Historical Object-Lessons
By T.
DANIEL, the Hebrew captive in Babylon, was one of the greatest statesmen of antiquity. When King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judea, about 607 years before Christ, “this Daniel” was one of the young men whom he carried captive to the capital of his kingdom. Daniel’s early training to adhere to right principles, together with his faithfulness in service, soon brought him to enjoy the confidence of the king, and he was placed in positions of the greatest responsibility in the state. Daniel was a leading character in the affairs of Babylon from soon after he was taken captive until the kingdom was overthrown by the Medes and Persians. And when Darius, the Median, took the kingdom of Babylon, we find that Daniel was still recognized as such an able statesman that — “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; and over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. “Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” Dan. 6:1-5. Following the foregoing quotation is the story of how these plotting princes and governors got the king to issue a decree that would involve Daniel’s religion, in order that they might bring him under the ban of the law; and as the result, the prophet-statesman was brought into suffering, because he would not bow to such a law. These plotters pleaded the law. The very government of the Medes and Persians is involved. The law must be upheld at all hazards. These were their frantic pleadings, but their object was not the upholding of law; what they wanted was to get rid of a man of whom they were jealous and in whom they could find neither “error” nor “fault.” In that ancient case, Daniel submitted to the penalty of the law without murmur, but he could not yield obedience to such a statute without committing the high crime of treason against God. The most execrable crime that man can commit is that of treason against the government that gives him protection in his rights. Moreover, any government that rightly appreciates and understands the high crime of treason, will never drive any of its subjects into the place where they are compelled to choose between disobedience to human law and treason against their God. The man who intelligently worships God from principle is one of the most loyal subjects that the state can have, and it is very unwise to seek to suppress him. All the crimes that have been committed against liberty, both civil and religious, have been done in the name of law. Even the Christ of God Himself was clamorously accused and put to death because the multitude were determined to enforce the law. They vehemently said, “We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” John 19:7. Even the Roman governor Pilate “knew that for envy they had delivered Him” (Matt. 27:18), and they sought to cover their envy under the guise of patriotism, loyalty to the government, and the enforcement of law. It was because of envy that the governors and princes of Babylon sought for the death of Daniel through the enforcement of law. This has been the history of such law as has invaded the realm of conscience in all the ages. This, too, will be the history of the enforcement of Sunday laws, which many are loudly calling for in many places. As all the past demonstrates, they will work injustice and persecution. And the reason we know that such will be their history is because the prisons and chain-gangs of this beloved land of freedom have already borne strong testimony to what will be the outcome, in the end, of all the Sunday legislation that has already been secured, and of what is still sought. History has often repeated itself in religious persecutions during the ages. T.