of who has not considered the matter1 we would not hesitate to say that a complete and speedy revolution could be wrought upon this subject in a brief space of time4 ,never1 in the history of any reformation which has heretofore occurred1 were men covered with a more complete panoply of defense1 and armed with more destructive weapons of offense1 than are ,god's commandment-keeping people at the present period4 ,the only mystery connected with the subject is1 that1 being as plain as it is1 the fact of the change should not have attracted universal attention before4 ,traversing again the ground over which we have come with the gentleman who has managed the opposition in this debate1 the poverty of his resources is most striking4 ,in all that he has said1 he has proved nothing which has in any way relieved his case1 nor can his failure be attributed to any lack of capacity on his part4 ,in the handling of the material with which he has had to do1 he has displayed not a little ingenuity4 ,the arguments which he has employed and the positions which he has taken are those of the orthodox ministry generally at the present time4 ,his failure is entirely attributable to the natural weakness of the position which he has sought to defend4 ,his was indeed a hard task4 ,he felt the moral necessity of a ,sabbath1 as a ,christian man2 and1 finding the religious world keeping the first day of the week1 he sought to defend this practice from the ,bible stand-point4 ,but1 alas for his cause6 ,the more he has appealed to this source1 the more certain has it become that the ,bible1 and the usages of ,christendom in this matter1 can never he harmonized4 ,in its pages we find the most ample authority for a day of rest1 but none for the one which is generally honored as such4 ,the record in brief stands as follows3-- #a4 ,there is a ,sabbath4 #b4 ,that ,sabbath is the seventh1 and not the first1 day of the week1 for the following reasons3-- 7#a47 ,in the beginning ,god rested on the seventh day1 thereby laying the foundation for its ,sabbatic honor 7,gen4 #b3c72 whereas1 he never rested upon the first day4 7#b47 ,he blessed the seventh day2 whereas1 he never blessed the first day4 7#c47 ,he sanctified the seventh day1 or devoted it to a religious use2 whereas1 he never sanctified the first day4 7#d47 ,the day of his rest1 his blessing1 and his sanctification1 he commanded to be kept holy1 in a law of perpetual obligation2 whereas1 he never commanded the observance of the first day4 7#e47 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ recognized the obligation of the seventh day by a life-long custom of observing it 7,luke #d3af72 whereas1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ never rested upon the first day of the week2 but always treated it as a secular day4 7#f47 ,he also recognized its perpetuity forty years after his death1 when speaking of events connected with the destruction of ,jerusalem1 by instructing his disciples to pray that their flight might not occur thereon 7,matt4 #bd3bj72 whereas1 he never spoke of the first day as one to be honored in the future1 nor1 indeed1 so far as we know1 did he ever take it upon his lips at all4 7#g47 ,it is the day which the holy women kept1 according to the commandment1 after the crucifixion of our ,lord 7,luke #bc3ff72 whereas1 there is no account that any good man has ever rested upon the first day out of regard for its sanctity4 7#h47 ,it is the day on which ,paul1 as his manner was1 taught in the synagogue 7,acts #ag3b72 whereas1 ,paul never made the first day of the week1 habitually1 one of public teaching1 a thing which he would have been sure to do had he looked upon it as sacred to the ,lord4 7#i47 ,being mentioned fifty-six times in the ,new ,testament1 it is in all these instances called the ,sabbath2 whereas1 the first day is mentioned eight times in the ,new ,testament1 and in every case it is called1 simply1 the first day of the week4 7#aj47 ,in the year of our ,lord #ie1 it is spoken of by ,john as the ,lord's day 7,rev4 #a3aj72 whereas1 the first day is in no case mentioned in the use of a sacred title4 7#aa47 ,it is mentioned not only as the ,sabbath1 but it is also spoken of as the next ,sabbath1 and every ,sabbath1 thus proving that it had no rival 7,acts #ac3d2 #ae3ba72 whereas1 the day before the first1 and the sixth day after it1 being spoken of as the ,sabbath1 it 7i4 e41 the first day7 is classed with the other days of the week4 7#ab47 ,in the ,acts of the ,apostles1 and1 in fine1 in the whole canon of the ,new ,testament1 there is not a single transaction which is related as having occurred upon the seventh day in the least incompatible with the notion that it continued to be regarded as holy time1 while the law which enforces its observance is inculcated in the clearest and most emphatic terms 7,matt4 #e3ag-ai2 ,rom4 #c3ca2 ,jas4 #b3h-ab72 whereas1 the first day was one on which ,christ indulged in travel on the highway in company with others1 after his resurrection1 without informing them of its character or rebuking them for sin4 ,it is also a day on which two of the disciples walked the distance of fifteen miles on one occasion1 while on another1 ,paul performed the journey of nineteen and one-half miles on foot1 while ,luke and seven companions worked the vessel around the headland for a much greater distance 7,luke #bd3ac1 #bi2 ,acts #bj3a-ac47 ,in view of the above1 the whole question of obligation may be summed up in the following words3 ,shall we keep a day which ,god has commanded1 which ,christ inculcated1 and which holy men regarded from the opening until the close of the canon of ,scripture8 or shall we disregard that1 putting in its place one which neither ,god1 nor ,christ1 nor a holy angel1 nor an inspired man1 ever1 anywhere1 under any circumstances1 enjoined1 and which1 in addition1 ,god and ,christ1 and holy men and women1 are everywhere in the sacred word brought to view as treating in a manner such as they would only treat a day of secular character8 ,in fine1 it is simply the same old test applied once more to human action1 which has in all ages been the measure of moral character1 i4 e41 ,shall we obey ,god8 or shall we not8 ,shall we gratify our own inclination and have our own way by pertinaciously persisting in a course of action for which we have no ,scripture warrant8 or shall we take the ,bible in one hand and1 accepting its doctrines as the words of life1 follow them to their legitimate consequences in our daily walk8 ,says ,john1 8,this is the love of ,god1 that ye keep his commandments40 ,says ,james1 8,show me your faith without works1 and ,i will show you my faith by my works40 ,sublime sentiments1 indeed6 ,in them is expressed the moving1 controlling principle of every ,christian heart4 ,oh6 that all men in the ages of the past had held to the noble purpose of taking ,god at his word1 believing that he meant just what he said1 and walking out with a noble courage upon their confidence in his wisdom to legislate1 and his right to command4 ,had they done so2 had they been willing to be taught instead of going uninstructed2 had they submitted to be led instead of insisting upon independent action1 how much misery would have been spared our kind4 ,take1 for example1 the case of ,eve--,god exempted one tree in the garden from the rest1 saying1 8,thou shalt not eat of it2 for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die40 ,unhappily1 the mother of all living ventured to deviate from the command of ,god in what appeared to her an unimportant particular1 and1 as the result1 a race was plunged into the terrible consequences of rebellion4 ,it would seem as if this should have been enough to teach all1 that it is only safe to do just what ,god requires in small1 as well as great1 things4 ,alas6 however1 this has not been the case4 ,nadab and ,abihu1 with the example of ,eve before them1 contrary to the directions of the ,lord1 ventured to substitute natural fire for the hallowed fire of the altar4 ,to them1 there was no apparent difference2 but in a moment the curse of ,god fell upon them and they were borne lifeless1 and without the honors of an ordinary funeral service1 away from the camp of ,israel4 ,uzzah1 despising the commandment of the ,lord1 by which the ,levites alone were to touch the ark1 in an unguarded moment1 reached out his hand to steady it1 and ,god made a breach upon him in the presence of the people4 ,uzzah fell lifeless before the ark which contained the same law which is under consideration4 ,it was not the ark that sanctified the law2 but1 rather1 the law that sanctified the ark4 ,if1 therefore1 ,god was so jealous of that which was merely the vehicle of the ten words spoken by his voice and written by his finger1 how must he feel in regard to those words themselves8 ,in them1 is found the embodiment of the whole duty of man4 ,with them1 ,god now tests1 as he has always tested1 the characters of men4 8,know ye not10 says ,paul1 8his servants ye are to whom ye obey2 whether of sin unto death1 or of obedience unto righteousness80 ,true1 it may be1 that we can transgress that law at the present time without suffering the visible displeasure of ,god1 as did those whom1 in the past1 he set forth as examples of his wrath4 ,but let us not deceive ourselves on this account2 ,god is no respecter of persons4 ,moral character is what he admires1 exact obedience is what he demands4 ,in his providence1 at the present time1 it is our fortune to live in an epoch when great light is shining upon the long dishonored and mutilated ,sabbath commandment4 ,a worldly church1 having departed from the simplicity of gospel teaching and gospel method for the propagation of truth1 has called to her aid the elements of force and the appliances of law4 ,closing their eyes to light1 ample in itself for all the purposes of duty and doctrine1 they have entered upon a crusade1 determining to venture the experiment1 so oft repeated1 of enforcing1 as doctrines1 the commandments of men4 ,the end of this matter ,god knows1 and has pointed out in his word4 ,with outward success they may meet2 but it will be at the terrible cost of that vital godliness which is alone found where the arm of ,god is made the arm of our strength4 ,for those who1 in the past1 have ignorantly broken the law of ,jehovah1 ,god has ample forgiveness2 but for those who1 in the face of ,god's providential dealings1 and in diametrical opposition to the plain teachings of his word1 to which their attention is being called1 shall still persist1 not only in disobedience1 but1 also1 in acts of oppression against those who prefer the narrow and rugged path of ,bible fidelity1 there can be nothing in reserve but the terrible displeasure of him whose right it is to command4 ,reader1 whoever you may be1 and whatever may have been your past convictions and life1 we turn to you in a final appeal4 ,as you revere ,god1 as you love ,christ and his precious word1 we exhort you in this matter to seek wisdom from the only true source4 ,be not discouraged by the disparity in numbers1 neither tremble before the hosts which may frown upon you in the coming contest4 8,the ,lord1 he is ,god40 ,under the shadow of his wing we can safely abide4 ,no nobler destiny was ever vouchsafed to the obedient among the children of men1 than is prepared for those who shall prove their fealty to the ,god of ,heaven by a noble testimony to their love for him1 by the keeping of his holy ,sabbath1 under circumstances1 in the near future1 which shall indeed try the souls of men4 ,may ,god grant that both reader and writer1 nay more1 also our opponent in this discussion--toward whom we entertain none but the kindliest feelings--also1 all1 everywhere1 who are indeed the children of the living ,god and the brethren of our blessed ,lord1 may come to see eye to eye in this matter1 so that1 finally1 we shall be brought safely through the perils of this last great conflict1 which the true church is to endure1 and stand victorious over all our enemies upon the ,mount ,zion of our ,god1 there to sing the song of a deliverance complete and eternal1 in a world where1 from one new moon to another1 and from one ,sabbath to another1 all flesh shall come to worship before the ,lord4 7,isa4 #ff3bc47 ,,index ,,of ,,points ,,discussed4 ,,part ,,first3 ,,eld4 ,,littlejohn',s ,,articles ,,in ,,the ,,statesman4 ,,article ,,one4 ,tendency toward ,sabbath ,discussion1 #e ,various ,views concerning ,reform1 #f ,inquiry as to ,proper ,action1 #ac ,,article ,,two4 ,religious ,view of ,sabbath ,reform1 #af ,sabbath ,commandment1 #ai ,has this ,law been ,changed8 #bb ,,article ,,three4 ,reasons for ,sunday ,observance ,examined1 #bh ,the ,resurrection1 #cj ,example of ,christ1 #cb ,,article ,,four4 ,texts on ,first ,day of the ,week1 #cf ,they do ,not ,prove its ,sacredness1 #ci ,the ,meeting of ,john #bj3ai1 ,considered1 #db ,,article ,,five4 ,john #bj3bf1 ,examined1 #dh ,act of ,worship does ,not ,consecrate the ,day1 #ej #a ,cor4 #af3b1 ,examined1 #ed ,,article ,,six4 ,acts #bj3g1 ,examined1 #eg ,acts #b3a1 ,considered1 #fc ,pentecost ,not ,first ,day1 but ,fiftieth ,day1 #fd ,rev4 #a3aj1 ,examined1 #ff ,proposed ,amendment of the ,constitution ,not in ,harmony with ,bible ,truth1 #fh ,,article ,,seven4 ,bible ,view of the ,sabbath1 #ga ,the ,law ,changed by the ,catholic ,power1 #gf ,position of ,seventh-day ,adventists1 #gi ,proposed ,amendment ,dangerous to our ,liberties1 #hc ,,part ,,second3 ,,replies ,,and ,,rejoinders4 ,,reply ,,one4 ,seventh-day ,sabbatarianism and the ,christian ,amendment1 #hg ,supposed ,action of ,missionaries1 #hi ,the ,proposed ,amendment ,expresses only ,fundamental ,principles1 #ia ,,first ,,rejoinder4 ,amendment ,not ,related merely to ,principles1 but to ,sunday in ,particular1 #if ,supposition of ,missionary ,action ,examined1 #ajc ,,reply ,,two4 ,the ,seventh ,day ,not ,observed by the ,early ,christian ,church1 #ajg ,examination of ,new-,testament ,proofs1 #ajh ,,second ,,rejoinder4 ,our ,common ,ground1 #aaf ,the ,seventh ,day1 only1 the ,sabbath in the ,new ,testament1 #aai ,no ,effort ,has been ,made to ,place ,sunday upon ,precept1 #abd ,consideration of ,col4 #b3ad-ag1 #abe ,rom4 #ad3e1 ,examined1 #abi ,survey of the ,ground ,passed ,over1 #aca ,,reply ,,three4 ,testimony of the ,gospels for the ,first-day ,sabbath1 #acc ,resurrection of ,christ1 #acd ,john #bj1 #acf ,,third ,,rejoinder4 ,no ,evidence of ,first-day ,sacredness1 #adj ,the ,gospels do ,not ,call ,first ,day the ,sabbath1 #aej ,,reply ,,four4 ,argument for the ,first-day ,sabbath from the ,gift of the ,holy ,spirit on the ,day of ,pentecost1 #aed ,authors ,differing ,concerning the ,day of the week1 #aee ,argument for the ,first ,day1 #aef ,,fourth ,,rejoinder4 ,value of ,testimony--,first-day ,keepers ,witnessing that ,pentecost ,fell on the ,sabbath1 #afc ,no ,reason ,stated1 nor ,commandment ,found1 for ,first-day ,sabbath1 #agb ,,reply ,,five4 ,first-day ,sabbath at ,troas1 #agg ,the ,reckoning of ,time ,considered1 #agi ,,fifth ,,rejoinder4 ,no ,custom ,found in ,acts #bj1 #ahc ,argument for ,change of ,time ,considered1 #aia ,evidence of ,acts #bj ,favorable to the ,sabbath1 #bja ,,reply ,,six4 ,testimony of ,paul and ,john to the ,first-day ,sabbath1 #bjb ,examination of #a ,cor4 #af3b1 #bjc ,of ,rev4 #a3aj1 #bje ,,sixth ,,rejoinder4 #a ,cor4 #af3b1 #bjg --,testimony of ,j4 ,w4 ,morton1 #bjg --,concession of ,albert ,barnes1 #bji --,paul's ,plan of ,systematic ,beneficence1 #baa --,devotion at ,home1 #bad ,rev4 #a3aj1 #bai --,the ,sabbath is the ,lord's ,day1 #bbj --,christ ,lord of the ,sabbath1 #bba --,no ,proof ,given that ,first ,day is the ,lord's ,day1 #bbb ,,reply ,,seven4 ,testimony of the ,early ,fathers to the ,first-day ,sabbath1 #bbe ,testimony of ,ignatius1 #bbe ,errors of ,dr4 ,dwight1 etc41 ,corrected1 #bbg ,barnabas and ,justin ,martyr1 #bbh ,dionysius1 #bbi ,pliny1 #bcj ,,seventh ,,rejoinder4 ,value of ,traditional ,testimony1 #bca ,ignatius1 #bce ,barnabas1 #bci ,justin ,martyr1 #bdc ,what ,justin ,martyr ,believed1 #bdf ,dionysius1 ,melito1 ,pliny1 #bej ,deficiency of ,testimony for ,first-day as a ,sabbath1 #bec ,,reply ,,eight4 ,patristic ,testimony to the ,first-day ,sabbath1 #bed ,irenus1 #bed ,errors of ,dr4 ,dwight and ,others in ,quoting this ,father1 #bef ,tertullian1 ,origen1 ,cyprian1 #beg ,,eighth ,,rejoinder4 ,the ,apostasy1 #bfa ,testimony of ,irenus1 #bfb ,of ,tertullian1 #bfg ,of ,origen1 #bgc ,of ,cyprian1 #bgf ,summary ,view of the ,case1 #bgg ,,reply ,,nine4 ,theories of the ,christian ,sabbath1 #bhj ,claim of an ,unwarranted ,change of the ,sabbath ,considered1 #bhd ,,ninth ,,rejoinder4 ,no ,advance ,ground ,taken1 #bhg ,harmony of ,sabbath ,law and ,sacred ,history1 #bhi ,roman ,apostasy and ,change of ,sabbath1 #bic ,seventh-day ,sabbath in the ,early ,church1 #bif ,testimony of ,romanists1 #cjd ,,reply ,,ten4 ,the ,principle as to ,time in ,sabbath ,observance1 #cac ,one ,day in ,seven1 not the ,seventh ,day1 ,required1 #cac ,difficulties of ,keeping ,definite ,day1 #cad ,,tenth ,,rejoinder4 ,inconsistency of the ,statesman's ,positions1 #cba ,no-,definite-,day ,argument ,fatal to ,first ,day1 and to any ,sabbath1 #cbe ,inconsistency of his ,position on ,necessity of ,legislation1 #cbf ,difficulties of ,sabbath-,keeping ,considered1 #cbi ,absurdity of the ,theory of an ,indefinite ,day1 #ccc ,definite ,time ,around the ,world1 #cci ,summary1 #cdh ,,reply ,,eleven4 ,the ,true ,theory of the ,christian ,sabbath1 #cea ,first ,day of the ,week the ,true ,christian ,sabbath1 #cea ,a ,memorial of ,redemption1 #cec ,,eleventh ,,rejoinder4 ,inconsistency of the ,replies1 #cee ,no ,amendment of ,sabbath ,law ,produced1 #cef ,a ,gospel ,memorial of the ,resurrection1 #cfg ,sabbath ,keeping ,involves ,sacrifice1 #cfi ,summary of ,evidence for the ,sabbath1 #cga ,the ,commandment1 or ,tradition8 #cgd ,conclusion1 #cgg ,,catalogue ,of ,books1 ,pamphlets1 ,tracts1 c41 ,issued by the ,seventh-,day ,adventist ,publishing ,association1 ,battle ,creek1 ,mich4 ,,hymns ,,and ,,tunes2 #cbj pages of hymns1 #if pages of music2 in plain morocco1 #a4jj4 ,a ,,complete ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,sabbath ,,and ,,first ,,day ,,of ,,the ,,week4 ,by ,j4 ,n4 ,andrews4 #a4jj4 ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,prophecy1 ,vols4 #a #b4 ,by ,ellen ,g4 ,white1 ,each #a4jj4 ,,the ,,constitutional ,,amendment3 ,or ,the ,sunday1 ,the ,sabbath1 ,the ,change1 and ,the ,restitution4 ,a ,discussion between ,w4 ,h4 ,littlejohn and the ,editor of the ,christian ,statesman4 ,bound1 #a4jj4 ,paper1 #dj cts4 ,first ,part1 #aj cts4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,revelation1 critical and practical4 ,by ,u4 ,smith4 #cbh pp41 #a4jj4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,daniel1 critical and practical4 ,by ,u4 ,smith4 ,bound1 #a4jj2 condensed edition1 paper1 #ce cts4 ,,the ,,nature ,,and ,,destiny ,,of ,,man4 ,by ,u4 ,smith4 #chd pp41 bound1 #a4jj1 paper1 #dj cts4 ,,life ,,incidents1 in connection with the great ,advent movement4 ,by ,eld4 ,james ,white4 #cgc pp41 #a4jj4 ,,autobiography ,,of ,,eld4 ,,joseph ,,bates1 with portrait of the author4 #cah pp41 #a4jj4 ,,how ,,to ,,live3 comprising a series of articles on ,health1 and how to preserve it1 with various recipes for cooking healthful food1 c4 #djj pp41 #a4jj4 ,,sabbath ,,readings2 or ,moral and ,religious ,reading for ,youth and ,children4 #djj pp41 #fj cts42 in five pamphlets1 #ej cts4 ,,appeal ,,to ,,youth2 ,address at the ,funeral of ,henry ,n4 ,white2 also a brief narrative of his life1 c4 #if pp41 muslin1 #dj cts42 paper covers1 #aj cts4 ,,the ,,game ,,of ,,life1 with notes4 ,three illustrations #ex#f inches each1 representing ,satan playing with man for his soul4 ,in board1 #ej cts41 in paper1 #cj cts4 ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,in ,,prophecy4 ,by ,u4 ,smith4 ,bound4 #dj cts42 paper1 #bj cts4 ,,hymns ,,and ,,spiritual ,,songs for ,camp-meetings and other ,religious ,gatherings4 ,compiled by ,eld4 ,james ,white4 #aif pp4 ,bound1 #ej cts41 paper1 #be cts4 ,,refutation ,,of ,,the ,,age ,,to ,,come4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,waggoner4 ,price #bj cts4 ,,progressive ,,bible ,,lessons ,,for ,,children2 for ,sabbath ,schools and ,families4 ,g4 ,h4 ,bell4 ,bound1 #ce cts41 paper1 #be cts4 ,,the ,,advent ,,keepsake2 comprising a text of ,scripture for each day of the year1 on the subjects of the ,second ,advent1 the ,resurrection1 c4 ,plain muslin1 #be cts42 gilt4 #dj cts4 ,a ,,solemn ,,appeal relative to ,solitary ,vice1 and the ,abuses and ,excesses of the ,marriage ,relation4 ,edited by ,eld4 ,james ,white4 ,muslin1 #ej cts42 paper1 #cj cts4 ,,an ,,appeal to the ,working ,men and ,women1 in the ,ranks of ,seventh-day ,adventists4 ,by ,james ,white4 #agb pp41 bound1 #dj cts42 paper covers1 #be cts4 ,,sermons ,,on ,,the ,,sabbath ,,and ,,law2 embracing an outline of the ,biblical and ,secular ,history of the ,sabbath for #fjjj years4 ,by ,j4 ,n4 ,andrews4 #be cts4 ,,the ,,state ,,of ,,the ,,dead4 ,by ,u4 ,smith4 #bbd pp41 #be cts4 ,,history of the ,doctrine of the ,immortality of the ,soul4 ,by ,d4 ,m4 ,canright4 #be cts4 ,,discussion ,,on ,,the ,,sabbath ,,question1 between ,elds4 ,lane and ,barnaby4 #be cts4 ,,the ,,atonement2 an ,examination of a ,remedial ,system in the light of ,nature and ,revelation4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,waggoner4 #bj cts4 ,,our ,,faith ,,and ,,hope1 ,nos4 #a #b--,sermons on the ,advent1 c4 ,by ,james ,white4 ,each #bj cts4 ,,the ,,nature ,,and ,,tendency ,,of ,,modern ,,spiritualism4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,waggoner4 #bj cts4 ,,the ,,bible ,,from ,,heaven2 or1 a dissertation on the ,evidences of ,christianity4 #bj cts4 ,,discussion ,,on ,,the ,,sabbath ,,question1 between ,elds4 ,grant and ,cornell4 #bj cts4 ,,review ,,of ,,objections ,,to ,,the ,,visions4 ,u4 ,smith1 #bj cts4 ,,complete ,,testimony ,,of ,,the ,,fathers1 concerning the ,sabbath and ,first ,day of the ,week4 ,by ,j4 ,n4 ,andrews4 #ae cts4 ,,the ,,destiny ,,of ,,the ,,wicked4 ,by ,u4 ,smith4 #ae cts4 ,,the ,,ministration ,,of ,,angels2 and the ,origin1 ,history1 and ,destiny of ,satan4 ,by ,d4 ,m4 ,canright4 #ae cts4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,rev4 #ad1 particularly the ,third ,angel's ,message and ,two-,horned ,beast4 ,by ,j4 ,n4 ,andrews4 #ae cts4 ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of ,,the ,,unjust2 a ,vindication of the ,doctrine4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,waggoner4 #ae cts4 ,,the ,,sanctuary ,,and ,,twenty-,,three ,,hundred ,,days4 ,by ,j4 ,n4 ,andrews4 #aj cts4 ,,the ,,saints' ,,inheritance1 or1 ,the ,earth made ,new4 ,by ,j4 ,n4 ,loughborough4 #aj cts4 ,,the ,,seventh ,,part ,,of ,,time2 a sermon on the ,sabbath ,question4 ,by ,w4 ,h4 ,littlejohn4 #aj cts4 ,,review ,,of ,,gilfillan1 and other authors1 on the ,sabbath4 ,by ,t4 ,b4 ,brown4 #aj cts4 ,,the ,,seven ,,trumpets2 an ,exposition of ,rev4 #h and #i4 #aj cts4 ,,the ,,date ,,of ,,the ,,seventy ,,weeks ,,of ,,dan4 #i established4 ,by ,j4 ,n4 ,andrews4 #aj cts4 ,,the ,,truth ,,found2 the ,nature and ,obligation of the ,sabbath of the ,fourth ,commandment4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,waggoner4 #aj cts4 ,,vindication ,,of ,,the ,,true ,,sabbath4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,morton4 #aj cts4 ,,sunday ,,seventh-,,day ,,examined4 ,a ,refutation of the ,teachings of ,mede1 ,jennings1 ,akers1 and ,fuller4 ,by ,j4 ,n4 ,andrews4 #aj cts4 ,,matthew ,,twenty-,,four2 a full ,exposition of the chapter4 ,by ,james ,white4 #aj cts4 ,,the ,,position ,,and ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,true ,,people ,,of ,,god under the ,third ,angel's ,message4 ,by ,w4 ,h4 ,littlejohn4 #aj cts4 ,,an ,,appeal ,,to ,,the ,,baptists1 from the ,seventh-day ,baptists1 for the ,restoration of the ,bible ,sabbath4 #aj cts4 ,,milton ,,on ,,the ,,state ,,of ,,the ,,dead4 #e cts4 ,,four-,,cent ,,tracts3 ,the ,two ,covenants--,the ,law and the ,gospel--,the ,seventh ,part of ,time--,who ,changed the ,sabbath--,celestial ,railroad--,samuel and the ,witch of ,endor--,the ,ten ,commandments not ,abolished--,address to the ,baptists4 ,,three-,,cent ,,tracts3 ,the ,kingdom--,scripture ,references--,much in ,little--,the ,end of the ,wicked--,infidel ,cavils ,considered--,spiritualism a ,satanic ,delusion--,the ,lost ,time ,question4 ,,two-,,cent ,,tracts3 ,the ,sufferings of ,christ--,seven ,reasons for ,sunday-,keeping ,examined--,sabbath by ,elihu--,the ,rich ,man and ,lazarus--,the ,second ,advent--,definite ,seventh ,day--,argument on ,sabbaton--,clerical ,slander--,departing and ,being with ,christ--,fundamental ,principles of ,s4 ,d4 ,adventists--,the ,millennium4 ,,one-,,cent ,,tracts3 ,appeal on ,immortality--,brief ,thoughts on ,immortality--,thoughts for the ,candid--,sign of the ,day of ,god--,the ,two ,laws--,geology and the ,bible--,the ,perfection of the ,ten ,commandments--,the ,coming of the ,lord--,without ,excuse4 ,,charts3 ,,the ,,prophetic1 ,,and ,,law ,,of ,,god1 ,,charts1 painted and mounted1 such as are used by our preachers1 each #a4ej4 ,the two charts1 on cloth1 unpainted1 by mail1 with key1 without rollers1 #b4ej4 ,the ,way of ,life4 ,this is an ,allegorical ,picture1 showing the way of ,life and ,salvation through ,jesus ,christ from ,paradise ,lost to ,paradise ,restored4 ,by ,eld4 ,m4 ,g4 ,kellogg4 ,the size of this instructive and beautiful picture is #aix#bd inches4 ,price1 post-paid1 #a4jj4 ,works in ,other ,languages4 ,the ,association also publishes the ,advent ,tidende1 ,danish monthly1 at #a4jj per year1 and works on some of the above-named subjects in the ,german1 ,french1 ,danish1 and ,holland languages4 ,any of the foregoing works will be sent by mail to any part of the ,united ,states1 post-paid1 on receipt of the prices above stated4 ,a ,full ,catalogue of our various ,publications will be furnished ,,gratis1 on application4 ,address1 ,,review ,,herald1 ,,battle ,,creek1 ,,mich4 ,,periodicals4 ,,the ,,advent ,,review ,,herald ,,of ,,the ,,sabbath1 weekly4 ,this sheet is an earnest exponent of the ,prophecies1 and treats largely upon the ,signs of the ,times1 ,second ,advent of ,christ1 ,harmony of the ,law and the ,gospel1 the ,sabbath of the ,lord1 and1 ,what we ,must do to be ,saved4 ,terms1 #b4jj a year in advance4 ,,the ,,youth',s ,,instructor1 monthly4 ,this is a high-toned1 practical sheet1 devoted to moral and religious instruction1 adapted to the wants of youth and children4 ,it is the largest and the best youth's paper published in ,america4 ,terms1 #ej cts4 a year1 in advance4 ,,the ,,health ,,reformer4 ,this is a live ,journal1 devoted to an ,exposition of the ,laws of ,human ,life1 and the application of those laws in the ,preservation of ,health1 and the ,treatment of ,disease4 ,the ,reformer will contain1 each issue1 thirty-two pages of reading matter1 from able earnest pens1 devoted to real1 practical life1 to physical1 moral1 and mental improvement4 ,its publishers are determined that it shall be the best ,health ,journal in the land4 ,terms1 #a4jj a year1 in advance4 ,address4 ,,health ,,reformer1 ,battle ,creek1 ,mich4 ,,books ,,from ,,other ,,publishers4 ,,future ,,punishment1 by ,h4 ,h4 ,dobney1 ,baptist minister of ,england4 ,the ,scriptural ,doctrine of ,future ,punishment1 with an ,appendix1 containing the 8,state of the ,dead10 by ,john ,milton1 author of 8,paradise ,lost10 extracted from his 8,treatise on ,christian ,doctrine40 ,this is a very able and critical work4 ,it should be read by every one who is interested in the immortality subject4 ,it is also one of the best works upon the subject to put into the hands of candid ministers1 and other persons of mind4 ,price1 post-paid1 #a4jj4 ,,the ,,voice ,,of ,,the ,,church1 on the ,coming and ,kingdom of the ,redeemer2 or1 a ,history of the ,doctrine of the ,reign of ,christ on ,earth4 ,by ,d4 ,t4 ,taylor4 ,a very valuable work1 highly indorsed on both sides of the ,atlantic4 ,price1 post-paid1 #a4jj4 ,the ,great ,reformation1 by ,martin1 #e ,vols41 #g4jj ,d',aubigne's ,history of the ,reformation1 #e ,vols41 #d4ej ,scripture ,biography1 #d4ej ,cruden's ,concordance1 sheep1 #b4jj 8 0 muslin1 #a4ej ,bible ,dictionary1 sheep1 #b4jj 8 0 muslin1 #a4ej ,cole's ,concordance1 #a4ej ,prince of the ,house of ,david1 #b4jj ,pillar of ,fire1 #b4jj ,throne of ,david1 #b4jj ,the ,court and ,camp of ,david1 #a4ej ,the ,old ,red ,house1 #a4ej ,higher ,christian ,life1 #a4ej ,pilgrim's ,progress1 large type1 #a4be 8 0 small 8 4#fj ,biography of ,george ,whitefield1 #a4be ,history of ,english ,puritans1 #a4be ,story of a ,pocket ,bible1 #a4be ,captain ,russell's ,watchword1 #a4be ,the ,upward ,path1 #a4be ,ellen ,dacre1 #a4be ,the ,brother's ,choice1 #a4ae ,climbing the ,mountain1 #a4ae ,the ,two ,books1 #a4ae ,awakening of ,italy1 #a4jj ,white ,foreigners1 #a4jj ,lady ,huntington1 #a4jj ,young ,man's ,counselor1 #a4jj ,young ,lady's ,counselor1 #a4jj ,paul ,venner1 #a4jj ,among the ,alps1 #a4jj ,poems of ,home ,life1 4#hj ,edith ,somers1 4#hj ,nuts for ,boys to ,crack1 4#hj ,anecdotes for the ,family1 4#ge ,pictorial ,narratives1 4#fj ,bertie's ,birthday ,present1 4#fj ,songs for ,little ,ones1 4#fj ,memoir of ,dr4 ,payson1 4#fj ,mirage of ,life1 4#fj ,huguenots of ,france1 4#ej ,the ,boy ,patriot1 4#ej ,springtime of ,life1 4#ej ,may ,coverly1 4#ej ,glen ,cabin1 4#ej ,the ,old1 ,old ,story1 cloth1 gilt1 4#ej ,poems by ,rebekah ,smith1 4#ej ,charlotte ,elizabeth1 4#dj ,save the ,erring1 4#dj ,blanche ,gamond1 4#dj ,my ,brother ,ben1 4#dj ,hannah's ,path1 4#ce ,star of ,bethlehem1 4#cj ,father's ,letters to a ,daughter1 4#cj ,a more full ,catalogue of books of this nature1 for sale at this ,office1 can be had on application4 ,,health ,,reform ,,publications4 ,good ,health1 and ,how to ,preserve ,it4 ,a brief treatise on the various hygienic agents and conditions which are essential for the preservation of health4 ,just the thing for a person who wishes to learn how to avoid disease4 ,pamphlet1 price1 post paid1 #aj cents4 ,disease and ,drugs4 ,nature and ,cause of ,disease and ,so-called 8,action0 of ,drugs4 ,this is a clear and comprehensive exposition of the nature and true cause of disease1 and also exposes the absurdity and falsity of drug medication4 ,pamphlet4 ,price1 #aj cents4 ,the ,bath3 ,its ,use and ,application4 ,a full description of the various baths employed in the hygienic treatment of disease1 together with the manner of applying them1 and the diseases to which they are severally adapted4 ,pamphlet4 ,price1 post-paid1 #ae cents4 ,hydropathic ,encyclopedia4 ,trall4 ,price1 post-paid1 #d4ej4 ,uterine ,diseases and ,displacements4 ,trall4 ,price1 post-paid1 #c4jj4 ,science of ,human ,life4 ,by ,sylvester ,graham1 ,m4 ,d4 ,price1 post-paid1 #c4jj4 ,domestic ,practice4 ,johnson4 ,price1 post-paid1 #a4ge4 ,hand ,book of ,health--,physiology and ,hygiene4 ,price1 post-paid1 #ge cents2 paper cover1 #dj cents ,water ,cure in ,chronic ,diseases4 ,by ,j4 ,m4 ,gully1 ,m4 ,d4 ,price1 post-paid1 #a4ge4 ,cure of ,consumption4 ,dr4 ,work4 ,price1 post-paid4 #cj cents4 ,the ,hygienic ,system4 ,by ,r4 ,t4 ,trall1 ,m4 ,d4 ,recently published at the ,office of the ,,health ,,reformer4 ,it is just the work for the time1 and should be read by the million4 ,price1 post-paid1 #ae cents4 ,the ,health and ,diseases of ,women4 ,by ,r4 ,t4 ,trall1 ,m4 ,d4 ,a work of great value4 ,price1 post-paid1 #ae cents4 ,tobacco-,using4 ,a philosophical exposition of the ,effects of ,tobacco on the ,human ,system4 ,by ,r4 ,t4 ,trall1 ,m4 ,d4 ,price1 post-paid1 #ae cents4 ,valuable ,pamphlet4 ,containing three of the most important of ,graham's twenty-five ,lectures on the ,science of ,human ,life--eighth1 the ,organs and their ,uses2 thirteenth1 ,man's ,physical ,nature and the ,structure of ,his ,teeth2 fourteenth1 the ,dietetic ,character of ,man4 ,price1 post-paid4 #ce cts4 ,address1 ,health ,reformer1 ,battle ,creek1 ,mich4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected4 ,typographical errors were silently corrected4 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book4 ,text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores 7italics74 ,footnotes have been moved to follow the sections in which they are referenced4