Majorities by R. F. Cottrell

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Apr 11, 1878

Majorities.

By R. F. Cottrell

In our free governments majorities rule; and it becomes all who would sustain law and order to submit to the will of the majority. A government of the people cannot be otherwise sustained. Therefore every good citizen will yield to the will of the people, unless it be something which contravenes the will of God. All men, and consequently, all human governments, are fallible; consequently no better human government can exist than that in which the majority rules.

But the government of God is an absolute monarchy. Perfect wisdom, justice, and goodness exist in our King; consequently his government is perfect; a thing which cannot be said of any other government.

But since popular governments have become popular, the right of the majority to rule being so generally admitted, there is a tendency to claim for the majority the right to rule in religious matters. Hence in our own republic men, propose to legislate for God, by establishing certain religious observances by law. And the idea seems to be entertained, that though the law of God be contravened, yet the rule of the majority shall stand, and be ratified in heaven. Therefore when Bible arguments cannot be found to sustain the traditions and customs of the people, an appeal is made to their prepossessions and prejudices.

In a late discussion of the Sabbath question, an attempt was made to sustain the claims of the first day of the week by a display of a large basketful of books of human composition, as though these could outweigh the Bible as testimony, as much as they would in avoirdupois or troy; and then to close the discussion, and exclude any further agitation of the subject so evidently settled, he cautioned his people against any further controversy after being dismissed, saying, "Remember that this (Sunday) is the holy Sabbath;" as though calling Sunday the Sabbath would make it so, especially if the majority would accept it as such.

There is now a movement in progress in our beloved country to procure an amendment of our national Constitution so that it shall acknowledge the first day of the week, or Sunday, as the Christian Sabbath. In other words, it is proposed to make Sunday the Sabbath by a majority of votes, in contradiction to the revealed will of God. Holding the prophecies of the Bible to be reliable, we believe they will succeed. Rev. 13 : 11-18. We believe it duty to yield to the will of the majority, as far as we can, and still maintain a conscience void of offense toward God. But when the laws of men contradict and subvert the law of God, by the help of divine grace we shall claim that God is an overwhelming majority. Our King shall rule and his law shall stand, though all the majorities in the world may oppose.

R. F. Cottrell.