The term Sabbatarian was formerly adopted by those of the same persuasion in England, subsequent to the Reformation, when the word Sabbath was applied exclusively to the seventh day of the week, and those observant of it as holy time were regarded as the only Sabbath-keepers. This term, though highly expressive of the main Sabbath doctrine, was, on account of its supposed indefiniteness, rejected by the General Conference of the American Churches, in 1818, and the appellation of Seventh-day Baptist, which was considered more generally expressive, adopted in its stead. The differences existing between the Seventh-day Baptists and the other Baptist denominations, all relate to the Sabbatical ordinance. In respect to this the former believe that no system of morality can be complete which does not include time devoted to God and religious worship; that the seventh day was particularly appropriated and set apart for this purpose in Paradise, and was designed, not for any one class or race of men, but for all mankind; that it forms a necessary part of the moral law, which is immutable and unchangeable in its nature, and of universal obligation; that no other day was substituted for this by divine authority at the introduction of Christianity; that the first day is nowhere mentioned in the sacred volume as possessing a divine character; that whatever respect was paid to it in the primitive ages originated from the supposition that it was the weekly anniversary of the glorious triumph of the risen Saviour, and not from the idea of its being the Sabbath; and that the substitution of the first for the seventh day, as holy time, was brought about by the Antichristian power, who, according to the word of prophecy, was to usurp the prerogatives of the Deity, and change times and laws. These opinions, though countenanced by Holy Writ, and perfectly agreeable with many historical records, are directly in opposition to the popular prejudices of the day, and, consequently, their conscientious supporters have been exposed, sometimes, to downright persecution in the shape of fines and imprisonment, and at others, to the equally cruel, though less ostensible, suffering imposed by vituperative sarcasm and disingenuous ridicule.