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

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<strong>the</strong> Christian church. On this point, Bishop Taylor<br />

thus testifies:--<br />

"The primitive Christians did all manner <strong>of</strong><br />

works upon <strong>the</strong> Lord’s <strong>Day</strong>, even in <strong>the</strong> times <strong>of</strong><br />

persecution, when <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>the</strong> strictest observers<br />

<strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> divine comm<strong>and</strong>ments; but in this <strong>the</strong>y<br />

knew <strong>the</strong>re was none; <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>refore when<br />

Constantine <strong>the</strong> emperor had made an edict against<br />

working upon <strong>the</strong> Lord’s <strong>Day</strong>, yet he excepts <strong>and</strong><br />

still permitted all agriculture or labors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

husb<strong>and</strong>man whatsoever."[26]<br />

Morer tells us respecting <strong>the</strong> first three<br />

centuries, that is to say, <strong>the</strong> period before<br />

Constantine, that<br />

"The Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> had no comm<strong>and</strong> that it<br />

should be sanctified, but it was left to God's people<br />

to pitch on this or that day for <strong>the</strong> public worship.<br />

And being taken up <strong>and</strong> made a day <strong>of</strong> meeting for<br />

religious exercises, yet for three hundred years<br />

<strong>the</strong>re was no law to bind <strong>the</strong>m to it, <strong>and</strong> for want <strong>of</strong><br />

such a law, <strong>the</strong> day was not wholly kept in<br />

586

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