INTRODUCTION. 



THE SIX PPtOPOSITIONS. 



There is one, and imly one weekly Sabbath, enjoioed, de- 

 scribed, or in the remotest manner alluded to, in the whole 

 Bible, whether Hebrew or Christian, — the Saturday Sabbath. 

 ''The seventh day is the Sabbath." No other day is so desig- 

 nated; no other day can be the Bible Sabbath {Exod. xx. 11). 



II. 



This Sabbath was strictly a ceremonial and Jewish institu- 

 tion (Levit. xxiii.; Deut. v. 15). An espeeial ''sign" between 

 Grod and the "children of Israel" {Exod. xxxi. 13, 17; Ezeh. 

 XX. 12). 



III. 



As confirmatory of this, Jesus studiously and repeatedly 

 yiolated the Sabbath; (compare Matt. xii. 1, 2, with Exod. 

 xvi. 28, 29, and Numh. xv. 32, 36 ; also, John v. 8, 9, 10, 

 with Jerem. xvii. 22 ;) and justified this violation by the direct 

 assertion of his right, and (by necessary implication) of his 

 intent to abolish it. "The Sabbath was made for man, and 

 not man for the Sabbath; therefore the Son of man is Lord 

 even of the Sabbath!" (^MarJc ii. 27, 28.) 



IV. 



While the Sabbath was thus openly and constantly broken 

 by Jesus and his apostles, they never, on the other hand, en- 

 joined, or even encouraged its observance in any manner what- 

 ever, either by example, by precept, or by slightest intimation ; 

 nor can a single passage be found among all the New Testa- 

 ment writers, condemning the neglect of this law, or reproving 

 the "Sabbath-breaker." 



