A Greek Falsehood

CANDID ADMISSIONS

From Sunday Observers and Writers Concerning the First Day of the Week. GRFA 25.1

“Admissions in favor of truth from the ranks of its enemies, constitute the highest kind of evidence.” — Pres. Asa Mahan. GRFA 25.2

RESPECTING the first day of the week, the historian, Dr. Peter Heylyn, says: “Thus do we see upon what ground the Lord’s day stands: on CUSTOM FIRST, and voluntary consecration of it to religious meetings: ... after, from the canons and decrees of councils, the decretals of popes, and orders or particular prelates, when the sole managing of ecclesiastical affairs was committed to them.... The Lord’s day had no such commands [as the Sabbath had] that it should be sanctified.”— Andrews’ Hist. of the Sabbath, p. 352. GRFA 25.3

Wm. Smith says, after quoting the first-day passages and advancing the usual arguments: “Taken separately, perhaps, even altogether, these passages seem scarcely adequate to prove that the dedication of the first day of the week to purposes above mentioned, was a matter of apostolic institution or even apostolic practice.” — Bible Dic., art. Lord’s Day, p. 356. GRFA 25.4

Chamber’s Encyclopedia says: By none of the Fathers before the fourth century is it identified with the Sabbath, nor is the duty of observing it grounded by them, either on the fourth commandment, or on the precept of Jesus or his apostles.” — Art. Sabbath. GRFA 25.5

Luther Lee, D. D., says: “There is no express commandment for observing the first day of the week as a Sabbath, and yet it is almost a universal custom.” — Lee’s Theology, p. 562. GRFA 25.6

Lyman Abbott, editor of the Christian Union, says in that paper of Jan. 19, 1882: “The current notion that Christ and his apostles authoritatively substituted the first day for the seventh, is absolutely without any authority in the New Testament.” GRFA 25.7

The Watchman (Baptist), in reply to a correspondent, says: “The Scriptures nowhere call the first day of the week the Sabbath.... There is no scriptural authority for so doing, nor of course, any scriptural obligation.” GRFA 25.8

The Protestant Episcopal Church says: The day is now changed from the seventh to the first day, ... but as we meet with no scriptural direction for the change, we may conclude it was done by the authority of the Church.” — Explanation of Catechism. GRFA 25.9

Sir Wm. Domville says: “Centuries of the Christian era passed away before the Sunday was observed as a Sabbath. History does not furnish us with a single proof or indication that it was at any time so observed previous to the Sabbatical edict of Constantine, in A. D. 321.” — Examination of the Six Texts, p. 291. GRFA 26.1

At a “Ministers’ Alliance” held in Sedalia, Mo., Feb. 25, 1884, a Mr. Fuller cited the fact that there was in reality no divine legislation established in the Christian Sabbath. — Sabbath Sentinel, March, 1884. GRFA 26.2

The Encyclopedia Britannica, after calling attention to the usual scriptural arguments, says: “Still it must be owned that these passages are not sufficient to prove the apostolical institution of the Lord’s day, or even the actual observance of it.” — Art. Sabbath. GRFA 26.3

The M. E. Theological Compendium, p. 103, edition of 1865, says: “It is true there is no positive command for infant baptism, ... nor is there any for keeping holy the first day of the week.” GRFA 26.4

Richard Watson, in his Theological Dictionary, says: “Now there is not on record any divine command to the apostles to change the Sabbath from the day on which it was held by the Jews to the first day of the week.” GRFA 26.5

Dr. Fallow says: “The New Testament is silent about a change of days. The apostles doubtless observed the same Sabbath before and after the resurrection of our Lord, as would be very natural.” GRFA 26.6

Robert Hall, D. D., says: But to “commemorate the resurrection of Christ by the religious observance of any day, we have no express command in all the Scriptures.” And again, there is not “a particle of Scripture law.” GRFA 26.7

Confession of the Swiss Church: “The observance of the Lord’s day is founded not on any commandment of Christ.” GRFA 26.8

Hear Prof. Burgess: “Can we find the text in the Bible enjoining the observance of this day? — No! GRFA 26.9

Now hear the Rev. Dr.Barnes: “No precept for it is found in the New Testament.” GRFA 26.10

The Townsend Herald says: “It must be admitted, too, that no statute can be altered or repealed by any power inferior to that which enacted it.... You may search from Genesis to Revelation for a command or injunction to this effect [first-day observance], but you will search in vain.” GRFA 26.11

Buck’s Theological Dictionary, p. 403, after presenting all the first-day arguments, says: “These arguments, however, are not satisfactory to some; and it must be confessed that there is no law in the New Testament concerning the first day.” GRFA 26.12

The Augsburg Confession, drawn up by Melancthon, says: “The observance of the Lord’s day is founded, not on any command of God, but on the authority of the Church.” — Cox’s Sab. Manual, part 2, chap. 1, sec. 10; also History of Sabbath, p. 434. GRFA 26.13

Sir Wm. Domville says: “Not any ecclesiastical writer for the first three centuries attributed the origin of Sunday observance either to Christ or his apostles.” GRFA 27.1

Dr. Heylyn again says: “Take which you will, either the Fathers or the moderns instituted by any apostolic mandate, no Sabbath set on foot by them upon the first day of the week.” — History of the Sabbath, p. 266. GRFA 27.2

Neander says: “The festival of Sunday ... was always only a human ordinance; ... far from the early apostolic church to transfer the law of the Sabbath to Sunday.” — Rose’s Neander, p. 186; Andrew’s Hist. of Sab., p. 229. GRFA 27.3

Bishop Jeremy Taylor says: “The primitive Christians did all manner of work upon the Lord’s day, even in the times of persecution, when they are the strictest observers of all the divine commandments; but in this they knew there were none.” — Ductor Dubitantium, part 1, book 2, chap. 2, sec. 59. GRFA 27.4

Coleman, another first-day writer and observer, says: “No law or precept appears to have been given by Christ or the apostles, either for the abrogation of the Jewish Sabbath or the institution of the Lord’s day, or the substitution of the first for the seventh day of the week.” — Ancient Christianity, chap. 26, sec. 2; Andrews’ Hist. of Sab., p. 336. GRFA 27.5

Morer, an old author, says: “The Lord’s day had no command that it should be sanctified; but it was left to God’s people to pitch on this day or that for public worship.” — Dialogues on the Lord’s Day, p. 233: Andrews’ Hist. of Sabbath., p. 344. GRFA 27.6

Kitto, speaking of the time of Chrysostom, A. D. 360, says: “Though in latter times we find considerable reference to a sort of consecration of the day, it does not seem at any period of the Church (ancient) to have assumed the form of such an observance as some modern religious communities have contended for. Nor do these in any instance pretend to allege any divine command, or even apostolic practice, in support of it.” — Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, art. Lord’s Day; Andrews’ Hist. of Sab., p. 363. GRFA 27.7

Frith says: “The Jews have the word of God for their Saturday, sith [since] it is the seventh day, and they were commanded to keep the seventh day solemn. And we have not the word of God for us but rather against us; for we keep not the seventh, ... but the first, which is not commanded of God.” — Frith’s Works, p. 198, quoted by Hessey; Andrews hist of Sab. p. 460. GRFA 27.8