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History of the Sabbath and First Day of the Week - John N. Andrews

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written by <strong>the</strong> finger <strong>of</strong> God after having been<br />

uttered by him in <strong>the</strong> hearing <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> people,<br />

must be understood as one <strong>of</strong> two things. 1. They<br />

are simply <strong>the</strong> ten words <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> law <strong>of</strong> God; or, 2.<br />

They are <strong>the</strong> words used by Moses in this rehearsal<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Decalogue. But <strong>the</strong>y cannot refer to <strong>the</strong><br />

words used in this rehearsal; for, 1. Moses omits an<br />

important part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fourth precept as given by<br />

God in its proclamation from <strong>the</strong> mount. 2. In this<br />

rehearsal <strong>of</strong> that precept he cites back to <strong>the</strong><br />

original for that which is omitted. (Deut. 5:12-15,<br />

compared with Ex. 20:8-11) 3. He appends to this<br />

precept an appeal in its behalf to <strong>the</strong>ir gratitude<br />

which was not made by God in giving it. 4. This<br />

language only purports to be a rehearsal <strong>and</strong> not <strong>the</strong><br />

original itself; <strong>and</strong> this is fur<strong>the</strong>r evinced by many<br />

verbal deviations from <strong>the</strong> original Decalogue.<br />

(Deut. 5, compared with Ex. 20) These facts are<br />

decisive as to what was placed upon <strong>the</strong> tables <strong>of</strong><br />

stone. It was not an incomplete copy, citing<br />

elsewhere for <strong>the</strong> original, but <strong>the</strong> original code<br />

itself. And hence when Moses speaks <strong>of</strong> THESE<br />

WORDS as engraven upon <strong>the</strong> tables, he refers not<br />

to <strong>the</strong> words used by himself in this rehearsal, but<br />

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