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

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heretical opinion that Christians are bound to keep<br />

<strong>the</strong> seventh day as <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lord. The<br />

story was first produced, <strong>the</strong>refore, for <strong>the</strong> purpose<br />

<strong>of</strong> confounding an observer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong> when<br />

on trial by his enemies for keeping that day. Sir<br />

Wm. Domville, an able anti-Sabbatarian writer,<br />

thus traces out <strong>the</strong> matter:--<br />

"The bishop, as we have seen, refers to <strong>the</strong><br />

Acta <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> martyrs as justifying his assertion<br />

respecting <strong>the</strong> question, Dominicum servasti? but<br />

he does not cite a single instance from <strong>the</strong>m in<br />

which that question was put. We are left <strong>the</strong>refore<br />

to hunt out <strong>the</strong> instances for ourselves, wherever, if<br />

anywhere, <strong>the</strong>y are to be found. The most complete<br />

collection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> memoirs <strong>and</strong> legends still extant,<br />

relative to <strong>the</strong> lives <strong>and</strong> sufferings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Christian<br />

martyrs, is that by Ruinart, entitled, 'Acta<br />

primorum Martyrum sincera et selecta.' I have<br />

carefully consulted that work, <strong>and</strong> I take upon<br />

myself to affirm that among <strong>the</strong> questions <strong>the</strong>re<br />

stated to have been put to <strong>the</strong> martyrs in <strong>and</strong> before<br />

<strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> Pliny, <strong>and</strong> for nearly two hundred years<br />

afterwards, <strong>the</strong> question, Dominicum servasti? does<br />

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