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The Change of the Sabbath

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    Chapter 13- Other Reasons Why Sunday Was Favored

    THE general observance of memorial days in the second and third centuries of the Christian era, was also another reason why Sunday was exalted. Doubtless the practice was innocent at first, and originated from the best motives, being prompted by reverence for Christ. The same principle in the human heart which has always led people to commemorate important events in which they have felt a deep interest, by celebrating with appropriate services the special days upon which these events occurred, led the disciples, after the apostles’ death, to regard with more or less interest the days of Christ’s betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. To this day, Good Friday, Holy Thursday, etc., are considered as quite sacred in the state churches of Europe, especially in the Roman and Greek Catholic Churches. “Holy week,” as the week connected with the last scenes in Christ’s life is called, has been regarded with great reverence for ages in the Catholic and other national churches, and is really becoming popular in many Protestant churches. But all such services and observances have no authority in Scripture; they are derived from tradition alone. It was in this way that Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection, first became prominent among Christians. At first it was little, if any, more prominent than Friday, the day of his crucifixion. Mosheim says:ChSa 106.1

    “It is also probable that Friday, the day of Christ’s crucifixion, was early distinguished by particular honors from the other days of the week.”-Ecclesiastical History, cent. 1, part 2, chap. 4, note to sec. 4.ChSa 106.2

    He says of the second century:ChSa 106.3

    “Many also observed the fourth day of the week, on which Christ was betrayed; and the sixth, which was the day of his crucifixion.”-Idem, cent. 2, part 2, chapter 1, sec. 12.ChSa 106.4

    Dr. Peter Heylyn says of those who chose Sunday:ChSa 106.5

    “Because our Savior rose on that day from among the dead, so chose they Friday for another, by reason of our Savior’s passion, and Wednesday, on the which he had been betrayed; the Saturday, or ancient Sabbath, being meanwhile retained in the Eastern churches.”-History of the Sabbath, part 2, chapter 1, sec. 12.ChSa 106.6

    Of the comparative sacredness of these voluntary festivals, the same writer testifies:ChSa 107.1

    “If we consider either the preaching of the word, the ministration of the sacraments, or the public prayers, the Sunday in the Eastern churches had no great prerogative above other days, especially above the Wednesday and the Friday, save that the meetings were more solemn, and the concourse of people greater than at other times, as is most likely.”-Idem, part 2, chap. 3, sec. 4.ChSa 107.2

    But the fact that Sunday was a general public holiday of the heathen world around them, and that the Church of Rome made persistent efforts to give it precedence, and, above all, the effect of Constantine’s decree in its favor, gave the Sunday at last a great superiority over these other voluntary festival days, as well as over the Sabbath itself. The efforts of the Church of Rome, and those in sympathy with it, in behalf of Sunday, making it a day of joy and gladness, freedom from fasts, etc., at the same time turning the Sabbath into a fast day, as we have seen, did much toward giving prestige and dignity to the former.ChSa 107.3

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