Out of Its Sphere by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 20, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 33.

Out of Its Sphere.

By Editor

The Chicago Times-Herald gives the following as a part of the summary of the recent decision of the Federal Supreme Court sustaining the Georgia law against the running of trains on Sunday:—

“The decision sustains the state law, on the ground that it is a legitimate exercise of the police powers belonging to each state. Under that power the Legislature may provide for the health, the morals, and the general welfare of the people, and, if it is deemed necessary to their peace, comfort, and happiness, to say nothing of the public health and public morals, that one day in each week be set apart by law as a day when all business shall cease within the borders of the state.”

With all due respect to the high authority giving utterance to such sentiments, we must dissent therefrom. The matter of morality and religion lies totally outside of the legitimate sphere of legislature and court; for the simple reason that legislation can not change hearts, nor can court decisions alter individual opinions respecting religion. Religion is a matter of personal relation between man and his God, and is above all human legislation. Morality has to do with motive and intent, which human law can not control. The Sabbath is wholly a religious institution. The Supreme Court should have set the Georgia law aside, and plainly told the state government that with laws relating to the observance of religious institutions it had nothing to do. But the Supreme Court is, with the other branches of government, simply fulfilling prophecy.