“IN TIME OF PEACE PREPARE FOR WAR.”
By Editor
Those who invariably enjoy good health are not usually apprehensive of disease, even though an experienced physician can see conclusive evidence that it is lurking in their system. They generally refuse to be warned. That country which for a long term of years has enjoyed uninterrupted peace, will hardly believe that war can come, when there is every indication of its near approach. Such an one is generally taken unawares, even as was the city of Laish anciently. Judges 18:7. It is equally true that when the people of a nation have enjoyed equality of rights, civil and religious, for many years, they take it for granted that thus it will ever remain, and rest securely even when danger is at their very door. This is emphatically true of the United States. Their independence was founded on the broad platform of “equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.” With but few exceptions through unconstitutional State laws, none have suffered for conscience’ sake. It has been the best civil government the world has ever seen. But a change has come. For years religious politicians have been plotting to effect what will virtually be a union of Church and State. The National Reform party for the last quarter of a century has had this for its avowed object. Many thousands of others, while disavowing this, are really advocating those principles which will lead to religion by law. Some no doubt are actuated by good and patriotic motives. They cannot believe that they are repeating the history of Rome. They look at that power when fully developed in all its blood-thirstiness, and contrast that with their ideal Government, and say that surely those cannot be alike. Just so those thought who laid the foundation of the Papacy. Many then worked for the ideal Government through motives of patriotism or for the glory of God, but the result was the Papacy and the Dark Ages. The Real was not the Ideal. Wrong principles and premises will never lead to right conclusions. Upon these things the people need instruction; and we do not know of any work which has yet appeared which gives so much instruction in so small space in regard to the evils of Church and State as does a finely executed pamphlet now before us, entitled, “Civil Government and Religion,” by Alonso T. Jones. The chapter headings will give the reader something of an idea of the work: “What Is Due to God and What to Cæsar?” “The Powers That Be;” “Christianity and the Roman Empire;” “The Religious Attack upon the United States Constitution, and Those Who Are Making It;” “Religious Legislation;” “The Sunday-law Movement in the Fourth Century, and Its Parallel in the Nineteenth;” “The Workings of a Sunday Law;” and four Appendices. Right and wrong principles are followed to their legitimate results; the principle of true gospel liberty is developed; for what Governments are ordained is clearly shown; and these, together with the cogent arguments, backed by historical facts, constitute the work a small armory, which should be possessed by every liberty-loving citizen. The battle of religious liberty is to be fought in America. Now, in the time of peace, let every lover of equal rights and exact justice prepare for war by becoming conversant with right principles. They cannot do better in the beginning of these preparations than to purchase a copy of “Civil Government and Religion.” The work fitly closes with the Declaration of Independence, and the United States Constitution and the Amendments thereto. The work contains 176 large pages, price 25 cents. Address The American Sentinel, Oakland, Cal., or Pacific Press, 43 Bond Street, New York.