SHOULD CIVIL LAWS BE OBEYED WHEN IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW OF GOD?
By Alfred Mallett
THE Congress of the United States has declared Sunday, or the first day of the week, to be the Sabbath. What is the next step for it to take? It is to compel everyone to observe that day; that is, make a national law—send forth a decree saying that because Sunday is the sabbath, and this is a "Christian nation," every person, "both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," must keep that day,—"receive a mark in their right hand, or in their forehead." Rev. 13:16. This was the result in the days of Constantine. When Sunday was declared to be the sabbath, the next thing was to compel everyone to rest on that day. Human nature is the same now as then, therefore the same results will follow. In view of these things, what is the loyal Christian to do? Must he ignore the Sabbath of the Bible, which the Lord declares to be the seventh day, and keep this sabbath that man has made, or shall he stand true to his Maker and ignore this man-made sabbath? He cannot be a Christian and knowingly break the Sabbath of the Lord. Why?—Because it would be breaking the law of God, and "sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4), and "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). He cannot be a Christian and knowingly break the law of God, for Christ says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15); and again, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments" (1 John 5:3). In Rev. 14: 9-11 we are told that if we keep this false sabbath,—receive the "mark" of the beast or his image,—we shall suffer the worst punishment described in the whole Bible. It reads thus:— "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." What is the Christian to do? Shall he keep the seventh or the first day of the week as the Sabbath? Shall he keep the Sabbath of the Lord and receive the reward of the saints? or shall he keep the first day of the week as the Sabbath, and suffer the awful punishment described in the foregoing scripture? As the seventh-day Sabbath is a "sign," or "mark" (Ex. 31:13), that we serve the Lord, so the first-day sabbath is a "sign," or "mark," that we serve the power that set apart that day. And that power was the Church of Rome. It has been said that the Christian can keep both days. But if he does this he is subject to the same punishment as though he kept only the spurious sabbath, for he would have the "mark" in his right hand. We must be whole-hearted Christians, for we cannot serve God and mammon. There is the case of the three Hebrews, when they would not worship the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up; also the case of Daniel when he ignored the decree of the king, that none should serve any God but him only. God showed them in a most remarkable manner that he approved of their action. He delivered them from the punishment to which their persecutors had subjected them; and so he will deliver those who are loyal to him now. "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Rom. 15:4. We find a promise made to those who keep the Sabbath, in Isa. 56:2-7, which reads thus:— "Blessed is the man . . . that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree, for thus saith the Lord unto the eunuch that keep my sabbaths, . . . even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, . . . everyone that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer." "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Is the Lord here referring to the first or the seventh day of the week? There is only one Sabbath spoken of throughout the Bible, and that is the seventh day, which the Lord blessed and sanctified; that is, he set it apart for a holy purpose. There is not a reference in the Old or New Testament to show that the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first day of the week by divine authority. The Catholic Church is the only authority for the Sunday sabbath, and when professed Protestants observe Sunday, they are that far serving the Catholic power. If we keep the Sunday and ignore the Bible Sabbath, we transgress the law of God, and therefore are under condemnation. Now Congress takes the Bible and reads the fourth commandment, which states that the seventh day (Saturday) is the Sabbath, and deliberately ignores that divine command, and says the first day (Sunday) is the Sabbath. So the Christian is in a strait. If he obeys the State in this matter, he forfeits the reward promised to the children of God; if he obeys God, he is subject to punishment by the law of the land; if he tries to obey both, he will be attempting to serve God and mammon, and that is something he cannot do, and the attempt would be hypocrisy. Does not this very fact show the injustice of Sunday laws, and that they are an infringement on the rights of conscience? Does it not show that Sunday laws, and all other religious laws, are evil, and only evil? America has forfeited that glorious title, "Free America." It has given itself over to the church power, a religious combination, and persecution must result. Peace cannot longer reign here, but religious war will be waged, as in other ages when the State joined hands with the church. The church has taken the first step in persuading Congress to close the gates of the World's Fair on Sunday, and it will not stop there. To prove this, we have these words spoken by Rev. J. D. Sands, in Pittsburg, some time ago:— "This grand, good fact [the closing of the World's Fair on Sunday] suggests to the Christian's mind that if this may be done, so may other equally needful measures. The church is gaining power continually, and its voice will be heard in the future much oftener than in the past." Yes, "its voice will be heard in the future much oftener than in the past." She has left her divine Husband, and has joined herself to the State, and all her demands will be granted by the State, no matter how unrighteous they are. They will be unholy and unrighteous, because they come from an unholy source. From henceforth the church will not receive her power and strength from the Lord, but from the State; and when the time comes that all her demands are granted, how much better will this "free America" be than was ancient Rome? There will be the same unholy deeds, the same persecution, as then; and all this in the name and under the guise of Christianity, done by professed followers of Christ. Can they be followers of Christ and persecute? Jesus says: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." Matt. 7:12. But although the church has left her Lord, yet he still calls for those who will be loyal to him, and who will use only his gospel as a means of converting sinners. This invitation is, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Rev. 18:4. There are thousands in the churches who know that this action of the church in joining hands with the unholy State is wrong. The Lord is calling them. Will they obey his voice, and come out and serve him? or will they, with the majority, serve the State, and keep its laws in the place of God's? Will they obey the command of God that "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work," or will they obey the393command of the State, that "the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday," is the Sabbath? "We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29.