[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. [31] That is, that they were adopted from the ancient heathen festivals; and as the Dominical day was in that time regarded as a festival of the church, of course it must have been included with the others. [32] Will not Balaam, the son of Bozor, rise up in judgment against these men? For, though he loved the wages of unrighteousness, he had enough of the fear of God before his eyes to make him hesitate about cursing those whom God had not cursed. These, however, are bold in cursing those whom God has blessed,—such as observe his Sabbath. [33] The Anabaptists had not the power of persecution; for their disposition, particularly in some cases, I would not be answerable. [34] Observe, the seventh day is called the Sabbath. [35] I have been informed that there is at this time a small society of Seventh-day people in the west part of England, in the vicinity of St. Asaph, but will not vouch for the accuracy of the statement. CHAPTER III. SEVENTH-DAY BAPTISTS IN THE UNITED STATES. SECTION I. GENERAL HISTORY. The Seventh-day Baptist churches in the United States occupy isolated situations in different parts of the Union, and are distinguished from other religious denominations by certain distinctive views relative to the immutability of every precept of the moral law.