A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE SABBATH.
By Mrs E. M. Peebles
[Mrs E. M. Peebles, in World-Herald, Omaha, Neb.] Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter. . . . For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Ex. 20 : 8–11. Thus reads God’s Sabbath law, and He has never repealed it. There are in progress in the world at the present time two movements aiming at a reformation in the observance of the “Sabbath.” One of these depends for its success upon the enforcement of laws by which all shall be compelled to observe a day, while the other could not if it would call to its aid the arm of civil power. It depends wholly upon the spiritual power of divine truth drawn from Scripture. Both are making progress, but the latter is in principle a direct contradiction to the other. With the vast preponderance of numbers, influence, and wealth on its side, the movement for a stricter observance of Sunday, claims that legislation and prosecution are necessary; while that for the observance of the Bible Sabbath asserts that legislation instead of being a help is a positive and formidable hindrance, and proceeds independently without it. It proceeds in spite of it, and of every obstacle which naturally lies in the pathway of that which is unpopular; and, contrary to common belief and custom, thus demonstrates that true Sabbath reform depends upon an enlightened conscience rather than upon State legislation. If a movement which has neither wealth, numbers, social influence, or popular custom to back it, but must move against all these, can do so without the aid of legislation, why can not a movement which has all these in its favor proceed without it? Certainly it is because it is lacking in some vital point, and it has some inherent weakness that is fatal to its life. The movement which calls people to observe the Bible Sabbath is unpopular. It calls upon men even as did Christ, who was its Author, to give up money, position, social standing, and worldly honor; but it promises also, as did Christ of old, spiritual rest and blessing, as many texts which might be cited abundantly prove. The difference between the two rival Sabbaths lies in the fact that the Sunday institution, even tho it be hoary with age, is based entirely, as its name indicates, upon ancient sun-worship, being perpetuated by the Roman power, yet never donning the Christian garb until several centuries after Christ was on earth. It comes to us by tradition, not by a thus saith the Lord. Even its adherents are unanimously compelled to acknowledge this, while the Sabbath of the fourth commandment has for its author no other than the Almighty Himself, who spoke it from the fire-mantled and shaking mountain of Sinai with an audible voice. But this was not enough. He wrote it with His own finger upon tables of stone, the fourth commandment being placed in the bosom of the law thus written, and being the only one in which God’s name is given as Creator. This is the only specimen man has had of God’s handwriting, and Jesus said that not a jot or tittle should pass while heaven and earth remain. It must therefore still be in force, altho so entirely disregarded.