The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1903-06-13

is the Lords day, the day consecrated
to the resurrection, the queen and
chief of all the days"
Justin Martyr. who died aboudt A.
D. 100, wrote Of the Christians that
they "neither celebrated the Jewish
festivals, nor observed their sabbaths,
nor practiced circumcision. Again
he wrote: They, both those who
lived in the city and they who lived
in the country, were all accustomed
to meet on the day which is demon
mated Sunday, for the reading Of the
scriptures, prayer, exhortation and
communion. The assembly met on
Sunday because this is the first day
on which having changed the dark
ness and the elements, created the
world; and because Jesus our Lord
on this day rose from the dead"
Tertullian, at the close Of the Sc
conl century, says: "We celebrate
Sunday as a joyful day. On the Lord q
day we think it wrong to fast or to
kneel in prayer.
Clement Of Alexandria, contem-
porary Of Tertullian, says "A true
Christian, according to the COM
mands Of the gospel, observes the
Lords sday by casting out all bad
thoughts, and cherishing all goodness.
honoring the resurrection Of the
Lord, which took place on that day. "
call attention to the words, "ac-
cording to the commands Of the Cos
pei, !" which shows that these early
Christians regarded the observance Of
the first day a. having divine war
rant.
Chrysostom said that the Christian
sabbath took the name of the Lord g
day to distinguish it from the Jewish
sabbath because the Lord arose from
tho dead on this day"
Lastly, about the year s25, Fuse
bus wrote: "The word" /. g.,
Christ, "by the new covenant, trans
lated and transferred the feast Of the
sabbath to the morning light, and
gave u the symbol of true rest, the
saving Lords day, the first day Of
light in which the Saviour gained
the victory over death. All things
which it was duty to do on the sab
bath, these We have transferred to
the Lords day"
When Constantine the first Christ
ian Emperor was established on the
throne he began to bestow special care
upon the Observance Of the Lord 8
day. What he enacted is of value as
showing what Chrsitian opinion re-
gArded as improper on that day. He
required his armies to spend the day
in devotional exercises. All public
shows, theatrical exhibitions, dane. ng
and amusements were strictly prohib-
tied"
There can be no question that the
fourth commandment was not 9broga-
ted, but, that in the second place, tho
first day was substituted by apostolic
authority for the seventh. The
Christians Lords day is divine in
stitution. And it was made for man !;
for mans welfare. For the welfare
of the physical man, for it is univer-
sally recognized by all thoughtful OBJ
servers that both man and beast can
do more work, manual and mental, by
resting one day in seven than he can
in the continuous labor Of seven days.
The day was made for man. because
it would protect him from the tyrAn-
ny of greed.
/ And if was made for the spiritual
man. None but an atheist will ques-
ton that IL js to mans true interests
to worship his oreator. The rest Of
the Eord'sdsy affords him the UppoF-
tnpity therefor, both privately and %
sISily. fnithelfnoreSt he a ittelf is
proclamation Of grace. The day