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

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in <strong>the</strong> Christian church has been already shown;<br />

<strong>and</strong> many facts which have an important bearing<br />

upon <strong>the</strong> struggle between <strong>the</strong>se rival institutions<br />

have also been given. We have, in <strong>the</strong> preceding<br />

chapters, given <strong>the</strong> statements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most ancient<br />

Christian writers respecting <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong> <strong>and</strong> firstday<br />

in <strong>the</strong> early church. As we now trace <strong>the</strong><br />

history <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se two days during <strong>the</strong> first five<br />

centuries <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Christian era, we shall give <strong>the</strong><br />

statements <strong>of</strong> modern church historians, covering<br />

<strong>the</strong> same ground with <strong>the</strong> early fa<strong>the</strong>rs, <strong>and</strong> shall<br />

also quote in continuation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ancient writers <strong>the</strong><br />

testimonies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> earliest church historians. The<br />

reader can thus discover how nearly <strong>the</strong> ancients<br />

<strong>and</strong> moderns agree. Of <strong>the</strong> observance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Sabbath</strong> in <strong>the</strong> early church, Morer speaks thus:--<br />

"The primitive Christians had a great<br />

veneration for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong>, <strong>and</strong> spent <strong>the</strong> day in<br />

devotion <strong>and</strong> sermons. And it is not to be doubted<br />

but <strong>the</strong>y derived this practice from <strong>the</strong> apostles<br />

<strong>the</strong>mselves, as appears by several scriptures to that<br />

purpose; who, keeping both that day <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> first <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> week, gave occasion to <strong>the</strong> succeeding ages to<br />

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