The Old Covenant.—The Sabbath—The Law—The Commonwealth Of Israel, And Christ. Infidels Live In Doubting Castle. Infidelity, And The French And American Revolutions In Their Relations To Thomas Paine. Shall We Unchain The Tiger? Or, The Fruits Of Infidelity. The Struggle. The Records Respecting The Death Of Thomas Paine. Three Reasons For Repudiating Infidelity. Col. Ingersoll Is A Philosopher? Life Of Elder E. Goodwin.
THE OLD COVENANT.—THE SABBATH—THE LAW—THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL, AND CHRIST.
The original term, rendered “Testament” and “Covenant,” occurs thirty-three times in the New Testament. Greenfield defines it thus: “Any disposition, arrangement, institution, or dispensation; hence a testament, will; a covenant, mutual promises on mutual conditions, or promises with conditions annexed.” Secondly, “A body of laws and precepts to which certain promises are annexed, promises to which are annexed certain laws; the books in which the divine laws are contained, the Old Testament, and especially the Pentateuch.” Upon a careful examination of these definitions it will be seen at once that the term “Testament” is a good translation. This is confirmed, in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, in the inter-changeable use of the terms “Will,” “Covenant” and “Testament.” Our Sabbatarian brethren claim, that the Old Covenant, which was done away, was the verbal agreement of the Children of Israel to keep the law of the decalogue. But this definition is not sufficient. It excludes almost all that was current in its use. It renders it improper to call it a “Testament” or “Will,” because fathers make testaments or wills without the consent of their children, and these are called dispositions of estates. Their definition of the term also makes the “Covenant” depend upon the will of man, for covenants, in the sense of agreements, have nothing to do with those who do not enter into them. Neither can men be regarded as transgressing a covenant, in the sense of an agreement, unless they have first placed themselves under its obligations. So, if these men are right in their definition of the Old Covenant, they are wrong in trying to fasten its conditions upon all mankind. Their logic also excludes, from all the promises of the covenant, all those who were incapable of making an agreement. Hence, infants were left to the uncovenanted mercies of God. And as for the wicked, who never agreed to keep those commandments, poor souls! they must be dealt with as violators of a contract to which they never became a party.
