Those who go to church on Saturday, or advocate Sabbath observance, often say that God ordained the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments. It is assumed that Christians are obligated to obey the Ten Commandments, although no verse in the New Testament that exactly says so. The Ten Commandments were specifically given to the Jews, to Israel.
Most Christian advocates of Sabbath observance are influenced by Ellen White, the founder of the Seventh Day Adventists....
Could you quote this Baptist Confession of Faith and the Westminster Confession of Faith that you refer to? I don't think I have seen these particular documents.
D.L. Moody insists that the Sabbath begins in Eden.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS text by D. L. Moody
Moody says this in that sermon
"T
he Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. The fourth commandment begins with the word
remember, showing that the Sabbath already existed when God wrote this law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when they will admit that the other nine are still binding?
I believe that the Sabbath question today is a vital one for the whole country. It is the burning question of the present time. If you give up the Sabbath the church goes; if you give up the church the home goes; and if the home goes the nation goes. That is the direction in which we are traveling.
The church of God is losing its power on account of so many people giving up the Sabbath, and using it to promote selfishness."
Both the "
Baptist Confession of Faith" - sectn 19 and the "
Westminster Confession of Faith" sectn 19 affirm the same point about the TEN Commandments as the moral law of God that is given in Eden.
The lack of depth in the accusations made in the post is reflected somewhat by this statement "Most Christian advocates of Sabbath observance are influenced by Ellen White" - as if all Christians who are not at war against God's 4th commandment -- take their doctrine from Ellen White when it comes to God's Sabbath Commandment.
That is such an extreme statement it is hard to overstate the level of its exaggeration.
Could you quote this Baptist Confession of Faith and the Westminster Confession of Faith that you refer to? I don't think I have seen these particular documents.
Baptist Confession of Faith -- sectn 19
Here is it in Spurgeon's exanded edition in th 19th century.
The Baptist Confession of Faith (1689)
19. The Law of God
- God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience which was written in his heart, and He gave him very specific instruction about not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. By this Adam and all his descendants were bound to personal, total, exact, and perpetual obedience, being promised life upon the fulfilling of the law, and threatened with death upon the breach of it. At the same time Adam was endued with power and ability to keep it.
- The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the Fall, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in the ten commandments, and written in two tables, the first four containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man.
- Besides this law, commonly called the moral law, God was pleased do give the people of Israel ceremonial laws containing several typical ordinances. These ordinances were partly about their worship, and in them Christ was prefigured along with His attributes and qualities, His actions, His sufferings and His benefits. These ordinances also gave instructions about different moral duties. All of these ceremonial laws were appointed only until the time of reformation, when Jesus Christ the true Messiah and the only lawgiver, Who was furnished with power from the Father for this end, cancelled them and took them away.
- To the people of Israel He also gave sundry judicial laws which expired when they ceased to be a nation. These are not binding on anyone now by virtue of their being part of the laws of that nation, but their general equity continue to be applicable in modern times.
- The moral law ever binds to obedience everyone, justified people as well as others, and not only out of regard for the matter contained in it, but also out of respect for the authority of God the Creator, Who gave the law. Nor does Christ in the Gospel dissolve this law in any way, but He considerably strengthens our obligation to obey it.
- Although true believers are not under the law as a covenant of works, to be justified or condemned by it, yet it is of great use to them as well as to others, because as a rule of life it informs them of the will of God and their duty and directs and binds them to walk accordingly. It also reveals and exposes the sinful pollutions of their natures, hearts and lives, and using it for self-examination they may come to greater conviction of sin, greater humility and greater hatred of their sin. They will also gain a clearer sight of their need of Christ and the perfection of His own obedience. It is of further use to regenerate people to restrain their corruptions, because of the way in which it forbids sin. The threatenings of the law serve to show what their sins actually deserve, and what troubles may be expected in this life because of these sins even by regenerate people who are freed from the curse and undiminished rigours of the law. The promises connected with the law also show believers God's approval of obedience, and what blessings they may expect when the law is kept and obeyed, though blessing will not come to them because they have satisfied the law as a covenant of works. If a man does good and refrains from evil simply because the law encourages to the good and deters him from the evil, that is no evidence that he is under the law rather than under grace.
- The aforementioned uses of the law are not contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but they sweetly comply with it, as the Spirit of Christ subdues and enables the will of man to do freely and cheerfully those things which the will of God, which is revealed in the law, requires to be done.
======================================
Westminster Confession of Faith
Westminister Confession of Faith Chapter 19
Westminister Confession of Faith Chapter 19
Of the Law of God
- God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him, and all his posterity, to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it.
- This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables; the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six our duty to man.
- Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws containing several typical ordinances; partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth diverse instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament.
- To them also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any other now, further than the general equity thereof may require.
- Although true believers be not under the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives; so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin, together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin; and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, show them God’s approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof, although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works: so as a man’s doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one, and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law, and not under grace.
- Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it; the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will of God revealed in the law requires to be done.
You have opened two posts by quoting the Methodist lay evangelist D. L. Moody. There is a church in Chicago named after him, the Moody Church. They meet on Sunday.
Indeed they do.. did you actually "read" Moody's text??
Baptists meet on Sunday.
So also do Presbyterians.
I quote their text for the points that they do get right. Because there are certain Bible details that are so glaringly obvious - that BOTH sides of this issue agree to them. One of those obvious details being -- that the Sabbath was binding upon all mankind starting in Eden. Which of course refutes the OP and Title of this thread claiming that only someone reading and following Ellen White would notice this obvious Bible detail.
Frankly I am surprised that since this is at the very heart of your OP and thread title - you do not mention your own point.
I am not aware of any Baptist church or denomination today that recognizes the Baptist Confession of Faith that you are quoting here. The Southern Baptist Convention has issued a Statement of Faith, which was first drafted in the 1930's.
.
Well then .. you are not aware of "Regular Baptists" or "General Baptists" and apparently not aware of C.H. Spurgeon.
The BCoF was "adopted by the Philadelphia Association of Baptist Churches in the 18th century, it is also known as the
Philadelphia Confession of Faith."
The point of the reference is that like the "Westminster Confession of Faith" (and also D.L. Moody's statement on the Sabbath) it shows that the acceptance of all TEN of God's Commandments as applicable to all mankind in Eden, applicable to all mankind to this very day, and included in the moral law of God under the NEW Covenant -- is not a detail "only known to Seventh-day Adventists".... the point remains.
And as they all point out (without having to "first BE Ellen White") - the Sabbath began with Adam and Eve in Eden.
But was it given to Adam and Eve by God?
Ex 20:11 says it was. So also Genesis 2:1-3 ... because every time God makes something "sanctified" He is obligating mankind to honor and respect what God has deemed holy.
