THE EDITOR, Madam
I FEEL constrained to comment on the inaccurate claim of the Seventh Day Adventist adherents that Emperor Constantine changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday sometime in 321 AD. They even published a book entitled National Sunday Law.
Anyone who reads the history of the early Christians would become vividly aware that this could not happen. Emperor Constantine stopped the persecution of the Christians but did make Christianity the official religion of Rome. The proclamation was, "Christians shall be entitled to practise their religion like any other religion in Rome".
Constantine died in 337 AD and accepted baptism on his death bed. Christianity did not become the official religion of Rome until 392 AD during the reign of Emperor Theodosius and the proclamation was, "All subjects of the Empire should accept the faith which Peter has delivered to Rome".
I now quote from church documents which existed long before the reign of Constantine (1) Didache ton dodeka aposotolon (The teaching of the 12 apostles) 140 AD "On the Lord's Day of the Lord, come together, break bread, and give thanks, having first confessed your transgressions that your sacrifice may be pure. But let none who has a quarrel with his companion join with you until they have been reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be defiled. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord", etc.
(2) Justin Martyr, First Apology 150 AD.
"And on the day called Sun-day an assembly is held in one place of all who live in town or country, and the records of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read for as long as time allows. Then, when the reader has finished, the president in a discourse admonishes and exhorts us to imitate these good things".
"We all assemble together on Sunday, because it is the first day, on which God, having transformed the darkness and the matter, made the world and Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead on the same day; for they crucified him on the day before Saturday, and the day after Saturday, which is Sunday. He appeared to his apostles and disciples and taught them these things which we have presented to you".
I am, etc.,
A. JAMES
Kingston 10
