Facts of Faith

The Sabbath in History

AS WE continue our study of the Sabbath question, we shall first consult an eyewitness, who had travelled over the greater part of Christendom: Socrates, the Greek historian, who was born about 380 A.D. M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia says of him: “He is generally considered the most exact and judicious of the three continuators of the history of Eusebius, being less fond in his style and more careful in his statements than Sozomen, and less credulous than Theodoret. ‘His impartiality is so strikingly displayed,’ says Waddington, ‘as to make his orthodoxy questionable to Baronius, the celebrated Roman Catholic historian; but Valesius, in his life, has shown that there is no reason for such suspicion.’” Vol. IX, art. “Socrates” p. 854. FAFA 83.1

Socrates says of the year 391 A. D.: FAFA 83.2

“For although almost all Churches, throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries [the Lord’s Supper on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, refuse to do this. The Egyptians in the neighbourhood of Alexandria, and the inhabitants of Thebais, hold their religious meetings on the Sabbath, but do not participate of the mysteries in the manner usual among Christians in general: for in the evening ... they partake of the mysteries. “Ecclesiastical History,” Book 5, chap. 22, page 289. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1892.

The footnote which accompanies the foregoing quotation explains the use of the word ” Sabbath...” It says: FAFA 83.3

“That is, upon the Saturday. It should be observed, that Sunday is never called ‘the Sabbath’ by the ancient Fathers and historians.... The Latins kept the Sabbath as a fast, the Greeks as a feast; and the 64th of the Apostolical Canons forbids any of the clergy to fast on the Sabbath (Saturday) under pain of being deposed, and likewise a layman under the penalty of excommunication.” — Id., p. 289.

This shows that all the churches throughout the world kept Saturday as the Sabbath in 391, but that some did not have the Lord’s Supper till in the evening. There had sprung up a hot controversy in regard to fasting on the Sabbath. Who was it that urged this Sabbath fasting against the will of the churches in general? Pope Sylvester (314-335) was the first to order the churches to fast on Saturday, and Pope Innocent (402-417) made it a binding law in the churches that obeyed him. FAFA 83.4

Dr. Peter Heylyn says: FAFA 84.1

“Innocentius did ordaine the Saturday or Sabbath to be alwayes fasted.... It was by him intended for a binding law. [Most of the churches refused, however, to obey him.] And in this difference it stood a long time together, till in the end the Roman Church obtained the cause, and Saturday became a fast, almost through all the parts of the Westerne world. I say the Westerne world, and of that alone: The Easterne Churches being so farre from altering their ancient custome, that in the sixth Councell of Constantinople, Anno 692, they did admonish those of Rome to forbeare fasting on that day, upon pain of censures. Which 1 have noted here, in its proper place, that we might know the better how the matter stood betweene the Lord’s Day, and the Sabbath; how hard a thing it was for one to get the mastery of the other.” — “History of the Sabbath,” part 2, chap. 2, pp. 44, 45. London: 1636. (The original spelling is retained.)

This shows how the popes tried to get rid of the Sabbath. They knew that the churches generally would not give it up willingly, and as yet the popes did not have the power to force them to do it. But if the Sabbath was made a day of fasting, the children would soon tire of it, and after a few generations the majority would gladly give up the gloomy fast day. This effort continued from about A. D. 391 to 692, and even then it was hard for the Sunday to get the mastery over the Sabbath, says Dr. Heylyn. Here we can readily see that it was not changed at the time of the apostles. FAFA 84.2

Rev. Joseph Bingham, M. A, says: FAFA 84.3

“The ancient Christians were very careful in the observation of Saturday, or the seventh day, which was the ancient Jewish Sabbath. Some observed it as a fast, others as a festival; but all unanimously agreed in keeping it as a more solemn day of religious worship and adoration. In the Eastern church it was ever observed as a festival, one only Sabbath excepted, which was called the Great Sabbath, between Good Friday and Easterday.... From hence it is plain, that all the Oriental churches, and the greatest part of the world, observed the Sabbath as a festival.... Athanasius likewise tells us, that they held religious assemblies on the Sabbath, not because they were infected with Judaism, but to worship Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, Epiphanius says the same.” — “Antiquities of the Christian Church,” Vol. II, Book XX, chap. 3, See. 1, pp. 1137, 1138. London: 1852.