God’s Law Immutable
373
This cannot be the change foretold by the prophet. An intentional,
deliberate change is presented: “He shall think to change the times
and the law.” The change in the fourth commandment exactly fulfills
the prophecy. For this the only authority claimed is that of the church.
Here the papal power openly sets itself above God.
While the worshipers of God will be especially distinguished by
their regard for the fourth commandment,—since this is the sign of His
creative power and the witness to His claim upon man’s reverence and
homage,—the worshipers of the beast will be distinguished by their
efforts to tear down the Creator’s memorial, to exalt the institution
of Rome. It was in behalf of the Sunday that popery first asserted its
[447]
arrogant claims (see Appendix); and its first resort to the power of the
state was to compel the observance of Sunday as “the Lord’s day.” But
the Bible points to the seventh day, and not to the first, as the Lord’s
day. Said Christ: “The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” The
fourth commandment declares: “The seventh day is the Sabbath of
the Lord.” And by the prophet Isaiah the Lord designates it: “My holy
day.”
Mark 2:28
;
Isaiah 58:13
.
The claim so often put forth that Christ changed the Sabbath is
disproved by His own words. In His Sermon on the Mount He said:
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven
and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law,
till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least
commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least
in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them,
the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven,”
Matthew
5:17-19
.
It is a fact generally admitted by Protestants that the Scriptures
give no authority for the change of the Sabbath. This is plainly stated
in publications issued by the American Tract Society and the Amer-
ican Sunday School Union. One of these works acknowledges “the
complete silence of the New Testament so far as any explicit command
for the Sabbath [Sunday, the first day of the week] or definite rules for
its observance are concerned.”—George Elliott, The Abiding Sabbath,
page 184.
Another says: “Up to the time of Christ’s death, no change had been
made in the day;” and, “so far as the record shows, they [the apostles]