Every conspiracy theory of Sabbath abandonment implicitly assumes that the Early Christians cravenly caved on the issue. Ellen White advanced a Conspiracy theory of history wherein the Pope unilaterally instituted Sunday worship, after the Early Christians had supposedly kept the Sabbath for more than 300 years. White smeared Catholics who worshiped on Sunday as "The harlot of Babylon" or Protestants as: "Apostate Daughters of the harlot of Babylon." Her book "The Great Controversy" is so incredibly dishonest to history in its eagerness to smear and slam Catholicism that it has been investigated as a hate crime in Canada.
Adventist Sabbath Scholar Samuele Bacchiochi charged that Christian cowardice in the face of Roman persecution had caused universal Sabbath abandonment no later than 135 AD. Which is just slightly more honest than White's bizarre and paranoid conspiracy theory, which would have taken place more than two hundred years later.
Give the unbelievable and undeniable heroism of Early Christians in the face of grizzly torture and brutal death, both theories are patently ridiculous and an ugly smear on the memory of those brave martyrs. The fairy tale that Early Christians abandoned Bible teachings is just an ugly slander, dishonest to history, and contrary to the clear instructions of Paul in the Epistles and the Decree emanating from the Council of Jerusalem in AD 50.
Christianity abandoned Sabbath Keeping immediately after the Resurrection, in response to the most amazing set of circumstances ever witnessed in world history. There was
NO disregard for the scriptures.
The Scriptures completely support the actions of these brave and utterly selfless people, who knew that staying loyal to Jesus Christ could and would result in gruesome torture and violent execution.
Had their been any reason whatsoever in the scriptures or the teachings of the Apostles to keep the Sabbath, these brave martyrs would have eagerly gone to torture and death rather than renounce it.
Here's how Polycarp went out in style:
"This made his judges very angry. They had confidently supposed that they would be able to easily persuade him to do what they wanted him to do. They became vicious in their words and actions. They literally threw him out of the chariot he had been sitting in, which cause serious injury to his thigh. This display of force incited the blood thirsty mob to the point that they were so loud in their curses and jeers that no one could hear. As they were dragging Polycarp to the place of execution, a voice rang out from Heaven loud and clear, above the harangue of the crowd which said, "Be strong, Polycarp, and quit thyself like a man." [The phrase "quit you" means, to carry through, or perform to the end. Hence, be strong and stand like a man to the end.] The record states that while no one saw who it was that spoke to Polycarp, many of the believers who were in the crowd clearly heard the voice also.
To be sure, Polycarp stood for the Lord Jesus Christ to the end, despite all the efforts to persuade him to renounce Christ. One of the judges tried to get him to deny his faith by saying, "Reverence thy old age…Swear by Casear's Fortune. Repent, and say; Take away the Wicked." The historian goes on to say, "Polycarp, looking with a stern countenance upon the whole multitude of wicked Gentiles, that was gathered together in the Lifts, and shaking his hand at them, looked up to Heaven, and groaning said, Take away the Wicked." But the judge was not satisfied with this. He said, "Sware, and I will set thee at liberty; reproach Christ."
It is at this point that Polycarp gives his famous response --
"Eighty and six years have I now served Christ, and he has never done me the least wrong: How then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?"
The judge then angrily urges him to, "swear by the Genius of Caesar." Polycarp refuses, but offered to share his faith in Christ. The judge rejected the offer and threatened, "I have wild beasts ready, to those I will cast thee except thou repent." Polycarp responds calmly, "Call for them then: For we Christians are fixed in our minds not to change from good to evil; But for me it will be good to be changed from Evil, to Good." The furious judge said, "Seeing that thou dispiseth the Wild Beasts, I will cause thee to be devoured by Fire, unless thou shall repent." Polycarp answered, "Thou threatenest me with Fire which burns for an hour, and so is extinguished; but knowest not the Fire of the Future Judgment, and of that Eternal Punishment, which is reserved for the Ungodly. But why tarriest thou? Bring forth what thou wilt!"
The judge loudly cried out three times, "Polycarp has confessed himself to be a Christian." The mob responded in fury, "This is the Doctor of Asia; The Father of the Christians; an the overthrower of our Gods. He that has taught so many not to sacrifice, nor pay any worship to the Gods." At first they cried out that the lions should be loosed on him and then that he should be burned alive.
They took Polycarp to the stake and were going to nail him there. He spoke up and said, "Let me alone as I am: For he who has given me strength to endure the Fire, will also enable me, without your securing me by nails, to stand without moving in the pile." The merely tied him to the stake.
He prayed this prayer before the fire was was kindled --
Lord God Almighty, the Father of thy Well-beloved, and Blessed Son, Jesus Christ, by whom we have received Knowledge of thee; the God of Angels and Powers, and of every Creature, and especially the whole Race of Just Men who live in thy presence! I give thee hearty thanks that thou hast vouchsafed (allowed) to bring me to this Day, and to this Hour; that I should have a part in the Number of thy Martyrs, in the Cup of thy Christ, to the Resurrection of Eternal Life, both of Soul and Body, in the Incorruption of the Holy Ghost. Among which may I be accepted this Day before thee, as a fat and acceptable Sacrifice; as thou the true God, with who is no falsehood, has both before ordained, and manifested unto me, and also hath now fulfilled it. For this, and for all things else, I praise thee, I bless thee, I glorify thee by the Eternal, and Heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ they Beloved Son; whit whom to Thee and the Holy Ghost, be Glory both now, and to all succeeding Ages, AMEN.
Upon the "AMEN" the executioner lighted the fire"
http://www.logosresourcepages.org/History/polycarp.htm
