SUNDAY IN THE ORANGE FREE STATE.
By W. N. G.
The Bloomfontein Gazette of June 3 gives some interesting references to the Sunday-law discussion in the Volksraad (Orange Free State Parliament). One enthusiastic advocate of the measure promised the lawmakers that if they would pass the Sunday law, the locusts, rinderpest, and all other plagues would disappear from the country, the barns would be filled with plenty, and the garners would be filled to overflowing. So he proposed that all government work, including railway, post, and telegraph communications, should be prohibited on that day. This ardent champion said he was only doing his duty by proposing so stringent a measure. They “must either go the whole hog or do nothing.” There was strong opposition to any law of the kind at all, but an act was finally passed providing (1) that all goods and excursion trains, excepting the trains containing perishable goods, be prohibited; (2) that the traffic of passenger and perishable goods trains be so arranged as to run as little as possible; (3) that all places of amusement shall be closed on Sunday; (4) that all public games, races, or other forms of sport shall be prohibited, and all persons taking part in such be punished as prescribed. A contributor to the Gazette comments as follows on the logic of such legislation:— “To get possession of the civil power was the effort of the Roman Church; and she finally succeeded, with the results recorded in the history of the Dark Ages. This first step—getting control—seems to be the desire of many professed Protestants now, the world over. When they get this control, if they do, will the same results follow?” “The agitation of the Sunday question during the past week has revealed the fact (to those who did not know it before) that the memorials, which seem to weigh so heavily in the settlement of this question, did not originate with the people who signed them, but they were created in the Dutch Reformed Church Synod. By the authority of that ecclesiastical body they passed, through the hands of the people, into the hands of the civil body—the Honorable Volksraad—in order that the civil body might co-operate with the ecclesiastical body in religious matters. Isn’t that Rome over again? It is certainly proper to give due consideration to the wishes of one’s constituents, and, as far as right, to meet their requirements; but in this case it seems clear that it is not so much the people who desire the Sunday law as it is the church. The question then is, Is the subject one with which the Volksraad may, as a civil body, rightfully deal? and, in dealing with it, are they not simply playing into the hands of the church, making themselves the responsible party of the results of religious legislation? Are they not establishing a precedent, which will lead them into all manner of embarrassments in the future?—unless they are fully committed to the principle of religious legislation, which, recent voting has shown, is not true of a respectable minority, at least. “This principle once admitted, viz., that government has a right to legislate on religious questions, and to enforce religious observances, then it must be admitted that Rome did right in enforcing her religious doctrines upon the people, and she can not be blamed for putting Christians to death. If religious laws may be made, is it not right to enforce them? If it is right for us to make them, was it not right for Rome to make them? And if it was right for her to make them, was it not right for her to enforce them? And are you ready for the conclusion,—was she not justified in all the persecutions of the Dark Ages? “Again, if religious laws are right, then it is wrong to oppose them; then Peter and Paul should have yielded to the Roman laws, and thus avoided persecution, imprisonment, and a martyr’s death.” The conflict between Church and State rule and civil and religious liberty is a world-wide contest, and little by little the old papal doctrine is gaining the ascendency. More and more public sentiment is led to yield even against conviction. Soon we will see fulfilled what the apostle saw in prophetic vision,—“and all the world wondered after the beast.” Rev. 13:3. “And they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” Verse 4. Many so-called Protestants think they are doing God service when they advocate Sunday laws, and kindred Church and State legislation; but if they would only study the Word of God in the light of history, they would learn that their efforts are but re-establishing that form of religion and politics whose combination wrought the long scourge known as the Dark Ages. But the majority will not do that; they seek the popular side, both in politics and religion. As of old, the aim is to “build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” Gen. 11:4. There is a general unwillingness to be “pilgrims and sojourners” in this world of sin; even the professed people of God want to be the rulers here. And it is for this reason that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” 2 Tim. 3:13. W. N. G.