Law a Laughing-Stock by F. D. STARR

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 11, 1909

Law a Laughing-Stock

By F. D. STARR

F. D. STARR

RECENTLY one of the popular magazines of the country published this statement: “Law is a laughing-stock.” The truth of this assertion may be known by considering the utter disregard of law manifested in so many localities, in positions high and low. Is there not a cause for this? Indeed, the law of God is so treated even by the clergy before the public.

A short time ago I listened to two sermons by a bishop of a popular church, in which he ridiculed the decalogue in a most unsparing manner.

He endeavored to show that the commandments could not be kept. He stated that the Jews, by trying to observe the second commandment, made of themselves a very stupid nation; that they did not dare to cultivate any of the arts in which the making of anything like a picture was involved, the commandment positively forbidding them to make any object that looked like anything that was in existence.

This will be readily detected as a flagrant perversion of the words of the Most High. What the commandment forbids pertains to the matter of worship: “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.”

That the commandment does not forbid the making of objects that resemble something else, is plainly to be seen by such scriptures as Ex. 26:1; 28:33, 34; 36:8, where we find that the people obeyed the command of God in making such objects as cherubim, bells, and fruit upon fabrics used in the sanctuary service. These were repeatedly said to be wrought in a “cunning” manner, which shows that the Israelites had become dextrous in the practise of the fine arts.

In reference to the sixth commandment, the speaker stated that no one could keep that precept and kill an ox, a sheep, a mosquito, or even a weed in the garden. He declared that the commandment says, unqualifiedly, “Thou shalt not kill,” and said, “It does not say what you shall not kill.”

But is it not plain enough to what the prohibition refers? How does our Saviour quote that commandment in Matt. 19:18?—“Thou shalt do no murder.” Is the man who prepares an ox for the market arrested for murder? Who will say that he ought to be arrested for murder, or that destruction of insect or plant life is to be classed as murder?

The fifth commandment was also held up to ridicule, and of course the fourth did not escape, as the defamer of God’s law proceeded with his discourse. He certainly succeeded in making a laughing-stock of the divine law; for he had the most of his congregation merrily laughing at what they thought were witty remarks concerning the folly of trying to keep the ten commandments.

It was stated that it was a great misfortune that such men as John Wesley, and other founders of the leading denominations, had fallen into the error that the ten commandments were binding in this dispensation.

Surely the time has now come of which the psalmist spoke: “It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law.” Ps. 119:126. When ministers in the desk make a laughing-stock of God’s law, is it a wonder that judges on the bench, lawyers, and jurors in the court-room, criminals in the street, and mobs and lynching parties make a laughing-stock of human enactments? The one would naturally follow as a consequence of the other.

Forest, Idaho.