The Law of Love and Love as a Law, Or, Christian Ethics; With an Appendix, Containing Strictures by Dr. McCosh, with Replies (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1872. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER IV. THE SABBATH. The last duty to be considered is the keeping of the Sabbath. To man, originally, the Sabbath must have come as a positive institution, since he could have seen no reason for it, aside from the divine command. It has since been commonly regarded as partly positive and partly moral. Now, however, as a reason can be assigned for it, and even for the proportion of time designated, it may be regarded as wholly moral. In considering the Sabbath, we shall first treat of the Religious, and then of the Civil Sabbath. By the Religious Sabbath, we mean a day set apart by God himself for his own worship, and to secure, in connection with that, the religious culture and final salvation of men. By the Civil Sabbath, we mean a day made "non-legal," in which public business shall be suspended, and in which all labor and recreation shall be so far restrained, that the ends of a religious Sabbath may be secured by those who wish it. In treating of the religious Sabbath, we naturally consider, first, its origin and history. Concerning these, the points which the friends of the Sabbath accept and regard as established are the following: --1. That the Sabbath was given to our first parents in Eden, according to the account in Genesis ii. 2, 3; and that it was intended for the race. 2. That we find unmistakable indications of the Sabbath, both in the Scriptures and in heathen literature, between the original command and the giving of the Law. 3. That when the Law was given, the command to hallow the Sabbath was made conspicuous, as one of the ten commandments. That it has the same rank as the other commandments, all of which are moral in their character, and universally binding. 4. That during the subsequent history of the Jews the Sabbath is referred ...