Tradition, Not Commandments- Done Away With At The Cross.

Vol. I.]  OSWEGO, N. Y. MARCH, 1850. [No. 7

JAMES WHITE

CONTINUED….

We are referred to the seventh chapter of Romans, for proof that God's  law of commandments is abolished…

But read the sixth verse (((Rom. 7:6)))) with the marginal reading: " But now we are delivered from the law [the sentence of the law,] being dead to that wherein we were held." Here we see that it is the Christian that is dead to the law, and not the Law that is,  dead. The law of God has always been the instrument to convict and slay the Sinner; as it did Paul, that he might be. justified by faith, and made alive in Jesus Christ; " For I was alive without the law once but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I  died." Verse.  9, In this way " the letter [or law] killeth, but the spirit giveth life," 2d Cor. iii, 6. "Do we then make void the law through faith ? 'God forbid ; .yea; we establish the law," Rom. iii„ 31. What law ?  Certainly not the law of Moses, for that died at the crucifixion about twenty-seven years before Paul wrote to the Romans. Then it necessarily follows that the apostle is speaking of God's law of commandments, which 'was his "DELIGHT," which he SERVED, and which he called " SPIRITUAL," " HOLY, JUST and GOOD." ' See verses 12, 14, 22 and 25. Yet for 'keeping the fourth commandment of this law we are branded by many with " Judaism," with keeping " the Jewish Sabbath and with being under "the yoke of bondage," and having " fallen from-grace'!!

Those that say such things of Sabbath keeper ought to know better, and they might know better if they would search the epistles of the Apostle Paul, free from prejudice.

Said Jesus, " Think not that I am come to destroy the law," What law? Whosoever therefore, shall break one of these least COMMANDMENTS, &c  See. Matt. v,.17-19, Jesus did " destroy " the law of Moses, "nailing it to his cross'', and took "it out of the way," at his crucifixion  but the law of commandments he did not come to destroy. " 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:" Jesus referred to three of the ten commandments in the midst of his ever-memorable sermon on the mount, (see Mat v. 24 27, and 33)  which should settle forever the plain fact that he was speaking of the law of "God, which was to remain the same as long as heaven and earth should remain. Jesus referred to" the law of Mosel in verses-  38 and 43 to show the difference between the old and new dispensations, and that the laws of Moses were to pass away but he never intimated that the commandments of God were to pass away. No, never. He positively declared that he had not come to destroy the law of commandments, and that not one jot or tittle should pass from them, till heaven and earth pass away.

(((Elder Marsh)))) That the Sabbath was embraced in that law which was nailed to the cross -- slain-- taken out of the way and abolished, is clear from what Paul says in 2 Cor. Iii, 7-16. He there tells us that the "ministration of death, written and engraven in stones was to be done away." verse 7; and in verse 13, that it " IS ABOLISHED." and, verse 14, "IS DONE AWAY in Christ."

(((Reply)))) We will first observe that there is an essential difference between a law, and the ministration of that law. One is the constitution necessary to govern the people, the other is the ministry; or the ordained powers to carry its laws in execution.

With this distinction between a law, and its ministration, we shall be able to understand 2 Cor. iii, 6-18. The ten commandments are the "Royal law," the great constitution of righteous principles for all to strictly observe. This constitution was to remain unchanged, as long as heaven and earth remain. In the time of the first or old covenant, it was engraven in stone by the finger of God, but in the time of the second or new covenant, it was to be put in the mind, and written in the heart, by the Spirit of the living God. The apostle is contrasting the ministration of the law of God, under the old covenant, with its ministration under the new.

"But if the MINISTRATION of death, written and engravened in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance: which glory was to be done away: How shall not the MINISTRATION of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the MINISTRATION of condemnation be glory, much more doth the MINISTRATION of righteousness exceed in glory. 2 Cor. Iii, 7-9. The ministration of the ten commandments under the first covenant was the outward services of the law of Moses, but the ministration of them under the new covenant is the "ministration of righteousness" by the Spirit.

The apostle truly calls the ministration of the law of God under Moses, "the ministration of DEATH." and "of CONDEMNATION." for white it CONDEMNED, it could not take away sin; neither give the redemption-- LIFE and IMMORTALITY. Now it is clear that it is not the ten commandments that "is done away and "abolished." but it is the "MINISTRATION of death," that is, the ministration of Moses that is "done away," to give place to "that whish remaineth," which is the ministration of commandments of God, in "righteousness," by the "Spirit."

"For if that which is DONE AWAY [the ministration of Moses] was glorious, MUCH MORE that which REMAINETH [the ministration of the commandments of God in righteousness by the Spirit] is glorious." Verse 11.

The vail, verses 13-16, that "is done away in Christ" which was on the heart of the unbelieving Jews, was the ministration of Moses; for as long as they "read," and continued in the services of Moses' law, they could not see that Jesus was the end of those typical services. But when they look to the blood of Jesus for the atonement, then they can see that the "vail [the ministration of Moses] IS DONE AWAY IN CHRIST."

"Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," verse 17; that is, under the better ministration of the Law of God by the Spirit there is "liberty," being freed from the "yoke of bondage," Gal. v, 1, which was the ministration of condemnation, or "death." Now we can see the difference of the two ministrations of the immutable law of God. One was a the "ministration of condemnation," while this law was only engraven in stone; the other is the "ministration of RIGHTEOUSNESS," of JUSTIFICATION by the Spirit of Christ, while this law is put into the mind, and written in the heart, "I WILL PUT MY LAW IN THEIR INWARD PARTS, AND WRITE IT IN THEIR HEART." See Jer. Xxxi, 33; Heb. Viii, 10. Those who do not carefully "search the Scriptures," will no doubt be satisfied with Eld. Marsh's exposition of 2 Cor iii 7-16, and be kept from the truth by it; but those who will search for themselves will see that this scripture does not prove that the law of God is abolished; only the ministration of it, by the external services of the law of Moses.

The Apostle Paul never taught that the law of God which was engraven in stone, was abolished at the crucifixion. No, never. Read what he says of it in a letter to the Romans dated A.D. 60, more than twenty years after the "ministration of condemnation" was "done away."  "For we know that the law is spiritual." "For I delight in the law of god after the inward man." "So then with my mind I myself SERVE the law of God." "Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, "Thou shalt not coven."-- "Wherefore the law is holy and the commandments holy, and just and good." "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the DOERS OF THE LAW SHALL BE JUSTIFIED." "Do we then make VOID THE LAW THROUGH FAITH? God forbid; yea, we ESTABLISH THE LAW." The CARNAL MIND is enmity against God; for it is NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD, NEITHER INDEED CAN BE." See Rom vii, 7-25; ii, 13: iii, 31, viii, 7.

We have no record that the Jews ever accused St. Paul with departing from the letter of the Sabbath law. This is very strong evidence that he kept it, and that he never taught its abolition. The Sabbath was his only regular preaching day. At Corinth he preached to the Jews and the Greeks "every Sabbath," for a year and six months." See Acts xviii, 4-122. At Antioch, he preached on the sabbath-day at the request of the Gentiles, and "almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God." See Acts xiii, 14, 15, 42-44. At Thessalonica he went into the synagogue and "as his manner was," reasoned with them out of the Scriptures three sabbath-days. See Acts xvii, 1,2. It is said that the only reason why the apostle preached on the sabbath was because the Jews were assembled in their synagogues on that day; but his is not true, for he preached on the sabbath at the request of Gentiles, and at Philippi, Paul and Silas, on the sabbath went out of the city, by the river side, where prayer was wont to be made." "and spake unto the women which resorted thither." Acts xvi, 13. Now who can believe that Paul taught the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, and Colossians that the seventh-day sabbath was abolished at the crucifixion, and at the same time was preaching every sabbath (for this "was his manner,") not only to the Jews, but at the request of the Gentiles, and by "a river side;" and had no other regular preaching day? Those who can, make him one of the most inconsistent men that ever undertook to preach the gospel.