The Sabbath Question.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 203, 31 August 1887, Page 2

The Sabbath Question.

(To the Editor.)

Sib,—" All Christians rest on the first day. an act not enjoined by any commandment in the Bible." Mr Charles Clayton is correct in that statement. There is no Bible authority for the change ; but there is an authority which is antecedent to the Bible —namely, " the Church, which is the pillar and ground of truth." It is indeed strange that Protestants, who pride themselves in having the Bible—and nothing but the Bible—for their guidance, should be led by the Catholic Church so long. It is time for another reformation to shake off this last symbol of " Popery." Of course, the Seventh Day Baptists do not require it.—l am, etc.,

J. J. Crofts.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—With regard to Mr Charles Clayton's very interesting remarks on this subject, I beg to state : (1) That the New Testament sets forth Christ as the Israelites' exemplar par excellence ; (2) that Christ himself says, "I come not to destroy but to fulfil the law;" (3) that He showed Himself perfectly satisfied with the Seventh Day observance by remarking, " The Sabbath was made for man," &c; (4) that (Mark 1 chap. 21 verse, 2 chap. 27 verse, 3 chap. 4 verse, 6 chap. 2 verse) He showed His filial obedience to God's commands in the Decalogue by using the Seventh Day for synagogic teaching and preaching instead of taking out, as -it were, the "corner stone" of the Mosaic Law, by arbitrarily instituting a fresh Sabbath ; (5) that Christ supported the young man with great) possessions in his perfect keeping of tho two fundamental divisions of the Decalogue from his " youth up," i.e., as to his duty to God, and as to that to his neighbour) (6) that not on the Sabbath did Mary and others visit the sepulchre. Now, sir, first we have Christ's own example as to keeping tho seventh day holy ; secondly he made no innovation or reform as to the letter, but the spirit, of the then religion ; for he agreed to pay dues to Cfflsar; being pure in soul he submitted to baptismal rites; again, "he was obedient unto death." But now, sir, lam going to be arch. Would your readers be surprised to know that when haughty, artful Rome collided with the obstinate Goths, Magioges and other obstinabe Northerners, she could only convert the Pagans (in a sort, for the Scandinavians would not appear to " knuckle down " without great giants of territory or the best robes at baptism, etc.,) by giving in to their persistent usage of the sun's daeg as the Sabbath ? However, they who sang in their Litany " From the Northmen deliver us, O Lord!" were fain to meet such doughty opponents half - way, and the intense Romish hatred towards the Jew made the hierarchy only the more willing to concede this "sop in the pan." Thus, the change from the seventh to the first day may be easily explained. Adroitly did the Italians work round the simplicity and superstition of our hyperborean forefathers. Faith (of a sort) did, indeed, remove a mountain of offence ; and having, with all willingness, " set the ball a-rolling," the cunning of the priesthood to deflect from its quarrelsome bent the mighty hosb that foreboded them nothing bub danger and overthrow, managed at length, to embroil it and its veterans in those manifold and wondrous Asiatic expeditions yclept crusades.—l am, etc., L Fewstkr