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| "Let all judges in courts of law, and citizens of all occupations, rest upon the Sunday, and keep it holy with reverence and devotion." --Constantine (Attribution: Gunnar Larsson / CC BY -SA 3.0) |
Constantine (272-337), Roman Emperor from 306-337, believed that the Sabbath was to be kept holy and enforced by the state.
This is shown in the Codex Justinianus, in a letter to a one Elpidius. As Sabbath enforcement is also to consider works of necessity and mercy (which can at times be challenging to apply properly), Constantine--rightly or wrongly--made allowances for farm work.
In any case, Constantine exhibited a much higher view of Sabbath enforcement than most political leaders today.
Constantine's decree reads as follows:
"Let all judges in courts of law, and citizens of all occupations, rest upon the Sunday, and keep it holy with reverence and devotion.
"But they that inhabit the country may freely and at liberty attend on their tillage upon the sabbath-day. For oftentimes it falleth out, that they cannot upon another day so commodiously sow their seed, or plant their vines; and so, by letting pass the opportunity of a little time, they may hap to lose the profit given of God for our provision."
Codex Justinianus, lib. 3, tit. 12, 3 [1]
This is shown in the Codex Justinianus, in a letter to a one Elpidius. As Sabbath enforcement is also to consider works of necessity and mercy (which can at times be challenging to apply properly), Constantine--rightly or wrongly--made allowances for farm work.
In any case, Constantine exhibited a much higher view of Sabbath enforcement than most political leaders today.
Constantine's decree reads as follows:
"Let all judges in courts of law, and citizens of all occupations, rest upon the Sunday, and keep it holy with reverence and devotion.
"But they that inhabit the country may freely and at liberty attend on their tillage upon the sabbath-day. For oftentimes it falleth out, that they cannot upon another day so commodiously sow their seed, or plant their vines; and so, by letting pass the opportunity of a little time, they may hap to lose the profit given of God for our provision."
Codex Justinianus, lib. 3, tit. 12, 3 [1]
Notes
[1] Cited in Heinrich Bullinger, The Decades of Henry Bullinger: Volumes 1-2, ed., Thomas Harding, trans. H. I. (Cambridge: University Press, 1849), 265, 266.
Note about the Theonomy Applied Series: In quoting any particular law, we do not necessarily endorse every aspect of that law as biblical, whether it be the prohibition, sanction, court procedure, etc. Rather, we are merely showing the more or less attempt to apply biblical law in history, whether or not that application was fully biblical. Moreover, in quoting any particular law, we do not necessarily consider those who passed and/or enforced such a law as being fully orthodox in their Christian theology. Professing Christian rulers in history have ranged in their theology from being orthodox (that is, Reformed Protestants) to heretical (for example, Roman Catholics).
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