The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-11
"JonnI." Off to Tnrshtsi,.
Norfolk, Va, Jan.

nah" declares he feels he has an honest
purpose In this discussion. So did .Io-
~, nan OF the long ago. when hs' fed to
Iarshish to get clear Of the word of
the Lord, but his feeling had nothing
to do with 1t then, nor has II now. 1t
an depends on what the Lord has said
about 1t. Feeling has ITO part in the
right of the question till "fecling"har-
courSA N Jonah" wishes to hold IL
view contrary to Gods word. why |
cannot prevent II. but he must take the
consequences of his action.
Jonah loudly proclaims: ~ want
IL To be distinctly understood tina, in
inns cause ! am far removed from any
position of countenancIng the violation
OF the true intent of the Sabbath"
Dear sir, please tell us what Is the
true intent Of the Sabbath, as you sec
IT, and what would be a violation OF
mat intent? Do not, l beg you. forget
TO answer this query. wish To know
II you think 1t was Instituted and Civ
en- Its distinctive place in the week to
AFFORD especial advantage to Sunday
newspapers. ice factories. street cars.
etc. lf so. please do not forget to tell
me, and the many readers Of The Vir-
gilman. why tic great God said to His
people: Remember the sabbath day
TO keep 1t holy" '''
Again he SAYS: But / do contend
that the New Testament dspcnsation
places man I'm Il new attitude to moral
law and spiritual liberty"
TEat Is not an ambiguous statement
Now please tell us what is that new
altitude" DO yuu mean THAT under
the Mosaic law t!is Sabbath was to he
kept holy. but under the New Trsta-
ment dispensation, ii Is designed 10 be
used TO crafty mans love of coin In
temporal things?
/ anticipated your answer for YOU
have already said God does not say
to The Waterman Saturday night at II
O'Clock: Leave your post till Sunday
night III ~ o'clock" nor to the keeper
run the engines now to supply tho city
atcr.' nor to the captain OH the high
seas: You and the crew TO sleep, now;
I'll run the ship
Nicely put, isn't it? But notice every
case he names is a work of necessity.
or of mercy, or both, ana is therefore
allowable undcra proper and n scriptual
observance OF the Sabbath 1t Is I'm
fact both necessity and Il mercy to
thousands to maintain the city's good
order and to keep up the supply OF the
city water" and il is also n necessity
and mercy for the man who is nee
essnrily at sea on. Sunday To Take care
OF his ship. Each case involves the
principle of pulling the OK out of the
ditch on Sunday-see Luke 145 But
Jonah" DO tell us how the ox-in-the
ditch principle applies to the Sunday
newspaper. street cars, etc? How?
He pleads that Jesus threw Phar-
isce notions of the Sabbath into utter
confusion" Yes, verify. But what was
ii in Pharisccism that Jesus rebukcd?
Was ii not their striving after clean
outside appearances while the inside
life was full of corruption? He did not
object to Il clean outside life. HI only
insisted that the inner and the outside
life should harmoniZc. and both be
pure. Does Jonah" mean that Jesus
taught the purity of the inner life in
connection with a corrupt outer life?
The thought is an ahsurdity.
Jonah" also declares that man is
greater than the Sabbath. True, O man.
but thou art not SO great as He who
made both man and the Sabbath, and
gave commandment to the one to keep
he other holy.
Here is n revelation. but il is man
made The man that most unreserv-
eddy and constantly serves the world
for which Christ died is the one that
serves God most acceptable"
Let us see ii Jonah is right. Turn
TO Rom, l2:2-e And be not con
formed 10 this world" Which is yht.
statement and we shall get the truth.
viz:
The man (who) most unrcscrvcdly
and constantly serves God. is the one
who serves the world. for which Christ
died, most ncceptably.
Again. our objector says:
There is 10 such thing as one day
being better adapted to God's service
than another"
Then, why did God command his pco-
pie to keep the Sabbath holy and leave
the other six days without any specific
command as TO keeping them holy?
quite readily agree that He commands
us To keep ourselves holy every day,
but He does not command us IT, keen
every day as holy as the Sabbath in
n specific sense. Who is right. Jonah"
or God?
Jonah" argues that the present way
of Keeping Sunday is not necessarily The
way, and cites the fact that the cx-
ample of the Master lay I'm scenes
Through the corn" and in the syna-
Eogue. where was the withercd hand
and all manners of occasion to keen
him active all the day.
We'll. nigh. the whole statement is
at fault. but | specially deny the truth
of the last clause. viz: THAT Jesus al
lowed all manners of occasion TO keen
him active all day"-Sunday do moi
believe that He or His disciples eyer
undertook any enterprise that lie or His
disciples might make money on Sunday
He was active on all manner of occ3
sions TO help the poor. to relieve tho
distressed and to heal the sick. but
never TO. run Sunday newspaper. or
anything akin to 1t. challenge 90
nah" to produce n single instance I'm
the life or ministry of Jesus which shall
disprove this point. If the challenge
is not accepted, l think he ought to
let his pen rust till unfit for use.