Prophecy and the National Religious Amendment Movement
By W. H. Blaisdell
Such is the character of the National Association to which we refer. In regard to their plans for the immediate future, we give the following as found in the report of the Pittsburg Convention:— “Mr. McAllister stated that the National Conventions were very expensive, and it was suggested that the next National Convention should be postponed until July, 1876, the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. In the mean time, five or six local Conventions would be held—one in Boston, one in Baltimore, one in Chicago, one on the Pacific slope, and two in the Southern States. In 1876, a grand National Convention should be held in Philadelphia, by which time the petitions for the Religious Amendment would be signed by several millions of citizens, and a united effort would be made at Philadelphia to lay those petitions before the Congress of the United States, and secure the Amendment proposed.” Such are a few facts concerning the origin, object, progress, present condition, and plans for the future, of the National Association. Now let us reflect for a few moments on the object for which this society labors. It is expressly declared by the advocates of the movement to be for the establishment of a national religion, and that all Christian laws, institutions, and usages in our government, shall be placed on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of the nation, and that Congress shall establish a standard of religion, &c. Now what does this language mean? It can mean nothing less than that Congress shall decide by legislative enactments, what the people of this country shall be allowed to believe, practice, and teach, in regard to certain important points as religious doctrines and duties, and that those who would adhere to religious doctrines contrary to this established standard, should be punished by the same principle that a person should be punished who deals in false money, weights, and measures. To open the way for the accomplishment of their object, they ask for a Religious Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. Why do they wish for such an amendment? For the very reason that the Constitution now declares that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” and before a national religion can be established by an act of Congress, of course the Constitution which now prohibits the making of any such law, must be amended. Although it is claimed by the leaders of this association that they are laboring for a good object, and that the success of the movement will result in a great moral reform in the government and in community, yet who cannot see that when the desired amendment is secured, and the object of the association realized, religious freedom in this government will be thus brought to an end. Without arguing this point further ourselves, we propose to give a few brief extracts (many such might be given) from the opinions of men who do not look at this subject in the light of prophecy, to show that Seventh-day Adventists come to no unreasonable or forced conclusion in saying that this movement is destined to result in the establishment of a power which may appropriately be called an image to the papal beast. The Examiner and Chronicle, an influential and widely circulated Baptist journal of this country, uses the following language with reference to this reform movement:— “This agitation for a national religion, officially professed, has for its logical outcome persecution—that, and nothing more nor less. It is a movement backward to the era of Constantine, as far below the spirituality of the New Testament as it is below the freedom of Republican America.” The following is from the Champlain Journal:— “Having survived the perils of internal war, and promising to pass safely through the trials and agitations resultant from it, our country is endangered by the constant menace of a class of restless agitators, a portion of whom are sincere in their desire to accomplish good results, and the remainder hypocritical and wholly selfish, while all are fanatical. . . . The most noteworthy movement of this class that has recently been made, is the attempt to secure an amendment to the Constitution of the United States that would require all who acknowledged its supremacy to believe in the Christian religion. . . . If we may cut off ever so few persons from the right of citizenship on account of difference of religious belief, then with equal justice and propriety may a majority at any time dictate the adoption of still further articles of belief, until our Constitution is but the text-book of a sect beneath whose tyrannical sway all liberty of religious opinion will be crushed. ‘Honor the Lord’ is the rallying cry of these crusaders. That has been the cry of all perpetrators of acts of cruelty, injustice, and oppression from time immemorial. It was the cry of the Spanish Inquisitors, and the English and German torturers of reformers. It brought Cranmer to the stake, incited the massacre of St. Bartholomew’s eve, and caused witches to be burned by the Puritans.” The following is from a letter sent from Chicago, to be read at the Convention held in Philadelphia in 1871:— “With a deal of interest, I am watching the movement in which you are engaged to Christianize our peerless Constitution—peerless since the blot of slavery has been wiped from it. As an American citizen, I must frankly say to you that, in my judgment your organization is fraught with danger to our American government. I am fully convinced that you are in dead earnest in this work of obtaining a recognition of God in the fundamental instrument of our Government. You are persevering, too, as you are earnest; hence I can see that the ‘Reform’—as you term it—is destined to spread, assume gigantic proportions, and grow in favor with the mass of Christian people. Your conventions, I notice, are securing this result. Gentlemen, beware! Overthrow this human government (founded by the wisdom of such men as Jefferson, Adams, and Paine), and religious liberty will be trampled under foot in this new world as it was, and is, in the old. The people of the old world are throwing off the shackles of a union of church and State, while you (I say it with all due courtesy) are striving to unite church and State in the new world.” The following from the pen of Horace Greeley, appeared in the columns of the N. Y. Tribune, soon after the Philadelphia Convention held in 1871, to which we have several times referred. We shall give only a few brief extracts from his very interesting article on the subject. After referring to the burden and evils of human slavery from which the United States had been set free, he says:— “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. We have no sooner routed the enemy who defiantly advanced from one direction than we are called to meet another, who more meekly and sinuously approaches from another. The foe who desecrated and chattelized man is succeeded by one who is specially intent on recognizing and honoring God.” “We cheerfully admit that the authors and backers of the new crusade are worthy men and good citizens. We admit that what they propose seems to them not only right, but eminently proper and urgently necessary. It is not a novelty that men should have an earnest ‘zeal for God,’ which is not ‘according to knowledge.’ ‘Ye know not what spirit ye are of,’ was an admonition addressed to the immediate followers of the Saviour; what marvel that some followers of those followers should deserve a similar rebuke? Persecution and every form of intolerance and bigotry have been the work of men who meant thereby to honor God and bless mankind. In resisting an erroneous and perilous movement, we nowise impugn the motives or assail the characters of its champions.” He refers to the resolution passed at that convention which we have introduced above, and clearly and forcibly expresses his view of the impropriety of seeking to obtain some of the results indicated in that resolution. With reference to it he says:— “Who does not see that this is church and State in a far more intolerant union than any European monarchy now endures?” He closes his argument as follows:— “‘Sabbath-breaking,’ too, is among the crimes against which it is proposed to ‘protect society,’ by Federal power. Whose Sabbath is to be thus hallowed and hedged about with Federal punishments? Unquestionably that of the promoters of the Amendment, not that of the Jews, Seventh-day Baptists, &c. That God has set apart and sanctified the first day of the week for a Sabbath, is not at this hour the conviction of a majority of the American people; and of course any enactment which would satisfy the promoters of the proposed Amendment would be violated each week by at least five million persons. How shall our already overburdened courts find time to try the culprits? Where shall we find prison-cells in which to immure them?” “‘But we forbear. The proposed recognition of God involves a more fundamental and sweeping change than was effected by our fathers’ separation from Great Britain. It would give us a government not unlike that from which Rome has just been emancipated. We entreat thoughtful, intelligent citizens to refrain from giving the project a countenance, which cannot fail to be productive of grave mischief.’” If the National Convention of this society which was held in Philadelphia in 1871, where but about two hundred delegates assembled, indicated a movement of sufficient importance to thus arouse the fears of Mr. Greeley so as to lead him to devote his time and the columns of the N. Y. Tribune to a discussion of the subject, what shall we now think of the importance of the same movement, that has so rapidly increased in power and influence that at its last National Convention over one thousand delegates were present. We here call especial attention to the very important and significant fact that the testimony of all these different writers last referred to, is unanimous on the point that, if this movement succeeds, it would give us a government, and a union of church and State power similar to that of papal Rome. This is just in accordance with the prophecy that relates to this government, which declares that an image to the leopard beast (which represents the papacy) is here to be made. It is almost surprising to see how peculiarly their language accords with the prophecy! Mark well this point: “Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast,” &c. Rev. 13:14. An image to the beast must be a representation similar to, and not unlike, the beast itself. Now compare with this declaration of prophecy, the language of Mr. Greeley and others. They say that “it would give us a government not unlike that from which Rome has just been emancipated.” Much of the language used by the leaders of the movement with reference to their purposes, &c., also presents a striking similarity to that of the prophecy. “‘Saying to them that dwell on the earth,’ &c. As we have previously shown, this must refer to the people who occupy the territory where the two-horned beast arises. In a speech which was greeted with much applause at their last National Convention, Prof. C. A. Blanchard said:— “Our laws will be heathenized or our Constitution Christianized, and Americans must soon decide which they will have done.” “The American people must say that the Bible is the word of God and that Christianity is the religion of this country,” &c. Thus we see that this association, which is laboring to secure the co-operation of the government in its behalf, is, through its leaders, already calling on the American people to engage in a movement which is destined to result in the formation of the image. “‘That they should make an image,’ &c. That is, that it is important to do so, and that therefore the people ought to, or should, engage in the work. This is just what the advocates of the movement are saying. Notice the language of Rev. H. H. George on this point which we have already given. After endeavoring to set forth the necessity and importance of the Reform Movement, he says:— “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,” &c. Thus we see that there are the most significant and important reasons for believing that the prophecy relating to the last and closing work of this government is soon to be fulfilled. Much proof might be given to show that the work of the two-horned beast pertains to the last generation of men, and that its last work will be immediately succeeded by the second coming of Christ; but we shall here offer only the following on this point:— 1. In Rev. 19:20, the two-horned beast is brought to view under the title of the false prophet. Here the end or fate of this beast is shown, which is not done in Rev. 13. The false prophet, or two-horned beast, is cast alive into a lake burning with brimstone, in the battle of the great day, which takes place in connection with the second coming of Christ. Verses 11-19. This power is not to be overthrown and succeeded by another, as is shown by the word “alive,” which clearly indicates that, at that time, this power will still be in possession of its strength and might, and will be performing its work with alacrity and vigor. 2. The third angel’s message of Rev. 14:9-12, presents a solemn warning against the worship of the beast and his image, the very work which the two-horned beast endeavors to enforce upon the people. This message contains the last note of warning, the last offer of mercy, and covers the closing hours of time, as may be seen from the fact that it is immediately succeeded by the coming of the Son of man on the great white cloud, to reap the harvest of the earth. Verses 14, 15. As the third angel’s message must be given just before, or while the two-horned beast is endeavoring to enforce, the worship of the beast and his image, and as this message is immediately followed by the coming of the Son of man, the conclusion is inevitable that this last work of the two-horned beast must be performed but just prior to the second coming of Christ. We now inquire where we are standing in this line of prophecy, which, as we have shown, reaches from the opening of the gospel dispensation to the translation of the saints at the second coming of Christ. But one answer can be given. We are close upon the borders of the time when the dragon voice of the two-horned beast will be heard, when the image to the beast will be formed, and when the last final trial of the saints will be witnessed, and our Saviour will return to give to all his people the crown of eternal life and unfading glory.