HAVING noticed quite carefully the steps by which Sunday reached an influential position in the time of Constantine, it will not be necessary to cite many more authorities. We will give only a few evidences showing, how the Roman Church still carefully fostered this favorite child, and left nothing undone that it could do to render it still more sacred.ChSa 122.1

It will be remembered that the important decree by Constantine, which was the first command in behalf of Sunday requiring any one to rest on the first day of the week, gave permission to those engaged in agriculture to work on that day. It was not long until this permission was set aside, and all were commanded to rest on the venerable Sunday.ChSa 122.2

Pope Leo took certain steps in the fifth century to make up the deficiencies in the Sunday laws, and add to the honor of this favorite institution. He required that all ordinations should be conferred on this day and no other. Heylyn says:ChSa 122.3

“A law [was] made by Leo, then pope of Rome, and generally since taken up in the Western church, that they should be conferred upon no day else.”-History of the Sabbath, part 2, chapter 4, section 8.ChSa 122.4

According to Dr. Justin Edwards, this same pope made this decree in behalf of Sunday:ChSa 122.5

“We ordain, according to the true meaning of the Holy Ghost, and of the apostles as thereby directed, that on the sacred day wherein our own integrity was restored, all do rest and cease from labor.”-Sabbath Manual, p. 133.ChSa 123.1

Emperor Leo, AD. 469, put forth the following decree in behalf of Sunday:ChSa 123.2

“It is our will and pleasure, that the holy days dedicated to the most high God, should not be spent in sensual recreations, or otherwise profaned by suits of law, especially the Lord’s day, which we decree to be a venerable day, and therefore free it of all citations executions, pleadings, and the like avocations.... If any will presume to offend in the premises, if lie be a military man, let him lose his commission: or if other, let his estate or goods be confiscated.... We command, therefore, all, as well husbandmen as others, to forbear work on this day of our restoration.”-Dialogues on the Lord’s Day, Pages 259, 260.ChSa 123.3

Here we see, first, the pope ordaining that all cease from labor on Sunday. Then the emperor steps in and supports this action. Full human authority is now given to rest on Sunday. All classes must obey, on penalty of fines or confiscation of all their property. We do not wonder, then, that in that age, when few had Bibles and tradition was generally followed, Sunday carne to be generally observed. We learn that just previous to this time, however, Sunday was not very strictly observed as a rest day.ChSa 123.4

Kitto says:ChSa 123.5

“Chrysostom (AD. 360) concludes one of his homilies by dismissing his audience to their respective ordinary occupations.”-Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, article Lord’s Day.ChSa 123.6

Heylyn bears witness concerning St. Chrysostom, that he:ChSa 123.7

“Confessed it to be lawful for a man to look unto his worldly business on the Lord’s day, after the congregation was dismissed.”-History of the Sabbath, part 2, chapter 3, section 9.ChSa 123.8

St. Jerome, in his commendation of the very pious lady Paula, speaks thus of Sunday labor:ChSa 123.9

“Paula, with the women, as soon as they returned home on the Lord’s day, they sat down severally to their work, and made clothes for themselves and others.”-Dialogues on the Lord’s Day, page 234.ChSa 124.1

The bishop of Ely thus testifies:ChSa 124.2

“In St. Jerome’s days, and in the very place where he was residing, the devoutest Christians did ordinarily work upon the Lord’s day, when the service of the church was ended.”-Treatise of the Sabbath Day, page 202.ChSa 124.3

There is a vast difference between divine and human authority. The latter cannot control the conscience as the former can. These persons knew very well that the Sunday rested upon only human authority. It was a gradual process, taking quite a space of time before Sunday gained the position it now holds. Dr. Heylyn bears the following testimony concerning the status of Sunday during the fifth and sixth centuries:ChSa 124.4

“The faithful being united better than before, became more uniform in matters of devotion; and in that uniformity did agree together to give the Lord’s day all the honors of an holy festival. Yet was not this done all at once, but by degrees, the fifth and sixth centuries being well nigh spent before it came into that height which bath since continued. The emperors and the prelates in these times had the same affections; both [being] earnest to advance this day above all other; and to the edicts of the one, and ecclesiastical constitutions of the other, it stands indebted for many of those privileges and exemptions which it still enjoys.”-History of the Sabbath, part 2, chapter 4, section 1.ChSa 124.5

Here we see the same solicitude in behalf of Sunday on the part of the “prelates” of the church, which has appeared all along since apostasy and corruption first entered after the days of the apostles. They were “earnest to advance this day above all other.” This change of the Sabbath was really the work of the Roman Catholic Church. It was this that influenced the emperors and civil rulers.ChSa 124.6

Sunday First Called “Lord’s Day”

Sunday First Called Sabbath