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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
would not Have been everywhere invited to preach for them if they had not believed as he did. APOSTOLICAL CONSTITUTIONS O f the “Apostolical Constitutions” (A. D. 250) Elder'Andrews, Adventist, says: “The so-called ‘Apostolical Constitutions’ were not the work o f the apostles, but they were in existence as early as the third cen tury, and were then very generally believed to express the doGtrine o f the apostles. They do therefore furnish important historical testimony to the practice o f the Church at that time. Mosheim, in his ‘Historical Commentaries,’ Cent. 1, section 51, speaks thus .of these ‘constitutions:’ ‘The matter o f this work is unquestionably ancient; since the manners and discipline o f which it exhibits a view are those which pre vailed among the Christians o f the second and third centuries, especially those resi dent in Greece and the oriental regions,” Notice again that this work was the product o f the Eastern Church and hence shows the
custom o f the Church in the East instead o f that at Rome. These, then, will be good witnesses to the practice o f the Church about A. D. 250. In section 7, paragraph 59, we read: “And on the day o f our Lord’s resurrection, which is the Lord’s Day, meet more dili gently, sending p raise to God that made the universe by Jesus and sent’ Him to us.” “ Otherwise what apology will He make to God who does not assemble on that day to hear the saving word concerning the resur rection.” In Book VII, section 2, paragraph 30, he says: “On the day o f the resurrec tion o f the Lord, that is, the Lord’s Day, assemble yourselves together, without fail, giving thanks to God,” etc. In the same paragraph, in speaking o f the resurrection o f Christ, the writer says: “ On which | account we solemnly assemble to celebrate the feast o f the resurrection on the Lord’s Day,” etc. These testimonies are decisive, and do show beyond a doubt that the Christians o f those early days used the Lord’s Day just as it is used now for religious worship.
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Should Christians observe the 7 th day as Sabbath or the first day or Sunday? I suppose that the one who asked this question means by “the 7th day” the “7th day of the week.’’ There is no command ment in the Ten Commandments to “ observe the seventh day of the week.” The words “O f the week,” are man’s addition to what God said. What God really com manded was, that a day o f rest should be hallowed after six days o f labor, but He does not specify in the letter o f the law
what day o f the week it should be -(Ex. 20:9, 10 ). However, the Israelites did observe the seventh day o f the week as their “ Sabbath,” in commemoration o f the closing o f the old creation, and also of their National Deliverance (Deut. 5:15). This distinctively Jewish Sabbath was done away in Christ (in His death and resur rection.) (Col. 2:16). A Christian there fore should not permit himself to be brought under the authority o f the Jewish Seventh Day o f the Week Sabbath, any
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