Sabbath Reform.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 17 September 1913, Page 3

Sabbath Reform.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir —, lam glad someone besides myself is writing to you about the Sabbath. I pray that the discussion may be carried on in a friendly spirit, and that your! readers may reach right conclusions, to the honour and glory of God, and to the lessening of the reproach, which has naturally fallen upon a much-divided Church. I am sorry Mr Kirgan has so misjudged me, as to think I have dealt harsly with your readers, while endeavouring to help them. I hope he will yet see that the Church, and the sin-striken world, have grown so deaf, and sleepy, (spiritually), that very severe shaking is necessary to awaken them to a sense of their dangerous condition. We have been commanded, to " Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression." Isaiah 58.1., Rev 18.4. The smitings of the righteous are blessings in disguise, and faithful are the wounds of a friend. Ps 141.5, Prov 27.6, Hosea 6.1.

I would assure your readers, that it is my^ intention to write nothing but what is promoted by an earnest desire to promote their spiritual welfare. I wish Mr Kirgan, to say straight out, what he believes to be right, and I will not question his good . motives. I trust he will extend to me the same fair treatment.

If I understand Mr Kirgan aright, he claims that the Sabbath was changed by the Apostles, who acted under divine authority As evidence that they did this, Mr Kirgan says :— " the first day of the week was the time when the Apostles and first Christians met together for religious worship. Mr Kirgan reminds us of one such occasion, citing Acts 29.6,7. where, at Proas, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul met with them for worship. Then Mr Kirgan without any Scriptural authority whatever, tells us this was the " Christian Sabbath." Mr Kirgan says " it was the Christian Sabbath " but the Bible does not say so. Let every one read themselves in Acts 20.6,7.

We may safely follow the example of the Apostles, so far as they folio w Christ, but Mr Kirgan is not following Christ or the Apostles, when he says" the first day of the week is the Sabbath " for they never said so.

• And now Mr Kirgan brings before us the Apostle John, as a witness that the first day of the week is the Sabbath, In Rev 1. 10. John says ;— " I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." Mr Kirgan says :—John called the first day of the week," The Lord's Day "but any one may see for themselves, that in Rev 1.10. John says no such thing.

At. the risk of offending many, but with the hope of helping some, I must remind them of the solemn warning in the last chapter of Revelation, where we read : —" If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book." Bey 22.18. see also Prov 30.5, 6. Many will say " there is no cause for alarm," but we must do as God tells us, for we cannot be quiet, while so few are walking in the way " which leadeth unto life." Matt 7.14. It should be plain to eveiv reader that no one can prove from the Bible that the first day of the week is. the Sabbath, when the Bible says no such thing. Yet for reasons best known to God and themselves, thousands are trying to do so, Mr Kirgan has not given us Chapter and verse, where the Apostles teach, by precept or example, that the first day of the week is the Sabbath. Will he be kind enough to tell us through the " Advertiser," if he wishes to say more on this phase of the Sabbath question, before we pass on to other points mentioned in his letter. ? lam etc, G-EO. JOHNSON.