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

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Having carefully <strong>and</strong> minutely examined every<br />

paragraph <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> writings <strong>of</strong> Theophilus several<br />

times over, I state emphatically that nothing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

kind is to be found in that writer. He never uses <strong>the</strong><br />

term Lord’s <strong>Day</strong>, <strong>and</strong> he does not even speak <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

first day <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> week. These words which are so<br />

well adapted to create <strong>the</strong> impression that <strong>the</strong><br />

Sunday-Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> is <strong>of</strong> apostolic institution, are<br />

put into his mouth by <strong>the</strong> falsehood <strong>of</strong> some one.<br />

Here are four frauds, constituting <strong>the</strong> first four<br />

instances <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> alleged use <strong>of</strong> Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> as a<br />

name for Sunday. Yet it is by means <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se very<br />

frauds that <strong>the</strong> Sunday-Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> later ages is<br />

identified with <strong>the</strong> Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bible.<br />

Somebody invented <strong>the</strong>se frauds. The use to which<br />

<strong>the</strong>y are put plainly indicates <strong>the</strong> purpose for which<br />

<strong>the</strong>y were framed. The title <strong>of</strong> Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> must be<br />

proved to pertain to Sunday by apostolic authority.<br />

For this purpose <strong>the</strong>se frauds were a necessity. The<br />

case <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sunday-Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> may be fitly<br />

illustrated by that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> long line <strong>of</strong> popes. Their<br />

apostolic authority as head <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Catholic church<br />

depends on <strong>the</strong>ir being able to identify <strong>the</strong> apostle<br />

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