The Constitutional Amendment: or, The Sunday, the Sabbath, the Change, and Restitution: A discussion between W. H. Littlejohn, Seventh-day Adventist, and the editor of the Christian StatesmanLittlejohn, Wolcott H.
Religion
The Constitutional Amendment: or, The Sunday, the Sabbath, the Change, and Restitution: A discussion between W. H. Littlejohn, Seventh-day Adventist, and the editor of the Christian Statesman
Littlejohn, Wolcott H.
Sabbath; Seventh-Day Adventists -- Doctrinal and controversial works; Sunday; Sunday legislation -- United States
With the exposition offered of the words, “I was in the Spirit on the
Lord’s day,” Rev. 1:10, we shall make short work. What we have
previously said on that passage is not sufficiently disturbed to warrant
extended remark. Be it remembered, then, that, as said above, the
passage proves that God has a day in this dispensation. At this point
commences our divergence. We say that the term, “Lord’s day,” refers to
the seventh-day Sabbath. The writer says that it refers to the first day
of the week. The declaration that Christ paid no attention to the
seventh-day Sabbath after his resurrection, needs no reply here, except
that he was under no obligation to do so, and there was no good reason
why he should, since he regarded it strictly in his lifetime, and
enjoined it upon his followers. Perhaps, however, it would be well to
add that he at least never did anything after his resurrection which
might be construed into a desecration of it; whereas, in the case of the
only first-day on which it can be _proved_ that he ever met with his
disciples, after his death, be devoted a portion of its hours to travel
on the highway.
To the objection of the writer that, if the term, “Lord’s day,” in the
case before us, does apply to the seventh-day Sabbath, it is strange
that it should have been called in every case but this “the Sabbath,” we
reply that, were this true, this would simply prove a choice in titles,
and implies no disrespect to the day itself, since the term “Sabbath,”
equally with that of “Lord’s day,” was a sacred denomination. Not so,
however, if he be right in the supposition that the term, “Lord’s day,”
applies to the Sunday; for, if he be correct in this, then indeed we
have something which is _passing strange_. For, in all the New
Testament, that which he is pleased to style the “Christian Sabbath,”
and to which, according to his theory, belonged the honorable name of
“Lord’s day,” is not only so called but once; but, being spoken of nine
times by inspired men, it is mentioned eight times out of the nine by
them in an utter disregard of its hallowed nature, in the terms
employed, since it is referred to by its secular name, first day of the
week, in all these instances. The reader will recollect that, in our
positive argument, we showed that the term, “Lord’s day,” was a fitting
one for the last day of the week, provided the term translated “Lord”
was applicable to God, the Father, as well as to Christ, the Son. 1.
Because it was the day which he blessed and sanctified in Eden, thus
claiming it as his own (Gen. 2:3). 2. Because, in the commandment, he
calls it “the Sabbath of the Lord.” 3. Because, in Isa 58:13, 14, he
makes mention of it in the use of the terms, “Sabbath,” “my holy day,”
“the holy of the Lord,” &c.
In addition, 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 God, but these are sufficient.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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