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

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"Though in later times we find considerable<br />

reference to a sort <strong>of</strong> consecration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> day, it<br />

does not seem at any period <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ancient church<br />

to have assumed <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> such an observance as<br />

some modern religious communities have<br />

contended for. Nor do <strong>the</strong>se writers in any instance<br />

pretend to allege any divine comm<strong>and</strong>, or even<br />

apostolic practice, in support <strong>of</strong> it . . . Chrysostom<br />

(A.D. 360) concludes one <strong>of</strong> his Homilies by<br />

dismissing his audience to <strong>the</strong>ir respective ordinary<br />

occupations."[66]<br />

It was reserved for modern <strong>the</strong>ologians to<br />

discover <strong>the</strong> divine or apostolic authority for<br />

Sunday observance. The ancient doctors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

church were unaware that any such authority<br />

existed; <strong>and</strong> hence <strong>the</strong>y deemed it lawful <strong>and</strong><br />

proper to engage in usual worldly business on that<br />

day when <strong>the</strong>ir religious worship was concluded.<br />

Thus, Heylyn bears witness concerning St.<br />

Chrysostom that he<br />

"Confessed it to be lawful for a man to look<br />

618

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