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)

It is a beautiful and inspiring truth that throughout history, God's people have followed the Savior’s instruction to flee from one city to another when faced with persecution for their loyalty to His holy Sabbath Matthew 10:233SM 400.2+1. The Waldenses provide a powerful example of this, as they were driven from their homes and forced to flee into the rugged Alpine valleys and mountain strongholds to preserve their faith in the Bible as the supreme authorityGC 68.1+1. In these remote retreats, they were known to keep the Sabbath of the Lord, with historical reports from the 15th century specifically noting that many among them celebrated the Sabbath even as they were brought before inquisitions in places like MoraviaGC 684.5+1. These "Passaginians," a branch of the Waldenses, derived their name from living in the mountain passes where they continued to honor the seventh day and reject human-made festivalsHSFD 417.1+1.

Furthermore, these faithful believers did not merely hide; they transformed their places of exile into centers of missionary activity, sending trained messengers into various countries under the cover of secular trades like merchants or peddlers to share the ScripturesGC 71.1+1. Even in their "miserable retreat" in the mountains, they continued to conscientiously study the word of God and live up to the light they had received, choosing to endure hunger, cold, and nakedness rather than yield their religion4bSG 117.1+1. In modern times, faithful observers of the seventh day have continued to face legal indictments and imprisonment for their conscientious conviction to work on the first day while resting on the seventh, yet they remain firm in their allegiance to God's command15LtMs, Ms 9, 1900, par. 1+2.

...e shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations.” Exodus 31:13. None should disobey His command in order to escape persecution. But let all consider the words of Christ: “When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another.” Matthew 10:23. If it can be avoided, do not put yourselves into the power of men who are wo...— 9T 230.1 (1909)

...e seventh-day Sabbath among the Waldenses. A report of an inquisition before whom were brought some Waldenses of Moravia in the middle of the fifteenth century declares that among the Waldenses “not a few indeed ce...— GC 684.5 (1911)

...homes; their possessions, gained by hard labor, were taken from them, and their houses burned. They fled to the mountains and there suffered incredible hardships. They endured hunger, fatigue, cold, and nakedness. The only clothing which many of them could obtain was the skins of animals. And yet the scattered and homeless ones would assemble to unite their voices in singing, and praising God that they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ's name. They encouraged and cheered one another, and were grateful for even their miserable retreat. Many of their children sickened and died from cold and hunger, yet the parents did not for a moment think of yielding their religion. They prized the love and favor of God far above earthly ease or worldly riches. They received con...— 1T 371.1 (1885)

...The papal writers, to whom we are indebted for our knowledge of this people, say of them, that they kept the Sabbath and held also to circumcision. The same statement is made concerning the Passaginians, a branch of the Waldenses. Mr. Benedict speaks of them as follows— SOSL 155.2 (1870)

...be avoided, do not put yourselves into the power of men who are worked by the spirit of antichrist. If the payment of a fine will deliver our brethren from the hands of these oppressors, let it be paid, rather than allow them to be forced to work on the Sabbath. Everything that we can do should be done, that those who are willing to suffer for the truth&rsquo...— 15LtMs, Ms 9, 1900, par. 1

Historical evidence confirms that the religious tradition established by Patrick in Ireland remained faithful to the biblical Sabbath for centuries after his death. Patrick and his successors in the Celtic Church utilized the Itala version of the Bible, which contained the pure Word of God and led them to honor the fourth commandmentRH August 30, 1898, par. 2.

The Celtic Sabbath Tradition

In the fifth and sixth centuries, these believers followed the example of Patrick by resting from all their labors on the seventh day of the weekCCh 271.3+1. This practice was so deeply rooted in the Irish and Scottish church that it continued until the eleventh century, when the influence of Rome finally forced a change to Sunday observanceRH September 27, 1881, par. 15+1. Even after the resurrection of Christ, these pilgrims of the faith recognized that the seventh day was the only day ever sanctified by God as a memorial of creationEv 239.1+1.

The Pilgrims and Religious Liberty

The Pilgrims who settled in America were moved by God to seek a retreat from religious persecution in the Old World11MR 111.5+1.

• A Sanctuary for Truth: The Lord understood the settlement of America and guided the oppressed Pilgrim Fathers to a land where they could find freedom of conscience and leave a precious heritage to their childrenTA 246.3+1.

• The Foundation of Faith: They held the Bible as the foundation of their faith and the charter of liberty, planting its principles in their homes and schoolsGC 296.1+1.

• Sabbatarian Reform: It was through the labor of Sabbatarian churches in England that the truth of the seventh-day Sabbath was planted in America at an early date4SP 183.2. Less than fifty years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Sabbath-keepers from London sent a missionary to Rhode Island to raise the standard of Sabbath reform in the New World4SP 183.2.

The First Sabbath-keeping Church

In Newport, Rhode Island, several members eventually withdrew from their previous churches to peaceably keep God's holy day4SP 183.2. They entered into an organization, forming the first Sabbath-keeping church in America, realizing that they could not remain connected with Sunday observers without the light of the Sabbath going out in darkness4SP 183.2. These faithful souls, like the patriarchs of old, confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth, seeking a better country, even a heavenly one Hebrews 11:13-16PH048 19.5+1.

The Bible makes it clear that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments Ecclesiastes 12:13CE 84.1. Those who follow the Lord fully, as the Pilgrims and Patrick did, are promised that they will one day find a home on the peaceful plains of the heavenly CanaanDD 61.2+1. He that has My commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves Me John 14:21.

Historical records throughout the centuries following the resurrection of Christ reveal a persistent and faithful line of individuals and groups who honored the seventh-day SabbathRCASDA 41.2+1. These witnesses, often hidden in the shadows of history or misrepresented by their enemies, demonstrate that God has never been without people who recognized the enduring validity of the fourth commandmentARSH May 6, 1862, page 178.6+1.

The Early Eastern Church and Laodicea

In the fourth century, the practice of keeping the seventh-day Sabbath was so prevalent in the Eastern church that a specific decree was issued at the Council of Laodicea in A.D. 364BHB 83.5. This council ordered that members of the church should not rest on the Sabbath day like the Jews, but should instead labor on that day and honor the Lord's dayBHB 83.5. This official prohibition proves that Christians were actively resting on the seventh day more than three hundred years after the resurrectionBHB 83.5.

The Sabbatati and the Waldenses

Throughout the Dark Ages, various groups known as the Sabbatati, or "Sabbatarians," were found in many landsARSH May 6, 1862, page 178.6. While some of their enemies maliciously claimed they were named after their shoes, many other writers and historical testimonies acknowledge they were called Sabbatati because they worshipped upon the ancient SabbathARSH May 6, 1862, page 178.6. These believers made a sharp distinction between the moral law of ten commandments, which they believed remained binding, and the ceremonial law which was abolished at the crossChSa 143.4.

Sabbatarians in England and Northern Europe

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a significant revival of Sabbath-keeping occurred in EnglandHSFM 79.3.

• The Stennett Family: This dedicated family provided Sabbatarian ministers for four successive generations at the Pinner’s Hall chapel in LondonHSFM 79.3. The first of these ministers suffered long imprisonments for his faithfulnessHSFM 79.3.

• Francis Bampfield: A former clergyman of the Church of England, Bampfield was imprisoned for nine years before founding the church at Pinner’s HallHSFM 79.3. He eventually died as a martyr for the truth in Newgate prison in 1683HSFM 79.3.

• The Trask Family: John Trask was censured and whipped for teaching the seventh-day Sabbath, while his wife, Mrs. Trask, was confined in prison for fifteen years until her death for her conscientious observance of the dayHSFM 79.3.

The Scandinavian and Turkish Missions

The light of the Sabbath also reached the Northern countries and the EastPTUK November 14, 1895, page 736.5+1. In Scandinavia, despite extreme poverty and difficulties, twenty-three churches and nearly 1,000 Sabbath keepers were established by the late nineteenth centuryRH December 6, 1887, par. 5. In Turkey, Sabbatarians were recognized by the government as a separate class of ChristiansPTUK November 14, 1895, page 736.5. The Minister of Police in Turkey even granted them direct passports because they were known as a distinct group that the Protestant churches would not ownPTUK November 14, 1895, page 736.5.

The Final Conflict

History shows that those who honor the Bible Sabbath have frequently been denounced as enemies of law and orderDD 35.2+1. However, the seventh-day Sabbath remains the seal of the living God and the sign of loyalty between Him and His people19MR 281.3+2. In the closing scenes of earth's history, commandment keepers will again face decrees that restrict their ability to buy or sell, yet they are encouraged to remain steadfast, knowing that angels are stationed to protect every faithful soulLDE 260.1+2.

...ern church, the following decree was passed in the council help in Laodicea (A.D. 364); “That members of the church should not rest from work on the Sabbath-day like the Jews, but should labor on that day, and preferring in honor the Lord’s day; then, if it be in thei...— BHB 83.5 (1919)

...ap 10, pp.303,304. Robinson quotes the Jesuit Gretzer, who states that Goldastus testifies that the Waldenses were called Sabbatati, because they observed the Jewish Sabbath. To which Gretzer replies that this cannot be true, because that the Waldenses exterminated every f...— ARSH May 6, 1862, page 178.6 (1861)

...ford wrote in defense of the Sabbath, the latter of whose books were burned by order of the church. The Stennett family furnished Sabbatarian ministers for four successive generations at Pinner’s Hall chapel, London. The first of these suffered much for his opinions, and was for a long time imprisoned. One of the most eminent Sabbatarians of this century was Francis Bampfield, formerly a clergyman of the Church of England. He also suffered for his faith, being imprisoned nine years therefor. He was the founder of the church at Pinner’s Hall, so ably presided over afterward by the Stennetts. He died a martyr to the truth, in Newgate prison, Feb. 16, 1683. His brother, at one time speaker of the House of Commons, under Cromwell, was also imprisoned for ...— HSFM 79.3 (1886)

...hristian representatives would own our brethren; but even this has turned to their advantage, since the Minister above mentioned agreed to grant passports to them directly, as Sabbatarians, and has notified the provinces. So the Sabbath, which is the seal of God, is the distinguishing mark and the safeguard of our brethren in Mohammedan Turkey— PTUK November 14, 1895, page 736.5

...is undoubtedly a slanderous story, forged by their enemies, and probably arose in this way: Because they observed the seventh day, they were called, by way of derision, Jews, as the Sabbatarians are frequently at this day. And if they were Jews, it followed, of course, tha...— ChSa 143.4 (1904)