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