Rome's Challenge - Why Do Protestants Keep Sunday?

[RND]

ROME'S CHALLENGE

Why Do Protestants Keep Sunday?

Most Christians assume that Sunday is the biblically approved day of worship. The Roman Catholic Church protests that it transferred Christian worship from the biblical Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday, and that to try to argue that the change was made in the Bible is both dishonest and a denial of Catholic authority. If Protestantism wants to base its teachings only on the Bible, it should worship on Saturday.

Over one hundred years ago the Catholic Mirror ran a series of articles discussing the right of the Protestant churches to worship on Sunday. The articles stressed that unless one was willing to accept the authority of the Catholic Church to designate the day of worship, the Christian should observe Saturday. Those articles are presented here in their entirety.


FEBRUARY 24, 1893, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists adopted certain resolutions appealing to the government and people of the United States from the decision of the Supreme Court declaring this to be a Christian nation, and from the action of Congress in legislating upon the subject of religion*, and remonstrating against the principle and all the consequences of the same. In March 1893, the International Religious Liberty Association printed these resolutions in a tract entitled Appeal and Remonstrance. On receipt of one of these, the editor of the Catholic Mirror of Baltimore, Maryland, published a series of four editorials, which appeared in that paper September, 2, 9, 16, and 23, 1893. The Catholic Mirror was the official organ of Cardinal Gibbons and the Papacy in the United States.

These articles, therefore, although not written by the Cardinal's own hand, appeared under his official sanction, and as the expression of the Papacy to Protestantism, and the demand of the Papacy that Protestants shall render to the Papacy an account of why they keep Sunday and also of how they keep it.

THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH

THE GENUINE OFFSPRING OF THE UNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HIS SPOUSE. THE CLAIMS OF PROTESTANTISM TO ANY PART THEREIN PROVED TO BE GROUNDLESS, SELF-CONTRADICTORY, AND SUICIDAL

Our attention has been called to the above subject in the past week by the receipt of a brochure of twenty-one pages, published by the International Religious Liberty Association, entitled, "Appeal and Remonstrance," embodying resolutions adopted the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists (February 24th, '93). The resolutions criticize and censure, with much acerbity, the action of the United States Congress, and of the Supreme Court, for the invading the rights of the people by closing the World's Fair on Sunday.

The Adventists are the only body of Christians with the Bible as their teacher, who can find no warrant in its pages for the change of the day from the seventh to the first. Hence their appellation, "Seventh-day Adventists." Their cardinal principle consists in setting apart Saturday for the exclusive worship of God, in conformity with the positive command of God himself, repeatedly reiterated in the sacred books of the Old and New Testaments, literally obeyed by the children of Israel for thousands of years to this day, and endorsed by the teaching and practice of the Son of God whilst on earth.

Per contra, the Protestants of the world, the Adventists excepted, with the same Bible as their cherished and sole infallible teacher, by their practice, since their appearance in the sixteenth century, with the time-honored practice of the Jewish people before their eyes, have rejected the day named for His worship by God, and assumed, in apparent contradiction of His command, a day for His worship never once referred to for that purpose, in the pages of that Sacred Volume.

What Protestant pulpit does not ring almost every Sunday with loud and impassioned invectives against Sabbath violation? Who can forget the fanatical clamor of the Protestant ministers throughout the length and breadth of the land against opening the gates of the World's Fair on Sunday? the thousands of petitions, signed by millions, to save the Lord's Day from desecration? Surely, such general and widespread excitement and noisy remonstrance could not have existed without the strongest grounds for such animated protests.

And when quarters were assigned at the World's Fair to the various sects of Protestantism for the exhibition of articles, who can forget the emphatic expressions of virtuous and conscientious indignation exhibited by our Presbyterian brethren, as soon as they learned of the decision of the Supreme Court not to interfere in the Sunday opening? The newspapers informed us that they flatly refused to utilize the space accorded them, or open their boxes, demanding the right to withdraw the articles, in rigid adherence to their principles, and thus decline all contact with the sacrilegious and Sabbath-breaking Exhibition.

Doubtless, our Calvinistic brethren deserved and shared the sympathy of all the other sects, who, however, lost the opportunity of posing as martyrs in vindication of the Sabbath observance.

They thus became a "spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men," although their Protestant brethren, who failed to share the monopoly, were uncharitably and enviously disposed to attribute their steadfast adherence to religious principle, to Pharisaical pride and dogged obstinacy.

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ROME'S CHALLENGE

Why Do Protestants Keep Sunday?

Continued -

Our purpose in throwing off this article, is to shed such light on this all-important question (for were the Sabbath question to be removed from the Protestant pulpit, the sects would feel lost, and the preachers be deprived of their "Cheshire cheese") that our readers may be able to comprehend the question in all its bearings, and thus reach a clear conviction.

The Christian world is, morally speaking, united on the question and practice of worshiping God on the first day of the week.

The Israelites, scattered all over the earth, keep the last day of the week sacred to the worship of the Deity. In this particular, the Seventh-day Adventists (a sect of Christians numerically few) have also selected the same day.

Israelites and Adventists both appeal to the Bible for the divine command, persistently obliging the strict observance of Saturday.

The Israelite respects the authority of the Old Testament only, but the Adventist, who is a Christian, accepts the New Testament on the same ground as the Old: viz., an inspired record also. He finds that the Bible, his teacher, is consistent in both parts, that the Redeemer, during His mortal life, never kept any other day than Saturday. The Gospels plainly evince to him this fact; whilst, in the pages of the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Apocalypse, not the vestige of an act canceling the Saturday arrangement can be found.

The Adventists, therefore, in common with Israelites, derive their belief from the Old Testament, which position is confirmed by the New Testament, endorsing fully by the life and practice of the Redeemer and His apostles the teaching of the Sacred Word for nearly a century of the Christian era.

Numerically considered, the Seventh-day Adventists form an insignificant portion of the Protestants population of the earth, but, as the question is not one of numbers, but of truth, and right, a strict sense of justice forbids the condemnation of this little sect without a calm and unbiased investigation; this is none of our funeral.

The Protestant world has been, from its infancy, in the sixteenth century, in thorough accord with the Catholic Church, in keeping "holy," not Saturday, but Sunday. The discussion of the grounds that led to this unanimity of sentiment and practice of over 300 years, must help toward placing Protestantism on a solid basis in this particular, should the arguments in favor of its position overcome those furnished by the Israelites and Adventists, the Bible, the sole recognized teacher of both litigants, being the umpire and witness. If however, on the other hand, the latter furnish arguments, incontrovertible by the great mass of Protestants, both cases of litigants, appealing to their common teacher, the Bible, the great body of Protestants, so far from clamoring, as they do with vigorous pertinacity for the strict keeping of Sunday, have no other resource [recourse] left than the admission that they have been teaching and practicing what is Scripturally false for over three centuries, by adopting the teaching and practice of what they have always pretended to believe an apostate church, contrary to every warrant and teaching of sacred Scripture. To add to the intensity of this Scriptural and unpardonable blunder, it involves one of the most positive and emphatic commands of God to His servant, man: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

No Protestant living today has ever yet obeyed that command, preferring to follow the apostate church referred to than his teacher the Bible, which, from Genesis to Revelation, teaches no other doctrine, should the Israelites and Seventh-day Adventists be correct. Both sides appeal to the Bible as their "infallible" teacher. Let the Bible decide whether Saturday or Sunday be the day enjoined by God. One of the two bodies must be wrong, and, whereas a false position on this all-important question involves terrible penalties, threatened by God Himself, against the transgressor of this "perpetual covenant," we shall enter on the discussion of the merits of the arguments wielded by both sides. Neither is the discussion of this paramount subject above the capacity of ordinary minds, nor does it involve extraordinary study. It resolves itself into a few plain questions easy of solution:

1st. Which day of the week does the Bible enjoin to be kept holy?
2nd. Has the New Testament modified by precept or practice the original command?
3rd. Have Protestants, since the sixteenth century, obeyed the command of God by keeping "holy" the day enjoined by their infallible guide and teacher, the Bible? and if not, why not?

To the above three questions we pledge ourselves to furnish as many intelligent answers, which cannot fail to vindicate the truth and uphold the deformity of error.

[Paidion]

The official Catholic Church does not claim to have "changed the Sabbath Day from Saturday to Sunday". They know that Sunday was observed from early Christian times, not as a Sabbath or day of rest, but because:

1. In the first day of Creation Week, God made a change in matter, and the physical creation emerged.

2. In honour of the resurrection of Christ, which occurred on the first day of the week (even if it was Saturday night from our point of view, it was the beginning of the first day of the week which began at sundown). With this event, the new creation in Christ began.

In the first century, both the Sabbath and Sunday were observed.

[Paidion]

Justin Martyr’s Explanation of the Sabbath to the Jews
(Justin lived from 110 – 165 A.D.)

From: Dialogue With Trypho

Righteous Men of Old Kept No Sabbaths

... all those righteous men already mentioned [Abel, Enoch, Noah,] ,
though they kept no Sabbaths, were pleasing to God; and after them
Abraham with all his descendants until Moses... Chapter 19

..For if there was no need of circumcision before
Abraham, or of the observance of Sabbaths, of feasts and sacrifices, before
Moses; no more need is there of them now,...Chapter 23

Nature Does Not Observe Sabbath Days

Do you see that the elements are not idle, and keep no Sabbaths? Chapter 23
.

God Himself Does Not Observe the Sabbath Day

Think it not strange that we drink hot water on the Sabbaths, since God directs
the government of the universe on this day equally as on all others.. Chapter 29

The True Israelites Are Those Who Come to God Through Christ

For the true spiritual Israel, and descendants of Judah, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham (who in uncircumcision was approved of and blessed by God on account of his faith, and called thefather of many nations), are we who have been led to God through this crucified Christ, as shall be demonstrated while we proceed. Chapter 11 (near the end)

We Are Now Required To Keep Sabbath Daily
By Resting From Sin and Working Righteousness

The new law requires you to keep perpetual sabbath, and you, because you are idle for one day, suppose you are pious, not discerning why this has been commanded you: and if you eat unleavened bread, you say the will of God has been fulfilled. The Lord our God does not take pleasure in such observances: if there is any perjured person or a thief among you, let him cease to be so; if any adulterer, let him repent; then he has kept the sweet and true sabbaths of God. If any one has impure hands, let him wash and be pure. Chapter 12 (at the end)

[RND]

The official Catholic Church does not claim to have "changed the Sabbath Day from Saturday to Sunday". They know that Sunday was observed from early Christian times, not as a Sabbath or day of rest, but because:

1. In the first day of Creation Week, God made a change in matter, and the physical creation emerged.

2. In honour of the resurrection of Christ, which occurred on the first day of the week (even if it was Saturday night from our point of view, it was the beginning of the first day of the week which began at sundown). With this event, the new creation in Christ began.

In the first century, both the Sabbath and Sunday were observed.

I think Cardinal was quite honest frankly. Too bad he didn't confirm any of the points you raised Paidon.

[mikew]

That is a good question to ask why Protestants think they have to keep a Sabbath.

I would offer in speculation that the idea of Sunday as a Sabbath was not being questioned as a major problem of the Catholic doctrine when Luther raised his issues. It certainly couldn't be expected that Luther by simply finding some significant truths of scripture then knew all truth perfectly.

It still is a good question "Why do the Protestants keep Sunday?" -- since we have been freed and not under the Law of Moses. People have a hard time getting away from a works mentality. But it would seem by now that we ought to realize that the Sabbath rest was completely fulfilled in Christ Jesus. So people ought to recognize the freedom in Christ.

I think some of these ideas will go away as the blinders are dropped off peoples' eyes.

There still seems to be significance to the general need of people to have physical rest too. Interestingly I recognized this need in college before I became a Christian when I realized it was useless trying to study through the whole day every day.

[RND]

Paidon, is there anything about the Catholic Mirror and Cardinal Gibbons statements that you'd care to address?

Justin Martyr’s Explanation of the Sabbath to the Jews
(Justin lived from 110 – 165 A.D.)

I've checked my Bible from cover to cover and I can't find which epistle the young Justin Martyr wrote. Do you think you could help me Paidon?

Another thing to keep in mind Paidon is that murder, stealing, robbery, idol worship, coveting, et al, were being done during Justin's time, including sabbath breaking - that doesn't mean it is right just because people ignore the law. Speeding is still speeding even if everyone does it.

Sabbath Observance Through The Centuries - The First Century A.D.

INSTITUTION OF THE SABBATH
"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." (Genesis 2:1-3 )

JESUS
"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read." (Luke 4:16)

JESUS
"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:16,17)

JESUS
"But pray ye that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day." (Matthew 24, 20).
NOTE: Jesus asked his disciples to pray that in the flight from the doomed city of Jerusalem they would not have to flee on the Sabbath day. This flight took place in 70 A.D. 40 years after the Jesus' crucfixion and we see here that Jesus fully expected His church to be observing His true seventh day Sabbath that He Himself proclaimed to be the Lord of.

JESUS' FOLLOWERS
"And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment." (Luke 23:56.) Did these women make a mistake and keep the wrong sabbath or was it that Christ NEVER EVER hinted that there would be a change forthcoming???

PAUL
"And Paul, as his manner was went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures" (Acts 17:2) Did Christ fail to inform Paul on the road to Damascus that there's now a new sabbath? Or rather does the silence of Christ speak volumes against the papal sabbath???

PAUL AND THE GENTILES
"And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. And the next Sabbath came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God." Acts 13:42, 44.

Here we find Gentiles in a Gentile city gathering on the Sabbath. It was not a synagogue meeting in verse 44, for it says almost the whole city came together, verse 42 says they asked to hear the message the "next Sabbath."

And get this: The Bible does not say it is the "old Jewish Sabbath that was passed away," but the Spirit of God, writing the Book of Acts some 30 years after the crucifixion, calls it "the next Sabbath."

JOHN
"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." Rev.1:10 (Mark 2:28, Isa.58:13, Ex.20:10, Clearly show the Sabbath to be the Lord's day).
The term "Lord's day" in reference to sunday came later. The Biblical meaning for Lord's day is the day that God calls "My holy day" and the day that Jesus said He is Lord of.

JOSEPHUS
"There is not any city of the Grecians, nor any of the Barbarians, nor any nation whatsoever, whither our custom of resting on the seventh day hath not come!" M'Clatchie, "Notes and Queries on China and Japan" (edited by Dennys), Vol 4, Nos 7, 8, p.100.

PHILO
Declares the seventh day to be a festival, not of this or of that city, but of the universe. M'Clatchie, "Notes and Queries," Vol. 4, 99

So we have incontrovertible proof that the observance of sunday was NOT practiced by the apostolic church of the first century. Although the poison of apostasy had already begun, it did not reach the ascendancy until the passage of a few more centuries.

The next installment will show the historical record of the early christians observing the true seventh day Sabbath in the second century A.D.

Sabbath Observance Through The Centuries - The Second Century A.D.

EARLY CHRISTIANS - 2nd Century
"The primitive Christians had a great veneration for the Sabbath, and spent the day in devotion and sermons. And it is not to be doubted but they derived this practice from the Apostles themselves, as appears by several scriptures to the purpose." "Dialogues on the Lord's Day," p. 189. London: 1701, By Dr. T.H. Morer (A Church of England divine).

EARLY CHRISTIANS - 2nd Century
"...The Sabbath was a strong tie which united them with the life of the whole people, and in keeping the Sabbath holy they followed not only the example but also the command of Jesus." "Geschichte des Sonntags," pp.13, 14

EARLY CHRISTIANS - 2nd Century
"The Gentile Christians observed also the Sabbath," Gieseler's "Church History," Vol.1, ch. 2, par. 30, 93.

EARLY CHRISTIANS - 2nd Century
"The primitive Christians did keep the Sabbath of the Jews;...therefore the Christians, for a long time together, did keep their conventions upon the Sabbath, in which some portions of the law were read: and this continued till the time of the Laodicean council." "The Whole Works" of Jeremy Taylor, Vol. IX,p. 416 (R. Heber's Edition, Vol XII, p. 416).

EARLY CHRISTIANS - 2nd Century
"It is certain that the ancient Sabbath did remain and was observed (together with the celebration of the Lord's day) by the Christians of the East Church, above three hundred years after our Saviour's death." "A Learned Treatise of the Sabbath," p. 77

Note: By the "Lord's day" here the writer means Sunday and not the true Sabbath," which the Bible says is the Sabbath. This quotation shows Sunday coming into use in the early centuries soon after the death of the Apostles. It illustrates the apostasy that Paul the Apostle foretold of when he spoke about a great "falling away" from the Truth that would take place soon after his death.

"From the apostles' time until the council of Laodicea, which was about the year 364, the holy observance of the Jews' Sabbath continued, as may be proved out of many authors: yea, notwithstanding the decree of the council against it." "Sunday a Sabbath." John Ley, p.163. London: 1640.

[RND]

That is a good question to ask why Protestants think they have to keep a Sabbath.

I would offer in speculation that the idea of Sunday as a Sabbath was not being questioned as a major problem of the Catholic doctrine when Luther raised his issues. It certainly couldn't be expected that Luther by simply finding some significant truths of scripture then knew all truth perfectly.

Why Lutheran Claim Was Not True

"Their profession of holding the Scriptures alone as the standard of faith is false. Proof: The written word explicitly enjoins the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath. They do not observe the seventh day, but reject it. If they truly hold the Scriptures alone as the standard, they would be observing the seventh day as it is enjoined in the Scripture throughout. Yet they not only reject the observance of the Sabbath as enjoined in the written word, but they have adopted, and do practice, the observance of Sunday, for which they have only the tradition of the (Catholic) Church."

"Consequently, the claim of Scripture alone as the standard fails and the doctrine of 'Scripture and tradition as essential' is fully established, the Protestants themselves being Judges." See The Proceedings of the Council of Trent, Augsburg confession and Encyclopedia Britannica, article "Trent, Council of." At this argument, the party that had stood for the Scripture alone surrendered, and the Council at once unanimously condemned Protestantism, and the whole Reformation. It at once proceeded to enact stringent decrees to arrest its progress.

It still is a good question "Why do the Protestants keep Sunday?" -- since we have been freed and not under the Law of Moses.

The sabbath was kept before Sinai, Exodus 5 and 16.

People have a hard time getting away from a works mentality. But it would seem by now that we ought to realize that the Sabbath rest was completely fulfilled in Christ Jesus. So people ought to recognize the freedom in Christ.

Hebrews 3 and 4?

Hbr 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

I think some of these ideas will go away as the blinders are dropped off peoples' eyes.

I wouldn't make a bet on that. Since God said "remember...." it's unlikely He forgot.

There still seems to be significance to the general need of people to have physical rest too. Interestingly I recognized this need in college before I became a Christian when I realized it was useless trying to study through the whole day every day.

Isn't remarkable that God knew this as well. He even set aside such a day which was blessed and sanctified. The seventh-day, the sabbath. Sunday wasn't blessed or sanctified.

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Sabbath Truth Presented, But Rejected by Luther

Almost unknown to most Christian literature is the name of Andreas Rudolph B. Carlstadt, the great apostle of the seventh day Sabbath. He was born in Carlstadt, Bavaria, in 1480 and died in Basel, Switzerland, on December 25, 1541, at the age of 61 years. Carlstadt was a personal friend and co-worker with Martin Luther but strenuously opposed him on the Sabbath issue. Carlstadt observed the seventh day Sabbath and taught its observance. D'Aubigne says that Luther himself admitted that Carlstadt was his superior in learning (Fifield's History. Reference book ten, page 315).

The rejection of the Sabbath at the Council of Trent at once crippled the advance of the Reformation. Protestants and Protestant reformers will be held responsible on Judgment Day for their unfaithfulness at a time when the entire Roman Church pivoted toward discarding all tradition.

At this point let us refer to the eminent Doctor Dowling. In his History of Romanism, book two, chapter one, he says: "The Bible, and the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants." It is, further, of no ". ..account in the estimation of a genuine Protestant how early a doctrine originated if it is not found in the Bible..." Hence if a doctrine be propounded for his acceptance, he asks, "Is it found in the inspired word? Was it taught by the Lord Jesus Christ or His apostles?" It did not matter to him whether it had been discovered in the musty folio of some ancient visionary of the third or fourth century or whether it emerged from the fertile brain of some modern visionary of the nineteenth. If it was not found in the sacred Scriptures it presented no valid claim to be received as an article of his religious creed. He who receives a single doctrine from the mere authority of tradition, by so doing steps down from the Protestant Rock, passes over the line that separates Protestantism from Popery and give no reason why he should not receive all the earlier doctrines and ceremonies of Romanism.

Again, the Italian historian Gavassi says, "A pagan flood flowing into the church, carried with it its customs, practices and idols" (Gavazzi’s Lectures, Page 290).

To quote another authority, Dr. White, Bishop of Ely: "The observance of the seventh day was being revived in Luther's time by Carlstadt" (Treatise of the Sabbath, page 8). And from Sears' Life of Luther, page 402: "Carlstadt held to the Divine authority of the Sabbath from the Old Testament."

Indeed Luther says (in his book Against the Celestial Prophets): ''Indeed, if Carlstadt were to write further about the Sabbath, Sunday would have to give way, and the Sabbath—that is to say, Saturday—must be kept holy."

Carlstadt said: "In regard to the ceremonies of the Church, all are to be rejected which have not a warrant in the Bible.''

Luther asserted on the contrary, "Whatever is not against the Scripture is for it."

"Not so," said Carlstadt. "We are bound to the Bible, and no one may decide after the thoughts of his own heart'' (Sears' Life of Luther, pages 401 ,402).

"It cannot be denied that in many respects Carlstadt was in advance of Luther, and doubtless the Reformation owes him much good for which he has not the credit" (McClintok and Strong's Cyclopedia, Volume 2, page 123). References in the following paragraph are taken from History of the Sabbath by Andrews. See third edition, 1887:

"From the Catholic(Roman) teaching of justification by works of penance, etc., Luther went to the opposite extreme of justification without works. This idea caused him to deny that the Epistle of James was inspired, because James said, 'Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.' This attitude made Luther spurn the true Christian Sabbath."

Read what Draper says: "Toward the close of Luther's life it seemed as if there were no other prospects for papal power than total ruin. Yet at this day, 1930, out of three hundred millions of Christians, more than half owe allegiance to Rome (1967: Moslems 500 million, Roman Catholics 550 million, at least). Almost as by enchantment the Reformation ceased to advance. Rome was not only able to check its spread but even to gain back a portion of what she had lost" (Intellectual Development, Volume 2, page 216).

Protestant Victory Almost Won, But Lost, Why?

Now in dealing with the Council of Trent (held in northeast Italy, and lasting from 1545 to 1563 A.D.), we must quote another well-versed writer, G.E. Fifield, DD, in his incomparable tract, Origin of Sunday as a Christian (?) Festival (Published by American Sabbath Tract Society, Seventh Day Baptist Church). To quote Dr. Fifield: "At the council of Trent, called by the Roman Church to deal with questions arising out of the Reformation, it was at first an apparent possibility that the Council would declare in favor of the reformed doctrines instead of against them, so profound was the impression made thus far by the teachings of Luther and other reformers."

The Pope's legate actually wrote to him that there was ''strong tendency to set aside tradition altogether, and to make the Scriptures the sole standard of appeal.'' The question was debated day by day, until it was fairly brought to a standstill. Finally the Archbishop of Reggio turned the Council against the Reformation by the following argument: ''The Protestants claim to stand upon the written word only; they profess to hold the Scriptures alone as the standard of faith. They justify their revolt by the plea that the Church has apostatized from the written word and follows tradition. Now the Protestant's claim that they stand upon the written word alone is not true."

[mikew]

Paidon, is there anything about the Catholic Mirror and Cardinal Gibbons statements that you'd care to address?

Justin Martyr’s Explanation of the Sabbath to the Jews
(Justin lived from 110 – 165 A.D.)

I've checked my Bible from cover to cover and I can't find which epistle the young Justin Martyr wrote. Do you think you could help me Paidon?

Another thing to keep in mind Paidon is that murder, stealing, robbery, idol worship, coveting, et al, were being done during Justin's time, including sabbath breaking - that doesn't mean it is right just because people ignore the law. Speeding is still speeding even if everyone does it.

First. The speed laws only apply to people in commercial activity. Though there is a common law element that if you cause a collision cause you were traveling out of control, you are guilty.

Second. The quotes you provided were not out of scripture but only showed some people's ideas about practices of the early Church groups. So how does that compare to Paidion's quotes?

Are you simply saying that the Law of Moses confirms certain aspects of morality -- and this is why people still should "follow the Law"? I don't quite get your concept on still being under the Law of Moses. It seems you still segment the Law in such a manner that there is no actual adherence to the Law of Moses. For example, once the laws of sacrifice are not followed by God's people, then God's people have truly failed to follow His Law.