INCREASING LEGAL RESPECT FOR SUNDAY by Roswell Fenner Cottrell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 1, 1867

INCREASING LEGAL RESPECT FOR SUNDAY.

By Roswell Fenner Cottrell

FOR more than fifteen years, we, as a people, have held that the United States is the government described in prophecy under the symbol of a beast with two horns like a lamb, but speaking as a dragon. Rev. xiii, 11–18. And as this beast is particularly to be distinguished by his enforcing by law the mark of the first or papal beast, we have held that the enforcement of the observance of Sunday—the Sabbath of the apostasy—upon all, without exception, would here be attempted.

Every movement in favor of Sunday serves as a confirmation of this faith. A seemingly pious respect for Sunday is gaining ground. As indications of this I give the following items of news from the Sabbath Recorder.

“The lower house of the Georgia Legislature has just passed a bill prohibiting railroad trains and steamboats from running on the first day of the week.”

“SUNDAY CAR RIDING.—A man who rides on the cars in Massachusetts, on Sunday, must do so upon his own temporal as well as eternal risk and responsibility. Judge Ames, of the Superior Court, last week gave a decision in the case of Patrick Stanton, who sued the Metropolitan Railroad Company for damages in the sum of $2,000 for injuries received by being thrown from defendants' car on Sunday, the 10th of November, 1865, whereby one of his legs was broken, owing, as was alleged, to the carelessness and neglect of defendants' agent. The Judge decided that the plaintiff was not lawfully riding on the 'Sabbath' in question, his mission not being one of necessity or charity, but only one of pleasure; and hence he would not be entitled to recover damages.”

These instances are only samples of what is being done in various parts of the Union in behalf of Sunday. The movers in these efforts in behalf of Sunday, at least many of them, are not aware of what will be the result, when they shall succeed in their efforts. Many think that they are doing God service, but the mere tendency of it is to exalt the Sabbath of the apostasy at the expense of the Sabbath of the Lord; and the result of it will be a persecution against those who keep the commandments of God. The agitation will go on, while the light on the true Sabbath is increasing, till the matter is brought to a crisis, in the great time of trouble after the close of probation; then the decree of death will be given against all the loyal people of the Lord; for they will, by that time, be all united in one faith, and that the true faith once delivered to the saints. Blessed indeed will they be who are fully prepared to meet the trial, having their sins blotted out and their names retained in the Lamb's book of life.

R. F. COTTRELL.