Basic HTML Version
Liberty of Conscience Threatened
315
been esteemed lawful by the papal hierarchy. (See
[352]
But notwithstanding all efforts to establish Sunday sacredness,
papists themselves publicly confessed the divine authority of the
Sabbath. In the sixteenth century a papal council declared: “Let
all Christians remember that the seventh day was consecrated by
God, and hath been received and observed, not only by the Jews,
but by all others who pretend to worship God; though we Christians
have changed their Sabbath into the Lord’s Day.
Those who were
tampering with the divine law were not ignorant of the character of
their work.
Severe Penalties
A striking illustration of Rome’s policy was given in the long and
bloody persecution of the Waldenses, some of whom were observers
of the Sabbath.
The history of the churches of
Ethiopia and Abyssinia is especially significant. Amid the gloom of
the Dark Ages, the Christians of Central Africa were lost sight of and
forgotten by the world and for many centuries enjoyed freedom in
their faith. At last Rome learned of their existence, and the emperor
of Abyssinia was beguiled into an acknowledgment of the pope as
the vicar of Christ. An edict was issued forbidding the observance of
the Sabbath under severe penalties
But papal tyranny soon became
a yoke so galling that the Abyssinians determined to break it. The
Romanists were banished from their dominions and the ancient faith
was restored.
While the churches of Africa kept the seventh day in obedience
to the commandment of God, they abstained from labor on Sunday
in conformity to the custom of the church. Rome trampled on the
Sabbath of God to exalt her own, but the churches of Africa, hid-
den for nearly a thousand years, did not share this apostasy. When
brought under Rome, they were forced to set aside the true and exalt
the false sabbath. But no sooner had they regained their indepen-
dence than they returned to obedience to the fourth commandment.
[353]
4
Thomas Morer, Discourse in Six Dialogues on the Name, Notion, and Observation
of the LorD’s Day, pp. 281, 282.
5
See Michael Geddes, Church History of Ethiopia, pp. 311, 312.