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Prophecy—No. 10

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 3, 1874

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 44, No. 19.

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Prophecy.—No. 10.

By W. H. Blaisdell

(Continued.)
We now propose to show that the initiatory and necessary steps toward the establishment of such a power have already been taken in this country, and that an important movement in this direction has been inaugurated, and has already assumed such a character that some of our most eminent and intelligent statesmen have declared that, if it succeeds, persecution will be the inevitable result!
We now call attention to the popular and influential society which has been organized in this country within the past few years, known as the “National Association to Secure the Religious Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.” This society is engaged in the very work necessary to the final consummation of that foretold in this prophecy! Though its advocates may be numbered by thousands, and are among the most popular and influential class of citizens, and although the movement is already assuming gigantic proportions, yet but very little is known by the masses generally in regard to it, and very many are not even aware of its existence!
Seventh-day Adventists have for more than twenty years stated and published to the world their views of the prophecy now under consideration as applying to the United States, and have explicitly declared that, according to the prophecy, we might look for the speedy development of such a movement as the one to which we here refer. This position was taken by them long before there were any especial indications of such a movement, except that which they found in the prophecy itself; and many of their publications, issued years ago, are now extant, which show their view of the subject to have been as herein stated. They have therefore been especially interested in this movement from its very beginning.
The advocates of the reform movement, so called, do not openly say that they wish to bring about a work of religious persecution, neither is it to be supposed that they fully understand the fearful outcome and result of that work which they are so persistently urging forward. In order to give some idea of the character and nature of this movement, we shall refer to some of the reports of conventions that have been held in the interest of the society, and to their declaration of principles as publicly set forth, and give some extracts from the writings, public speeches, &c., of some of the advocates, and also opposers, of the movement.
The last National Convention of the Association was held in the city of Pittsburgh, Pa. In referring to this Convention, and also to the origin and progress of the movement, the Pittsburgh Commercial of Feb. 6, 1874, says:—
“The present movement to secure the religious amendment of the Constitution, originated at Xenia, Ohio, in February, 1863, in a convention composed of eleven different denominations, who assembled for prayer and conference, not in regard to the amendment of the Constitution, but the state of religion. Meetings—small in numbers—were held shortly after in Pittsburgh and elsewhere. At first, the Association was called a ‘Religious Council;’ now it is known as the ‘National Association to Secure the Religious Amendment of the Constitution of the United States,’ and is becoming more popular and increasing largely in numbers.
“The first National Convention of the Association was held in the First United Presbyterian church, in the city of Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 27, 1864, at which a large delegation was appointed to present the matter to the consideration of Hon. Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States. An adjourned meeting was held in the Eighth street Methodist Episcopal church, Philadelphia, on the 7th and 8th of July of the same year; and another in the same city, in the West Arch street Presbyterian church, Nov. 29, 1864.
“Conventions were held in New York in 1868, Columbus, February, 1869, and Monmouth, Ill., April, 1871.
“National Conventions were held in Pittsburgh, 1870; Philadelphia, 1871; Cincinnati 1872; and New York, 1873. The National Convention which meets this afternoon [Feb. 1, 1874] in Library Hall, is, we believe, the fifth in order.”
In January, 1871, soon after the holding of the National Convention in Philadelphia, one writer in noticing the progress of this movement refers to several different places where meetings had been held within a few weeks in behalf of the proposed amendment as follows:—
“In Deer Creek church, New Bedford, Pa., Dec. 27, 1870. Three speakers addressed the meeting. Permanent organization formed.
“Washingtonville, N. Y., Dec. 30. McIndoos and Johnsbury, Vt., Jan. 13 and 16, 1871. Barton and Topsham, Vt., the 11th and 16th. Society organized for Orange County. Duffield St. Presbyterian church, Brooklyn, N. Y., Jan. 16. Chambersburg, Shippensburg, Carlisle, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on the 15th, 16th, and 17th inst. The meeting in Harrisburg was held in the hall of the House of Representatives, and was presided over by Gov. Geary. . . .
“Meanwhile, zealous agents are beginning to travel from town to town, and city to city, visiting clergymen and laymen, to arouse the churches to take hold of this movement. And thus the work goes on.”
Now let us hear this Association define its principles and state the object for which it labors.
At the National Convention held in 1871 in Philadelphia, the following was one of the Resolutions adopted:—
“Resolved, That, in view of the controlling power of the Constitution in shaping State, as well as national, policy, it is of immediate importance to public morals, and to social order, to secure such an amendment as will indicate that this is a Christian nation, and place all Christian laws, institutions, and usages, in our government, on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of the nation, specially those which secure a proper oath, and which protect society against blasphemy, Sabbath-breaking, and polygamy.”
A weekly paper, called the Christian Statesman, is published in Philadelphia in the interests of this Association, and for the plainly avowed purpose of urging forward this movement.
If we can learn what the design of this periodical is, we shall thereby learn the object for which this Association labors, for the advocacy of whose views the paper is published.
In the columns of the Christian Statesman where its title and design are set forth to the public, we find the following:—
“The Christian Statesman, A weekly Journal Devoted to the Cause of Public Morals and National Religion.”
Here they clearly show by language unmistakable that they are laboring to secure the establishment of a national religion!
And again:—
“The design of this paper, as its name suggests, is the discussion of the principles of civil government in the light of Christianity. It has been established to advocate the proposed Religious Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. . . . It will labor for the adoption of such amendments to the National Constitution as will indicate that this is a Christian nation, and will place all Christian laws, institutions, and usages in our government, on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of the nation.”
At the last National Convention of this Association one of the leaders of the movement, Prof. C. A. Blanchard, said:—
“Constitutional laws punish for false money, weights, and measures, and of course Congress establishes a standard for money, weight, and measure. So Congress must establish a standard of religion, or admit anything called religion.”
Some of the reasons which they offer for engaging in this movement and their confidence in its final success may be seen in the following extracts from the language of public speakers at the National Convention last referred to.
Rev. Mr. McAllister said:—
“The dishonesty, the profanity, the drunkenness, the licentiousness, of a large proportion of our public men, are simply notorious. They are the most tangible point of our political malady. They are the outward manifestations, to which we cannot be blind, of a diseased system. It is hard to select a specimen of the rottenness of our political life. . . .”
And so it must be, only each year becoming worse than ever before, until the inevitable crash and ruin come, unless we enact into law the national desire for honest officers of government. We must have a civil service reform that will shut out from positions of trust, the morally unfit as well as the mentally incompetent. And there is no such thorough reform of this kind as that which the amendment in our society will work. We propose to strike at the very root of this alarming evil in our body politic, by having the nation recognize constitutionally, as the fountain of all its laws, that divine law which declares ‘that he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.’”
In the same Convention Rev. H. H. George said:—
“Again, the fearful corruption threatening to engulf our land cannot be stayed but by the nation’s returning to God. . . . But wide and deep as this deluge of corruption may be ‘the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea’ than the mighty waves of the sea,’ and should the Christian people arise in their strength to right the ship of State and anchor it to the throne of God, all would be safe.
“And, finally, every movement for good that has been inaugurated in this land will be authorized and backed up by the success of this reform. The cause of temperance will succeed when the fountain of law is purified, when law-makers and administrators shall throw their influence and example upon the side of temperance. The desecration of the Sabbath shall be arrested, when the Sabbath shall have proper Constitutional safeguards thrown around it, shall be respected and protected in high places; but never until the Bible be recognized as the supreme law of the land, and President and Congressmen shall be men educated and sworn to observe its precepts, shall we have a Sabbath-keeping land. The Bible shall be kept in our schools, when the Constitution of the land shall explicitly recognize it as supreme law, and guarantee its unrestricted use in all our institutions. At least, then, all friends of the Bible, all lovers of Christianity, and all sympathizers with our Christian institutions, should unite their strength in this national reform as the sublimest movement of the age, and one that is as certain to go forward as the sun to roll on in his majestic course.”
We will now refer to a few facts to show how rapidly this movement is increasing in numbers and influence.
In the National Convention, held in Philadelphia, in January, 1871, the following resolutions were passed, which show how their cause was progressing:—
“Resolved, That this Convention of those who aim to secure a religious amendment to our National Constitution, gratefully acknowledge the good providence of God in the evident progress of this cause during the past year.”
“Resolved, That with the conviction that, under God, all that is wanting for its ultimate and its early triumph, is to publish the facts and illustrate the principles upon which it is based, we pledge ourselves to renewed zeal in its prosecution.”
The National Convention of this Association for 1873 was held in New York city, Feb. 26, 27. We give the following from the report of the meeting as given in the Christian Statesman of the following March 8:—
“The most imposing and influential Convention yet held in behalf of the Religious Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, assembled last week in the hall of the Cooper Union, in the city of New York. In the number of delegates in attendance, in the variety and effectiveness of the addresses which commended the cause to enthusiastic and delighted audiences, and in the generous provision made for the prosecution of the work on an enlarged scale during the coming year, this Convention far surpassed all that preceded it. . . .
“According to the report of the Committee on Enrolment, found in another column, four hundred and seventy members took seats in the Convention, and three hundred and eighty-five of these bore certificates of their appointment as delegates from public meetings, auxiliary societies, churches, and other bodies. The students of Harvard Law School, for example, had held a meeting and appointed three of their number as delegates to New York. Thus the Convention, large as it was, represented an immensely larger constituency devoted to the cause. . . .
“But the most convincing proof of the increasing power of the movement was furnished in the subscription of upward of five thousand dollars to the treasury of the National Association, to carry forward the work during the year.”
At the last National Convention, held in Pittsburgh in February, 1874, the President of the Association, and Chairman of the fifth Convention, Hon. Felix R. Brunot, in referring to the increasing strength of the movement, said that their “cause had made the progress of twenty years in five;” and the General Secretary, Mr. McAllister, said of the past year that it had “numbered a larger array of accessions to our rank, than any two, or three, or perhaps five preceding years.”
The following is from the pen of one who was present at some of the sessions of this Convention, as given by him under date of February 8, 1874:—
“This was a meeting of delegates, but largely attended. The number of delegates holding certificates was 641; non-certified, 432; total, 1073, representing 18 States. Petitions to Congress partially returned as I understood, footed up over 54,000 names.
“The officers of the Association for the coming year are, President, Hon. Felix R. Brunot, Pittsburgh, with 99 Vice-Presidents, among whom are 4 Governors, 5 State Superintendents of Public Instruction, 9 Bishops, 15 Judges of higher Courts, and 41 College Presidents and Professors; and the others are all eminent men. General Secretary, Rev. D. McAllister, N. Y.; Corresponding Secretary, Rev. T. P. Stevenson, Philadelphia.”
In giving a report of the Convention of 1873, they were greatly encouraged, and quite enthusiastic in being able to report that 470 members took seats in the Convention, and regarded that Convention as far surpassing in importance any that had preceded it. What, then, must have been their delight to be able to report 1073 delegates present at their next National Convention, held in less than a year from that time, with a corresponding accession of numbers and strength throughout the country generally?
The writer from which we have just quoted says:—
“They do not speak in tones of doubt as to the accomplishment of their purpose; they report nothing but abundant success and the highest enthusiasm wherever their cause is presented. Their whole bearing in the Convention was that of men already flushed with victory.”
The Christian Statesman of Feb. 14, 1874, in reference to this movement said:—
“No other movement in the country could bring together such a Convention as that which met in Pittsburgh on the 4th and 5th of this month. With thousands of workers scattered all over the land, the movement will and must progress with ever-accelerating rapidity.”
Can we rightly comprehend the importance of a Convention where 18 States are represented by 1073 delegates (averaging nearly 60 from a State), each representing a class of people laboring in behalf of this movement, and of an Association whose officers are so numerous, and of such an influential class as these, without being compelled to believe that this society is destined to wield a very powerful influence in this country? W. H. BLAISDELL.
(To be Continued.)