II. Ecclesiastical Obsirraitce of the Day. — The conse- cration of Sunday in a special manner to religious em- ployments and the abstaining from all worklly busi- ness was established by a synodal law (canon 29, Coun- cil of Laodicea) with this restriction, that all Christians should abstain from worldly business if they were able. In the religious services of Sunday we note the follow- ing: all fasting was prohibited on that day, even in Lent; Tertullian {l>e Coron. Mil. c. 3) declaring that it was accounted a crime to fast on tlie Lord's day, and other authorities were equally severe in their denunci- ations. The reason for this observance was that the
day was considered one of joyfulness because of our Lord's resurrection. Yet this rule was not so strictly binding but that when a necessary occasion required, and there was no suspicion of heretical perverseness or contempt, men miglit fast upon this day (Jerome, Ep. 28, ad Luciiiium Btvticuni).
It may here be remarked that another custom was to pray standing on tlie Lord's daj', in memory of our Lord's resurrection. The great care and concern of the primitive Cliristians for the religious observance of Sunday is seen in their ready and constant attend- ance upon all the ofiices and solemnities of public wor- ship, and tills, too, even in times of persecution; from their studious observance of the vigils, or nocturnal as- semblies preceding the Lord's day; from their attend- ance, in many places, upon sermons twice a day, and at evening prayers; and from the censures inflicted upon those who violated the laws concerning the religious observance of the day. The celebration of the eucha- rist was a standing part of divine service every Lord's day, and every communicant was expected to partake thereof. See Bingham, Christ. Antiq. bk. xx, ch. ii, § 9- 12 ; bk. xvi, ch. ix, § 2.
The mode in which the early Christians spent the Lord's day is thus described by Dr. Jamieson in his Manners and Trials of the Primitive Christians :
"Viewing the Lord's day as a spiritual festivity, a sea- son in which their souls were specially to magnify the Lord and tlieir spirits to rejoice in God their Saviour, they introduced tlie services of the day with psalmody, which was followed by select portions of the prophets, the gospels, and the epistles, the intervals between which were occupied by the faithful in private devotions. The plan of service, in short, resembled what was followed in that of the vigils, though there were some important dif- ferences, which we shall now describe. The men prayed with their heads bare, and the women were veiled, as be- came the modesty of tlieir sex, both standing— a iiosition deemed the most decent, and suited to their exalted no- tions of the weekly solemnity — with their eyes lified up to heaven and their hands extended in the form of a cross, the better to keep them in lemembrauce of Him whose death had opened up the way of access to the di- vine presence. The reading of the sacred volume consti- tuted an important and indispensable part of the observ- ance; and, eftectnally to impress it on the memories of the audience, the lessons were always short and of fre- quent recurrence. Besides the Scriptures, they were ac- customed to read aloud several other books for the edifi- cation and interest of the people — such as treatist'S on the illustration of Christian morals by some pastor of em- inent reputation and piety, or letters from foreign church- es containing au accouilt of the state and progress of the Gospel. This part of the service — most necessary aud valuable at a time when a large proportion of every con- gregation were unacquainted with letters— was perform- ed at first by the presiding ministei', but was afterwards devolved on an officer appointed for that object, who, when proceeding to the discharge of his duty, if it related to any part of the history of Jesus, exclaimed aloud to the people, ' Stand up ; the gospels are about to be read ;' and then always commenced with 'Thus saith the Lord.' They assumed this attitude, not only from a conviction that it was the most respectful posture in which to listen to the counsels of the King of kings, but with a view lo keep alive the attention of the people — an object which, in some churches, was sought to be gained by the minis- ter stopping in the middle of a Scriptural quotation and leaving the people to finish it aloud. The discoiuses, founded for tlie most part on the last portion of Scripture that was read, were short, plain, and extemporary exlior- tations, designed chiefly to stir up the minds of the breth- ren by way of remembrance, and always prefaced by the salutation, ' Peace be unto you.' As they were very short, sometimes not extending to more than eight or ten min- utes' duration, several of them were delivered at a diet, and the preacher was usually the pastor of the place, though he sometimes, at his discretion, invited a stran- ger, or one of his brethren known to possess the talent of public speaking, to address the assembly. The close of the sermon by himself, which was always the last of the series, was the signal for the public prayers to com- mence. Previous to this solemn part of the service, how- ever, a crier commanded infidels of any description that might be present to withdraw, and, the doors being closed and guarded, the pastor proceeded to pronounce a prayer, the burden of which was made to bear a special reference to the circumstances of the various classes who, in the primitive Church, were not admitted to a full participa- tion in the privileges of the faithful. First of all, he prayed, in the name of the whole company of believers, for the catechumens — young persons, or recent converts