Sabbath. For the Sabbath is the ceasing of the creation, the completion of the
world, the inquiry after laws, and the grateful praise to God for the blessings he
has bestowed upon men. All which the Lord's day excels, and shows the
Mediator himself, the Provider, the Law-giver, the Cause of the resurrection, the
First-born of the whole creation," etc. And he adds: "So that the Lord's day
commands us to offer unto thee, O Lord, thanksgiving for all. For this is the grace
afforded by thee, which on account of its greatness has obscured all other
blessings."
It is certainly noteworthy that the so-called Lord's day, for which no divine
warrant is produced, is here exalted above the Sabbath of the Lord
notwithstanding the Sabbath is acknowledged to be the divine memorial of the
creation, and to be expressly enjoined in the decalogue, which the writer
declares to be of perpetual obligation. Tested by his own principles, he had far
advanced in apostasy; for he held a human festival more honorable than one
which he acknowledged to be ordained of God; and only a single step remained;
viz., to set aside the commandment of God for the ordinance of man.
In book viii, section 2, paragraph 4, it is said, when a bishop has been chosen
and is to be ordained, -
"Let the people assemble, with the presbytery and bishops that are present,
on the Lord's day, and let them give their consent."
On book viii., section 4, paragraph 33, occurs the final mention of these two
days in the so-called Apostolical Constitutions:-
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"Let the slaves work five days; but on the Sabbath day and the Lord's day let
them have leisure to go to church for instruction in piety. We have said that the
Sabbath is on account of the creation, and the Lord's day, of the resurrection."
To this may be added the 64th Canon of the Apostles, which is appended to
the "Constitutions":-
"If any one of the clergy be found to fast on the Lord's day, or on the Sabbath
day, excepting one only, let him be deprived; but if he be one of the laity, let him
be suspended."
Every mention of the Sabbath and first-day in that ancient book called
"Apostolical Constitutions" is now before the reader. This book comes down to us
from the third century, and contains what was at that time very generally believed
to be the doctrine of the apostles. It is therefore valuable to us, not as authority
respecting the teaching of the apostles, but as giving us a knowledge of the
views and practices which prevailed in the third century. At the time these
"Constitutions" were put in writing the ten commandments were revered as the
immutable rule of right, and the Sabbath of the Lord was by many observed as
an act of obedience to the fourth commandment, and as the divine memorial of
the creation. But the first-day festival had already attained such strength and
influence as to clearly indicate that ere long it would claim the entire ground. But
observe that the Sabbath and the so-called Lord's day are treated as distinct
institutions, and that no hint of the change of the Sabbath to the first day of the
week is even once given. The Apostolical Constitutions are cited first, not
because written by
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the apostles, but because of their title. For the same reason the so-called Epistle
of Barnabas is quoted next, not because written by that apostle, for the proof is
ample that it was not, but because it is often quoted by first-day writers as the
words of the apostle Barnabas. It was in existence however as early as the
middle of the second century, and, like the "Apostolical Constitutions," is of value
to us in that it gives some clue to the opinions which prevailed in the region