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(HebrewShabot rest).
The name, as appears from its origin, denotes thoseindividuals or parties who are distinguished by some peculiar opinion or practice in regard to the observance of theSabbath or day of rest. In the first place it is applied to those rigorists who apparently confound theChristian Sunday with theJewish Sabbath and, not content with the prohibition of servile work, will not allow many ordinary and innocent occupations on the Sunday. This form of Sabbatariansm has chiefly prevailed among Scottish andEnglishProtestants and was at one time very common. Of late years it has sensibly declined; and there is now a tendency towards the opposite extreme of laxity in observing thelaw of Sunday rest. These Sabbatarians never formed a distinctsect; but were merely a party of rigorists scattered among many and variousProtestantdenominations. At the same time it is not only in their name that they have something in common with the distinctivesects of Sabbatarians properly so-called, for their initialerror in neglecting the distinction between theChristian weekly festival and the JewishSabbath is likewise the starting-point of the Sabbatariansects; and these carry their mistaken principle to itslogical conclusion.
Thislogical development of judaizing Sabbatarianism is curiously illustrated in the history of asect of SabbatarianSocinians founded inTransylvania inHungary towards the end of the sixteenth century. Their first principle, which led them to separate from the rest of theUnitarian body, was theirbelief that the day of rest must be observed with theJews on the seventh day of the week and not on theChristian Sunday. And as we learn from Schrodl the greater part of this particular Sabbatariansect joined theorthodoxJews in 1874, thus carrying out in practice the judaizing principle of their founders. Although there does not seem to be any immediate or obvious connection between the observance of the seventh day and the rejection of infantbaptism, these twoerrors indoctrine and discipline are often found together. Thus Sabbatarianism made many recruits among theMennonite Anabaptists inHolland and among theEnglishBaptists who, much as they differ on other points ofdoctrine, agree in the rejection of paedo-baptism. And it is presumably a result of this contact withAnabaptism that Sabbatarianism is also found in association with fanatical views on political or social questions. The most conspicuous of English SabbatarianBaptists was Francis Bampfield (d. 1683), brother of a Devonshire baronet and originally aclergyman of the English Church. He was the author of several works and ministered to a congregation of SabbatarianBaptists inLondon. He sufferedimprisonment for hisheterodoxy and eventually died in Newgate. In America theBaptists who profess Sabbatarianism are known as Seventh-DayBaptists.
But if the greater number of Sabbatarians have come from theBaptists, the most amazing of them was at one time associated with the WesleyanMethodists. This was theprophetess Joanna Southcott (1750-1814), like Bampfield, a native of Devonshire, who composed many spiritual poems and prophetical writings, and became the mother of asect of Sabbatarians, also known as Southcottians or Joannas. Modern Englishmen who are apt to smile atmedieval credulity can scarcely find inCatholic countries in the "darkest" days ofignorance any instance of a more amazing credulity than that of Joanna Southcott's disciples, who confidently awaited the birth of the promisedMessiah whom theprophetess of sixty-four was to bring into the world. They gave practicalproof of theirfaith by preparing a costly cradle. Nor did they abandon all hope when the poor deludedwoman died of the disease which had given afalse appearance of pregnancy. Thesect survived for many years; and when in 1874 her tombstone was shattered by an accidental explosion, the supposed portent re-enkindled thefaith of her followers.
The Americansect ofSeventh-Day Adventists may be added to the list of Sabbatarian communities, among which their large numbers should give them a conspicuous place. To these may be added the Jewishsect of Sabbatarians, though these derive their name not from theSabbath, but from their founder, Sabbatian Zebi or Zevi (1626-76). His teaching was not concerned with any special observance of theSabbath, but as a form offalse Messianism it may be compared with the mission of Joanna Southcott. The two stories show some strange points of resemblance especially in the invincible credulity of the disciples of the pretended JewishMessiah and of the deluded Devonshireprophetess. (See bibliography ofADVENTISTS.)
APA citation.Kent, W.(1912).Sabbatarians, Sabbatarianism. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13287a.htm
MLA citation.Kent, William."Sabbatarians, Sabbatarianism."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 13.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1912.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13287a.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by John Looby.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. February 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, D.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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