If the evidence stopped even here, Christimis would have it to say, that as it was a plain duty, enjoined in Scripture. not to forsake the assenr.
bling of themselves together,' but to meet for the above public offices of religion, so they had both the precept and the example of the apostles them selves, and of the Christian churches of the N. T., for such stated and public assembling' on that clay and on no other. Nor is it possible to conceive, since such public assemblies must be held on some day, that any day could more commend itself to them and to us than that which commemorates the cardinal event in the history of Christianity,—the resurrection of our Lord.
When we consider, further, how these conclu sions are confirmed by the whole stream of eccle siastical tradition, usage, and practice ; that the earliest Christian literature bears evidence to the distinction put on this day above every other ; that the observance of the day for the above-men tioned purposes was continued throughout all the churches ; that express statements and casual allu sions alike bear witness to these same facts ;—it is scarcely possible to avoid the conclusion that the Founders of Christianity, however scanty their allu sions to the subject in their writings, forelcnew that their example would, and designed that it should, give the law to future generations.
We have not space, nor is it at all necessary, to give the succession of testimonies along the early centuries to this effect. The reader, if he wishes the detailed evidence (the facts are sufficiently no torious) may refer to Hessey's Bampton Lectures, Lect. ii. Two notices, however, of great import ance, immediately linking the N. T. history with that of the succeeding ages, may be mentioned. Pliny, in his letter to Trajan, A.D. 107, speaks of the Christians as assembling on a stated a'ay to sing hymns to Christ as God,' and to bind them selves by an oath (Sacramentum) to discharge cer tain characteristic prescribed duties in the moral code of their founder ; and as assembling again `to take a meal.' This is an obvious, though, as is natural in a heathen, somewhat confused account of the ordinary worship of the Christians ; yet, a-s we have seen in the N. T. records that they never met for such stated purposes but on one day, it is hardly possible to doubt that this is the day' to which Pliny refers. In confirma tion of this view, Justin Martyr, writing about thirty years after (A.D. 14.o) expressly tells us what the day of public assembly was : On the day called Sunday (-rid rof, Vaou Xeyogivv ihugp(c) there is an assembly of all who live either in the cities or in the country districts ;' and in his account of what transpired tbere, he gives us a tolerably exact transcript of the chief characteristics of Christian worship at the present day. He tells
us that the memoirs (dro,uvnp.6vemuara) of the apostles and the writings of the prophets were read, that prayer was offered, that the president of the assembly delivered a discourse, that the Lord's Supper was celebrated, and alms collected.' He tells us also that the first day was observed, be cause it was the day on which God created the light, and on which Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead.' But admitting the manifest obligation of Christians to observe the day, what, it may be asked, is the mode? We can only answer that, in the absence of all minute directions (which is so marked a character istic of the N. T. in all matters of ritual), this must be, to a large extent, determined by the conscience of the individual Christian. If he be one indeed, duly impressed with the glorious events which the day is designed to commemorate ; really inclined to ponder the divine themes which it is intended to impress on his memory and his heart ; if they be in his eyes the things which belong to his peace ;' if he believes that the day is chiefly designed to neutralise the inordinate effect of the things seen and temporal,' and to enable him to recover his just sense of the things unseen and eternal ;' if he values for this purpose a day which invites to mental calm, and affords a breakwater against those stormy cares which beat on him when he is on the open sea of the world ; if he recog nises, as regards the body, the mercy of the law which forbids him to be a slave of toil, and inter mits its pressure for a little time ; if, in a, word, the day be welcome to him as calculated' to answer all the beneficent purposes of such a day—wbether Jewish or Christian, the ancient Sabbath or the modem Sunday—he will not account it a weari ness ' feel its hours long and irksome, or be at a loss 'how to employ it profitably and innocently, though he be forbidden to buy and sell, and get gain,' or do any manner' of needless servile work.' Then will come true all that Jeremy Taylor and other writers have so beautifully said as to the increased, not diminished, obligations which will be felt by every true believer, precisely because he feels the observance of the day to be enforced by love rather than command, by example rather than precept, in imitation of primitive practice rather than by any legal bond. But if a man feel nothing of all this, we know not that the IN'. T. says anything to e7!force the day on his observance. In conformity with its whole genius and character, Christianity appeals to a willing mind,' and what it cannot get from that, by per suasive argument and appeals to men's best affec tions, it disdains to secure by ritual punctilio and precise legal stipulation.