66 OBLIGATION OF THE SABEATH. 



A distinction in moral laws. Chrisfs vindication. 



relations wliicli exist in the present world, but not in the next. 

 Thus it is with the moral laws of conjugal and filial affection. 

 Yet how truly moral, universal, and sacred here ! And thus 

 it is with the law of the Sabbath. It is founded upon our 

 moral relations to God and man in the present life, whether 

 necessary or not in the fu ture ; as I showed in my very first 

 communication. Of that argument for the moral nature of the 

 Sabbath, W. B. T. in his defence has tåken no notice what- 

 ever. But I cannot help saying here that if he can set aside 

 the moral nature of the fourth commandment, it will be an 

 easy thing, by the same prccess, to set aside thft fifth and 

 seventh j not to say the sixth, eighth, ninth, and tenth. 

 '^ Facilis descensus Averni ; sed revocare — J" He will under- 

 stand and appreciate this school-boy quotation. 



I know he accuses me of making "sad nonsense" of our 

 Lord's words in the passage under consideration. (p. 28.) And 

 the argument, as he ingeniously puts it, is, as he says, " logic 

 with a vengcance/' But let me try to put it in its proper 

 shape. "You accuse my disciples,^' says Christ, "of break- 

 ing the Sabbath. I have proved that you are both unjust and 

 inconsistent with yourselves, in this accusation.'' (See his 

 wholc argument on this point above.) *' But now, to cover the 

 whole ground of right construction in future, I lay down this 

 broad axiom, ^ The Sabbath was made for man, and not man 

 for the Sabbath.' And because, designed like all other moral 

 laws for the benefit of the whole race, therefore the Son of 

 Man (to whom it is given to judge the whole race), is Lord also 

 of the Sabbath day : i. e* the proper judge of the manner of its 

 observance or desecration. In the exercise of this rightful 

 authority, I must rescue it from your technical and bigoted 

 construction, and restere it to its original use and end." 



I submit to every unprejudiced mind, nay, I submit to W. 

 B. T. himself, whether there is any want of logical connection, 

 or sound sense, or seif consistency, in our Lord's words, ac- 

 cording to tl)is construction. On the contrary, do they not. 



