Coming Events by C. P. WHITTORD

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 3, 1870

Coming Events.

By C. P. WHITTORD

From the first it has been the faith of S. D. Adventists that in this government, oppressive laws would be enacted in religious matters as brought to view under the symbol of the image to the beast. Rev. 13: 11, 18. All along, indications of this have been growing stronger and stronger. Few of our people are aware of the depth and extent of the movement now in progress for the virtual union of church and state. The following, from the Church Union, shows what is aimed at:

“If we are Christians let us make no hypocritical pretensions of founding our government on Christian principles. If we are, and believe they should govern our whole life, let us have them incorporated in the basis of our government, and the national policy shaped to them. Let no one hold an office of trust or profit whose life has not been conformable thereto.”

No one can fail to understand the import of such language as this. No one but Christians to hold any office. But who shall determine who are Christians? Why, the ruling churches of course. All others will be branded as heretics, and all rights denied them. This is where we are surely drifting. The time is evidently near when an image to the beast will be formed. A series of movements all looking to this end, are taking place in all parts of the country. So far has the agitation already progressed that public documents are everywhere circulated. A national association has been formed, to carry forward the movement, and national conventions are being called in all parts of the country, and all American citizens, without distinction of party or creed, who are willing to pledge themselves to secure, under God, an open communion, and the recognition of our evangelical ministry, by the interchange of pulpits, thus to make visible the unity of the church, are called upon to unite heartily in the work proposed. They say they do not propose to form a Christian, nor even a Protestant, political, party; but the position is taken that “good men throughout the nation should be thoroughly organized and prepared to act promptly and unitedly in opposition to every thing that endangers our free institutions.” Among the things which they set down as endangering our free institutions, they mention, “The destruction of the Christian Sabbath.” And so minds are working, and the agitation moves on. It was truly said in REVIEW, No. 15, “There is a hidden power impelling it forward, which will soon make it the leading question of the day. Let us prepare for the scenes before us.”

C. P. WHITTORD.

Berkshire, Vt.