Pierre Viret on the Sabbath Commandment

Abstract

"Although in studies on the Reformation there are few references to the fourth, or sabbath, commandment of the Decalogue (third commandment in the Roman Catholic and Lutheran reckoning), this commandment stirred more discussion than is usually assumed. The wrangling between Luther and Karlstadt is well known.' The activities of seventh-day keeping Anabaptists were noted by Luther, Erasmus, and Calvin, and inspired Capito of Strasbourg to write a book on the sabbath.* Because of the rejection of Catholic holidays, there were some who wanted to discard Sunday-keeping also. Calvin, we are told, had to face a certain Colinaeus who had totally rejected any thought of religious rest.3 The matter of required church attendance became a bone of contention in several centers of the Ref~rmationP.~e rhaps the most consistent references to the sabbath commandment came at the religious debates between Catholics and Protestants. As the Protestants expounded about sola"