Charles spurgeon on roman catholicism: “a vast mountain of rubbish covering the truth

Jamieson, Fausset, Brown

Col 2:16

16. therefore--because ye are complete in Christ, and God in Him has dispensed with all subordinate means as essential to acceptance with Him.
meat . . . drink--Greek, "eating . . . drinking" (Ro 14:1-17). Pay no regard to any one who sits in judgment on you as to legal observances in respect to foods.
holyday--a feast yearly. Compare the three, 1Ch 23:31.
new moon--monthly.
the sabbath--Omit "THE," which is not in the Greek (compare Note, see on Ga 4:10). "SABBATHS" (not "the sabbaths") of the day of atonement and feast of tabernacles have come to an end with the Jewish services to which they belonged (Le 23:32, 37-39).

The weekly sabbath rests on a more permanent foundation, having been instituted in Paradise to commemorate the completion of creation in six days. Le 23:38 expressly distinguished "the sabbath of the Lord" from the other sabbaths. A positive precept is right because it is commanded, and ceases to be obligatory when abrogated; a moral precept is commanded eternally, because it is eternally right. If we could keep a perpetual sabbath, as we shall hereafter, the positive precept of the sabbath, one in each week, would not be needed. Heb 4:9, "rests," Greek, "keeping of sabbath" (Isa 66:23). But we cannot, since even Adam, in innocence, needed one amidst his earthly employments; therefore the sabbath is still needed and is therefore still linked with the other nine commandments, as obligatory in the spirit, though the letter of the law has been superseded by that higher spirit of love which is the essence of law and Gospel alike (Ro 13:8-10).


J-F-B
Gen 2:3 –
3. blessed and sanctified the seventh day--a peculiar distinction put upon it above the other six days, and showing it was devoted to sacred purposes. The institution of the Sabbath is as old as creation, giving rise to that weekly division of time which prevailed in the earliest ages. It is a wise and beneficent law, affording that regular interval of rest which the physical nature of man and the animals employed in his service requires, and the neglect of which brings both to premature decay. Moreover, it secures an appointed season for religious worship, and if it was necessary in a state of primeval innocence, how much more so now, when mankind has a strong tendency to forget God and His claims?
http://www.studylight.org/com/jfb/view.cgi?book=ge&chapter=002

 

Bob, are you saying that because Spurgeon, Moody and Pink used the word "Sabbath", they must have been "Seventh Day"?

It may just be that I have misunderstood you, but if you did mean that, it seems you are mistaken. Spurgeon, in his commentary on the Psalms, "The Treasury of David", says in the course of commenting on Psalm 118.24 (my emphasis):

We observe the Lord’s day as henceforth our true Sabbath, a day made and ordained of God, for the perpetual remembrance of the achievements of our Redeemer. Whenever the soft Sabbath light of the first day of the week breaks upon the earth, let us sing,
"This is the day the Lord hath made,
He calls the hours his own;
Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad,
And praise surround the throne."
​

 

So why is the Sabbath a topic on a Catholic doctrines thread?

Well we saw what Melanchthon said - how about the RCC itself?

page 243

Tyndale explaines how fully man-made tradition trumps the Word of God - Placing man as the Mark 2:27 "Lord of the Sabbath"

 

I am saying that the force of the argument they make is explicitly centered on the continuing validity of the Ten Commandments and especially the 4th commandment - the Sabbath commandment.

How one chooses to apply the Mark 7 method of "edit that commandment according to tradition" is a different matter.

But the arguments themselves are applicable to the commandment whether you choose to edit God's Word or not. In their case they may be choosing to edit while applying the force of their 4th commandment argument. So we then notice that they do NOT say "because we edit the 4th commandment from the way God gave it - THEN the 4th commandment is still valid and here are some arguments for keeping it." By nicely sidestepping their own man-made-tradition for editing God's Word - they then are free to apply the full force of their argument from the language of the commandment itself - from the fact of the 4th commandment itself. (Hence when Spurgeon answers the question about which is the Sabbath Commandment - he quotes verbatim from the 4th commandment text.) An argument that I find even more forceful and compelling if you do not Edit the Word of God.

In my case - I choose not to edit God's Word. The result is that the logic in the arguments they make is even more compelling when applied to an unedited Word of God!

in Christ,

Bob

 

Spurgeon, A.W. Pink and Moody all believed in the Sabbath just as I do - They believed the Lord's Day was Sunday. Looks like you would research your quotes before recklessly quoting and thus perverting the positions of these men!

 

Funny! Anyone who knows and has read the ante-nicene Fathers knows Melanchton didn't know what he was talking about. It seems that Roman Catholics and followers of Ellen G. White are the only ones willfully ignorant of history.

The only thing Constantine did was make law what was already universally practiced among Christians. He made it law because the heathen within his empire worshipped the gods of the mystery religions whose names are associated with the days of the week like the "Saturn" day god and the "Sun" day God as well as the other five.

Ignatius says about A.D. 70 – “Let every one who loves Christ, keep holy the Lord’s Day, the queen of days, the resurrection day, the highest of all days.”

Ireneus, Bishop of Lyons, disciple of Polycarp says, “On the Lord’s Day, every one of us Christians keep the Sabbath.”


Barnabas in about A.D. 120 says, “We keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead”


Justin Martyr in about A.D. 140 says, “But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because Jesus Christ, our Savior, on the same day rose again from the dead.”


Theopolis in A.D. 167 says, “Both custom and reason challenge from us that we should honor the Lord’s Day, seeing it was that day, our Lord Jesus Christ, completed the resurrection from the dead.”

Dionysius in A.D. 170 says, “We passed this holy Lord’s Day in which we read your letter, from the constant reading of which we shall be able to draw admonition.”

Dynidions in A.D. 170 says, “We Celebrate only the Lord’s Day.”
Bardesanes in A.D. 180 says, “On one day, the first day of the week, we assemble ourselves together.”

Clement in A.D. 192 says that a Christian “According to the commandment of the gospel, observes the Lord’s Day, thereby glorifying the resurrection.”
Clement of Alexandria says in A.D. 194, “He, in fulfillment of the precept, according to the gospel, keeps the Lord’s Day, glorifying the Lord’s resurrection in himself.”

Tertullian in A.D. 200 says, “We solemnize the day after Saturday in contradiction to those who call this day their Sabbath.”

Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage in A.D. 250 says, “The eighth day, that is, the first day after the Sabbath, is the Lord’s Day.”

The Apostolical Constitution says in A.D. 250, “On the day of our Lord’s resurrection, which is the Lord’s day, meet more diligently.”

Anatolius in about A.D. 270 says, “The solemn festival of the resurrection of the Lord can only be celebrated on the Lord’s Day.”

Anatolius Bishop of Laodicea in Asia Minor in A.D. 270 says, “Our regard for the Lord’s resurrection which took place on the Lord’s Day will lead us to celebrate it.”

Victorinus in A.D. 300 says, “On the former day we are accustomed to fast rigorously that on the Lord’s Day we may go forth to our brad with giving of thanks, lest we should appear to observe any other Sabbath with the Jewish, which Sabbath He in His body abolished.”

Peter, Bishop of Alexanderia in A.D. 306 says, “But the Lord’s Day we celebrate as a day of joy because on it he rose again.”

John the Beloved in A.D. 96 says, “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day.” – Rev. 1:10

Luke in about A.D. 60 says, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them.” – Acts 20:7

Mosheim, in Volume one, page 45 says, “In the first century all Christians were unanimous in the setting apart the first day of the week on which the Savior arose from the dead, for the solemn celebration of public worship; and it was observed universally as appears from the united testimony of the most credible writers.”

 

Spurgeon said -

Hmmm -- a review of Walter's posts on this thread is in order so we can see just how closely Walter's posts line up with that statement above by Spurgeon.

Here the trashing of God's Seventh-day that we have come to expect from Walter -

in Christ,

Bob

 

Charles Spurgeon said, "I am no preacher of the old legal Sabbath. I am a preacher of the Gospel. The Sabbath of the Jew is to him a task; the Lord's Day of the Christian, the first day of the week, is to him a joy, a day of rest, of peace, and of thanksgiving. And if you Christian men can earnestly drive away all distractions, so that you can really rest today, it will be good for your bodies, good for your souls, good mentally, good spiritually, good temporally, and good eternally." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 7, p. 580.

Spurgeon, Moody and Pink interpreted the fourth commandment just as I do. They rejected the idea that it referred to the seventh day "of the week" and rejected the Jewish observation on the seventh day "of the week." Instead they saw it as the seventh day after six working days irregardless of what day "of the week" it might or might not fall on.

Spurgeon: "expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy Sabbath to himself (Le 19:30 De 5:12)."


However, they all agreed that the Old Testament predicted and the New Testament established it on the first day "of the week" for Christians under the New Covenant and rejected the Jewish observation.

 

GE:

David Lamb, another beautiful observation made in a beautiful spirit.

Yes, Bob Ryan is wrong, but he is also, right. I cannot understand how these great men of God, said what they said, but could not see, the dichotomy of what they said. All I can say is that God has a time for everything He determined SHALL COME TO PASS. WHY HAD THE WORLD TO WAIT FIFTEEN HUNDRED YEARS FOR THE REFORMATION? Why did the Church of Christ ever become the mother of harlots? Because in the end IT MUST WORK OUT TO THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD!

And I believe it with all my heart with regard to the ENIGMATIC HISTORY of the "Sabbath : OF THE LORD GOD".

God cannot be against Himself; God could change if He willed because He is omnipotent; but because God is FAITHFUL, He chose NOT to change, but rather to send Christ to PROVE HE WOULD NOT CHANGE, EVER, FOR GOD IS LOVE!

Not in the slightest would God ever change, we may NOW believe it without doubt --- BECAUSE OF CHRIST.

So never try, dear Dr Walter, tell a simple man like Gerhard Ebersoehn, God changed. I am TOO SIMPLE to ever believe you or all the hosts of learned, great, and yes, even Godly, men. God did not change; He did not change OWNERSHIP. Like God NEVER changed ownership of one single of his own, God never changed ownership of ANY of his creating and object of love. He would never exchange that which HE declared "MY HOLY DAY" for what MEN declared 'holy'. And his LORDSHIP of "the Lord's Day" God in Christ and through Christ shall most jealously GUARD with all his MIGHT --- EXACTLY WHICH GOD DID, "WHEN, RAISING CHRIST FROM THE DEAD", "SABBATH'S", "HE EXALTED HIM AND SET HIM AT HIS OWN RIGHT HAND IN HEAVENLY MAJESTY" --- “ABSOLUTELY ON THE SABBATH”, "THE SEVENTH DAY GOD THUS CONCERNING DID SPEAK" --- "AT SUNDRY TIMES BEFORE". This same "GOD, WHO, in these LAST days, hath spoken unto US, BY HIS SON".

This is my, FULL, Sabbath-doctrine, to which I shall hold, so help my God, for ever in the face of all adversity and hate toward God and his Holy Sanctified Lord's Day : 'The Lord's Day' by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead "In the Sabbath Day's fullness". "And God the Seventh Day from ALL HIS WORKS, RESTED."

 

GE:

You have said what you said, well! You and Spurgeon, have said what is not true, even better. You are masters of language; greater artists with the English language; while I am, quote, a “backbush rhetoric” ‘boslanster’. But no matter how fluent you or I might be in any language, the plain, “Thus saith the LORD” is enough to dispel everything either of us might wish to say which IS NOT TRUE.

So, I am no preacher, or a preacher of the old legal and ‘Jewish’ Sabbath either!
I am a believer of the Gospel, simply : “the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the POWER OF GOD”. Which power of God, God showed undaunted and unchanged “WHEN RAISING Christ from the dead” in both his flesh and in his time, which time, was the Day of God’s Finishing of all his works, and day of his rest --- the day of God’s once for all blessing and sanctification through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ, by “the Seventh Day Sabbath of the LORD GOD”, strictly.

Yes, the Sabbath of the Jew is to him a task; a greater burden and task to him is the legalist Christian’s ‘sabbath’, whether First Day or Seventh Day of the week. But the Lord's Day of the Christ in victory over the last enemy, death --- “the Seventh Day Sabbath of the LORD GOD” --- since creation and throughout the redeeming revelation of Divinity, is to “The People of God” and “Body of Christ’s Own” a joy, a day of rest, of peace and of thanksgiving : a “FEAST OF CHRIST” and a “reward” “not to be deluded about with enticing words” of the wisdom and authorities of the world.

And if you Christian men can earnestly drive away all distractions and discern the finger of the devil that scribbled over the engraving of the Finger of God so that you can really rest IN GOD’S OWN WORDS, it will be good for your Christian practice, good for your conscience, good mentally, good spiritually, good temporally, and good eternally.

 

GE:

God: "expressly THE SEVENTH day Sabbath OF THE LORD YOUR GOD." "The HOLY DAY OF THE LORD" (Le 19:30 De 5:12 Is 58:13).

 

Yes, but not the seventh day "of the week"! but the seventh day after six working days!

 

My friend, God never changed and never needed to change because nowhere in God's Word did he ever say that the Sabbath was the seventh day "OF THE WEEK." He would never say that because if He had said that then he would have changed because he applied the Sabbath to the 1st, 7th, 8th, 10th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd and 28th days of the month in Levitucs 23 as well as the 50th day after 7 regular sabbaths, 7th YEAR and 50th YEAR.

Hence, the principle is merely one sabbath after six non-sabbaths!

The "first day of the week" is the New covenant Sabbath and it too is one Sabbath after six non-sabbaths.

 

You do believe in the gospel and I commend you for that. However, Jesus did not rise on the "Seventh Day Sabbath" but he arose on "THE FIRST DAY SABBATH" and that is not only the clear testimony of the gospel accounts but confirmed by the Apostles (1 Cor. 16:1-2; Acts 20:7; Rev. 1:7) and pictured in the ceremonial feasts sabbaths (Lev. 23) and predicted by David in Psalm 118:20-24 with Acts 4:10-11; 13:33).

The only writings we now possess immediately after the New Testament are the antenicene Fathers and they confirm the "first day of the week" was the universal witness in the first three centuries BEFORE Constantine that this was the "Lord's day" "the first day of the week", "the eighth day" "Sunday" all equally called the "resurrection day" of Christ!


Ignatius says about A.D. 70 – “Let every one who loves Christ, keep holy the Lord’s Day, the queen of days, the resurrection day, the highest of all days.”


Ireneus, Bishop of Lyons, disciple of Polycarp says, “On the Lord’s Day, every one of us Christians keep the Sabbath.”


Barnabas in about A.D. 120 says, “We keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead”


Justin Martyr in about A.D. 140 says, “But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because Jesus Christ, our Savior, on the same day rose again from the dead.”


Theopolis in A.D. 167 says, “Both custom and reason challenge from us that we should honor the Lord’s Day, seeing it was that day, our Lord Jesus Christ, completed the resurrection from the dead.”


Dionysius in A.D. 170 says, “We passed this holy Lord’s Day in which we read your letter, from the constant reading of which we shall be able to draw admonition.”


Dynidions in A.D. 170 says, “We Celebrate only the Lord’s Day.”


Bardesanes in A.D. 180 says, “On one day, the first day of the week, we assemble ourselves together.”


Clement in A.D. 192 says that a Christian “According to the commandment of the gospel, observes the Lord’s Day, thereby glorifying the resurrection.”


Clement of Alexandria says in A.D. 194, “He, in fulfillment of the precept, according to the gospel, keeps the Lord’s Day, glorifying the Lord’s resurrection in himself.”

Tertullian in A.D. 200 says, “We solemnize the day after Saturday in contradiction to those who call this day their Sabbath.”


Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage in A.D. 250 says, “The eighth day, that is, the first day after the Sabbath, is the Lord’s Day.”


The Apostolical Constitution says in A.D. 250, “On the day of our Lord’s resurrection, which is the Lord’s day, meet more diligently.”


Anatolius in about A.D. 270 says, “The solemn festival of the resurrection of the Lord can only be celebrated on the Lord’s Day.”


Anatolius Bishop of Laodicea in Asia Minor in A.D. 270 says, “Our regard for the Lord’s resurrection which took place on the Lord’s Day will lead us to celebrate it.”


Victorinus in A.D. 300 says, “On the former day we are accustomed to fast rigorously that on the Lord’s Day we may go forth to our brad with giving of thanks, lest we should appear to observe any other Sabbath with the Jewish, which Sabbath He in His body abolished[/U].”


Peter, Bishop of Alexanderia in A.D. 306 says, “But the Lord’s Day we celebrate as a day of joy because on it he rose again.”

John the Beloved in A.D. 96 says, “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day.” – Rev. 1:10


Luke in about A.D. 60 says, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them.” – Acts 20:7


Mosheim, in Volume one, page 45 says, “In the first century all Christians were unanimous in the setting apart the first day of the week on which the Savior arose from the dead, for the solemn celebration of public worship; and it was observed universally as appears from the united testimony of the most credible writers.” Today 11:22 AM

 

Yes that is true - but what IF God had said "just pick one day in seven - any day you wish just pick one and sanctify it as you please" -- wouldn't that be great? :tonofbricks:

 

Your missing the established principle. It really does not matter what day "of the week" it falls on as Leviticus 23 demonstrates. What matters is the established principle of six preceding and following a seventh regardless what day "of the week" it may fall upon.

In Leviticus that principle is applied to six "days" "month" "years" and the Sabbath falls upon the 1st, 7th, 8th, 10th, 14th, 15th, 21th 22nd, 28th, 50th" in terms of days but is applied to longer periods that the term "yom " can include (Gen. 2:4) but still in six (years) followed by a seventh (year) or 50th year. It is equally true of THOUSAND year periods, six followed by a seventh thousand year followed by an eternal eighth period!

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Walter:
"However, they all agreed that the Old Testament predicted and the New Testament established it on the first day "of the week" for Christians under the New Covenant and rejected the Jewish observation."

GE:

Some Seventh Day ‘observers’ reject the ‘Jewish observation" (Sic.) of the Seventh Day Sabbath Day no less than “they all”— those good men, did. They aren’t many. But fewer First Day ‘observers’ are there who do not suffer of the same ailment.

It’s all the works of fallible men; the one’s above the other’s cannot be expected better.

Another matter altogether is the “observation" of days” (‘hehmeras paratehreisthe’), that irreconcilable 'observance' with the Christian Faith OR WITH CHRIST, that Paul defines as the
"foolish Galatians’",
“return”,
“back to”,
“your former”,
heathen, pagan,
“weak and beggarly”,
“elemental”,
“by nature”,
“no-gods”,
“UNDER WHICH YE
_DID SERVE_”, and
now all over,
“DESIRE” to be
“IN BONDAGE”,
“AGAIN”.


Sunday protagonists blame the LORD GOD Himself for this "superstition" (Calvin— one of those good men referred to) of his People, saying, this Scripture speaks of the Seventh Day Sabbath of the LORD GOD, while it speaks of “the day of the lord Sun”, that hermaphrodite IDOL of their IDOLATRY, the “lord Sun”, and, “queen of days”.

 

GE:

I know a very apt three letter Afrikaans word for what you are talking. Paul used the Greek equivalent for more or less the same purpose.

 

GE:

Tyndale said much better when he said that Christians have much better reason to believe the Seventh Day Sabbath than the other Christians have for keeping Sundays. Or to that effect. I can look up the statement, but why? It won't make any difference with just about everyone on here.

 

GE:

No! That was for the Jews, so they wouldn't work on "The SABBATH OF THE LORD YOUR GOD", as well. The Sabbath is not the Sabbath because it comes after MAN'S sixth day of work, but because it came after GOD'S sixth day of work WHEN, HE, "GOD, from all HIS works, rested." "Christentum dass nicht Eschatologie ist hat mit Christus Jesu ganz und gar und Restlos NICHTS zu tun!" KB.