Sabbath Historical Highlights

It is by no means the duty of Christians to comply with any such abrogation or change; but also, that the observation of the ancient seventh day Sabbath is our most certain duty.

... and some parts began to be infeced with Origen's Allegorical divinity, taken liberty to profane the seventh day under pretense of keeping a mystical Sabbath, by ceasing from sin, while they lived in the manifest sin of fighting the Sabbath, of that mystery of iniquity got ground by this mystical notion making way for the rising of the presumptuous little horn to change times and laws, till at last he prevailed with the Emperor by a decree to establish the first day of the week ...

Encouraged by this success, the Emperor proceeded with his innovations; forbad the observation of the Sabbath; enjoined all his subjects to work on that day; and committed the proclamation of the edict to Joanel, the Viceroy of Begameder. Well aware of the storm it would raise, Joanel performed his duty with right goodwill, and an instant rebellion in the province was the consequence. The people flew to arms, imploring the Viceroy to lead them; a petition he answered by the assurance that "he never would lay down his arms till he had secured their religion to them." The rebellion was, however, speedily suppressed. Joanel was defeated, and escaped to the territory of the Gallas, where he was murdered.

All the counsellors and great Lords of the court who were already fallen in with the doctrines of Wittenburg, of Augburg, Geneva, and Zurich, as Petrowitz, Jasper Cornis, Christopher Famigali, John Gerendi, head of the Sabbatarians, a people who did not keep Sunday, but Saturday, and whose disciples took the name of Genoldists.

We must yield therefore that the Primitive Christians had a great veneration for the Sabbath, and spent the day in devotion and sermons. And 'tis not to be doubted but they derived this practice from the Apostles themselves, as appears by several Scriptures to that purpose ...

There are some who give another reason for these names, and who say that the Albigensians and Vaudois were called Passagaini , because they travelled from one place to another; Patarins , because they suffered many persecutions, from a Latin name which means to suffer; Turlupins , because they lived in places which were rather the haunts of wolves than of men; Sabbatarians , because they did not receive Sunday, and rejected the Feasts of the Roman Church.

- Bénédict Pictet, Histoire de l'Eglise et du monde pour servir de continuation à l'Histoire de l'Eglise et de l'Empire de Le Sucur, 1732

Therefore the seventh Day, and the Sabbath, are evermore to be reckoned, and accounted as synonymous terms and then consider seriously, my dear Friend, how mortal Men, who know and believe the fourth Commandment, dare call any other Day the Sabbath, which God has never call’d so. Is it not a manifest Affront to the Creator of the Universe?

- The True and Sure Way to Remove Hirelings Out of the Church, Edward Elwall, 1738

Massonus, Gottfried, Arnoldus, and Francis Pegna attributed this name to the Waldenses, that the sabbath should be celebrated according to the Jews ...

- Diss. hist. Theol. De Variis Waldensium Veritatis Testium Nominibus et Sectis, 1739

However, because the ignorance, the gross ignorance of the modern ages has almost obliterated the Sanctification of Saturday, or the Sabbath Day; nay, has introduced, without all good Authority, such an Interpretation of this Fourth Command, as if the Lord's Day was to be the Christian Sabbath. . .

- Memoirs of the Life and Writings of William Whiston, 1753 (originally published 1748)

It is wonderful, that such a World of People, yea, of so many Ages, have not, nor do yet see the Mystery of Wickedness, Iniquity and Lawlessness, . . .or rather will not, I shall not be fearful nor slack to tell them, that their First Day of the Week, instituted without God and Scripture, by the Pope of Rome, is that same Image, whom all People, Tongues and Nations in all Christendom (so called) do worship, for it is a Part of the Number of the Beast, having 60 Cubits in Height, and 6 in breadth, which is 66. . .

- Michael Welfare, The Naked Truth Standing Against all Painted and Disguised Lies, Deceit and Falsehood, 1749

...rejoice that you entirely agree with me, the Seventh day is the Sabbath, and that Seventh-day Sabbath is the Lord's Day.

- The genuine sabbath or Lord's day, commonly called Saturday, vindicated. In a letter to the Rev. Herbert Jones: By Henry Dawson, 1777