p. 21 | Untitled article by William May

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · January 15, 1891

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 6, No. 3

Striking Parallels.

By William May

GIVE men the power to do evil, and they will be just as certain to exercise it, as the boy is to use his first jack-knife; if for nothing else, he will do it out of curiosity to know how it works; and men will generally find motives fully as powerful as this to prompt them to use their “sword of authority.” MORAL.—Don’t play with edge tools, nor leave them where they can be “played with” by any one else.

The leaders of the National Reform movement are, whether fortunately or unfortunately, many-sided, I had almost said two-faced, in stating the objects which they hope to attain, and the process necessary to secure them. To those who are conservative, and with prudent foresight, warn against the evils religious legislation would bring; they reply, “Surely you can trust us; are we not the representatives of God? Do you not think that God will appreciate the compliment we pay him, by enthroning him in the Constitution of this noble land, sufficiently to prevent evil-minded men abusing the power we ask for? He will not allow those who serve him in the right way, to be injured in any way.”

And some are deceived by such assertions. But others, who have an object in view themselves, are approached in a different manner; there is not the reticence with them that is necessary in influencing the unselfish, patriotic heart, so the words are less guarded, and it gives rise to “clashing voices,” sometimes, aye, often, clashing statements by the same voice, and not so very far apart, either. Now, as it is sound philosophy to accept the experience of mankind, recorded in history, as the best guide in all important matters in which we cannot be guided by our own practical, personal experience, we present a few parallels from history, asking the readers if human nature has undergone any change for the better since the fall of man? and if like causes will not still produce like effects?

LOOK ON THIS PICTURE,

A. D. 31. Sanhedrim, Jerusalem.

Caiaphas said: “It is expedient for us that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.” John 11:50.

RESULT.

“Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.” Verse 53. And killed the Prince of Life.” Acts 3:15.

A. D. 321. Roman Empire.

The bishops of the Christian Church wanted the help of the State to carry out their ambitious plans, and, for this purpose, secured from Constantine a Sunday law. See Neander.

RESULT.

The power conferred in order to convert the world, and make all men Christians, almost swept Christianity from the face of the earth. Pagan Rome was far less ferocious against God’s people than the “Vicegerent of the Son of God,” acknowledged and supported by the civil power.

A. D. 1786.

The popular exponent of nationalism in France, M. Necker, the Minister of Finance, stated his idea of human nature, and philosophical government, in his words to Mirabeau, who proposed an entirely different regime: “I can not accept your plans, you would govern by policy; morality is our basis.” We will release the people from all restraint; for it is the bondage they groan under that is the cause of all the evil in the nation. Remove the cause, and the people will instantly be perfect. Their moral nature will assert itself, and they will have no desire to do wrong. All that we need is the law to make the people free.

RESULT.

The theory was founded on wrong premises; and didn’t work in the way the philosophers, in their simplicity, expected it would. There was a terrible retrograde movement at once. Although Necker had been the idol of the people, his theories brought only confusion, and he was obliged to resign his position and go into temporary exile. Satan was delighted to see law and order laid aside; he hates all law, and delights in chaos. As soon as the restraints were cast off, he led them captive at his will. And the Reign of Terror is a fair sample of Satan’s good-will toward men.

A. D. 1787.

In the Hall of the States-General of France, Robespierre said: “Capital punishment is a crime against society, and should never be inflicted.” Evidently this was because the punishment generally fell upon the lower orders, and he was “making a bid” for their favor. By and by he had the power to inflict capital punishment.

RESULT.

He complained that the heads were not falling fast enough to please the people; he must have one hundred and fifty a day. Finally, his friends had to sentence and execute him to save their own lives.

And it is worthy of notice that the majority of those who were guillotined in that awful time, suffered death for no crime of their own, but because their parents were among the nobles. A name counted in those days, but counted against the owner, and cost him his head. They killed Louis XVI. and his Queen, not out of hatred, but, having the power, they hunted up, or Satan supplied them with, a motive to answer their purpose; and the two who had been the highest objects of the nation’s love and respect, were sacrificed because, in the first place, the king gave the people what they asked for. That was his only crime, but it was a fatal one. Instead of satisfying the people, it but made them eager for more; and having now the power in their own unsteady, unfulfilled hands, they made sad havoc with it. They not merely killed friend and foe, but they destroyed the former, and allowed the latter to destroy them.

THEN ON THIS.

A. D. 1887. Convention, Lakeside, Ohio.

Dr. McAllister said: “It is better that a few should suffer, than that the whole Nation should lose its Sabbath.”

WARNING.

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matt. 25:40.

A. D. 1863. United States of America.

The Clergy again seek the intervention of the civil power, in order to uphold their waning influence and tottering institutions. God will not help them; they are determined to have their way; and they, too, ask for a Sunday law.

WARNING.

Some things are never satisfied. The cry is, and will be, “Give, give!” Says Dr. Crafts, in his “Sabbath for Man,” “We want more than this.”

A. D. 1889.

The new nationalism, based upon the flimsy philosophy of Bellamy, assumes that, pecuniary interests being entirely removed by absence of competition, the people will be entirely free from sectional, selfish, or partisan influences; and the sense of duty and desire of applause will be the guiding motives. Suppress the “brute principle” of competition, and have the new and beautiful principle of “association” instead. Let the Nation provide work, food, raiment, shelter, and pocket money for every individual in the Nation, and if there isn’t work for all, why, then, keep the idlers from doing unpleasant things by paying them for doing nothing. And this will make a perfect nation. (See Olivet Echo, May, 1890.) Those who are posted will recognize exactly similar demands by the American Sabbath Union. See Report of Hearing on Breckinridge Bill.

WARNING.

Neither constitutions nor laws have power to make men good, not even the perfect law of God. Its design is altogether different. It points out sin, as man’s laws point out crime, but can never change the character. Forces within the man must do this. Nothing that the State can do will convert a single individual, but the “embarrassing legislation,” so generously promised by the Sunday-law advocates, would make multitudes of hypocrites.

The National Reformers of this generation profess lamb-like innocence:—“One can but smile at their apprehensions of the success of a movement which would not harm a hair of their heads.”—Christian Statesman,

But it don’t work that way at all!

Their theory is not practical, so it must be wrong somewhere; and the reader of THE SENTINEL will not have much trouble to find out where that wrong is. See how would-be National Reformers have applied the “embarrassing legislation” of individual States, and see what kind of a smile it would provoke to have similar laws adopted and enforced by national authority, “recognizing God’s power behind them.”

We imagine a grin of satisfaction, rather than any more benevolent “smile,” and especially prominent must it be upon those who can see that they are entrapping the politicians, the men that make laws.

Read Senator Crockett’s “Plea for Liberty,” in Arkansas, and the account of persecutions in that State and in Tennessee, and of the arrest and attempted persecution of Seventh-day Christians in Missouri. These prove that the spirit of religious persecution is not dead, nor even dormant; it simply awaits a favorable moment and the longed-for legislation, to spring forth in all its old-time fury.

WILLIAM MAY.