The fourth commandment.
Notes.—“They [the Catholics] allege the Sabbath changed into Sunday, the Lord's day, contrary to the decalogue, as it appears; neither is there any example more boasted of than the changing of the Sabbath day. Great, say they, is the power and authority of the church, since it dispensed with one of the ten commandments.”—Augsburg Confession, Art. XXVIII.
“It [the Roman Catholic Church] has reversed the fourth commandment, doing away with the Sabbath of God's Word, and instituting Sunday as a holy day.”—N. Summerbell, in “History of the Christians,” page 418.
10. Why did God command Israel to hallow the Sabbath?
“And hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” Eze. 20:20.
Note.—As the Sabbath was given that man might keep God in mind as Creator, it can be readily seen that a power endeavoring to exalt itself above God would first try to cover up or remove that which calls man's special attention to his Creator. This could be done in no other way so [pg 441] effectually as by setting aside God's memorial—the seventh-day Sabbath. To this work of the Papacy Daniel had reference when he said, “And he shall ... think to change times and laws.” Dan. 7:25.
11. Does the Papacy acknowledge that it has changed the Sabbath?
It does.
Note.—“Question.—How prove you that the church hath power to command feasts and holy days?
“Answer.—By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feast days commanded by the same church.”—“Abridgment of Christian Doctrine,” by Rev. Henry Tuberville, D. D., of Douay College, France (1649), page 58.