The Sabbath and the Lord's day.
The Independent notices at length a restored work of Hyppolitus, which throws much light upon the doctrines and practices of the early Christian Churches. The following extract shows what a distinction was formerly made between the Sabbath and Lord's Day—a distinction which modern writers have labored hard to obliterate:— The Sunday was, in those early days, no sombre or even Jewish day of ceremony. In the incessant toil of life among men who despised their faith, and scorned its Author, it came in sweetly and joyously as the day when the happiest of all events to them was consummated—the Resurrection of Christ. It was in no way, either in its origin or in its mode of observance, confounded with the Jewish Sabbath. "Keep the Sabbath," (i. e., Saturday,) says our old Book, (p. 76,) "and the Lord's Day Festival; because the former is the memorial of the Creation, and the latter of the Resurrection." "If any one of the Clergy be found to fast on the Lord's Day, or on the Sabbath Day, excepting one only, let him be deprived; but if he be one of the Laity, let him be suspended." P. 117. "Let the Servants work five days, (p. 94,) but the Sabbath and the Lord's Day let them have leisure for the Church, that they may be taught Piety in the service of God. On the Sabbath the Lord rested from all the work of Creation, which he had finished; the Lord's Day is a day of rest on account of the Resurrection of the Lord." "On the day of the Resurrection of the Lord, that is, the Lord's Day, assemble yourselves together, without fail, giving thanks to God, and praising him for those mercies he has bestowed upon you through Christ," &c. P. 76.—Sabbath Recorder.