124 ABROGATION OF THE SABBATH. 



All the Jewish Sabbaths — " moral," — or none of them so. 



historj we discover no trace of a Sabbath among the nations 

 of antiquity." 



J. N. B. very kindly constructs for me an /^argument for 

 tlie ceremonial nature of the Sabbath, drawn from the faet of 

 its incorporation with the ceremonial law of the Jews ;'^ and 

 as the sophism is entirely his oicn, I am not surprised that it 

 should be a " non sequitur." (p. 56.) The important faet 

 commiinicated by Levit. xxiii. and JViimh. xxviii., xxix , is not 

 that of association or '^incorporation/' but that of affiliation; 

 the faet that " the Sabbath of the Decalogue" is distinguished 

 by no single characteristic from a variety of similar festivals ; 

 which also commemorated important events ; which also were 

 celebrated with peculiar sacrifices ; which also prohibited ser- 

 vile work ; which also were ^' convocations ;" which also were 

 entitled " feasts of the Lord ;" which also were "holy;" which 

 also were " Sahhaths." My friend must, therefore, either 

 admit that thcse aho were " moral" institutions, or he must 

 admit my " Second Proposition.'^ I transfer to him the anus 

 prohandi.^ 



The next point he adverts to, is '^ the incorporation of a 

 motive from Jewish history into the reasons for its observance." 

 {Deut. v. 15.) To which he replies : '^ No such motive is found 

 in the Decalogue itself, as originally delivered by God.'' (p. 

 57.) Now the reason assigned in the ^^originaV^ Decalogue 

 {Exoå. XX.) is actually as '' Jew^ish" — (having been revealed 

 only to the Jews) — as that given in the second Decalogue. f 

 {Beilt, v.) And it is just as utterly inapplicable as that, to 



* " The distinction of the Sabbath is in its nature as much ?i posi- 

 tive, ceremonial institution, as that of many other seasons which were 

 appointecl by the Levitical law to be kept holy, and to be observed by 

 a strict rest." Paley. (i/or. Phil. B. v. ch. 7.) 



I " Thus, also, the great reason of the Sabbath, I mean God's rest 

 from the works of creation, is a temporary, transient reason ; because 

 there is now a new creation, ' old things are passed away, and all things 

 are become new.' " Bishop Taylor. {Duct. Diibitant. B. ii. ch. 2, rule 6, 

 sec. 44.) 



