Historical Evidence of Sabbath Keeping After the Resurrection

Historical evidence confirms that the seventh-day Sabbath continued to be observed by Christians for many centuries following the resurrection of ChristARSH April 14, 1853, page 189.20+1. In the second century, around A. D. 140, Justin Martyr noted that while some Christians assembled on Sunday, they often returned to their labors afterward, treating it as a festival rather than a replacement for the sacred SabbathARSH May 19, 1851, page 85.4+1. Throughout the early centuries, Gentile Christians observed the Sabbath and the Passover alongside Jewish believersSOSL 144.2+1. Moving into the sixth century, the Culdees of Iona, led by Columba, are recognized as observers of the seventh dayHSFM 79.3. By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Sabbatarian churches flourished in England, with prominent figures like John Trask and his wife suffering imprisonment for their devotion to the fourth commandmentHSFM 79.3+1. Mrs. Trask remained in prison for fifteen years until her death for her faithfulnessHSFM 79.3. Other notable witnesses include Theophilus Brabourne, who wrote extensively in defense of the Sabbath in 1632, and the martyr John James, who was executed in 1661HSFM 79.3. These historical accounts demonstrate a continuous thread of Sabbath-keeping that eventually moved to America, where the first Sabbath-keeping church was organized in Newport, Rhode Island, in the seventeenth century4SP 183.2.

...ndertook to give the “Origin and History of the Sabbath,” be ignorant of the fact, that Christians did observe the seventh day, even for hundreds of years after the Lord’s resurrection? He was very careful to give as copious quotations from the old...— ARSH April 14, 1853, page 189.20 (1852)

...of the seventh day can readily be found. There is excellent reason for believing that such were the Culdees of Iona, a prominent leader of whom was Columba, who died in the sixth century. Such could doubtless be found from the sixth to the sixteenth century, had not all traces of them ...— HSFM 79.3 (1886)

...Christians of Palestine retained the entire Mosaic law, and consequently the Jewish festivals, the Gentile Christians observed also THE SABBATH and the Passover, with reference to the last scenes of Jesus’ life, but without Jewish superstition. In additi...— SOSL 144.2 (1870)

...peaceably keep God's holy day. Soon after, they entered into an organization, thus forming the first Sabbath-keeping church in America. These Sabbath-keepers had flattered themselves that they could obey the fourth commandment and yet...— 4SP 183.2 (1884)

“The first intimation we have of this, in any writer of acknowledged integrity, is from Justin Martyr, about A. D. 140. He is cited as saying “that the Christians in the city and in the country assembled on the d...— ARSH May 19, 1851, page 85.4

...Commons, under Cromwell, was also imprisoned for his faith in Ilchester jail. In October, 1661, Mr. John James was apprehended while preaching, tried, and sentenced to be hung, drawn, and quartered. His brave, consciously innocent spirit was faithful to the last. He prayed for his persecutors, an...— HSFM 79.3 (1886)

Certainly! Here is the historical evidence for Sabbath keeping after Christ's resurrection, with the specific source references included for each statement 🌟:

• Historical records confirm that Christians continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath for many hundreds of years after the resurrection of Jesus ChristARSH April 14, 1853, page 189.20.
• Around A.D. 140, Justin Martyr documented that while some Christians assembled on Sunday, they returned to their daily labors afterward, viewing the day as a voluntary festival rather than a replacement for the sacred SabbathARSH May 19, 1851, page 85.4+1.
• In the early centuries of the Christian era, both Jewish and Gentile Christians were known to observe the seventh-day Sabbath alongside the PassoverSOSL 144.2+1.
• Moving into the sixth century, the Culdees of Iona, under the leadership of Columba, are recognized as observers of the seventh-day SabbathHSFM 79.3.
• By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Sabbatarian churches flourished in England, with faithful individuals like John Trask and his wife suffering imprisonment for their devotion to the fourth commandmentHSFM 79.3+1.
• Mrs. Trask was specifically confined in prison for fifteen years until the day of her death because she refused to give up the observance of the SabbathHSFM 79.3.
• Other notable witnesses include Theophilus Brabourne, who published a defense of the Sabbath in 1632, and John James, who was martyred for his faith in 1661HSFM 79.3.
• This continuous thread of Sabbath-keeping eventually reached America, where the first Sabbath-keeping church was organized in Newport, Rhode Island, in the seventeenth century4SP 183.2.

I hope this helps your research into the history of God's holy day 📜!

The history of faithful groups like the Waldenses and the Celtic Church provides profound evidence of the continuity of the seventh-day Sabbath throughout the centuries following Christ’s resurrectionEVRR397+1.

In Ireland and Scotland, the Celtic Church established by Patrick in the fifth century and continued by Columba at Iona in the sixth century utilized the Itala version of the Bible, which was the same text used by the WaldensesEVRR72+1. These believers followed the biblical example by resting on the seventh day from all their laborsSBBS 467.2+1. This practice remained vigorous in Scotland until the eleventh century, when Queen Margaret, under the influence of the papacy, successfully pressured the Scots to abandon the Saturday Sabbath and adopt the Roman SundaySBBS 467.2+1.

Across the mountains of Europe, the Waldenses—also known as the Vaudois or Sabbatati—maintained the true faith during the Dark AgesEVRR397+1. Some historians acknowledge that the name Sabbatati was given to them because they met for worship on the seventh day and did not regard the first-day SabbathSOSL 154.3+1. A commissioner of the French King Louis XII reported in the early sixteenth century that the Waldenses kept the Sabbath day and instructed their children in the commandments of GodARSH October 13, 1859, page 165.4+1.

Beyond these regions, other groups also remained faithful to the fourth commandment, including the Passaginians in the mountain passes and the Christians of Ethiopia and AbyssiniaGC 577.3+1. The Abyssinians enjoyed freedom in their faith for many centuries, but when Rome gained influence over their emperor, an edict was issued forbidding Sabbath observance under severe penalties, leading to a long struggle to restore their ancient faithGC 577.3+1. In the sixteenth century, Sabbatarianism also flourished in Moravia and England, producing martyrs like John James who were willing to die for their allegiance to God's lawSBBS 469.1+2.

...ve followed a custom of which we find traces in the early monastic church of Ireland, by which they held Saturday to be the Sabbath, on which they rested from all their labors.—“Celtic Scotland,” William F. Skene, book 2, chap. 8 (Vol. II, p. 349). Edinburg...— SBBS 467.2 (1919)

...vals, and rested from their ordinary occupations only on Sundays. A Sabbatarian would suppose that it was because they met for worship on the seventh day, and did regard not the first-day Sabbath.” The Cathari, or Puritans, were a body of witnesses who during the dark ages protested again...— SOSL 154.3 (1870)

Probably there has not existed a class of Christians since the times of the apostles, who could more justly claim to be apostolic than the Waldenses, formerly a numerous people living in the valleys of Piedmont; whither they re...— ARSH May 12, 1853, page 202.12 (1852)

...mish church: much less could they discover any traces of those crimes with which they were charged. On the contrary, they kept the Sabbath day, observed the ordinance of baptism, according to the primitive church, instructed their children in the articles of the Christian fait...— ARSH October 13, 1859, page 165.4

...on beguiled into an acknowledgment of the pope as the vicar of Christ. Other concessions followed. An edict was issued forbidding the observance of the Sabbath under the severest penalties. (See Michael Geddes, Church History of Ethiopia, pages 311, 312.) But papal tyranny soon became a yoke so galling that the Abyssinians determined to break it from their necks. After a terrible struggle the Romanists were banished from their dominions, and the ancient faith was restored. The churches rejoiced in their freedom, and they never forgot the lesson they had learned concerni...— GC 577.3 (1911)

...Commons, under Cromwell, was also imprisoned for his faith in Ilchester jail. In October, 1661, Mr. John James was apprehended while preaching, tried, and sentenced to be hung, drawn, and quartered. His brave, consciously innocent spirit was faithful to the last. He prayed for his persecutors, an...— HSFM 79.3 (1886)