Fasting, mourning, mortification of all and every kind, even special supplicatory prayers are strictly prohibited. (Chamber’s Encyclopedia.)
If Sunday takes the place of the Sabbath, then the New Testament would clearly reveal the fact; but it does nothing of the kind. If the new religion was designed to take the place of the old, then we should expect to find Jesus plainly teaching that after his death Sunday should be observed in place of and as the Sabbath. But far from this, we find him repudiating the Jewish Sabbath, and saying nothing at all about a new day of ceremonies and worship.
We give a number of instances where Jesus intentionally repudiates and violates the common usages respecting the Sabbath:
The impotent man answered him, [Sir, I] have no man, when the water is troubled to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.
The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the Sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day. ([John 5 : 7, 8, 9, 10] and [16].)
The Jewish law regarding the Sabbath was strict. It was not lawful to carry burdens on that day.
Thus saith the Lord, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. ([Jeremiah 17 : 21].)