"The first Sabbatarian church in America originated at Newport, R.I. The first Sabbath-keeper in America was Stephen Mumford, who left London three years after the martyrdom of John James, and forty-four years after the landing of the pilgrim fathers at Plymouth.
Mr. Mumford, it appears, came as a missionary from the English Sabbath-keepers.
Mr. Isaac Backus, the historian of the early New England Baptists, makes the following record:
"Stephen Mumford came over from London in 1664, and brought the opinion with him
--that the whole of the ten commandments, as they were delivered from Mount Sinai, were moral and immutable;
--and that it was the Antichristian power which thought to change times and laws, that changed the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week.
Several members of the first church in Newport embraced this sentiment, and yet continued with the church for some years, until two men and their wives who had so done, turned back to the keeping of the first day again."
Mr. Mumford, on his arrival, went earnestly to work to convert men to the observance of the fourth commandment, as we infer from the following record:
Stephen Mumford, the first Sabbath-keeper in America, came from London in 1664.
Tacy Hubbard commenced keeping the Sabbath, March 11, 1665. Samuel Hubbard commenced April 1, 1665.
Rachel Langworthy, January 15, 1666.
Roger Baxter, April 15, 1666, and
William Hiscox, April 28, 1666. These were the first Sabbath-keepers in America.
Though the Sabbath-keepers who retained their integrity thought that they might lawfully commune with the members of the church who were fully persuaded to observe the first day, yet they felt otherwise with respect to these who had clearly seen the Sabbath, and had for a time observed it, and then apostatized from it.
These persons "both wrote and spoke against it, which so grieved them that they could not sit down at the table of the Lord with them, nor with the church because of them."
J.N.Andrews
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.
Exodus 20:8-10
