Question #119
of An Orthodox Catechism
Question
What are we taught by the fourth Commandment?
Answer
That one Day in seven be kept in the Worship of God, which under the old Testament was the last Day of the Week, but under the Gospel changed to the first Day of the Week, and this Lord’s Day to be spent in private and publique Devotion, as hearing the Word diligently, practising the Gospel-Sacraments zealously, and doing Deeds of Charity conscionably, and resting from servil Works, cases of necessity excepted, this being the laudable Practice of the holy Apostles, who best knew the Mind of Christ as to the time of Worship; neither do we find in all the new Testament, that any Gospel Church in the Apostles times did set any other Day apart solemnly to worship God, save the first Day: and well might they so do, for if Israel, the natural Seed of Abraham, was to keep the seventh Day, to keep up the Remembrance of their Deliverance out of temporal Bondage, how much more are we bound to keep the first Day in Remembrance of Christ’s Deliverance of us from eternal Bondage?1