284 ABROGÅTION OF THE SABBATH. 



Bunyan's views. A fallacious use of " words." 



The " appearance" of ^^ unfair coloringf^ J. N. B. ^^ quotes 

 a sentence or two" {^p. 194) going to show Bunyan's belief 

 " that the first day of the week is the true Christian Sabbath T' 

 A single remark is snfiicient to dissipate my friend's delusion, 

 and to entirely paralyze his last convulsive efi'ort to retain the 

 name and authority of Bunyan. They are using the term 

 " Sabbath'^ in totally different senses! In the vocabulary of J. 

 N. B. (as in mine), it designates the day of rest commanded 

 by the Decalogue. In that of Bunyan, it designates simply a 

 day of festive worship, without any more reference to the De- 

 calogue, than if that code had never existed !* Indeed, al- 

 though he entitles Sunday a '^ Sabbath'' (perhaps in adaptatiou 

 to ordinary usage), the application is by no means accurate, 

 since his whole argument is designed — not to establish a "Rest- 

 day," and the sinfulness of labor upon it, but to uphold the 



* J. N. B. has altogetlier overlooked this important circumstance, 

 although in my last Reply (p. 147, — note) I called his attention to it 

 by remarking that " since Bunyan founds his able argument for a 

 Christian worship-day on the unconditional abolition of the fourth 

 commaudment, if ' he really is on my friend's ground,' I tender J. N. 

 B. my most hearty congratulation on his adoption of the true Scrip- 

 tural vie w." 



A synopsis of Bunyan's Treatise "will make the matter clear." 

 The Essay is divided into five chapters, eutitled " questions :" in the 

 first of -which, the author maintains that the seventh-day Sabbath is 

 not discoverable by the light of nature : in the second, that it was con- 

 sequently unknown till instituted by Moses : in the ihird, that when 

 given in the wildemess, it could not bind the Gentiles: in thefowth, 

 that it fell with the rest of the Jewish rites and ceremonies, and Tvas 

 never imposed by the apostles upon the Gentile churches. These are 

 all the positions having any bearing on the foui-th commandment, or 

 of course on our present Discussion. The fi/lh and last <' question" ex- 

 amined by Bunyan (and one which compriscs more than half his Es- 

 say), is, "Since it is denied that the seventh-day Sabbath is mora 

 and found that it is not to abide as a Sabbath forever in the churcl), 

 "svhat time is to be fixed on for New Testament saints to perform to- 

 gether divine worship to God by Christ in !" 



