Sabbath Observance and Civil Law
By Editor
A FRIEND writes that he believes that we are right in keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, and that we and the Jews are keeping the Sabbath which Christ kept. He thinks we are wrong in having any controversy with other professors of religion over a stricter observance of the Sabbath. He believes that a Sabbath law would help men to be Christians, even though it could not make them so. Now we believe this writer to be honest, but he has not looked upon all sides of the matter. We do most emphatically believe in a stricter observance of the Sabbath, and we believe in the observance of the Sabbath given by God. We are willing that Sunday-keepers should observe Sunday as strictly as they choose if they desire to do so; but we are sorry they so desire. We have no right, however, to prevent the observance, and no power to compel the desire. We would that all men and nations might observe the Sabbath of the Lord with all their hearts, but we would not for the world have a civil law for this purpose; and no civil law could accomplish such observance. Let Sunday-keepers teach, and persuade, and pray, and Sabbath-keepers do the same; they have no right to do more than this.