The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-22
THE HEBREW SABBATH.

THE HEBREW SABBATH.
To THE EDITOR: Attention b.. hcsr ..uaa
20 an editorial in last Sundays edition of your
psper-an article which contains some misiead.
ing statements and Misrepresentation of the
position OF the Lutheran church on the SUNDAY
question As have been asked 40 to the truth
=. =. nose statements, feel IT my duty to offer
the ioiiowing corrections, not in a controversial
spirit' but in the interest of sober truth
Inc above mentioned article. headed 1.-THE
American Sunday" says: 1.-THE Jews were di.
fecteo TO make the Sabbath day OF rest and
no. word Is said in either the Old or New Tss-
lament OF making (. day of worship"
IN answer / quote DR.. Gustav +. Oehler q
German scholar:
First-The day was celehrated nv ro.t f,o,r
Aauor. EXODUS xxxtv.:21: Numbers Nv :32)
Second-By special burnt Offering presented
IN the temple in addition to the usual daily of.
ierlng, which was doubled on that day. Num-
Ders xviii ~ In the holy place OF the tempt
tue showbread was renewed. Qeviticus xiv 81
inird-Dcliberate PROCLAMATION OF this day was
punished with death. Exodus XXI. IA; Num-
pers xv :32; Exodus xvi 1920, etc.)
Furthermore, from the New Testament We
may gather some statement concerning the re-
lgious customs of the ancient Jews. In the
hght OF Mark vi O. Luke Nv. 81, Acts xviii. a,
Kill ~, "And the next Sabbath day comes al
most the whole city together to hear the word
OF God" We may safely conclude that the later
Jews largely spent the Sabbath In devotional
exercises
moreover, day OF rest was not enjoined 80
the people should gather animal force for the
following weeks labor, but in order that they
might sanctify their labor and their hearts to
the Lord. The rest was commanded principally
Tor religious purposes. Ezekial Rip; lisa
will :13; lvi. 6-7.)
Now, then, from the above con siderations any
one can easily infer that the Jews wero both d.
rected, and followed such directions, to make
the Sabbath not only day Of rest. but also
DAY OF worship in which they consecrated their
hearts to God with special services.
Again, the editorial says: "When the Reform.
alton caused great secession from the Church
OF Rome, the Lutheran church repeated In the
Augsburg conference OF 1880 the dogma that the
Sunday possessed no divine authority" etc.
First-The Church Of The Reformation was
never secession from the Church of Rome
The unity OF the Christian church does not de-
pend On singleness of ecclesiastical organize
ton or outward succession or the universal OBJ
servance OF the same rights and ceremonies but
upon unalloyed adherence, confession and
teaching OF the pure word OF God as inculcated
by the apostles. Ephesians iv.:5, Zone Lord,
one faith, one baptism" Therefore, that church
which teaches the pure word of God and rightly
administers the sacraments 10 the some, holy
Christian and apostolic church" Now, 1t was
the Church OF Rome that broke this unity by in
Producing false doctrine, and, consequently,
erroneous practices into the church and thus
departed from the faith until the reformers
arose, cleaned out the errors and once more re-
stored the church to the pure faith, thus return
Ing to the unity OF the apostolic church. The
secession OF the South during the late war was
based on departure from the true teaching of
the constitution. The Roman church, there
fore, is the secessionist and not the Church OF
the Reformation.
secondly-The Augsburg Confession teaches
that it 10 not necessary to salvation to observe
the Lords day first day Of the weekly instead OF
the Sabbath Seventh day.. People may, If their
condolences compel them, observe the seventh
day Of the week as holy to the Lord. But the
Confession further teaches:
First-It Is necessary to worship God.
Second-That q certain day must be ap-
pointed.
Third-That as the first day of the week,
called the Lords day." was observed by the
apostles and early Christians. under the guild
ance of the Holy Spiyit it IL best for US to do
the same. 1t is on the basis OF Christian liberty
that the old Sabbath, with the rest of the cere-
monial law, was abrogated and the day of the
Lords resurrection adopted as the proper time
for Christian worship.
The statement of the editor on this point mon
have been correct, but was not generally under
stood SO.
With your indulgence quote little book of
Luther's written for pastors as well children,
and which is well worth the reading. 1t states
the Lutheran position admirably:
Therefore the simple meaning OF the com.
mandment the third is this, viz: Since holi-
days are observed, such observance be devoted
to hearing Gods word; SO that the special EN-.
MI panf NJ lie do ho fhn {pf. fru Nf
word for the young and the mass OF poor peo-
pie; yet that the observance of rest be not so
strictly interpreted as to forbid any other Incl
dental and necessary work.
"To eauctify the Sabbath is the same as to
keep it holy But what is meant by keeping
1t holy? Nothing else than to be occupied in
holy words, works and life. For the day needs
no sanctifcation for itself, for in itself IL has
been created holy. But God desires it to be holy
to thee.
show then does such sanctiication occur?
Not that We sit behind the stove Luther, If
living today, would likely adj reading the SUM-
day newspaper0 and do no rough work or deck
ourselves with a garland and put on our best
clothes, but that we occupy ourselves with
Gods word and exercise ourselves therein.
"Notice that the power and efficacy OF this
commandment consists not in the resting but
In the sarctifying.
Therefore this commandment Is violated not
only py those VINO grossly ABUSE ana uesecrate
the Sabbath, as those who cease to hear Gods
word or lie in taverns and are drunk like
swine, but also that other great crowd who
listen to Gods word as though it were a ife,
and attend upon preaching only from custom
and at the end of the year know as little OF it a.
at the beginning"
In short, Gods day Is for Gods word, and
anything which interiors with the progress of
the word in the heart of men, whether 1t be
political meeting, a "sail on the bay" sacred
~ concert, a trip to the lakes Sunday news
paper, q baseball game, or anything else, is to
be avoided, opposed and rejected.
That there are some Lutherans who do not
live up to the teachings of their church have
no doubt. but such misconduct must not be laid
at the door of the church's doctrine, which 10
based on the pure word OF God.
EDWIN F. KKKvKR