Mosheim two years after his Sunday law. Thus he says:-- "After well considering the subject, I have come to the conclusion, that subsequently to the death of Licinius in the years 323 when Constantine found himself sole emperor, he became an absolute Christian, or one who believes no religion but the Christian to be acceptable to God. He had previously considered the religion of one God as more excellent than the other religions, and believed that Christ ought especially to be worshiped: yet he supposed there were also inferior deities, and that to these some worship might be paid, in the manner of the fathers, without fault or sin. And who does not know, that in those times, many others also combined the worship of Christ with that of the ancient gods, whom they regarded as the ministers of the supreme God in the government of human and earthly affairs."[37] As a heathen, Constantine was the worshiper of Apollo or the sun, a fact that sheds much light upon his edict enjoining men to observe the venerable 592
day of the sun. Thus Gibbon testifies:-- "The devotion of Constantine was more peculiarly directed to the genius of the sun, the Apollo of Greek and Roman mythology; and he was pleased to be represented with the symbols of the god of light and poetry. ... The altars of Apollo were crowned with the votive offerings of Constantine; and the credulous multitude were taught to believe that the emperor was permitted to behold with mortal eyes the visible majesty of their tutelar deity. ... The sun was universally celebrated as the invincible guide and protector of Constantine."[38] His character as a professor of Christianity is thus described:-- "The sincerity of the man, who in a short period effected such amazing changes in the religious world, is best known to Him who searches the heart. Certain it is that his subsequent life furnished no evidence of conversion to God. He waded without remorse through seas of blood, and was a 593
HISTORY OF THE SABBATH AND FIRST DA
his uprightness, it must have been
which it has usurped the place of t
Chapter 1 The Creation Time and ete
On the second day of time "God said
kind, and everything that creepeth
abbis, who are legitimate judges in
Chapter 2 The Institution of the Sa
The blessing and sanctification of
of these days a name which indicate
etc. This sanctification or appoint
The declaration, "God blessed the s
holy use. And in the commandment it
the heavens be no more, they shall
seventh day because he had rested u
We have seen the Sabbath ordained o
that he should "remember the Sabbat
his intelligent creatures. When the
whole moral law is given. The recor
yet the observance of the other and
It was therefore not difficult for
and sanctified it. Gen. 2:3. Moses
8. Dr. Twisse illustrates the absur
Chapter 3 The Sabbath Committed to
(Gen. 2-6; Heb. 11:4-7; 1 Pet. 3:20
the knowledge of divine truth and t
hadst formed the earth and the worl
did mete it with an omer, he that g
people, of their own accord, had ga
day." (Lev. 23:3; Mark 1:21; Luke 4
and we are told why it was such a s
Sabbath; 2. When he brought the peo
Ex.16, which is supposed to give th
Chapter 4 The Fourth Commandment Th
giving of the law, and the service
holy use, at the close of the first
Creator rested, and upon which he p
commandment. And mark the expressio
3. He who created the world on the
Chapter 5 The Sabbath Written by th
and the foreigner must keep it, and
"And the Lord spake unto Moses sayi
Sabbaths TO BE a sign between me an
apart or sanctify unto himself the
did not originate from the fall of
affixed to most of the precepts of
in this record the Sabbath is menti
given him to be properly spent in t
The law within the ark was that whi
of Dr. C. And if this be correct, i
properly enough refer to Moses, if
provocation in the day of temptatio
This language has undoubted referen
their own land; and that one of the
nation, and not a part of the origi
would not conflict with the Passove
keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my
despised the word of the Lord, and
yourselves to the Most High to keep
Yet there is the strongest evidence
then bless and hallow the day. 4. T
in polluting it. Deliverance from a
These texts will explain the follow
to the TEN WORDS of the law of God,
Jacob, his statutes and his judgmen
Sabbath as a Jewish institution, be
Chapter 7 The Feasts, New Moons and
feasts, and occupied but a single d
"And ye shall proclaim on the selfs
these Sabbaths, the following or fi
these Sabbaths of the land came the
when he ordained the festivals and
Hosea carefully designates the annu
13:15-18) and their final restorati
says, 'her Sabbaths.' But the Sabba
violation of the Sabbath caused the
then is proved by the fact that six
OWN work: "Six days shalt thou labo
those who believe that God set apar
When our Lord was called upon to pr
forgotten or lost during the five c
overthrow as a people. About fifty
when they are outcasts, that is, wh
urden on the Sabbath day, nor bring
their children to their idols, then
and also to the festivals of the He
court, this covenant was in part, a
Nehemiah bears testimony to the acc
10. A few words relative to the tim
Chapter 9 The Sabbath from Nehemiah
"Then many that sought after justic
Yet were some martyred after this f
eason of the opposition the Jews wo
Sabbath to walk on green grass, for
frauds by which Sunday is shown to
as the close of the Seventy weeks I
in their synagogues, being glorifie
that were possessed with devils. An
2. That the question raised by the
this reference to the priests, had
God. There must be a time when thes
concerning the Sabbath. He carefull
have one sheep, and if it fall into
Sir, I have no man, when the water
hitherto lightly esteemed the Sabba
from the same point, else the examp
"I must work the works of him that
the glorious things that were done
MERCIFUL institution, and to rid it
the city of Jerusalem with an army,
for life. And pitiable indeed was t
"He pitched his camp at a certain p
therefore, that whether in city or
man thereof judge you in meat, or i
1. The Sabbath of the Lord was made
2:8-12; Matt. 5:17-19; Rom. 3:19, 3
terms. At this point of time it is
In these texts the foundation of th
sat at meat, and upbraided them wit
day of the week and blessed and hal
authority of the texts already quot
substantial frame-work than enters
The conclusion to which these facts
Son of God for sinful men may be sa
never authorized such an act. But a
day of the week, which he has never
slightest evidence that that day or
1. See, on this point, the conclusi
this day? What a false-hearted prof
was not, as to change the rest-day
or advanceth the work of redemption
Gentiles began with Sabbath-keepers
and foreigners, but fellow-citizens
2. The death of the Redeemer for th
great central point in the work of
the law of God in the heart of each
which we may conclude that man in h
Gentiles, and the opening events of
"For they that dwell at Jerusalem,
y other texts. Several years after
in the books of Moses, and the firs
strongly attests the Sabbath as the
esides the few Jews who received th
Sabbath-keeping church of Thessalon
as I have given order to the church
"[6] The Douay Bible reads: "Let ev
Sabbath. Yet Paul omits all titles
this day had become the Christian S
follows the important consequence t
own master he standeth or falleth.
1John 3:4, 5) 3. Because that Paul
of David, "All things are put under
testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in
proving beyond all doubt that that
examined, is found to have no such
from doing thy pleasure on MY HOLY
7. Sabbath Manual of the American T
elative to redemption as an argumen
they had regarded with superstitiou
truth, but that it was left out of
The book of Acts is an inspired his
who taught otherwise were of that c
its origin, it can never cease to b
forward and new modeled the cause."
portion of the people of God were s
passes over the line which separate
challenge them as its abettors. In
tradition, and show the amount of r
It is certain that the first-day Sa
is it decreed that the observation
Chapter 13 The Sunday-Lord’s Day
But next to the deception under whi
and is absolutely decisive. But thi
instances of its mention in the Bib
name, for it was not such. But if t
epistle of Pliny, A.D. 104, in conn
were tested by the question whether
Having carefully and minutely exami
"To-day we have passed the Lord's h
But Dionysius does not merely use t
Christians keeps the Sabbath, medit
John's vision upon Patmos, A.D. 96;
and genial spot, and the locality o
this duty in the gospel sense:-- "H
uses the term Lord’s Day. He defi
those heathen of whom he now writes
apostolic than is the sign of the c
name for the so-called eighth day.
Paul."[24] If the Sunday-Lord’s D
this History, a general statement o
25. Socrates's Eccl. Hist., book v.
curious interest to determine which
eferring to the first day of the we
Thus he says:-- "The epistle of Bar
"The letter still extant, which was
the testimony of some unknown write
themselves by a solemn oath, not fo
day, as that it was the first day;
genuine, do not include in their nu
A.D. 115. Of the eight epistles asc
scholars. Thus he presents the orig
"If therefore they who were well ve
spoke on this subject as a doctor o
statement is taken. In proof of thi
Texts commonly adduced from the New
Chapter 15 Examination of a Famous
would not recant, they must be put
not once occur; nor any equivalent
quite similar in most respects to G
"It thus appearing that the referen
testify relative to the character o
many years, the followers of Christ
to say this in so many words. Domvi
eplied that he was a Christian, and
words as follows: "By the words Col
sacrament of the Lord's supper, con
itself a substantive, neuter as app
Those who raise this point betray t
flagrantis persecutionis etiam temp
The festival of Sunday is more anci
Sunday, and appropriated the next d
ecause opportunity and common exped
church began to apostatize from God
the Christians held their assemblie
"It is also probable that Friday, t
moderns, and we shall find no Lord
a voluntary observance. Thus he add
human ordinance; water being now as
honor of the impostor Simon Magus.
It was because of your iniquities,
"I have carefully searched through
an interpolated passage from an epi
ishop of Rome, in the year 196,[34]
Council of Nice was induced to deci
honorable than the seventh, and els
Tertullian pleads no divine command
festival in honor of the sun, and t
"The western church began to fast o
3. Antiquities, p. 68. 4. Jewish An
35. History of the Popes, vol. i. p
Rome; or rather that Peter was the
day observance any divine authority
annually; you have a festive day ev
y some in the list. It is certain t
assembling was "to hear the saving
eader judge whether we have correct
the Scriptures. The next father wil
sacrament was given beforehand in s
"Looking forward to this, the proph
modern first-day writers. Or had th
"Similarly, too, in the period of P
festival of Sunday, in the judgment
harmony with the facts already addu
Sabbath. We shall also find that Cl
world shall endure in its present s
to keep in the present state of wic
"Do you see that the elements are n
Such were Justin's reasons for reje
the fact that when the Kingdom of G
not do their own work, but God's, w
Notes: 1. Epistle of Barnabas, chap
39. Apostolical Constitutions, book
Chapter 18 The Sabbath in the Recor
"For God at the first, indeed, warn
ules of our regenerate life," that
RETURN to those virtuous manners wh
"And he says in another place, 'If
during the duration of the world, a
made up rest from our works, for th
unknown in Tertullian's time. Had i
neglect and slight the Lord’s Day
shame.' "[14] In the conclusion of
Agatho there sat the twelfth counci
with due veneration, and wholly dev
according to Morer, "They entreated
estored to its honor, and for the c
"Where it was ordered more precisel
ead:-- A.D.876. "Alfred the Great,
A.D.967. King Edgar "commanded that
still more strict. Morer informs us
"Of him it is reported that he had
Flaye, returned to England, and pre
ain I will rain upon you stones, an
will I send against you still worse
commissioned to bring it into Engla
III. who filled the office of pope
would pay due reverence to the Lord
it under the ashes, after the ninth
observance. "It shows," as Morer qu
Edmund de Abendon archbishop of Can
obstinate and speak or act against
which has supplanted it:-- A.D.1584
14. Historical and Practical Discou
39. Hist. Sab. part ii, chap. v, se
56. See page 274 of this work. 57.
who were not in the communion of th
the communion of the church of Rome
into England.[5] "The people in the
and on Saturday the ninth of June s
Among the dissenters from the Romis
Jortin dates their withdrawal into
countries of Europe, Benedict thus
"They can say a great part of the O
Sylvester. . . . They hold that non
they distinguished themselves from
follows:-- "Insabbatati [they were
that this statement is founded in e
different Sabbath from the Catholic
speak of the observance of the seve
Another class of witnesses to the t
his first book against heretics, wh
distinctive as beautiful."[47] - Mo
e kept in mind whenever we read of
these heretics he places the Petrob
learned men of the East had put for
there is no evidence that any of th
"They which maintain the Saturday S
the perfect rule of the Christian f
Peter, and the sovereign of the wor
sight of by it. The Catholics of Eu
western world for a thousand years,
author has just spoken. The history
monks, to attach them to her commun
service on Saturdays, eat flesh, an
16. Edward's Hist. of Redemption, p
35. Jones's Church History, vol. ii
62. The Rise, Spring. and Foundatio
Chapter 22 Position of the Reformer
local saints which some particular
up by Melancthon [and approved by L
"If we would have the Lord's day so
proves conclusively that he did not
week. What does he say of the break
one's ability might enable -- that
found him enjoying the recreation o
John Barclay,[28] a learned man of
should come once in seven days, eve
That church now holds Sunday to be
impropriety of making them the stan
18. Calvin's Commentary on Acts 20:
38. Hessey p. 203. 39. Dr. Priestly
the Anabaptists -- Why Carlstadt ha
and Carlstadt on this very subject.
the Spirit was sufficient, there wa
[Carlstadt] rejected the practice o
egard to the ceremonies introduced
and Luther, and that which most emb
Carlstadt, for maintaining the doct
"For three centuries, Carlstadt's m
ut also most OUTRAGEOUS of his cont
" 'He was well acquainted,' says Dr
The various historians who treat of
the body and blood of Christ, and a
20. Id. book x. p. 315. 21. Hist. R
And we have not the word of God for
great number of ministers, and a mu
lamed" for the death of Davidis, "b
Genoldists."[10] Sabbath-keepers, a
speak of those who turn from the fi
"A Jew named Horie preached a mixtu
Passaginians.[17] Is there any reas
een instituted by popes, cardinals,
denomination in that kingdom."[26]
Oxford, 1835. 24. I know of no exce
portent -- none of these, nor all o
liberty to the church of the New Te
esponse, and the result was a most
Puritans fell in with this doctrine
and of the Gentiles, of the law and
eye-witness, Dr. Heylyn:-- "For by
"It is not possible, indeed, if tra
conclude this work. Notes: 1. Hengs
Chapter 26 English Sabbath-keepers
day, and the right use of the same.
"For 'making of conventicles and fa
her long imprisonment, Pagitt says
this day obligeth Christians under
Sabbatarian questions) in the old a
"Because an indefinite time must ei
Sabbath of the Lord."[21] In 1671,
"When he resided in London he forme
Ilchester jail.[31] About the time
idicule. At the scaffold, on the da
persecution was that of their great
8. Pagitt's Heresiography, p. 209.
Chapter 27 The Sabbath in America T
Mr. Mumford, on his arrival, went e
of the church," they "found themsel
1671."[7] "On the 23rd of December,
The American Sabbath Tract Society
State. They originated in 1728 from
The Sabbath was first introduced to
Sabbath reform. But both of them, w
about this time to interest many Ad
Adventist Publishing Association. T
settlement is instituted each year
families scattered all the way from
They have had perils from open foes
earth. The importance of the Sabbat
High is again and for the last time
4. Seventh-day Baptist Memorial, vo
Maine. This article was reprinted i
Schrevelius, and Greenfield. 907