Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-12-14
THE SABBATH QUESTION.

THE SABBATH QUESTION:.
Editor Courier
If YOU will permit me space once
more in your columns, / will endeavor
to correct a few of the errors of the
gentleman who attempted to reply to
my former article. AS to his attack
IN the scientist, he fails to note that
exercise increases ones temperature
and consumes oxygen. The point the
scientist makes that during work a
person does not retain the same
amount of oxygen as when at rest, and
this is in perfect agreement with our
school physiologies. He states that
the old Jewish Sabbath was peculiar
to the Jews. Where does he find a
passage of scripture designating the
Sabbath as the Jewish Sabbath? II
he will read the first two chapters in
Genesis he will find that the Sabbath,
like marriage, was instituted in the
time of mans innocence, and is as
essential as marriage to the right or
dering of human life. The knowledge
of God could not have been perpetual
ed, even in sinless race-much less
in a. race blinded and alienated by
sin-without perpetually recurring
day for bringing to remembrance the
work, rest, will and character of Him
who upholdeth all things by the word
Of his power The divine record is
brief and explicit. "The heavens and
the earth were finished, and all the
hosts of them. And on the seventh
day God finished the work which he
had made. And God blessed the sew
enth day and nallowed it, because that
| III it He rested from all His work
| which God had created and made. +"
The Sabbath and our race began their
career together The next express no.
tice Of the cay occurs twenty-five hun.
dred years later: Exodus XVII: 23;
where Moses speaks of it in way TO
suggest that the idea was familiar to
men. The frequent reference to Gods
rest at creation as the ground reason
on which the Sabbath institution
stands, considered in connection with
the word of our Lord that "The Sab
bath was made for man. man generic,
to meet fundamental and universal
need of his nature and life, renders
it in every way improbable that the
race vas left to wander down the cen
turtles, from Eden to the Wilderness
vi oili, lSuold vi oii iliStiSubloiA wv
signed by Infinite Beneficence for the
| highest good Of body, heart and home.
The fact that all the heatehen ma
| tions held to the same division of
time, with a superior or sacred day is
a conspicuous feature of the calendar.
| This We learn from Homer, Heriod,
Herodotus and other ancient writer's.
Philo, the Jewish philosopher of Al
exandria, says without qualifications
"The Sabbath is no a festival pecu-
| liar to any people or country, but is
common to the whole world" Lap.
lace has this strikingly philosophical
| statement: "The week is, perhaps,
| the most incontestable monument of
human knowledge. 1t appears to point
out common source whence that
knowledge proceeded.
| 1t is certain, beyond attempt at con
| tradiction, that the septenary division
prevailed among Egyptians. Phoeni-
clans, Babylonians, Assyrians, Greeks,
Italians, Celts and indians. Chaldean
cuniform characters show a weekly
rest day, the name Of which bears a
striking likeness to the Hebrew Sab.
bath, and means "a rest Of heart
| That the Hebrews measured time by
weeks, before Moses, is proven by
Gen. XXIX: 27-2S. 1t is too obvious
to require argument that many OF the
statutory laws were wise, timely and
practicable only for this one Jewish
people, and We're destined to pass
away with the dispensation to which
| they apDertained But there was a
body OF constitutional laws committed
| to Israel in trust for all mankind
| This code was not written by Moses
on parchment or papyrus, but by the
| finger of God on tables of stone. The
ten commandments are applicable 10
all people in all times. 1t is funda-
mentally necessary to the order and
happiness Of tie race in all lands, TN
der all changes of government, laws
| language and education.
! The great nations have recognized
its vital value and DuiIded their sys-
tens OF jurisprudence upon It. It's
! philosophy, breadth and completeness
are the wonder and admiration Of the
wise 1t is unlike the statutory and
ceremonial codes in that it postulates
no particular people, is limited by its
relations to no particular dispensation
commands no sacrifices or ceremonial
observances, adjusted to particular
chapter of history; has no penalty at
| tached, and in its structural plan is in
contestably framed for universal use
| He states: THE first authoritative
command OF a Christian to observe
I Sunday as a Sabbath was made by the
oman emperor, Constantine, in the
uTth century.
This is a wrong Interpretation OF