LORD'S DAY
507
LORD'S DAY
passages seem scarcely adequate to prove that the dedi- cation of the first day of the week to the purposes above mentioned was a matter of apostolic institution, or even of apostolic practice. But, it may be observed, that it is, at any rate, an extraordinary coincidence, that almost as soon as we emerge from Scripture we find the same day mentioned in a similar manner, and directly asso- ciated with the Lord's resurrection ; and it is an ex- traordinar}' fact that we never find its dedication ques- tioned or argued about, but accepted as something equal- ly apostolic with confirmation, with inj'unt baptism, with ordination, or at least spoken of in the same way. As to direct support from holy Scripture, it is noticeable that those other ordinances which are usually consider- ed scriptural, and in support of which Scripture is usu- ally cited, are dependent, so far as mere quotation is concerned, upon fewer texts than the Lord's day is. Stating the case at the very lowest, the Lord's day has at least " probable insinuations in Scripture" (Bp. San- derson), and so is superior to any other holy day, wheth- er of hebdomadal celebration, as Friday in memory of the crucifixion, or of annual celebration, as Easter day in memory of the resurrection itself. These other days may be, and are, defensible on other grounds, but they do not possess anything like a scriptural authority for their observance. If we are inclined still to press for more pertinent scriptural proof, and more frequent men- tion of the institution, for such we suppose it to be, in the writings of the apostles, we must recollect how little is said of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and how vast a difference is naturally to be expected to exist between a sketch of the manners and habits of their age, which the authors of the holy Scriptures did not write, and hints as to life and conduct, and regulation of known practices, which they did write.
2. On quitting the canonical writings we turn natu- rally to Clement of Rome. He does not, however, di- rectly mention " the Lord's day," but in 1 Cor. i, 40, he says, TTavTa rain Tzoitiv rxptiXojxtv, and he speaks of wpia/ievoi Kciipol Kai iopai, at which the Christian Tj-poa- ^opal Kal XiiTovpyiai should be made.
Ignatius, the disciple of St. John (ad. Magn. c. 9), contrasts Judaism and Christianit}', and, as an exempli- fication of the contrast, opposes aajijiaTii,iiv to living according to the Lord's life (jcara rijv Ji.vptaK7)v i^w)]v
The epistle ascribed to St. Barnabas, which, though certainly not written by that apostle, was in existence in the earlier part of the 2d century, has (c. 15) the fol- lowing words: "We celebrate the eighth day with joy, on which, too, Jesus rose from the dead."
A pagan document now conies into view. It is the well-known letter of Pliny to Trajan, written (about A. D. 100) while he presided over Pontus and Bithynia. "The Christians (sa^-s he) affirm the whole of their guilt or error to be that they were accustomed to meet together on a stated day {stctto die), before it was light, and to sing hymns to Christ as a g(xl, and to bind them- selves by a sacrameniunu not for any wicked purpose, but never to commit fraud, thelt. or adultery; never to break their word, or to refuse, when called upon, to de- liver up any trust; after which it was their custom to separate, and to assemble again to take a meal, but a general one, and without guiltj- purpose" (h'pisf. x, 97).
A thoroughly Christian authority, Justin Martyr, who flourished A.D. 140, stands next on the list. He writes thus: "On the day called Sunday (ri) rov j'/A/oi; Xtyo/ih'j/ I'ljispq) is an assembly of all who live either in the cities or in the rural districts, and the memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read." Then he goes on to describe the particulars of the religious acts which are entered upon at this assem- bly. They consist of prayer, of the celebration of the holy Eucharist, and of collection of alms. He after- wards assigns the reasons which Christians had for meeting on Sunday. These are, "because it is the First Day, on which God dispelled the darkness (jb
gkotoq) and the original state of things {ri]v I'Xjji'), and formed the world, and because Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead upon it" {Apol. i, 67), In another work {Dial. c. Tryj)h.) he makes circumcision furnish a type of Sunday. " The command to circumcise infants on the eighth day was a type of the true circumcision by which we are circumcised from error and wickedness through our Lord Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the first day of the week (jy iii(i caftjiaTitiv) ; there- fore it remains the chief and first of days." As for aajSlSaTiCeiv, he uses that with exclusive reference to the Jewish law. He carefidly distinguishes Saturday (>) Kpoi'iKt'i), the day after which our Lord was cruci- fied, from Sunday (// furd r})v KpoviKi]v i'jriQ iariv i) Toij 'UXiov iin'ipa), upon which he rose from the dead. If any surprise is felt at Justin's employment of the heathen designations for the seventh and first days of the week, it may be accounted for thus. Before the death of Hadrian, A.D. 138, the hebdomadal division (which Dion Cassius, writing in the 3d century, derives, together with its nomenclature, from Egypt) had, in matters of common life, almost universally superseded in Greece, and even in Italy, the national divisions of the lunar month. Justin Martyr, writing to and for heathen, as well as to and for Jews, employs it, there- fore, with a certainty of being understood.