, 1896-03-11

" on dpOu Tx @AhClhDtIo VI CnS
Church in these islands.
The Circus was going to give q perform
ance a Sunday night and Archdencon II.
took then occasion n the St. Thomas Tidende
of 22nd Frbruary-a8 most of the readers
of the "Avis" will know-to warn the
public in general, "all who call themselves
Christians" from attending, and to show their
disgust by ab>enting themselves also in the
future. By doing so Arch II. las over
stepped the limits of his own circle and by
concluding, that nobody could attend without
'dishonouring themselves and casting con-
tempt on Gods law lie has gone far beyond
what Is jUstifiabfe-not to say too much. 10
his own congregation he was in his full right
to say whatever4 he liked but to the others he is
not TO speak in so %peremptory terms about a
matter which he ought to know is an open
question with many left to the conscience
OF the single northumberland about which
the Lutheran Churh fl. has II decidedly df'
terent opinion, rs clearly expressed IN the
not inaccessible books: Luthers Greater Ca.
techism ("there Is no day by itself better
than the other') and the Augustan Comics
sion art. %: Holy Scripture has abolished
the Sabbath, teaching AS that all Mosaic cere-
monies can be omitted after the revealed
Gospel has come) which symbolic book fer
our Church was written by such men as Luther
and MelancthOn. men who also knew some
thing about Gods law.
| Shout not haye taken up the question
about the Sabbath" observance for discussion
though, if the Church which | have the
honour to represent in st. Croix had not
as above alluded to-been greatly attacked
by Arch. HIS. letter. He has had a very
able opponent indeed in Lawyer J0rgensen in
St. Thomas, but as the Lawyer naturally has
omitted the theological side Of the question, L
do not think it %untimely to take 1t up, not
in order 10 attack a n0-doubt sincere and
venerable servant Of Christ, for whose person
al qualities have the greatest respect from
all that | have heard OF Eim-I sincerely hope
that if his letter comes before him he may
not misunderstood my motive. What dc
then is merely 20 anaer to try TO justify the
view of my own Church.
l do not stand up for the circus, but if it
be an innocent enjoyment to 90 to its per-
formances a week day night, | do not SEQ why
it should be such q terrible sin-for TO dis
honour oneself and cast contempt upon Gods
law is one of the most terrible sins a man
could commit-to 90 a Sunday night. One Of
two: either Arch. II. is right and many also
over here are hardened sinners, those who
went and BhoSe who would have liked to have
gone, or he is wrong, nd - burden is taken
away from Our conscience aEd-some authorl-
ty from the Archdeacon.
But let us proceed. We lay aside for a
moment the i~nt9&cate question of the chang
ing of the day from Saturday TO Sunday, and
assume that the commandment in the deca-
logue-to which the Archdeacon constantly
refers-is still in full force otherwise. But how
was the Sabbath kept holy by Gods own peo-
pie? From sunset the foregoing day to sunseton
the day itself (which explains the expression:
there was evening and there was morning on
the first day, IN the new testament the days
were ed IN the same manner, see /. /. the
parable about The labourers in the vine
yard Then Sunday night is no sabbath
any more from 6 O'Clock. knew full we'll
that the Westminster Confession of Faith
CART. 2l) expressly %enjoinS keeping the
sabbath" the whole day (according to
our (the ROmaiI) way of reckoning time, from
IL o'clock in the night but to use the Arch
deacon's ~ words: / did not know that a
Church could change Gods commandments.
If it be a commandment for us Christians
altogether! For now we come TO the pith
of the question: Is the Jewish law altoge-
Their binding for us Christians Space does
not permit me fully to enter upon the ques-
ton. l will only %referto passages such asthese:
Christ is the end of the law Rom. 10. 4)......
after that Jesus is come we are no more under
the law (Gal. 3. 20 1900. We are not under
the law but under grace (Rom. g.. IA The