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

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<strong>First</strong>-day writers present <strong>the</strong>se witnesses as<br />

proving positively that Sunday is <strong>the</strong> Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> Scriptures, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Christian church accepts<br />

this testimony in <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> inspired<br />

writers. But <strong>the</strong> folly <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> people, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

wickedness <strong>of</strong> those who lead <strong>the</strong>m, may be set<br />

forth in one sentence:--<strong>the</strong> first, second, third,<br />

fourth, <strong>and</strong> seventh, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se testimonies are<br />

inexcusable frauds, while <strong>the</strong> fifth <strong>and</strong> sixth have<br />

no decisive bearing upon <strong>the</strong> case.<br />

1. Ignatius, <strong>the</strong> first <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se witnesses, it is<br />

said, must have known Sunday to be <strong>the</strong> Lord’s<br />

<strong>Day</strong>, for he calls it such, <strong>and</strong> he had conversed with<br />

<strong>the</strong> apostle <strong>John</strong>. But in <strong>the</strong> entire writings <strong>of</strong> this<br />

fa<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> term Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> does not once occur,<br />

nor is <strong>the</strong>re in <strong>the</strong>m all a single mention <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first<br />

day <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> week! The reader will find a critical<br />

examination <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> epistles <strong>of</strong> Ignatius in chapter<br />

fourteen <strong>of</strong> this history.<br />

2. It is a pure fabrication that <strong>the</strong> martyrs in<br />

Pliny's time, about A.D. 104, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>nce onward,<br />

352

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