74 OBLIGATION OF THE SABBATH. 



The ten commanclments all abrogated ! The Sabbath never " burdensome." 



honest confession of the truth. It shows that, after all, his 

 heart is sounder than his logic. For, look at the consequence 

 to his argument. His argument is — "Nothingwas enjoined 

 on the Gentiles but these three necessary things, abstinence 

 from idolatry, from fornication, and from the blood of things 

 strangled. Therefore, the Sabbath was not enjoined upon 

 them/^ Now apply this argument to any other commandment 

 of the Decalogue, and see what it comes to. " Nothing was 

 enjoined upon the Grentiles but the three things specified in 

 this Apostolic decree. Therefore all the ten commanclments, 

 except the first and the seventh, are abrogated." That is to say, 

 profaneness towards Grod, disobedience to parents, lying, ''rob- 

 bery, and murder,'^ are no longer sins under the Christian dis- 

 pensation ! — And this, then, is the liberty wherewith Christ 

 has made us free ! even that Christ who said, " Think not that 

 I am come to destroy the law or the prophets !'' To what ab- 

 surd results will wrong theories, logically pursued, lead intel- 

 ligent men ! 



But 3d. The " Grentiles were never bound by the Law of the 

 Sabbath," says W. B. T. Pure assumption. A mistake in fact, 

 which I have already exposed in part i. of this Reply. {p. 50.) 



But 4th. '' The Law of the Sabbath would have been not a 

 little burdensome to them," says my friend. Another assump- 

 tion. The Grentile Christians of that age, as in this, must have 

 esteemed the Sabbath a delight, not a hurden. Cases of trial, 

 as of Christian servants bound to Jewish or Heathen masters, 

 might occur, yet these were exceptions rather of form than of 

 feeling ; nor were such exceptions confined to the fourth com- 

 mandment. The rule is set forth in prophecy (^Isai. Ivi. 6 — 8) 

 by the voice of God himself. ^' Also the sons of the stranger, 

 that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love 

 the name of the Lord, to be his servants, ever^ one that 

 keepeth the Sahhath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my 

 covenant ; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and 

 make them joy ful in my house of praycr,'' &c. 



