Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIV/Additional Canons 1/Synod of Laodicea/Canons/Canon XXIX

Canon XXIX.

must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord&#8217;s Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians.&#160; But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.

Notes.

A Christian shall not stop work on the Sabbath, but on the Lord&#8217;s Day.

Here the Fathers order that no one of the faithful shall stop work on the Sabbath as do the Jews, but that they should honour the Lord&#8217;s Day, on account of the Lord&#8217;s resurrection, and that on that day they should abstain from manual labour and go to church.&#160; But thus abstaining from work on Sunday they do not lay down as a necessity, but they add, &#8220;if they can.&#8221;&#160; For if through need or any other necessity any one worked on the Lord&#8217;s day this was not reckoned against him.