Omens of a Coming Storm of Persecution
By C. S. LONGACRE
A Direct Prophecy Concerning It—Preached for Years Before a Sign of Its Fulfilment Was Seen—Forces Now Working as It Was Predicted They Would Editor of “Liberty Magazine” In harmony with the revelation given to the seer of Patmos concerning the final conflict between Satan and God’s “remnant” people, “which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus,” an interpretation was given to the prophecy, more than fifty years ago, that the time was not far distant when all nations, including the United States, would persecute those who keep all God’s commandments and refuse to show reverence to the mandates of men which are in direct opposition to the commandments of God. Many people in the United States scorned the idea of persecution arising in this country against a God-fearing people who keep the seventh day of the week for the Sabbath instead of Sunday. Nobody was at that time agitating the enactment or enforcement of Sunday laws, either before Congress or before our state legislatures. There was not a sign or a suggestion of the possibility of persecution arising in the American government against those “which keep the commandments of God,” outside of what the book of Revelation predicted. But upon the strength of this prophecy of a future and final conflict between God’s commandment keepers and the United States government, as outlined in Rev. 13: 11-18, a prediction was ventured that the United States government would follow in the wake of the nations of the past, and join them in making “war” upon those who keep the true Sabbath and refuse to keep Sunday. Such a message was preached for more than twenty years, simply upon the grounds of faith in the prophecy, when there was no conflict in sight. But during the last thirty years, great changes have taken place. The cruel hand of persecution has made itself felt in many of the states in the Union. PERSECUTED IN THIS COUNTRY
Our people have been arrested, indicted, tried, fined, imprisoned in jails, and cruelly afflicted in the chain-gangs, for no other crime than that they dared worship God in harmony with the fourth commandment of the Decalogue and the dictates of their own consciences. The right to the free exercise of conscience in keeping the seventh day holy has been denied them in our so-called land of liberty, with “equal rights to all and special privileges to none.” NO MORE EXEMPTIONS TO BE GRANTED
The leaders of the Lord’s Day Alliance declared, at a recent convention held in Baltimore, that their organization, together with other affiliated religious organizations, would oppose, in future Sunday bills, all exemption clauses offered for the benefit of Jews and Seventh-day Adventists. They asserted that there were some municipalities and states where the civil officers were under their absolute control, and that they had ideal Sunday law enforcement. The thirteenth chapter of Revelation states that the commercial boycott will be invoked to compel people to follow the papacy and accept the religious institution that is legally enforced upon all people. The only papal religious institution that is enforced by law is the Sunday rest day, which has been set up in opposition to God’s true Sabbath. The National Reform Association and the Lord’s Day Alliance are now advocating and employing the commercial boycott in reference to buying and selling. THE BOYCOTT ORDERED FROM THE PULPITS
At the convention in Baltimore, formerly mentioned, the plan was advocated—and to the writer’s personal knowledge, it is executed in localities where these organizations are in full control—that when a person who caters to public patronage refuses to observe Sunday in harmony with the ideas of these Sunday blue law advocates, his name be publicly read from the pulpits at the following Sunday service, and the people asked to boycott him completely by not patronizing him in any business deals whatever. Besides being notified of the boycott, or interdict, he is warned by a civil officer, at the instigation of the ministerial association, that a repetition of the disrespect for Sunday observance will bring him into the clutches of the law, and he will have to suffer the full penalty. Reason and justice would say that the Seventh-day Adventist who conscientiously keeps the seventh day for the Sabbath should not be compelled by the state to observe another day, and thus be robbed of one of the six legitimate work days, whereas the Sunday keeper is unmolested during his six working-days. Yet just such an unjust warfare is waged at present in some of the states of the Union. The writer could cite hundreds of cases where this cruel and unjust treatment has been carried on for the past thirty years. SIX BILLS AND NO EXEMPTIONS
In Tennessee, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, these religious organizations are at present operating strongly. But this is simply a beginning of the conflict. Last year over eighty Sunday bills were introduced in our state legislatures, and five in Congress. So far this year, six Sunday bills have been introduced in Congress, and not a single bill contains an exemption clause for those who conscientiously observe another day. FINALLY TO INVOKE DEATH PENALTY
The book of Revelation shows clearly that the antagonists’ forces which wage war upon God’s commandment-keeping people will not stop with the boycott. It plainly indicates that they will go the full length finally, and invoke the death penalty. But God intercedes for His people, as He has so often done, and they are triumphantly delivered, to be abased no more. “I have told you before it come to pass,” said the Saviour, “that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.” “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Are you getting ready for the great day of deliverance? The omens are rapidly thickening of the coming storm which is to culminate in the day of final deliverance and destruction.