The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-12-08

well-being demands a civil Sabbath law and In
a christian civilization, a civil Sabbath law, though
not enacted on religious grounds, will yet unaVoid-
ably. not be in antagonism TO the christian sacred
ness Of the Lords day. Lux.
TO the Editor Of The Pacific Commercial Advertiser
sR:-I closed my communication in the last weeks
ADVERTISER with the words "here il a reputation
Of all church authority l proceed: Christ and
Paul do homage to the human intellect, and to
human conscience, and both are allowed their lber-
ty, the one 10 believe in view Of oil the evidence be-
fore the mind, aud the other to do as IL feels It ought
in the circumstances. In Christ and Paul there 10
no brow-beating, and yet churcbmen. and govern
ments. and legislatures held in the leash by church
men dare against the rights Of individuals and Chris
tan liberty TO impose creeds and obsolete laws by
fines and Imprisonment.
Paul and the primitive church constantly were In
tent on making a clean cut between Judaism and
Christianity. Regarded as a holy day, Judaism gave
one day in seven, but Christianity gives seven Sab
baths in the week, for now every day is a Sabbath
no day too p%rofsne to do n truly religious act, and
no day too holy to do a good one.
When in the fifteenth century q fresh morning
glory of learning and truth shone upon the dark
night Of superstition and priestcraft, oil the reform
ers without a single exception, took the view Of the
Sabbath as taught, aud illustrated by Christ and
Paul.
Tyndal, the reformer and martyr. says, We be
lords Of the Sabbath, and may change IL into Mon
day or any other day, as we see need; or we make
two every week If it were eKpedient, and one no
enough to teach the people. Neither was there any
cause to change from the Saturday, except TO put
difference between us and the Jews, and lest we
should become servants unto the day after their
superstition. Neither need we any holy day At all,
if the people might be taught without IT," Calvin
in his institutes a" snys, " lie Christi is the full
fllment Of the Sabbath. This is kept, not by one
day, but by the whole course Of our life,' etc. And
more than that, let me tell you uncircumcised disci-
pies Of the law Of Moses, that would so readily take
n hand in stoning any one who picks up sticks on
Sunday or takes a drive, that Calvin after church
service, which he held at an early hour and only one
service, would join the people in playing at bowls.
and shooting, and other games Of recreation and
amusement. Yes, even Calvin, the austere reformer.
did thaw out. and sweetened up when the Sabbath
came, and, good lord, here in Honolulu in the nine
tenth century, people are liable to be arrested, fined
or imprisoned for going in n boat on the sen TO
breathe the fresh and balmy mir with which n kind
God scents another day Of human life Such il
Christianity on the Sandwich Islands
Luther, the prince Of ~reformers, says, "As regards
the Sabbath or Sunday. there is no necessity Of keep
ing it. but If we do, it ought to be. not on account OF
Moses commandment, but because nature teaches US
from time to time to take n day Of rest"
Melancthon says, "There exist monstrous dispu-
tations teaching the change Of the Sabbath, which
have sprung up from the false persuasion that a wor-
ship like the Levitical was needful in the church.
They who think that by the authority Of the church
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stead Of the Sabbath. as II it was necessary, are
greatly deceived"
The learned Grotius, commenting on the fourth
commandment, says, " These things refute those who
suppose that the first day Of the week, that 10 the
Lords day, was substituted in place Of the Sabbath;
for no mention is ever made Of such n thing, either
by Christ or the apostles, 4" etc.
Milton, Neander, Barrow, Psley, DIR. Gil, Bishop
warburton, Archbishop whately, all those truly
learned men and true Christians. and disciples Of
their Master, declare one and the same doctrine.
Honest old Bunyan, the author Of Pilgrims Progress
quantity makes the remark, Nor hath the apostle,
one would think, left any hole out at which mems
innovations could get; but man has sought ont many,
and 70 many will he use" Yea verify
The Hatuaiidn GGzeie in criticising my former
letter says " we have but little respect for this gem
tlemanis logic and differ radically from some Of his
conclusions" In answer ! would only say that 1
from the first had not the least idea that MelancthOn,
Grotius, Luther and all the above mentioned lights
could be on a par in their logic and conclusions with
the editor Of the HGUaiidR Gazetfe. The Friend
in the article ga higher law " 20 perfectly exempli-
fes BuDyan's above cited remark Of having found
"a hole out at which mems innovations could get
out, yea verify - the very watchword which the pro-
fessedly humble servants Of q glorious Master have
from olden times used 10 improve their Masters
teaching and correct Gods own doings. "a higher
law just 20, the very thing that, although the
New Testament and all the glorious old reiormors.
are 90 very clear on the subject Of the Sabbath,
nevertheless made the church go 30 far astray. IL
was that same - higher law which now appears 10
King Kalakaua and the authorities, and clipped on
the head Of King Charles In England, in those dark
days when Puritanism was rampant, and was intent
on erecting q new theocracy upon the ruins Of Juda
ism in the fair realms Of England. IL was the
4" higher law that In the love Of the Old Testament
disregardedI the teachings Of Christ and Paul and
The grand old reformers. IL was their same - higher
law I" that had taken possession OF the assembly Of
divines, envoked by the Puritan Parliament, 10 settle
the religion Of the realm, that produced in the con-
feEsion Of faith, in 1913 at Westminster, chapter 81,
section 7, the following great falsebood and unblusb-
ing lie against Christ and bis word "As II IN Of
the law Of nature, that, 10 general, o due proportion
Of time be set apart for the worship Of God. 10 In His
Word, by a positive, moral and perpetual command
ment, binding all men In all ages, he has p%artiou-
larly appointed one day IN seven for o Sabbath, 10
be kept holy unto him which from the beginning
Of The world TO the resurrection Of Christ, was
changed into the first day Of the week, which la
Scripture is called the Lords day, and IL TO be con-
tinued 10 the end Of The world as the Christian Sab
bath" In the answer 60, in the shorter catochism
20 the question How IL the Sabbath 10 be sanoti-
fed p IL is declared The Sabbath 10 10 be sancti-
fed by a holy resting all that day. even from such
worldly employments and recreations as are lawful
on other days and spending the whole time in the
public and private exercises Of God-wOrship, except
80 much as Is to DO taken up In the works Of Necessity
and mercy"
Aud this bold beresy Of the Z" saDctity Of the Sab
bath - this great ~falsebood, which unlike any other
heresy in the world, has not one syllable, not one
iota Of evidence in the whole New Testament, IL
Taked and ~ploughed into the children's souls by
church and school. while the church and school
know, il they do know anything Of what they ought
to know, that il IL a falsehOod. The Friend talks
about the hoodlum element" Compel your chill
dren by whip, according 10 question 90 Of the
. shorter catechism " TO spend the whole Sunday In
public and private God-wOrship, and nine out Of ten
will ia their after lives avoid the church door and
become the very "hoodlum element" from which
a higher law" would RLye them. BY COMMON
consent the Christian Churches have chosen Sunday
az q day Of worship and teaching Of the people. Let
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