232 ABROGATION OF THE SABBATH. 



The assembly not a religious one. An argumentative conversation. 



said?'^ PauFs '^practice at Troas" is positive proof that he 

 regarded the first day as anything ehe than a " SahbaihV^ It 

 was a day to labor in — " from even unto even." Your fancied 

 *'chain" is but a slip-noose, pinching the hand that held it. 

 It is too conclusive for legitimate controversy, it is too clear 

 for hopeful evasion, that Paul met with the disciples of Troas 

 on the eve of " the^rsif day;" that he discoursed with them till 

 the daybreak of " the firs,t day;" that on the morning of " the 

 first day" he departed. Dåre you plead PauFs '' practice ?" — 

 " Go and do ihou Ukewise." 



Let us still more thoroughly cross-examine this invaluable 

 witness of Sunday Sabbatarianism. It is a remarkable circum- 

 stance that the more " closely we study" the narrative the less 

 evidence does it present, even of a religious assemhlage, in the 

 modern acceptation of the phrase. 



But, it is said, " Paul p-eacAec?," (verse 7;) and ^'was long 

 preaching." {verse 9.) Not so! If we turn to the language 

 in which Luke lorote, we shall find that he says, IlavXoj StfXjysto 

 auroij: literally y ''Paul reasoned with them," "discoursed" 

 with them, "had a controversy" with them.* The same word 

 occurs just before {Acts xvii. 2): ''Paul, as his manner was 

 [fitfTtfysto avtoii], reasoned with them." Again, in verse 17, 

 AtfXsyato, "he disputed'' with the Jews. In the next chapter 

 (xviii. 4), AtsXEytro, "he reasoned'' in the synagogue. In the 

 next chapter (xix. 8, 9) we twice find SiaXfyo^fvoj, ^^ disputing." 

 Not long afterward (xxiv. 12) we have again SiaKsyofisvov, '^dis- 

 puting;'' and, in verse 25, AtaT-jyojUfrov avtov, "as he reasoned" 

 of righteousness, &c. The translation of the word is general. 



But why "come together" on this occasion merely to have 

 a "discussion?" Another "not so!" The historian says ex- 

 pressly, " the disciples came together to break bread." The 



* WiCKLiF (a. d. 1380) translates the passage: "Poule disputid 

 with hem." The translation of Rh eims, two centuries later (a. d. 

 1582), renders it in the same manner: "Paul disputed with them ;" — 

 in the Vulgate, ^^ disputabat cum eis." 



