Sunday Law! | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Feb 23, 1882

"Sunday Law!"

"ENFORCEMENT of the Christian Sabbath. A Vindication of the Commandment of God, and the Position of the Seventh-day Adventists."

This is the title of a 32-page tract, mostly solid bourgeois type, just printed at this Office. The body of it is composed of the three editorial articles which appeared in the SIGNS of Dec. 8, 15, and 22, 1881, entitled, "Enforcement of the 'Christian Sabbath.'" It has also a preface of one page, as follows:—

This Tract contains three editorial articles which were published in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES of the dates of December 8, 15, and 22, 1881. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES is the organ of the Seventh-day Adventists, published in Oakland, Cal., at the Pacific Press Publishing House. It advocates the observance of "the Sabbath day according to the commandment" (Luke 23 :56), and the people who publish it—the Seventh-day Adventists—are conscientious and strict keepers of the fourth commandment of the Decalogue as given by Jehovah himself. The commandment is too plain to admit of any substitution, and too sacred to admit of any evasion. We cannot suffer anything to stand between us and our duty to the Creator of heaven and earth; why should we be made offenders for this?

A warrant having been served on the Superintendent of the Pacific Press for keeping the establishment open on Sunday, we think that justice to ourselves, but more than all else, to the holy law of God, which we endeavor to keep and to defend, demands that we give these articles a more extensive circulation, that our fellow-citizens may better understand the reasons of our position which, to some, appears uselessly singular.

We have not inquired whether the warrant against our Office was sworn out by the friends or the enemies of the Sunday Law; this has no bearing on the fact that a popular effort is being made by the friends of Sunday to enforce its observance on all classes without exception. They who kindle a fire are responsible for the consequences; and they must not plead that they could not control it after it was started.

We have looked for this political agitation of the Sunday question for thirty years past; events are proving that we did not read the "sure word of prophecy" in vain. And we ask the reader not to dismiss this subject from his mind because of any possible decision of the Supreme Court or action of the Legislature of California, for this agitation will be laid here only to increase the demand for a "Religious Amendment of the Constitution of the United States." Such an Amendment is the only hope for an efficient and universal Sunday Law. The prophecy in Rev. 13 and 14 clearly indicates that this will be the result of this clamor for Sunday enforcement. They who are now inventing popular reasons for substituting a church festival or secular "regulation" for the commandment of God, "know not what they do."

This is a sufficient explanation of the circumstances which immediately call for the circulation of the Tract at this time. It also contains the leading editorial of last week's SIGNS, entitled, "Our Position." This is a defense from the false charge raised against us by some unscrupulous professedly-temperance people, that we are joining hands with the basest elements of society.

If this were a temperance law we would advocate its enforcement to the best of our ability. But it is a Sunday law—a law in the interest of somebody's religion, but not of ours—and we have no manner of interest in its enforcement. We ask for no law but that which the Lord has furnished in the decalogue, for the enforcement of the true Sabbath, the Sabbath of the Bible. Is it reasonable to ask us to assist in compelling people, against their wills and convictions, to keep a spurious Sabbath, when we only persuade them to keep the genuine Sabbath? We stand on Bible ground. "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." 2 Cor. 5 :11. We are willing to be "ambassadors for Christ." Verse 20. He has given us no commission to act as executioners. It is a pity that Protestant clergymen will unite to resurrect the Inquisition. This Tract ought to be circulated by tens of thousands in every part of California. To do this, and to carry on successfully other missionary work in Oakland and San Francisco,

MONEY IS WANTED!

There are brethren in this State, who, personally, do very little missionary work, who have means which they could spare without depriving themselves of any of the comforts of life. They have never seen the time when they could do so much good with their means as the present. The interest to read is awakened; the way is open; the work must be done now. Will they respond to this call, and immediately send some means to this Office to be appropriated to this special work?