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

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indubitable pro<strong>of</strong> that this law was a hea<strong>the</strong>n<br />

enactment; that it was put forth in favor <strong>of</strong> Sunday<br />

as a hea<strong>the</strong>n institution <strong>and</strong> not as a Christian<br />

festival; <strong>and</strong> that Constantine himself not only did<br />

not possess <strong>the</strong> character <strong>of</strong> a Christian, but was at<br />

that time in truth a hea<strong>the</strong>n. It is to be observed that<br />

Constantine did not designate <strong>the</strong> day which he<br />

comm<strong>and</strong>ed men to keep, as Lord’s <strong>Day</strong>, Christian<br />

<strong>Sabbath</strong>, or <strong>the</strong> day <strong>of</strong> Christ's resurrection; nor<br />

does he assign any reason for its observance which<br />

would indicate it as a Christian festival. On <strong>the</strong><br />

contrary, he designates <strong>the</strong> ancient hea<strong>the</strong>n festival<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sun in language that cannot be mistaken. Dr.<br />

Hessey thus sustains this statement:--<br />

"O<strong>the</strong>rs have looked at <strong>the</strong> transaction in a<br />

totally different light, <strong>and</strong> refused to discover in <strong>the</strong><br />

document, or to suppose in <strong>the</strong> mind <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> enactor,<br />

any recognition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lord’s <strong>Day</strong> as a matter <strong>of</strong><br />

divine obligation. They remark, <strong>and</strong> very truly, that<br />

Constantine designates it by its astrological or<br />

hea<strong>the</strong>n title, Dies Solis, <strong>and</strong> insist that <strong>the</strong> epi<strong>the</strong>t<br />

venerabilis with which it is introduced has<br />

reference to <strong>the</strong> rites performed on that day in<br />

589

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