SABBATH OBSERVANCE.

Southland Times, Issue 20524, 28 June 1928, Page 3

SABBATH OBSERVANCE.

To the Editor.

Sir, —Your readers, I believe, have not forgotten the real point at issue notwithstanding Mr Sampson’s persistent endeavours to evade it. If, as he says, the observance of the seventh day is one of the direct fruits of Seventh Day Adventism, I am glad to say it must be a good tree; for it was planted by God in Eden, and moreover, Jehovah later, in thunder tones from Sinai’s heights proclaimed “the seventh day ‘is’ the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,” then inscribed it on enduring stone. Was this Adventism? If Mr Sampson will produce such satisfactory Scriptural evidence for Sunday observance, I am sure it would greatly relieve the minds of a great number of conscientious people to-day. But to seek to divert the discussion to Seventh Day Adventism, because they keep the seventh day is no more justifiable than to discuss the Jews, or the millions of Abyssinia, or the Seventh Day Baptists simply because they do observe the seventh day. If all other denominations decided to observe Monday, that could not alter what the Scriptures teach regarding true Sabbath observance. What your readers want to know\ myself included, is which day does the Bible claim to be the true Sabbath? It would greatly enhance the value of this discussion if this point is adhered to. To proceed, I would say I do not propose to limit my reply to any one book of the Bible I believe and accept the whole. Any statement proven by one cannot be refuted by another. As I have already proved that the Scriptures taken as a whole recognise only one Church body, composed of all who exercised faith *in Christ. There is no occasion to labour the point further until Mr Sampson can produce chapter and verse for the claim that the saints of old, w’ho died believing in the promised Redeemer, are not included in the true Church comprising the Apostles and prophets and all faithful, and that the Scriptures teach numerous dispensations as claimed in a former letter.

There is no occasion to struggle with the Greek over such a simple expression as found in Ephesians 111, 5, for it expressly declares that in former ages it was .not made known to the sons of men “as” it is now revealed showing very clearly that the former ages had not received light to the flegree that Paul, who had a special revelation, had received it. Further to amplify this fact he explains in the next

verse, one phase of the Gospel not before understood, “how that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body” (or church) which goes further to prove that there is only one body, which includes all nationalities. Peter’s expression that the phophets testified “beforehand” of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow; that they inquired and searched diligently “this salvation,” I Peter, I, 10-11 demonstrates that they knew something of the Gospel of salvation. Therefore there is full justification for the belief in a common salvation; justification by faith in Christ. I am, etc., J. PASCOE.