San Andreas independent., 1858-07-24


that there is nothing in the Old or New
Testament that by any ingenuity of con-
struction, can be shown, to be obligatory
upon even professors of Christianity to
keep the seuenth, the first or any other
day in the week, separate; for that Is
the true meaning of the word, rendered
"holy" by King James Translators. l
submit that there is no constitutional
power in the Legislature of this State to
pass laws recognizing the validity of
church tradition, or intended, however
remotely, to enforce an ecclesiastical or
dinance, or a sectarian observance. L
contend with Melancthon that "The
scripture admits that the observance of
Sabbath is now left to our own choice"
that +" The scripture has aJrogated the
sabbath" l believe with Luther, who
in his "Larger Catechism" declares that
I" External observance of the Sabbath
does not belong to Christians" affirm
after Calvin in his i" Institutes" that the
" Sabbath is abrogated," and that "Chris-
tians ought to depart from all supersti-
tious observance of the days" | contend
simply that every man has a right to
+" keep" Saturday or Sunday, or any other
day, in any peaceful manner he thinks
proper; and to worship God in such mode
and at such times and places as his con-
science and inclination suggest; whether
it be in the green fields or the woods,
amid the works of nature, Chat observes
no Sabbath, or in the pew of fashiona-
BILE church, amid the rustling of silks,
and the incense of Partisan perfumery.
But the very liberty that comedies this
right to all, forbids to any the arbitrary
power to enforce their peculiar mode OF
observance upon others. =
The derivation of the word affords the
best evidence of the origin of the insti-
ton. A learned philologist and antigua
rian has thus described it:
''The Hebrew seuen, written Saba or
.Shaba, and by modern Jews Shebang,
signifies also old age. Sabbath, which
we translate by the word Z" rest, " also means
old age and "grey headed" and is doubt
less derived from the same root. In the
Egyptian Coptic it signifed erudition:-
.SaJe in Coptic is a Sage. The Druidi-
cal priests were called ,Sabs-Sabeanism
was the religion they taught. The Celtic
SABBATH was the day on which the Saba
assembled, whence the term Sabbat, an
assembly; in modern history name con-
fined to the nocturnal assemblies of witches
and sorcerers.
"The Saba day was then, the day on
which the "grey headed men" or Gagged
fathers" of tribe were in the habit of
assembling for council or sacrifice The
intervals of their meetings, if hebdoma-
dal-and they would necessarily be SO
from the observance of the lunar festivals
of India-would be Sa6a-day periods.
Saba therefore became a term of compu-
tation, standing for the numeral seven
just in the same way as the moon became
identified with the period of lunation,
which we still call "moon" or month"
The public business transacted, and the
religious solemnities observed on the Saba
day, caused that day to be regarded as
more important than others, and necessa-
rily gave to the number Saba, or seven, a
marked significance, which made it an APP
propriate name for anything that was per-
feet or complete; afterwards, with the
assistance of astrological priests, it grew
into fortunate" number, and sacred
number.
"These Saba days or septenary lunar
festivals of India, Chaldea and Egypt,
were holidays; that is, they were days on
which less work was performed than on
other days, because all customary labor
was then interrupted by the convocations
held for religious or general objects; and
the celebration of ancient religious rites
when not connected with funeral ceremo-
nies, were more frequently than other
wise occasions of rejoicing Hence the
word Saba or Sabbath acquired secon-
dary Specification, as not only seventh
day but day of rest-a day to cease la
Dor or to leave off work-but not, accord
ing to Parkhurst's "Lexicon' a day of
repose, in the sense of rest from weari-
ness. The word holiday is therefore the
proper English equivalent for the Hebrew
term"