Fourth Commandment

[RCB_texas]

It seems this is an ongoing debate among friends, but what has been the argument of the Fourth Commandment being tweaked from Last Day to First Day and it not being seen as a Positive Law rather than Natural Law.

If it is seen as a Positive Law, how can it be seen as the only Positive Law of the Tablet?
If it is seen as a Positive Law, what is the argument that the rest are not Positive Laws?

If it is a Natural Law, how can it be tweaked?

TIA for any and all clarification.

 

[RCB_texas]

Maybe I should reword...

If the Ten Commandments are the Moral Law of God on Tablets of Stone, if the moral law is natural law in that it is binding universally upon all mankind...

How can the fourth commandment be changed?
If it can be changed, then does that not make it a Positive Law and not a moral law (natural law)?

If the fourth commandment is a positive law of a moral law that goes all the way back to creation, then why is it in the Ten Commandments as Moral Law?

If the fourth commandment is a positive law from a moral law that goes back to creation, how do we withstand the argument that all ten commandments are positive laws of moral laws that go back to creation.

Sorry if this is elementary to you guys, but I just cannot square this away in my mind.
This just seems important to a proper view of "Sabbath" "Lord's Day," & "Worship."

 

[Κρέιγκ]

I think it is customary to treat the fourth commandment as a mixed commandment—some elements of it are moral, others are positive. See the thread here, where, in the process of discussing the idea of a "moral positive" law this comes up.

Amongst Protestants, there are a variety of positions taken on what part is moral, and what part is positive. For Puritans and their allies, the rule "one day in seven" is morally imperative, but the specific day is positive and, in that sense, arbitrary. For others, only the obligation to worship God routinely is morally binding, and the one-in-seven principle is a part of positive law, discarded with the coming of the New Covenant. See for instance, the Heidelberg Catechism's treatment.

 

[RCB_texas]

I think it is customary to treat the fourth commandment as a mixed commandment—some elements of it are moral, others are positive. See the thread here, where, in the process of discussing the idea of a "moral positive" law this comes up.

Amongst Protestants, there are a variety of positions taken on what part is moral, and what part is positive. For Puritans and their allies, the rule "one day in seven" is morally imperative, but the specific day is positive and, in that sense, arbitrary. For others, only the obligation to worship God routinely is morally binding, and the one-in-seven principle is a part of positive law, discarded with the coming of the New Covenant. See for instance, the Heidelberg Catechism's treatment.

Thank you. I will take a look at the link you shared.

I hold, substantially, to the 1689. However, I feel like very unclear on where I fall on the fourth commandment. And, I cringe, maybe in a good way, maybe not, at the way the fourth commandment is used to give a strict itinerary of what that day should look like.

Many times I hear/read today that we should have two services on Sunday, all day at church on Sunday, no recreation, some recreation, only emergency travel, the list goes on.

I remember Owen saying that it would take Christians the other six days to figure out what is or isn't allowed on the Sunday from all the regulations put forth by so many pastors.

 

[No Other Name]

And, I cringe, maybe in a good way, maybe not, at the way the fourth commandment is used to give a strict itinerary of what that day should look like.

This. I agree with the keeping of the Sabbath but as always, everyone's own conscience needs to be in play.

One wise WCF friend said if you keep your eyes on the center of the road, you do not need to worry about guardrails.

And while cases of conscience may differ, and while it may be good from time to time to discuss differences in our consciences as keeping ourselves and each other sharp, that is a long way off from denying the Sabbath altogether ie NCT etc