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

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The persons here referred to as <strong>the</strong> authors <strong>of</strong><br />

this work are <strong>the</strong> Emperor Constantine, <strong>and</strong> such<br />

bishops as Eusebius, who loved <strong>the</strong> favor <strong>of</strong><br />

princes, <strong>and</strong> Sylvester, <strong>the</strong> pretended successor <strong>of</strong><br />

Saint Peter. Two facts refute <strong>the</strong> assertion <strong>of</strong><br />

Eusebius that Christ changed <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong>: 1. That<br />

Eusebius, who lived three hundred years after <strong>the</strong><br />

alleged change, is <strong>the</strong> first man who mentions such<br />

change; 2. That Eusebius testifies that himself <strong>and</strong><br />

o<strong>the</strong>rs made this change, which <strong>the</strong>y could not have<br />

done had Christ made it at <strong>the</strong> beginning. But<br />

though <strong>the</strong> doctrine <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> change <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong><br />

was thus announced by Eusebius, it was not<br />

seconded by any writer <strong>of</strong> that age. The doctrine<br />

had never been heard <strong>of</strong> before, <strong>and</strong> Eusebius had<br />

simply his own assertion, but no passage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Holy Scriptures to <strong>of</strong>fer in its support.<br />

But after Constantine, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sabbath</strong> began to<br />

recover strength, at least in <strong>the</strong> eastern churches.<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>. Stuart, in speaking <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> period from<br />

Constantine to <strong>the</strong> council <strong>of</strong> Laodicea, A.D. 364,<br />

says:--<br />

611

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