Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-15
PEOPLES PULPIT
The Courier VIII Puhfisst Signed
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THE SUNDAY LAWS.

Editor Courier.-On December 6,
noticed an article In your paper from
Carlisle Smith, in answer to e. F..
Samuelson, on the more strict observ-
ance of Sunday laws In this country.
AS failed to notice the articles can
not Judge Of it's reasoning, and as
Brother Smith says, great men differ
on almost every question that comes
up. suppose the Sabbath question is
one of these. | have long ago learned
that we may reason correctly from q
false basis, or we may reason falsely
from true basis. and both be mis-
leading. I learn in reading Brother
Smiths article that he takes the posi-
ton first that we are under the law
given on Mt. Sinai and second that
the fourth commandment in the Deca-
logue is religion. and should be left
to every man as matter of con-
science. In reading the Bible | can
not find that God ever made but two
covenants with his chosen people or
church, one from Mt. Sinai and the
one promised in jeremiah 81: 81, call
ed new covenant. viii the brother
tell us which he is under? The old
covenant made with Israel on Mt
Sinai, the Apostle Paul calls the adj
ministration of DEATH Second Corin-
tbians, 81 z We are told in Exodus
"a: 2S, And he was there with the
Lord forty DAYS and forty nights. He
did neither eat bread nor drink water;
and he wrote on the tables the words
Of the covenant, the ten command
ments." We have the same declara-
ton in Deuteronomy 4 13, and also
23rd verse, and Deuteronomy 9: 8, 10,
and IL. Paul to tho Romans says the
gospel was first preached unto Abra-
ham. Then he tells us the covenant
the law, which was four hundred
years after. cannot annul the power
of the 18th verse Then read the
fourth chapter of the same onistle
and read carefully from the z4st to
the 31st verses. The apostle tells IFS
plainly the two sons of Abraham rep
resent the two covenants, the one
from Mt. Sinai which gendereth to
bondage Then he tells us to cast
out the bond woman and her son. for
the son of the bondwoman shall not
be heir to the son of the free woman,
and Brother Smith, if you are under
the old covenant and are governed
by law, i think your argument Is fairly
good, but have better opinion Of
you, although | am not acquainted
with you. If you lived close to me
and would convince me that you were
not governed by anything higher than
the law, Thou shalt not steal; Thou
shalt not kill | would lock my hen
house. | think we are under the new
covenant, Love to God and love to
man." and now Mr.. Smith, in regard
to your second proposition that the
fourth commandment in the Deca-
logue is 2 religion. Will the brother
tell us the difference between the re-
ligion of the fourth commandment and
the other nine, and did God force a
religion on his ancient people and re-
auire it's enjoyment with a physical
death penalty if they did not enjoy it?
Certainly, Brother Smith, if the fourth
commandment in the Decalogue is a
religion, 1t always was and will be,
so let us be consistent and demand
the enforcement of it. for law With
out a penalty is not law. But you
say no, and leave it to every mans
conscience. Can you tell us where
and when YOU got that right? If we
are under the law given on Mt. Sinai,
as you claim, and it is binding on let
us demand it's enforcement. And now.
brother you have taken the stand
that the command to keep the sew
enth day for rest is a religion. You
make the declaration without any
proof whatever and your reasoning is
certainly without reason. The law or
covenant was made and given to Is
rael and was their civil law 1t was
given to no other nation, and its pen
atty was physical DEATH and this was
to continue throughout their genera
ton If you will turn to the first
chapter of Matthew and read care
fully you will find out just how long
the covenant lasted i ask you to read
the Saith and 28th verses of Exodus
and Deuteronomy 4: 10; 5: to %;
8: 9 to IL, and then give any scrip
ture to show that the tel command
ments were not the first covenant
made and given to Israel collectively.
God made a covenant with different
individuals to David, Noah, Abraham
and oth1:s. hu. neYHs, made bur tive
with his chosen people collectively
The one from Mt. Sinai and engraved
on two tablets of stone was so sacred
that God ordered an ark built in which
to put the two tablets. and there was
nothing but the two tablets in it: First
Kings: 8: 8, and is was called the ark
of the covenant.
The Apostle Paul in Second CORN
thians, 8: 6. 7, 8. 9, 10, II, shows us the
difference between the two dispense
tons in Hebrew, to 10. He speaks
of the two covenants in 9: 1. He says
the first had ordinances of divine serv-
ice and worldly sanctuary and now
we have ordinances of divine serv-
ices not yet established by civil law,
but where we may worship God ac-
cording to the dictates Of our own
conscience. And now. just a word IN
reply to Mr.. Graves and Mr.. Shows
articles against the recognition of any
day as rest day. They give no
ground for their argument, only their
own declaration. The one was that
Sunday was the cause of such terrible
laws being enacted as he cites in his
article, and the others ground for his
against any day set apart is