Note 15 — Chapter II · SEVENTH-DAY BAPTISTS IN EUROPE.

Historical Annals, published in Paris, 1667, p. 230.

[16] With the former inhabitants of the valleys, whom they closely resembled in principles and practices, and to whom, in times of persecution, they would naturally fly for refuge.

[17] This accusation was undoubtedly false, and reminds one of the endless charges of a community of wives, made at a later period against the Anabaptists.

[18] Here is a vast field for research, of which the world is just beginning to discover the importance. The martyrs, with the exception of those who were destroyed by mobs, by clandestine malevolence, and local crusades, were allowed formal trials according to the established usages of law, which were generally in conformity to the Roman system of jurisprudence. In these records of the old ecclesiastical courts, the charges against them, with their apologies and confessions, are detailed at length. Some of these documents have already been examined, but multitudes of others lie concealed in the galleries of ancient libraries.

[19] Reineirus, under the title of Waldenses, includes all the heretics of that period, Pasaginians, Albigenses, Waldenses, Josephists, Arnoldists, Henricians, &c., from which it appears that these names were derived from local causes.

[20] This of course included the keeping of the first day, which the Catholics unanimously declare originated with their church.

[21] In the time of Reineirus, and even to this day, in Catholic countries, the Dominical day is regarded as a feast, or festival of the church, as much as Easter, Christmas, & c.

[22] These are particularly mentioned by Crantz, in his History of the Bohemian Brethren.

[23] This is important testimony, because the Catholics never dreamed of attempting to establish the sacredness of the first day from the authority of the Scriptures, but referred it at once to the power of Holy Mother Church. Consequently, the Dominical day was regarded as a holyday of the church.

[24] It remained for more modern theologians to discover, that the inspired writers were mistaken, and that instead of the seventh, it was a seventh day, or the seventh part of time.

[25] First-day doubtlessly included, which is ever spoken of, by the Catholic writers, as a festival of Christ, and a holyday of the Church, and regarded in no other light.

[26] Of this I would remark that the Dominical day was established by law, not as the Sabbath, but as a festival of the church; and that whatever uncertainty may exist about all the ancient heretics being Sabbatarians, it is very certain that few, if any, of them were observers of the first day, at least for a very long period.

[27] That the Catholic writers regarded the Dominical day as a festival of the Church can be very easily proved. That they regard it as such to this day in Catholic countries is an undeniable fact. When they speak of the festivals of the Church, they include the Dominical day as much as Christmas, Palm Sunday, or Easter. They smile when they hear learned Protestant sages attempt to prove from the Scriptures either the abrogation or a change of the Sabbath. We have also the testimony of a host of Protestants in the earlier part of the Reformation, who acknowledged that the observation of the first day had no other foundation than the authority of the Church, among whom is the celebrated John Calvin, who says—"The old fathers put in the place of the Sabbath the day which we call Sunday. King Charles I. declares that the celebration of the feast of Easter was instituted by the same authority that changed the Sabbath into the Lord's day, or Sunday; for it will not be found in Scripture where Saturday is discharged to be kept, or turned into Sunday. Therefore, my opinion is, that those who will not keep this feast may as well return to the observation of Saturday, and refuse the weekly Sunday, since it was the Church's authority that changed the one and instituted the other."

[28] Robinson. History of Baptism.

[29] All writers, both ancient and modern, concur in admitting that the branch of the Waldenses called Passagines, were Sabbatarians.

[30] Reference to Revelation.

[31] That is, that they were adopted from the ancient heathen festivals; and as the Dominical day was in that time regarded as a festival of the church, of course it must have been included with the others.

[32] Will not Balaam, the son of Bozor, rise up in judgment against these men? For, though he loved the wages of unrighteousness, he had enough of the fear of God before his eyes to make him hesitate about cursing those whom God had not cursed. These, however, are bold in cursing those whom God has blessed,—such as observe his Sabbath.

[33] The Anabaptists had not the power of persecution; for their disposition, particularly in some cases, I would not be answerable.

[34] Observe, the seventh day is called the Sabbath.

[35] I have been informed that there is at this time a small society of Seventh-day people in the west part of England, in the vicinity of St. Asaph, but will not vouch for the accuracy of the statement.