Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-02

cause of its weekly recurrence.
If Christ had not risen from the dead
the world had never known such day
Renan says most truly that great
events have always great causes" and
the Christian Sabbath is so great an
event that its origin and observance for
nearly two thousand years cannot be ex-
planned by anything less than the resur-
rection of Jesus.
1t has survived through all the muta-
tions and revolutions of the ages.
Dynasties have fallen, Kingdoms have
faded away, and empires have dissolved.
Lands unknown to the men Of the first
century have been discovered and peo-
pied by powerful nations. The Ian
suages of the ancient world have been
displaced by what were once considered
barbaric dialects. Habits, customs and
PHILOSOPHERS have changed. But the OBJ
servance of this day, "the first day OF
the week." has extended with "the proc
ess of the suns" and under its holy
light the noblest peoples and the most
Rotential governments have sprung up
and flourished.
How did it originate? What has per-
petuated it?
1t did not arise from anything in the
pagan world. This is indisputable.
Far back in Christian history we find
traces of it and evidently it began with
certain Jews, who became Christians,
and who substituted it for the Jewish
Sabbath.
In the DEGREES of the first council OF
Nicaea, A. D. S25, we find the follow
ing
"Forasmuch as some on the Lord s
Day bow the knee in prayer, as also on
the other days of Pentecost, for the
sake of uniformity they now shall
stand to offer their prayers to God"
The members of that council came
from every part of the widely extended
Roman empire. and it is evident from
this decree that the Lords Day was
observed in all the regions from which
they were gathered. They do not or
dain the observance of the day, nor de-
fend it. They assume it's existence in
every part of the church, and simply
undertake to secure uniformity of pos
ture in the public prayers offered Ola
the day.
In the year A D. 321 the Emperor
Constantine issued an edict enjoining
that 'all judges and peoples of towns
and the duties of all professions, cease
on the venerable day" The observance
of the day was clearly as widespread as
was the Christian religion, and its OBJ
servance was as obligatory as any other
part of that faith.
In the year A. D. 800, Peter, bishop
of Alexandria, records the common OBJ
servance of the day by. all Christians.
and Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, in the
year A. d. 253, bears similar testimony.
Tertullian also "a. D. 2OO) speaks of
the solemnity of the Lords Day"
Justin Martyr, as far back as A. D.
140, mentions the observance of the
first day of the week as a day of rest
and worship, and states that on il was
held assemblies of all who lived in the
cities and the rural districts, in which
assemblies the writings of the Prophets
and Apostles were read.
Still earlier, about A. d. 112, PIiny,
the younger, writing as the governor of
Pontus and Bithynia. to the Emperor
Trajan, says the Christians were accus-
toned to meet together for purposes of
worship on a stated day." and unques-
tionably the stated day. of Pliny is
the Lords Day of Justin Martyr, Ter
tullian and Cyprian.
In the New Testament we find unmis-
taxable references to the observance of
the Lords Day" in Apostolic times.
st. John, writing from the place of
his exile to the Seven churches of
ASIA" without a word of comment or
explanation, says, II was in the Spirit
on the Lords Day" Such an allusion
would be unaccountable without assum-
ing that the churches to whom he was
writing were accustomed to the OBJ
servance of the day
st. Paul in a letter written from
Ephesus to the church of Corinth, A. d.
rs, says, Upon the first day of the
week, let every one of you lay in store
as. God hath prospered him, that there
be no gatherings when I come" Why
does he enjoin collections to be made
on the first day of the week." if the
church at Corinth had not been used
to the observance of the day?
Again we read in Acts XXI, And
upon the first day of the week, when
the disciples came together to break
bread, Paul preached unto them"
1t is clear that wherever there was a
Christian church "the Lords Day" was
observed; and what is quite remarka BILE
} is that the dedication of the day to re-
ligious worship is never made a matter
OF explanation, question, or argument
The observance of the day appears al
ways as a matter of course
Now Paul and John and all the Apos-
ties, ana considerable portion OF the
members of all the churches which they
founded had been brought up according
to the strictest principles of Judaism,
and the observance or the Jewish Sab
bath was one of those principles which
was most rigidly enforced. Minute rules
were prescribed for the observance of
the Sabbath and the slightest infraction
of these rules was most Sternly con-
demned.
The Maccabean generals at first re-
fused to fight against Antiochus or to
defend themselves on the Sabbath be
cause" says Josephus, they were not
willing to break in upon the honour they
owed the Sabbath, even in such dis
tresses, for our law requires that we
rest on that day"
The strict observance of their Sab
bath by the Jews of that day was
known and read of all men, and is the
object of sneers by pagan writer's such
as Horace. Juvenal and Persius.
Such being the case how can we ex-
plain the fact that pious and patriotic
Jews, like John and Paul and thousands
in the churches which they founded. re-
nounced the Jewish Sabbath on the Sew
enth Day of the week, and established
in it's place the Christian Sabbath on
the First Day of the week? What mo-
tive had they for so great change?
Their Master had been crucified suf-
fering thereby the most shameful death
possible under Roman law. How comes
il to pass that after the helpless and
hopeless ignoring of Calvary such
Pharisee as Paul and all his followers