, 1876-01-22
THE MOSAIC LAW.

To ths Editor af Tie Ch1eado 7+tbuns:
OAR PARK, Jan. 20.-I como once moro to
solicit another opportunity to say little moro
on the Sabbath question. In tho prevlouB ar
lice could only outline the subject OF present
q nero SKELETON. In this articlo wiah to sup-
plv, 80 far as can, what was wanting Ia tho
other. At pteeent lave three pof,ts to make
and II succeed, a. I trust shall. multitude
Of Incidental questions will bo answered, or will
ans wor themselves. or will not bo north asking.
These points Ars: FIRST. That the sabosth law,
rs rulo OF conduct. did not have lis
origin nt tho cIoso Of creation. "a affirmed
by tho Sabbath advocates. Second. That
tho who'e Mosaic code.' tho dech'oEno
Included. uas 9iTao as positive law, to tho Jews,
aud to thom only; aud wns not imposed IN the
form Of laws OIL any other people OF nation. In
slort, tha. the Mosaic LAW WAS givou to tho
Jowe, and was mot, In d legal uonse. u positive
enactment, binding on any Goutilc Third.
Tint tho Sabbath law Was ceremonial, not moral.
in tho ptopos sense.
admit in common with tho friends OF the
| Sabbath, that God blesscd tho seventh day and
haIowod it. They clam that thts act OF God
| instituted tho Sabbath, aud thnt 1t las ever
! since been law hlulinx ou mauaiud. have
| already stated that what God did and said
during creation sud 1t ita c!oao, in relation
to the sevunlI day. vaa not. 10 far as VIC
| know or havs any good Eoason 10 bsltove,
made matter Of record for nearly 500 yoass
after it's occuTronoe and henco could not be
binding on the oondnos Of men. Tiny could not
| bo in nnv senso bound BY Law Of which they
know nothing nor could they follow an example
| OF which thoy had never hoard. Thoae who as
| asEt that tho Sabbath has been In being evoF
sinca creation ~ binding institution, obligatory
GU aii men, must sEther accept th!s statement or
raviso thoir Interpretation OF tho origin OF The
pcntAsoucl ~ = rhetorical recerd. Ny lmPtes.
| eion IL, thcy had better lot the authorship aud
origin of tho Pentateucn remain uhare they are,
and let their Sabbath theory 60 by tho boald.
4 But / have no choice which eiuc thoy taks. II
the origin Of tho pentateuch remains, their Sab
bath theory comes TO an nnt'ucly end 4 thoy
Abandon tho accepted opinions about tbs penta.
touch, they are out on shorelosa ocean or
conjecture, and IN tnlntnsnt pcrll OF sh'pWreck.
but suppose II wero truo that from tho tinae
tho oyeni occurred Adam and his postsrty knew
what God did during creation, and Uhas Ho said
Of these things ~ matters OF fact In tho conduct
at God make tho Sabbath legally or morally
binding OH mankind? Who Anlong tho votasiea
OF tho Sabbath will E1sx ha reputation BY SAY
ing yce? Docs tho mere fact that Tod docs Of
says thing create ~ oncs au obligation ou the
part OF man TO initiate 1t Ia His conduct? To
make eaah AftirnAtons would be 80 palpAb!y
sbsuEd ehst will waste no time on II, Whou
not till then, o1csptiu matters essentially moral
does moral obligation commopce. ltut it II
enough to say that the record ID eilont ~ tbs
grAvo on the hubjeot. It Is rot stated nor ever
b!nted at iu the most remote nnuner. either tha
uod ttnr oeed law Of Sabbath observance o.
mantInd. Or that the world rsooRntzad OF acto.
on such Law, 1hero Ia not word. or whisper
! or intlmntion OF = SAbbAtn laW being BIVon Il
tins Of ita Institution as recorded in Exodus
| slxtecnsh chAptor. In ono fcslnet hhFo All:
that, TOO, legltlrna.e1y. decided adrantaRe owe
my opponsnss IN thie part Of tho discussion
have the stonco OF the record IN mJ favor. aot
does not slate Of tho conduct OF God II
ds'a''os o9 @b.s % !! 0' dos. &''s not '"s .rm .
having occurred. did uot occus. In other words
tho .'tenos ls proper ground for negative pro
sumption, but 1t aAa neyor bo presumed, as
basis Of arguuGps. that what Ia not statnd dir
occur or was : fact. Wo ma5 Rueas. infer: I'm
ague, conjecture. and even honestly bsltere
that anJthtnF not stated in tho record IL true
but We can mover iu tho oouoluson rise abov
tho premises. II shoy bo conjecture or guess
so muat oc tho coneinsion. aad our .rgupen
ends Just whore. it began. Those. therefore
who at,rm that ths Sabbath hsa existed eve
siuco creation nust point 70 absolute commau
Or general observance. or Rige up the assertion
They hAys no legitimate claim to assune gu:
side Of ths record. Wtou they Po'nt to \ hsh
bath Iau suio.ned or ooaerved bofose the tim
| OF Aloses l will drop the controssssy; But I
thsy cxuuot do this they ars bound bv c1er
pEnu,p!e OF fair fsaBoutHg to stknoW!edRa thA
tho idss Of = Sabbath law or hhbblth ootstf
auce, before tho time Of ita Institution amou
the Issaelltes 10 the wilderness. Ia but iEtnsu
, OF The IMAGINATION. l think 1t IL safe TO atlzr
that even Talmags could not show such ntat
Of facts to hays a1ia1oi; aud. II they cannot b
sho IN. am eutltltt 70 Tho conclusion tLat. be
j fors No4os. no Sabbath was known OF obsesrer
"Thus ouleth The tirat loBson."
Thu usxs question in otdor H., To whom, wa
the Mosaic law aud thu Sabbath E!von9 70 !
mankind, or only to the JexB7 snsuar en-
i phaticay. to tho Jews only. Hers SCALA hay
ths advantage Of tho nagatiye assumptlon. Thor
Is not : slu8la Gtltemank hiutiog or iutmAtin
1 49, 2skt la nAA ft. kpi