The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-16
fFor the Dispatch.I


A Jewish Clergyman on the Sabbath.
"And God had finished on the seventh
day his work which he had made, and he
rested on the seventh day from all his work
which he had made. And God blessed the
seventh day and sanctifed it."-Gen. IL, 2. 3.
God sanctifed the Seuenth and no other day.
The Hebrew language, in which this was
written, has no names for the days OF the
week. Then the fourth OF the ten words
commands: 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 in honour Of the Lord thy sod.
Ey. XX., s. 8, 10. Remember that Sabbath
day on which / rested after l had created
everything, and which / sanctitied.' We
are commanded by this commandment to
keep that day holy; not TO do any manner
OF work or any kind of business on this day,
but as the Talmud teaches, one half OF this
day be devoted to the service OF God and
the other half to rest and recreation; to
work six days out OF seven and not to be
idle; that every one-the children, the SER
wants, and the stranger, he may be hea-
then-must keep the Sabbath day; the cat
tie must also have rest.
The Jews kept this seventh day OF the
week always holy rs the Sabbath. They
strictly abstained from all manner OF work.
How far this observance was carried in
time OF war, during the first temple, we
have no rheans OF knowing. But during
the second temple and until the time the
Maccabces rose against Antiochus Epiph-
ancs, the observance has been so rigid that
the Jews would not even attempt to defend
their own lives if attacked on the Sabbath.
Accordingly it is said that Ptolemy stormed
and took Jerusalem on Sabbath, and it is
certain that AntiochuS caused @ general mas
sacre OF the inhabitants OF that city to be un-
dertaken on Sabbath; but in neither case
was any opposition or resistance offered by
the Jews. Mattathias, the father Of the Mac
cabees, alarmed by the ruinons effect OF this
over-ri2id observance, had directed his at
tcntion to the text in Lev. IS, 8. which de-
clares Of the observance OF The law that
" man shall do them, that he may live by
them," but not that he was to perish by
| them; and in consequence OF this lnterpre-
tation it was declared lawful for Jew to
defend his life if attacked on Sabbath.
| This maxim has been generally acted upon
| by Judah when he defeated Necanor, by
Jonathan in his campaign against Bacchldes,
and on other occasions. The Talmud and
| the rabbis at all times established the gene
raj rule that the preservation OF human life
and the welfare of the country Supersede
the observance OF tue Sabbath. :.
So the Sabbath was kept on the seventh
day of the week, and the founder OF the
Christian religion made no alteration, say
ing Il do not come to pull down, but to
build up" But in the year IA Pope Plus
ordered that Easter must be celebrated on
| the full moons day after the first day OF the
spring. Pope Victor, in the year 191, issued
an cdict directing that Easter shall never be
celebrated on the same day the Jews cele.
brate their Passover feast. This usurplns
command OF the Pope caused great indigna-
ton and much schism among the cardinals
and bishops, and IN consequence OF it in Ec-
clesiastica Council was calledto meet on the
10Th OF June, 325, at Nice, where 3lS bishops
were present, who, on this occasion, re-
solved permanently on all the pending ques-
tions on account OF the Christian feast and
holy days.
Until this time the Christians celebrated
the Sabbath On the seventh day 81 the
| week, like the Jews, abstaining from all
work and business, as the Jews did. But
at this Ecclesiastical Council at Nice, 325 a.
! c., it was resolved that the Sabbath shall
not be celebrated any more on Saturday,
the seventh day Of the week, but the Sab
bath shall be kept on Sunday, the first day
Of the week. NJ. j. NJ.
| RICHMOND. ...- .-.