Liberty of Conscience Threatened
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from heaven and to have been found in Jerusalem, upon the altar of
St. Simeon, in Golgotha. But, in fact, the pontifical palace at Rome
was the source whence it proceeded. Frauds and forgeries to advance
the power and prosperity of the church have in all ages been esteemed
lawful by the papal hierarchy.
The roll forbade labor from the ninth hour, three o’clock, on Satur-
day afternoon, till sunrise on Monday; and its authority was declared
to be confirmed by many miracles. It was reported that persons labor-
ing beyond the appointed hour were stricken with paralysis. A Miller
who attempted to grind his corn, saw, instead of flour, a torrent of
blood come forth, and the mill wheel stood still, notwithstanding the
strong rush of water. A woman who placed dough in the oven found
it raw when taken out, though the oven was very hot. Another who
had dough prepared for baking at the ninth hour, but determined to set
it aside till Monday, found, the next day, that it had been made into
loaves and baked by divine power. A man who baked bread after the
ninth hour on Saturday found, when he broke it the next morning, that
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blood started therefrom. By such absurd and superstitious fabrications
did the advocates of Sunday endeavor to establish its sacredness. (See
Roger de Hoveden, Annals, vol. 2, pp. 526-530.)
In Scotland, as in England, a greater regard for Sunday was secured
by uniting with it a portion of the ancient Sabbath. But the time
required to be kept holy varied. An edict from the king of Scotland
declared that “Saturday from twelve at noon ought to be accounted
holy,” and that no man, from that time till Monday morning, should
engage in worldly business.—Morer, pages 290, 291.
But notwithstanding all the efforts to establish Sunday sacredness,
papists themselves publicly confessed the divine authority of the Sab-
bath and the human origin of the institution by which it had been
supplanted. In the sixteenth century a papal council plainly declared:
“Let all Christians remember that the seventh day was consecrated by
God, and hath been received and observed, not only by the Jews, but
by all others who pretend to worship God; though we Christians have
changed their Sabbath into the Lord’s Day.”—Ibid., pages 281, 282.
Those who were tampering with the divine law were not ignorant of
the character of their work. They were deliberately setting themselves
above God.