The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-10-09
BURGESS VS.. HAMMOND.

EDITOR BULLETIN =
In your issue of Tuesday evening,
DR.. Hammond cites several authors
to prove his theory. | need not
speak of more than two or three of
them, although much might be
brought to bear from each. His first
author mentioned is Ignatius. will
not take up your time nor space to
give his quotations in full, but will
bring to bear the important point.
The DR.. quotes Ignatius as saying
that SUNDAY" was "the Queen of
days" He quotes Justin Martyr as
saying, son the day called Sunday
is an assembly of all who live, ETC."
He Or. H. also quotes Tertullian
as saying: Sunday we give to JOY"
Here are three early writer's which
are quoted from as having spoken OF
Sunday. l defy DR.. Hammond or
any one else, to prove by any his
torian that the word Sunday was
used in either of the above histor-
ians' writing.
The word Sunday was not known
for many years after those three
authors mentioned were dead. Con-
stantine in A. d. 321 caused Sab
batcal edict, rescript, or law, to be
proclaimed which l will here give:
''Let all the judges and towns-people,
and the occupation of trades, rest
upon the venerable day of the sun (;
but let those who are situated in the
country, freely, and at full liberty,
attend to the business of agriculture !;
because it often happens that none
other day is so fit for sowing corn,
and planting vines; lest the critical
moment being let slip, men should
lose the commodities granted by
Heaven" Thus in the first law for
the observance of the day, it was
designated the "day of the SUB"
Not very high and honorable title.
Thus, Ignatius saying, "Suns-day,
the Queen of days" How came this
title to be given to it? The "Reli-
gious Encyclopaedia" says: "The
ancient Saxons called it by this name,
because upon it they worshipped the
sun.
According TO this, the title origin
ated in heather idolatry. Do
authorities agree upon this? Yes ;
there is not an author in all the
rounds of history or literature who
dissents from this. Webster says !;
"The heather nations in the north of
Europe dedicated this day TO the sun,
andhencetheir Christian descendants
continue to call the day Sunday"
The Sunday-school "Union Bible
Dictionary" says, Sunday was a
name given by the heather to the first
day of the week, because it was the
day on which they worshipped the
sun" Worcester in his dictionary
says, "Sunday, so named because
anciently dedicated to the sun or its
worship" These authors gave an
ancient origin to the name. Con-
stantine was not the originator of the
title which he gave to the day. An
other historian, Morer, says, cit is
not TO be denied but we borrow the
name of this day from the ancient
Greeks and Romans, and we allow
that the old Egyptians worshipped
the sun, and, as standing memorial
of their veneration, dedicated this
day to him. dialogues on the
Lords Day, p. %.
Thus it is shown that the title that
Constantine gave to the day, in the
first Sunday law, is an ancient one.
and is entirely of heather origin
From this statement, also, there is
and can be no dissent. DR.. Ham.
mond with all others who advocate
Sunday sacredness must stand silen,
before these evidences. AS Dr.
Hammond does not quote Scripture
or history correctly and also classes
our Saviour and His teaching as s
hobby-horse, | feel that it is time tt
discontinue the discussion of Bible
truth, as such language concerning
the truth cannot be eleVating to any