THE WANING OF THE STAR OF LIBERTY.
THERE have appeared in the firmament of heaven at various times stars which for a brief period shone wonderfully bright, and then rapidly faded away into nothingness. They were more disappointing than the vanishing of the meteor; for from the rapidity of the meteor's flight it is not expected to shine long, and the deeper darkness which follows its momentary brightness is expected, therefore, not disappointing. But when a new lamp is lighted among the bright chandeliers of heaven and burns steadily awhile with perhaps growing glory, it is disappointing indeed to the observer to find it fading away. One hundred and sixteen years ago a new star appeared in the firmament of nations. It was ushered in with a light that dazed the half-blinded nations of the Old World, which saw in it an evil omen betokening the destruction of the forged chains and fetters which they had bound upon men. Those who longed for human freedom could read in the light of that glorious star the legends, "EQUALITY OF MAN," and "Freedom of Conscience," and in those brightly emblazoned legends dying souls gathered new hope. To throw off the figure, that star was this nation, and the legends are those of civil liberty which it emblazoned forth to the world in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution of the United States. The first document declares that "all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The second document declares that Congress—the law-making power—"shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Coupled with this is the clause that Congress shall have no power to abridge the freedom of speech and the liberty of the press. And liberty-loving souls, oppressed by grievous laws in the Old World, grew glad as they heard of the land beyond the sea toward the sunset. And, leaving home and country—driven out from home and country—they flocked to these shores, braved inhospitable climate, unknown dangers, and hostile savages, and yet were happy and joyous in the newfound freedom. France drove out the Huguenots, and has reaped in consequence a harvest of infidelity and worse. From England and Germany came Puritans, Baptists, and Quakers, not all with just ideas of liberty, but out of all came the freest form of government the world ever knew, and which assured equal rights and liberty to all. In no country of the world have religion, arts, and science flourished as here during the period of this nation's existence; yet in no other country of the world has religion met the free opposition that it has here from both pulpit and press. Yet the churches which have grown strong under a government which has allowed them the most perfect freedom, and has never sought to restrain religious discussion or force the conscience, are now manipulating the government to compel observance to the institutions of so-called Christianity which they hold in common. Their influence has unitedly been brought to bear upon every branch of our government, and every branch of our government has yielded to that influence. We do not mean religious influence. Would to God that those in responsible positions in all branches of the government would yield to the influences of genuine Christianity. But the influence of which we speak is an influence foreign to the spirit and genius of Christianity. Jesus said that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), but those who profess to be his followers take the matter into their own hands and declare that Christ shall be king of this nation, and that his reign shall be ushered in through "the gateway of politics." It is in the matter of politics that this church influence has been brought to bear. Note the following:— 1. On February 29, 1892, the Supreme Court of the United States decided that "this is a Christian nation," and in that decision290justified the union of Church and State, with all its logical results. The Constitution declares that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion; but the Supreme Court declares that this declaration of the Constitution is in perfect harmony with a union of Church and State. Thus by a judge-made law the Constitution, designed by our fathers to forever preserve the people of this nation from religious tyranny, is swept away by this unwarranted and judge-made proviso. 2. Last July, in harmony with the decision of the Supreme Court, Congress did, what Congress unanimously refused to do sixty years ago, committed itself fully to religious legislation and yielded to the demands of the churches in closing the World's Fair on Sunday. The Supreme Court declares this to be a 'Christian nation.' The churches declare the Sunday to be a Christian institution. Congress, therefore, establishes Sunday by law, and thereby establishes the Christian religion. 3. The President makes valid the law by his signature. Thus have all three branches of the government,—the judicial, the legislative, and the executive,—committed themselves to religious legislation, and so formed an image to the papal beast. We know, as well as everyone else knows who is not blinded by error or prejudice, that this nation is not Christian; the treaty with Tripoli, signed by Washington, declares that in no sense is this government founded on the Christian religion; one-fifth of its population, it is safe to say, are not Bible believers in Christ, but the Supreme Court has decided the nation Christian, and so it will stand in law, though false in fact. Of course we know, and so does every intelligent reader of God's word know, who is not blinded by error or prejudice, that Sunday is not the Sabbath nor a Christian institution; but it has been so decided by the great religious bodies, and indorsed by the government, and so it stands in national law, though false in fact. The very truth of Christianity, which teaches the utter separation of Church and State, has been rejected in this decision of the Supreme Court, in this action by Congress; and in rejecting the truth of Christ, Christ himself, who is the Truth, is also rejected. And those who have influenced the government to do these things are ready to cry, 'Infidelity,' 'Anarchy,' 'Treason' against the manly voices which protest in the name of Christ against the coming tyranny. These are the first steps, the beginning of the mighty torrent of religious legislation and persecution soon to follow, so graphically portrayed in Revelation 13. But not these blows alone have been struck at liberty. The Supreme Court of the United States on February 1 rendered a decision (see SIGNS OF THE TIMES of February 18, current volume) which lays the foundation for the prohibition of every protest against the wickedness of the steps in religious legislation which Congress has taken. The 'freedom of speech' remains, but the great religious teachers are demanding that there shall be a limitation to the discussion of religious questions; that Christianity—their pseudo Christianity—shall not be spoken against. The above is a brief statement of where this nation now stands, of the waning of the star of liberty. And just as a distant star may die, and its light, which has left it some time before, still reaches the eye, so that the observer supposes it to be shining still, so some still suppose that the star of liberty still burns and shines with its wonted radiance. Let us beseech them to solace themselves no longer in this vain delusion. Liberty of conscience respecting religious observances is waiting under death warrant its final execution. Do not solace yourself, reader, that all these utterances of Court and Congress amount to nothing; for they are pregnant with mighty and evil results, waiting only the convenient times of the near future for the deliverance of the evil brood of persecuting decrees against those in whom is enough of true manliness and loyalty to Christ to refuse to cease to protest, or become hypocrites. The strides now being taken in these very things are mightier than the apostate church ever knew in the early centuries of the Christian era. 'Why do these men in high positions do these things?' it is asked. Let Jesus reply: 'And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.' If they knew Christ or his gospel they would never dare do it. Against it all God gives the solemn warning of Rev. 14:9, 10: '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;' while the same loving voice presents the antidote of all the evil in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, Rev. 14:6, 7. Reader, where do you stand?