The Sabbath

and the Lord's Day

The Law

  This they regard as one of their clearest proofs of the two laws. But where is the proof? Does it follow that if the law is perfect it will or can make sinners perfect? If it could, then, as Paul says, "righteousness should be by the law" (Gal. 3:21). And "then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal. 2:21). The law itself could be perfect, and yet fail to make anybody perfect. However, we believe that Ps. 19:7 is pointing forward to the "truth which came by Christ," the new testament, "the law of Christ." David's Psalms are full of sparkling prophecies of the accomplishments of the gospel. So there is no proof of two laws in the Old Testament, after all.

  "3. Moral: Contains the whole duty of man (Eccl. 12:13). Ceremonial: 'Stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances' (Heb. 9:10)."

  This is fallacious. There is not a particle of evidence that Eccl. 12:13 refers alone to the Decalog. It manifestly embraces all God's commandments on all subjects. There are scores of duties we owe to God and men not even hinted at in the Decalog. Heb. 9:10 refers only to the service of the priests in the temple, which service "stood only in meats and drinks," etc. Here they fail again. Their "two laws" are made out: 1. By pure assumptions. 2. By misapplications of Scripture. 3. By detached phrases here and there taken out of their proper connections. This is "scrapping."

  But they assert that such opposite things are said of "the law" that it cannot be the same law all the time. To this we reply: Particular expressions about the law were spoken from widely different standpoints. To apply the Adventists' rule on other Bible subjects would certainly make bad work. Paul said he was "a Jew" (Acts 21:39), and again that he was "a Roman" (Acts 22:25). The Adventist argument for two laws would prove that there were two Pauls. So Christ is "a Lion" and "a Lamb" (Rev. 5:5, 6); "the everlasting Father" (Isa. 9:6), and "born of a woman" (Luke 2:7); "Prince of Life" (Acts 3:15), yet died through weakness (2 Cor. 13:4); "a child" (Isa. 9:6), and yet God (Heb. 1:1 8). Came to bring "peace on earth" (Luke 2:9 14), yet "not peace on earth, but rather division" (Luke 12:51). Two Christs. If Adventist [59] arguments are sound, there must of necessity be two Christs. It would be much harder to reconcile the apparently opposite things said of Christ, than it would be the different things said about the law. There were different sides to Christ's nature, yet he was but one person. So there were different sides to the law, but it was only one law. Viewed in the light of its ultimate design, viz., to prepare the way for Christ, Rom. 10:4; Gal. 3:23 25; in its spirit, Rom. 7:6; in its righteousness, Rom. 8:3, 4— it was "holy and just and good" (Rom. 7:12). But viewed from the side of its mere letter, Rom. 2:29; 7:6; 2 Cor. 3:6, 7; its numerous rites, ceremonies, penalties, and rigorous exactions—it was "the ministration of death" (2 Cor. 3:7), and a "yoke of bondage" (Gal. 5:1 3; Acts 15:1 10). Yet it was all one law, simply "the law."

  The book of the law contained the Decalog. The Decalog contained moral precepts and ceremonies. The weekly Sabbath was the chief ceremonial of all the Jewish worship (see chap. 3). The Decalog was partly moral and partly ceremonial. So the book of the law was partly ceremonial, and yet contained scores of moral precepts.

  Proposition 3. The Ten Commandments alone are never called "the law of the Lord" nor "the law of God."

  Sabbatarians constantly use these two terms, applying them to the Decalog alone. They are the only ones who keep God's law, as all others break the Sabbath, the seventh day. But now notice this fact: The word "law" occurs in the Bible over four hundred times, yet in not one single instance is the Decalog as a whole and alone called the law. It is never in a single instance called "the law of the Lord," or "the law of God." Of course, the Ten Commandments are a part of the law of God, but only a part, not the whole. Examine a few texts: Luke 2:22, "The days of her purification according to the law of Moses"; verse 23, "It is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb"; verse 24, it is "said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle doves"; verse 27, "To do for him after the custom of the law." Here "the law," "the law of the Lord," and "the law of Moses," all mean the same thing, viz.: the law touching the birth of a son. [60]

  Again, sacrifices, offerings, sabbaths, new moons, and feasts are all required "in the law of the Lord" (see 2 Cor. 31:3). Scores of texts like this could be cited, where "the law of the Lord" includes sacrifices, circumcision, feast days, and all the Jewish law. So the law of God is not simply the Decalog, but the whole law of Moses. In Neh. 8:1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 14, 18, they read "in the book of l the law of Moses," "the law," "the book of the law," "in the book of the law of God," "the law which the Lord commanded by Moses," "the law of God." The law of God, then, included the whole law of Moses.

  No Sabbatarian, therefore, keeps "the law," "the law of God," or "the law of the Lord"; for if he did he would offer sacrifices, be circumcised, and live exactly like the Jews. So all their talk about "keeping the law" amounts to nothing, for none of them do it. In their at tempt to keep a part of that law they thereby bring them selves under obligations to "keep the whole law," as Paul argues in Gal. 5:3. But as none of them keep the whole law, they bring themselves under the curse of the law, by constantly violating one part while attempting to keep another. This is the very point that Paul made against Judaizing legalists of his day (see Gal. 3:10). The person who keeps one precept of the law just because the law says so, thereby acknowledges that the law is binding on him. Then if he neglects some other part of the law, e thereby becomes a transgressor of the very law he professes to keep. This is exactly what Sabbatarians do. They keep the Sabbath because the law says so and thereby become "debtors to do the whole law" (Gal. 5:3). Then they neglect many things in the same law, and so are under the condemnation of the law (Gal. 3:10). But we "are dead to the law," "not under the law," "but under grace"—the New Testament.

  Proposition 4. "The law" was given by Moses and the law of Moses" includes the Decalog.

  Not that Moses was the author of it, but it was through him God gave it to Israel. This is stated so distinctly and 10 many times that it is useless to deny it. "The law was given by Moses" (John 1:17). "Did not Moses give you the law?" (John 7:19). "The law which the Lord had [61]

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