132 ABROGATION OF THE SABBATH. 



A begging of tbe question. An appropriate self-reflection. 



servant of Jesus Cbrist. Jesus Clirist tauglit the perpetuity 

 of tlie Decalogue, in even tbe least of its commandments, of 

 whicb tbe Sabbatb is one. Tbis, tberefore, was tbe doetrine 

 of Paul!'' (p. Gl.) No; — jn j triend, ;i/ou cannot jyove it — 

 ^4bus!" PauFs language directly contradicts your inference ! 

 (see also 2 Cor. iii. 7; Heh. viii. 13.) Jesus did not teach 

 ^' tbe perpetuity of tbe Decalogue ;" be taugbt exactly tbe op- 

 posite ! (iMatt. vii. 29; v. 21, 27; 3Iark ii. 28; xii. 29, 31; 

 JoJm v. 8, 17; 18 ; viii. 5, 7.) Tbe assumption is a petitio 

 principii. 



Apparently dizzied and excited by tbe completeness of tbe 

 circle be bas traversed, J. N. B. exclaims : "Witb wbat as- 

 tonisbment would Paul, if be were now among us hodlly, bebold 

 an attempt to torture bis language into a direct opposition to a 

 fundamental doetrine of bis Master ! Wbat conceivable form of 

 ' wresting tbe Scriptures' could be more painful to bis generous 

 spirit V (p. 61.) Did I delight in declamation, I migbt per- 

 haps make an appropriate application ; but I prefer confiuing 

 myself to tbe argument. I feel it more agreeable to establisb 

 sucb an accusation tban to assert it. 



Whenever Jesus, in tbe course of bis teacbings, bad occasion 

 to sum up tbe great leading principles of tbe natural or 

 moral law (Matt. xix. 18—21 ; Mark x. 19 ; Luke x. 27, 28), 

 tbat institution so venerated by tbe ritual Pbarisees — " ' tbe 

 pearl of da3's,' tbe blessing of tbis world, and tbe beacon ligbt 

 of tbat wbicb is to come," vrås always strangely or significantly 

 passed by, witbout a single approving notice; wbile bis very 

 metbod of quotation seemed carefully designed to discredit any 

 idea of tbe Decalogue being tbe compendium of morality.* 



* "Tbe old custom," sajs Professor Stuart, "of deducing every 

 duty either toward God or toward man, from these ten commandments, 

 is unsatisfactory and inexpedient; unsatisfactory, because one mnst 

 strain them bej^ond measure in order to make them comprise every 

 duty (and must therefore do violence to tlie laws of exegesis) ; — 

 inexjyeditnt, because if these ten commandments embrace all duty, then 



