90 ABROGATION OF THE SABBATH. 



A memorial of Redemption, entirely independent of the Sabbath memorial. 



day/' it must necessarily have becn transferred entirely from 

 ^'the seventh day/' or in otlier words— /rom the fourth cora- 

 mandment; since that is the only day therein specificd. But 

 even "the Lord of the Sabbath" has not power to make "the 

 Jirst day of the week'^ oblio;atory by a hiw requiring the sev- 

 enth day of the week — the law reraaining unchanged. Omntpo- 

 tence cannot validate a contradiction. 



"That a cltangc of day woidd he demanded,^^ says my friend, 

 "seems evident from the nature of the case. The original 

 day was originally and appropriately chosen to comtnemorate 

 the work of Creation. But the work of Christ, being our 

 Redemption in its cternal results, must, in the esteem of all 

 Christians, be of far higher and sweeter import/' (p. 51.) This 

 consideration may be a very sufficient reason for its commemo- 

 ration, but it is no reason whatever, either for superseding the 

 former Divincly appointed memorial, or for inferring a change 

 in the application of the original command.* As well might 

 it be contended (if I may be allowed to illustrate "great things 

 by less") that, as the 22d of December was chosen to com- 

 memorate the landing of the Pilgrims, and as subscquently 

 the 4th of July was distinguished by an event of broader and 

 more interesting import, therefore, "that a eJiange of day 

 would be demandcd, seems evident from the nature of the 

 case." And so, after strenuously contending that the original 

 institution was " founded on reasons of perpctual force" — that 

 the " reasons for its observance remain;" — in order to sustain 

 this memorial (that of the Pilgrim arrival), we must carefully 

 observe the 4th of July ! — for an observance in the original 

 way^ would now "be wrong!" And then to completc our 

 humble resemblance to our orthodox prototypes, we must 

 zealously maintain that this observance is certainly required 



•^ "Wc have good example, and strong propricty," says Calmet, 

 *' in bclialf of our observance of the *Lord's day' as a religions fes- 

 tival, Lhough not as a Sahbath.'' — [Bib. Die., art. " Sabbath.") 



