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Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter III.Alliance of Church and State and Its Influence on Public Morals and Religion." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1856-1908). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library).
"§17. Legal Sanction of Sunday." (pp. 1870-1871).
Schaff continues his detail of civil advantages received by Christianity after the time of Constantine by describing the official sanction of Sunday. He quickly affirms that the government could not and should not enforce the observance of Sunday as a day of worship (Schaff 2014, p. 1870). However, the empire under Constantine suspended court action and secular labor on the "day of the sun." This specifically did not include farm cultivation. Later, manumission of slaves was allowed on Sundays, as an act of benevolence. He later ordered soldiers, including those who were pagans, to participate in a brief and generic prayer of thanksgiving on Sunday.
Later emperors instituted further bans on Sunday activities, though, according to Schaff, they were likely not enforced with much rigidity (Schaff 2014, p. 1871). Celebrations and acts of entertainment tended to increase, rather than decrease.