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from its having been selected by the apostles as their peculiar time of meeting" to offer up their praises and thanksgivings for the inestimable benefits bestowed upon mankind, through JESUS Christ our Lord*;" and lastly, and most commonly, it is called Sunday, in compliance with the long-used and ordinary form of speech. The Romans called this day Dies Solis, because it was dedicated to the worship of the Sun; and our Saxon ancestors gave to it the name of SunnanDatg, or Sun's-day, from the like heathenish cause. Whether the Saxons, or the Germans from whom they descended, received their mythology from the Romans, or whether they had idols of their own (as VERSTEGAN contends), seems to be a matter of much doubt. The Romans certainly worshipped the planets by the names of some of their most esteemed deities; and there is a very strong resemblance in the Latin characteristics and in some of those of the Saxons, though they are in most instances different in their appellations. The names of all the days of the Week we have most assuredly continued from the Saxons, be their origin what they may; and the emblematical representation of the idol of the Sun is thus described by VERSTEGAN in his "Restitution of Decayed Intelligence."

* "I was in the spirit on the LORD'S DAY," &c. Rev. i. 10, "And upon the FIRST DAY of the week, when the Apostles came together" &c. Acts, xx. 7.

Upon the FIRST DAY of the week, let," &c. Cor xvi. ii.

"It was made, as here appeareth, like a halfe-naked man set upon a pillar, his face as it were brightened with gleames of fire, and holding, with both his armes stretched out, a burning wheele upon his breast; the wheele being to signifie the course which he runneth about the world, and the fiery gleames, and brightness, the light and heat wherewith he warmeth and comforteth the things that live and grow.

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Although from the time of the apostles the first day of the week seems to have been selected for especial veneration, it was not until the reign of CONSTANTINE the Great, that a regular celebration of that day was established by public decree: before, and during part of the sovereignty of that emperor, the Christians observed the Jewish Sab bath out of compliment to the converts from Judaism, and our present Lord's day also. In the year 321, CONSTANTINE enacted that the first, or - our Lord's day, should be kept as the day of rest in all cities and towns throughout the Roman empire, though he permitted the country people to follow their necessary avocations. THEODOSIUS the Great, A. D. 386, prohibited all public shews; and THEODOSIUS the younger, some few years after, confirmed that decree, extending its operation to all Jews, Pagans, &c.; and to mark his sincere desire of honouring the day, he settled, that whenever the anniversary of his inauguration should occur on a Sunday, it should be celebrated on the day following. In 517, by a Council of the fathers of the church, it was ordained that on Sunday not any causes should be heard or decided upon; whereas before that period the Christians, in opposition to the old Roman custom, used that and all other days throughout the year alike, for hearing causes of a peculiar tendency, such as emancipating slaves, &c. In 538, the Council of Orleans restricted the people from works of all kinds, and prohibited travelling with

horses, or otherwise, even for the purposes of health, or procuring food. King ATHELSTAN, who, about the year 940, caused the Scriptures to be translated into the Saxon language, the then vulgar tongue of this country, imposed very severe forfeitures and penalties upon any traffic on this day. EDGAR ordained, A. D. 960, that the Sunday should be kept holy in England from Saturday, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, until Monday at day-break. HENRY the Sixth, by statute, forbade any fairs or markets to be held on any Sunday, the four in harvest excepted. EDWARD the Sixth, by public Edict, authorised "all lawfull recreations, and honest exercises on Sundayes, and other holy dayes, after the afternoone sermon or service, such as dauncing either for men or women, archery for men, leaping, vaulting, Ec.; so that the same be had in due and convenient time, without impediment, or neglect of divine service." CHARLES the First restricted all persons from going out of their own parishes for any sport whatever; and strictly forbade any bull or bear-baiting, plays, &c. even in their parishes, though it would appear that innocent amusements were admitted in their own parishes after the hours of public worship. During the USURPA- • TION, SO great was the fanaticism of the times, that they affected to make all days alike; considering it unnecessary to set apart any particular time to exercise and improve them in godliness: still, however, there was a nominal Sabbath, though the most bigoted maintained that under

the New Testament all periods were equally sacred to a Christian. CHARLES the Second prohibited not only any work whatever, excepting those of charity and necessity, but imposed forfeitures upon the sale of any goods, meat in public-houses and milk excepted: the licentious and dissolute manners during that reign, would however argue the cause of this regulation to have sprung more from an opposition to the puritanical extreme of CROMWELL'S time, than from any praiseworthy motive. In later periods the legislature has often had the profanation of this day under consideration, and many salutary laws have been passed; but it is to be regretted that the regulations which have taken place have not tended to bring the day into that state of general proper observánce so essentially necessary, not only as it respects the awful duty we owe to the DEITY, but even for the civil and moral purposes of life. From the earliest periods of Christian history, SUNDAY has been distinguished by a peculiar reverence and respect, and the laws of the land have been suspended for the day, except in cases of felony, so that worldly concerns not claiming attention, no obstruction may arise to the performance of that sacred duty. The SOVEREIGN himself, with many of the most exalted characters in the realm, evince by their strict attention to public worship, the high and proper estimation in which they hold that obligation; and it is much to be lamented, that their pious example is not more generally fol

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