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

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Such were Justin's reasons for rejecting <strong>the</strong><br />

ancient <strong>Sabbath</strong>.<br />

But though he was a decided asserter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

abrogation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> law, <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sabbatic<br />

institution itself, <strong>and</strong> kept Sunday only as a<br />

festival, modern first-day writers cite him as a<br />

witness in support <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> doctrine that <strong>the</strong> first day<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> week should be observed as <strong>the</strong> Christian<br />

<strong>Sabbath</strong> on <strong>the</strong> authority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fourth<br />

comm<strong>and</strong>ment.<br />

Now let us learn what stood in <strong>the</strong> way <strong>of</strong><br />

Irenaeus' observance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong>. It was not that<br />

<strong>the</strong> comm<strong>and</strong>ments were abolished, for we shall<br />

presently learn that he taught <strong>the</strong>ir perpetuity. Nor<br />

was it that he believed in <strong>the</strong> change <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Sabbath</strong>, for he gives no hint <strong>of</strong> such an idea. The<br />

Sunday festival in his estimation appears to have<br />

been simply <strong>of</strong> "equal significance" with <strong>the</strong><br />

Pentecost.[54] Nor was it that Christ broke <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Sabbath</strong>, for Irenaeus says that he did not.[55] But<br />

because <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong> is called a sign he regarded it<br />

515

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