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

establish, with respect to unleavened bread, the
Sabbath, and the marriage of priests.
"At the same time Nicetas, in compliance with
the command of the emperor, anathematized all
who should question the primacy of the Roman
church with respect to all other Christian churches,
or should presume to censure her ever orthodox
faith. The monk having thus retracted all he had
written against the Holy See, his book was burnt by
the emperor's order, and he absolved, by the
legates, from the censures he had incurred."[58]
This record shows that, in the dense darkness of
the eleventh century, "one of the most learned men
at that time in the east" wrote a book to prove that
"the Sabbath ought to be kept holy," and in
opposition to the papal doctrine of the celibacy of
the clergy. It also shows how the church of Rome
casts down the truth of God by means of the sword
of emperors and kings. Though Nicetas retracted,
under fear of the emperor and the pope, it appears
that there were others who held the same opinions,
for he was "obliged" to anathematize all such, and
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