A Dictionary of All Religions and Religious Denominations/Sabbatarians
SABBATARIANS, a denomination of christians, who keep the seventh day as the Sabbath, and are to be found principally, if not wholly among the baptists. The three following propositions contain a summary of the grounds of their practice. 1. That God has required the observance of the seventh, or last day in every week, to be observed by mankind universally for the weekly Sabbath. 2. That this command of God is perpetually binding on man till time shall be no more. 3. That this sacred rest of the seventh day Sabbath is not (by divine authority) changed from the seventh and last to the first day of the week, or that the scripture does no where require the observation of any other day of the week for the weekly Sabbath, but the seventh day only.
Many' of the Sabbatarians observe the first day of the week also, in conformity to the general custom of christians, founded (as should seem) on the practice of the apostles. See Acts xx. 7. 1 Cor. xvi. 2. Rev. i. 10.
Some divines, however, conceive that the first day of the week was the original Sabbath; that it was changed at the giving of the law, and restored at the resurrection of Christ. The spirit of the command is supposed only to require a seventh day, however it is reckoned; and as the sun rises and sets at different hours in various climates, it seems impossible that all nations should observe the same precise time.[1]
There are two congregations of the Sabbatarians in London, one among the General Baptists, the other among the Particular Baptists; and a few are found in different parts of the kingdom. In America the Dunkers and Keithians may be reckoned of that class; and the Abyssinians, and some members of the Greek Church keep both the Sabbaths.[2]