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

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Constantine. This fact should not be overlooked in<br />

weighing his testimony concerning <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong>. He<br />

speaks <strong>of</strong> it as follows:--<br />

"They [<strong>the</strong> patriarchs] did not, <strong>the</strong>refore, regard<br />

circumcision, nor observe <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong>, nor do we;<br />

nei<strong>the</strong>r do we abstain from certain foods, nor<br />

regard o<strong>the</strong>r injunctions, which Moses<br />

subsequently delivered to be observed in types <strong>and</strong><br />

symbols, because such things as <strong>the</strong>se do not<br />

belong to Christians."[51]<br />

This testimony shows precisely <strong>the</strong> views <strong>of</strong><br />

Constantine <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> imperial party relative to <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Sabbath</strong>. But it does not give <strong>the</strong> views <strong>of</strong><br />

Christians as a whole; for we have seen that <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Sabbath</strong> had been extensively retained up to this<br />

point, <strong>and</strong> we shall soon have occasion to quote<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r historians, <strong>the</strong> contemporaries <strong>and</strong> successors<br />

<strong>of</strong> Eusebius, who record its continued observance.<br />

Constantine exerted a controlling influence in <strong>the</strong><br />

church, <strong>and</strong> was determined to "have nothing in<br />

common with that most hostile rabble <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Jews."<br />

Happy would it have been had his aversion been<br />

605

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