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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
ORIGEN’S TESTIMONY Origen (about A. D. 225) was a man of immense learning, and his writings are numerous. “ Origen may well be pro nounced one o f the ablest and worthiest of the church Fathers.” The following items about Origen are gathered from the “ Schaff-Herzog Ency clopedia.” He was born at Alexandria, A. D. 185. Was carefully trained by Chris tian parents. His father was martyred. He was one o f the most learned men o f his age. He was devoutly pious. He became the teacher o f the greatest men of his time, even teaching bishops and- emperors. He travelled extensively to Rome, Arabia, Antioch, Greece, Tyre, Cappadocia, Jerusa lem, Caesarea, etc. Hence' he was "familiar with all the customs o f Christians every where. This makes His testimony to the Lord’s Day at that early date reliable and o f great importance. He says: “I f it be objected to us on this subject that we our selves are accustomed to observe certain days, as for example, the Lord’s Day, the preparation, the passover, or pentecost.” In his commentary on Exodus, Par. 5, he says: “It is plain from Holy Writ that manna was first given on earth on the Lord’s Day. But if it be clear from the Holy Scriptures that God rained manna from Heaven on the Lord’s Day, and rained none on the Sabbath Day, let the Jews understand that from that time our Lord’s Day was set above the true Sabbath— for on our Lord’s Day God always rains down manna from Heaven; for the discourses which are delivered to us from Heaven.” Here Origen shows that the Jewish Sab bath was set aside, and the Lord’s Day was the superior day, the day on which Chris tians assembled to hear discourses from God’s ministers. This agrees with Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and all as above. Notice that this witness is from the East, not from pagan Rome. Origen was a Greek, not a Latin. As Origen travelled extensively among the Churches and preached for them, and his books were read by them, it shows that the observance o f the Lord’s Day wars general among them all. He
Neander says: “ Tertullian is a writer of peculiar importance.” Here then is a competent and unimpeach able witness to the doctrines and practices o f the universal Church, A. D. 200, or only 104 years after John. Tertullian says: “W e solemnize the day after Saturday in contradistinction to those who call this day their Sabbath, and devote it to ease and eating, deviating from the old Jewish customs, which they are now very ignorant of.” Tertullian again declares that his brethren did not observe the days held sacred by the Jews: “W e neither accord with the Jews in their peculi arities in regard to food, nor in their sa cred days.” “We, however; (just as we have received,) only on the day o f the Lord’s resurrection ought to guard not only against kneeling, but every posture and office o f solicitude; deferring even our business, lest we give any place to the devil.” Sunday, then, was observed by Christians at“that early date, but Saturday was not. The above testimony o f this great Chris tian teacher is clear, positive, and decisive. The Jewish Sabbath was not kept; the The Lord’s Day was. Tertullian was one o f the greatest Christian teachers o f that day, A. D. 200. Could it be that these influ ential leaders taught and practiced thus, while all the Churches believed and did just the other way? That is, kept the Jew ish Sabbath and did not keep the Lord’s Day? Might as well say that Moody and Spurgeon taught Sunday observance while none o f their followers believed it. In the case o f Tertullian, the last edition o f the “Advent History o f the Sabbath” devotes twelve large pages trying to dis credit him. Why? Because his testimony is squarely against them and they fear it. It is a significant fact that Adventists do not find even one single Christian writer or leader for hundreds o f years after Christ who is worthy o f any reliance! All are fools, forgers, unreliable apostates, etc.! Why this effort to impeach them all? The reason is easy to find—all bear a decided witness against Sabbatarian teachings.
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