18th Century Sabbath Observance
ABYSSINIA
"The Jacobites assembled
on the Sabbath day, before the Domical day, in the temple, and kept that day, as do also the
Abyssinians as we have seen from the confession of their faith by the Ethiopian king Claudius."
Abundacnus, 'Historia Jacobatarum,"p.118-9 (18th Century)
RUMANIA, 1760 (and what is today) YUGOSLAVIA, CZECHOSLOVAKIA
"Joseph II's edict of tolerance did not apply to the Sabbatarians, some of whom again lost
all of their possessions." Jahrgang 2, 254
"Catholic priests aided by soldiers forcing them to accept Romanism nominally, and compelling
the remainder to labour on the Sabbath and to attend church on Sunday,-these were the methods
employed for two hundred fifty years to turn the Sabbatarians.
GERMANY-Tennhardt of Nuremberg
"He holds strictly to the doctrine of the Sabbath, because it is one of the ten commandments."
Bengel's "Leban und Wirken," Burk, p.579
He himself says: "It cannot be shown that Sunday has taken the place of the Sabbath (P.366).
the Lord God has sanctified the last day of the week. Antichrist, on the other hand, has appointed
the first day of the week." Ki Auszug aus Tennhardt's "Schriften," P.49 (printed 1712)
BOHEMIA AND MORAVIA (Today Czechoslovakia).
Their history from 1635 to 1867 is thus described by Adolf Dux: "The condition of the Sabbatarians
was dreadful. Their books and writings had to be delivered to the Karlsburg Consistory to becomes
the spoils of flames." Aus Ungarn, pp. 289-291. Leipzig, 1850
HOLLAND AND GERMANY
"Dr. Cornelius stated of East Friesland, that when Baptists were numerous, "Sunday and holidays
were not observed," (they were Sabbath-keepers). Der Anteil Ostfrieslands and Ref. Muenster,"
1852, pp l29, 34
MORAVIA-Count Zinzendorf
In 1738 Zinzendorf wrote of his keeping the Sabbath thus: "That I have employed the Sabbath
for rest many years already, and our Sunday for the proclamation of the gospel." Budingsche
Sammlung, Sec. 8, p. 224. Leipzig, 1742
AMERICA, 1741
-Moravian Brethren (after Zinzendorf arrived from Europe). "As a special instance it deserves
to be noticed that he is resolved with the church at Bethlehem to observe the seventh day as
rest day. Id., pp. 5, 1421, 1422
AMERICA
But before Zinzendorf and the Moravians at Bethlehem thus began the observance of the Sabbath
and prospered, there was a small body of German Sabbath-keepers in Pennsylvania. See Rupp's
"History of Religious Denominations in the United States," pp.109- 123 |
