[21] In the time of Reineirus, and even to this day, in Catholic countries, the Dominical day is regarded as a feast, or festival of the church, as much as Easter, Christmas, & c.
[22] These are particularly mentioned by Crantz, in his History of the Bohemian Brethren.
[23] This is important testimony, because the Catholics never dreamed of attempting to establish the sacredness of the first day from the authority of the Scriptures, but referred it at once to the power of Holy Mother Church. Consequently, the Dominical day was regarded as a holyday of the church.
[24] It remained for more modern theologians to discover, that the inspired writers were mistaken, and that instead of the seventh, it was a seventh day, or the seventh part of time.
[25] First-day doubtlessly included, which is ever spoken of, by the Catholic writers, as a festival of Christ, and a holyday of the Church, and regarded in no other light.
[26] Of this I would remark that the Dominical day was established by law, not as the Sabbath, but as a festival of the church; and that whatever uncertainty may exist about all the ancient heretics being Sabbatarians, it is very certain that few, if any, of them were observers of the first day, at least for a very long period.
[27] That the Catholic writers regarded the Dominical day as a festival of the Church can be very easily proved. That they regard it as such to this day in Catholic countries is an undeniable fact. When they speak of the festivals of the Church, they include the Dominical day as much as Christmas, Palm Sunday, or Easter. They smile when they hear learned Protestant sages attempt to prove from the Scriptures either the abrogation or a change of the Sabbath. We have also the testimony of a host of Protestants in the earlier part of the Reformation, who acknowledged that the observation of the first day had no other foundation than the authority of the Church, among whom is the celebrated John Calvin, who says—"The old fathers put in the place of the Sabbath the day which we call Sunday. King Charles I. declares that the celebration of the feast of Easter was instituted by the same authority that changed the Sabbath into the Lord's day, or Sunday; for it will not be found in Scripture where Saturday is discharged to be kept, or turned into Sunday. Therefore, my opinion is, that those who will not keep this feast may as well return to the observation of Saturday, and refuse the weekly Sunday, since it was the Church's authority that changed the one and instituted the other."
[28] Robinson. History of Baptism.
[29] All writers, both ancient and modern, concur in admitting that the branch of the Waldenses called Passagines, were Sabbatarians.
[30] Reference to Revelation.