The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-12-18

plants, Moses felt the need of luring
them back to faith in him as their lead
er, aud in Jehovah as their deliverer.
In no way, taking into account their
average intelligence, and their degree of
civilization, could this be done so effect
lively as by arousing the religious feel
ing, which was very strong in them,
and fixing it upon the Eternal as the
stay and support of mis- people, whom he
was even then leading out of bondage
into promised land of liberty. The
conclusions to which we arrive from
the premises are: First. 1t is wholly
Jewish institution. Second. 1t was
not observed by the Israelites up to the
time of Moses. Third. It was day set
part in which to commemorate their
deliverance from Egypt, and for thanks
giving to God for his abundant mer-
cies thus extended to them. Fourth.
The especial injunction Of rest was pre-
dicated upon the old Semitic tradition
that God rested on that day from his
creative work.
In the next place we are led to in
quire: On what grounds did the Chris
tians observe the first day? How and
when did the custom begin ? We have
no definite information concerning the
change from the seventh to the
first day of the week, either in the New
Testament, or in the writings of the
church fathers. Justin Martyr, who
wrote between the years 1873 and $50,
after Christ, says: 1--WE assemble on
Sunday, because it is the first day in
which God changed darkness and mat
ter and made the world" "On the
same day als0,' he says, "Jesus Christ,
our Saviour, rose from the dead" Origen
accepts these two reasons and adds to
to them that "manna was given on that
day" These fathers make no mention
of rest from labor; it is day of wor-
ship not of rest. But Tertullian des-
cribes the Christians as putting off their
business on the Lords day lest they
give place to the devil" But the first
law, either ecclesiastical, or civil, by
which Sunday is made a day of rest
from labor is the Edict OF Constantine
321, A. ID. This Edict commands that
''all judges, Inhabitants Of the cities,
and mechanics, rest on the venerable
Sunday" ''BUtin the country husband
men may freely and lawfully apply to
the business of agriculture, since it
often happens that the sowing OF corn
and planting of vines cannot be so ad-
yantageously performed on any other
day, lest by neglecting the opportunity
they should lose the benefits which the
divine bounty bestows on u.s." The
idea of devoting the day to rest seems
to have gained ground slowly. It was
not until near the close of the ninth
century, that the Emperor Leo III, re-
pealed the exemption which agricul-
ture had enjoyed under the law OF Con
stantine. By this action the Lords day,
or the first day Of the week, was estab-
lished, by law, as a Sabbath,-a rest
day-and such it has ever since re-
manned, no law ever having been pro-
mulgated which repeals this one.
IN 1918 declaration was issued by
James l. of England, to signify his
pleasure that Ion Sunday, after divine
service, no lawful recreation should
be debamed to his good people, which
should not tend to breach of the laws
of his kingdom, and the canons of the
chuIch." The sports specified as al
lowable were dancing, archery, leaping,
vaulting, May games and the setting of
May-pOleB. Among the excepted, un-
lawful sports were ear-baiting, bull
batting, bowling and inter,udes. 1t
was the repubiishing Of this declara-
ton, and the attempt on the part Of
Bishop Laud, to force the ministers to
read 1t before their congregations, that
contributed not little to the downfall
of Charles l. The Long Parliament in
1914, ordered all copies of it to be
called in and burned. The National
Convention, in which the government
of France was vested after the down
fall of Louis XVI, substituted the de-
cade for the week and abolished all pub
lie worship.
The French Revolution was under
stood to be an atheistical movement.
This attempt to abolish the Sabbath
met with determined opposition from
the people of both England and Amer
lea. 1t was pronounced by physicians
and scientists to be incompatible with
public health and welfare, and on the
restoration of the monarchy was aban-
doGad. The observance of Sunday as q
day Of rest and worship is a part of the
old common law, and has passed from
that into the statute laws of England
and Of the United States.
a long controversy has been waged
over the obligation of the fourth com
maudment over Christians; the dis
tinction between the Jewish Sabbath
and the Christian Sunday, but l cannot
speak Of that now. Neither can l
speak of the holy influence which the
keeping of the day has exerted in the