CÆSAR AND THE SABBATH

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 23, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 50.

CÆSAR AND THE SABBATH.

JESUS said, "Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's; and to God the things that are God's." Matters civil, relating to man's duty to his fellow-men and to the State, Cæsar, or civil governments, may regulate. With matters which lie between the soul and God, civil governments have naught to do; nor have they aught to do with duties which God has prescribed between man and man. God's prescriptions are spiritual, and civil governments cannot enforce a spiritual law, nor have they any right even to attempt it. They may forbid murder, theft, adultery, and the injury of the reputation of their citizens. But they do not do this because God so commands, nor as being in God's place, but because such laws are in the very nature of things an absolute necessity to the safety of the State and the protection of its subjects. These laws would be a necessity in a government of infidels or Mohammedans.

But the observance of the Sabbath is a duty which man owes to God. It bears his "image and superscription." The word says that it is "holiness to the Lord," and the command is, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." But no civil power can compel man to keep holy anything, for holiness pertains to motives. What utter folly it is, then, for an earthly government to attempt to enforce the commands of God. It cannot be done, and to attempt it will inevitably result in bringing contempt upon, and weakness to, the government, persecution upon the sincerest souls who oppose such unholy attempt, and insult to God.