"IN THE STOCKS" FOR CONSCIENCE' SAKE.
Religious Persecution in New South Wales. MONDAY afternoon, May 7, in the year of our Lord 1894, there flashed over the telegraph wires of the Australian colonies the following piece of intelligence:— SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS IN THE STOCKS.
SYDNEY, Monday.
At the Parramatta police court to-day Wm. and Henry Firth, Seventh-day Adventists, of Kellyville, were charged with exercising their worldly labors on the Sabbath day. The defendants pleaded justification, owing to their religious convictions. They were fined under statute 29 of the reign of Charles II., and were ordered to forfeit the sum of 5s., levy and distress; in default, to be set publicly in the stocks for two hours.—Melbourne Age, May 8, 1894. Harry and William Firth are brothers, living about eight miles from Parramatta. Several years ago they came from England to Australia; to establish homes and spend the remainder of their lives in this country. After looking about for a short time, they decided to engage in farming and fruit culture. They selected a block of land in the country near Parramatta, cleared the timber off, broke up the soil, and placed the whole of the block under active cultivation. They have worked hard, and have been rewarded with a reasonable degree of success. Their fruit farm, of oranges, lemons, apples, passion fruit, etc., is a model of neatness and industry. Until recently these men have had no particular interest in religion. In fact, they were rather skeptical as to the divine origin of the Scriptures. A little more than a year ago their attention was called in a special manner to the importance of Christianity, and they began to study the Bible with much care. This study resulted in a marked change in their views and lives. The Bible became to them an inspired book, and they gave their hearts to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of men. As they examined the claims of God upon men, they became profoundly convinced that the seventh day of the week is still the Sabbath of the Lord. They were led to see that Christ, the Creator, rested on the seventh day533at the close of creation, and that the fourth commandment of the Decalogue says: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work," etc. Ex. 20:8-10. This commandment they believe is still binding, and it is read and taught in the various churches of the land. Believing this, they began to religiously observe the seventh day of the week; and, having rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment, they pursued their ordinary work on the first day. It was for this offense that they were arrested and fined. The statute under which these men were fined was enacted in the twenty-ninth year of the reign of Charles II. It reads as follows:— AN ACT FOR THE BETTER OBSERVATION OF THE LORD'S DAY, COMMONLY CALLED SUNDAY.—29th CHARLES II., 1677.
. . . And that all and every person and persons whatsoever shall, on every Lord's day, apply themselves thereon in the duties of piety and true religion publically and privately, and that noe tradesman, artificer, workman, labourer, or other persons whatsoever shall soe or exercise any wourldly labour, business, or worke of their ordinary callings upon the Lord's day or any part thereof (workes of necessity and charity only excepted). And that every person being of the age of fourteen years or upwards offending in the premises shall for every such offense forfeit the sum of 5s., and that no person or persons whatsoever shall publically cry, show or expose to sale any wares, merchandise, fruit, herbs, goods, or chattalls whatsoever upon the Lord's day or any part thereof upon paine that every person so offending shall forfeit the same goods so cried or showed forth or exposed for sale. This is a curious law to be revived and enforced in this country. It not only prohibits labor; it enjoins religious worship. It commands "that all and every person and persons whatsoever shall, on every Lord's day, apply themselves thereon in the duties of piety and true religion PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY." Thus it appears that those who have dragged the Firth brothers into court and caused them to be fined have only touched the fringe of the matter. They are "partial in the law." To carry out the work properly, that is, according to the letter of the Act, they must set the police on the track of the whole non-religious class of the colony. Every person whatsoever shall, on the Lord's day, apply himself to the duties of piety and true religion, publicly and privately. First, it must be authoritatively declared what the "true religion" is, whether Jewish, Catholic, or Protestant. In the next place, the proper duties of piety and true religion must be defined. And then the police force must be greatly augmented in order to watch the indifferent and irreligious, and drive them to church or drag them to court for punishment. That is what the Act requires, and that is what must be done now that it has been revived. It will not do to single out the smallest part of the Act, and seek to enforce that alone. But why has this old law been revived? Why have the Firth brothers been fined for working on Sunday? Are they the only men in the colony who have violated that law? What about the running of railway trains, trams, buses, cabs, etc.? It is well known that hundreds of people, both in the towns and in the country of New South Wales, engage in various kinds of labor on Sunday. Many of the farmers who live near the Firth brothers plow, hoe, pick fruit, etc., on the first day, at any time they choose to do so. They and the Firths have done this without molestation for years. Again we ask, Why are the Firths singled out from the thousands of Sunday workers, and fined, and, if they have not enough property to pay their fines, ordered to be set publicly in the stocks? We believe that the whole thing is a piece of religious intolerance. It is not because they have worked on Sunday. It is because they rested on the seventh day, the Sabbath enjoined by the fourth commandment. If this is not the true explanation, why were they not arrested before they began to keep the seventh day? And why were not their neighbors, who work on Sunday, but do not rest on the seventh day, arrested with them? The whole thing is malicious and wicked. The Firth brothers are temperate, industrious, honorable Christian men. They pay their debts, attend to their business, and worship God in sincerity and truth. They conscientiously and religiously observe the seventh day, and pursue their business quietly and inoffensively on their farm on the other six days. All this is their inalienable right. But there are some who would rob them of these rights. They would invade the sacred precincts of their conscience, and seek to compel them by unjust laws to live according to the conscience of another. This prosecution is contrary to the spirit of the free institutions of this country. It is contrary to the will of our sovereign, the queen. It is not her wish that any of her subjects in any part of her dominions should be molested in the exercise of their religion, nor deprived of their natural rights. We commend to those who are behind this wicked work a careful reading of THE CHARTER OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY;
AS ASSURED BY HER MAJESTY'S ROYAL PROCLAMATION OF 1858.
PROCLAMATION: Firmly relying ourselves on the truth of Christianity, and acknowledging with gratitude the solace of religion, we disclaim alike the right and the desire to impose our convictions on any of our subjects. We declare it to be our royal will and pleasure that none be in anywise favored, none molested, or disquieted, by reason of their religious faith or observance, but that all shall alike enjoy the equal and impartial protection of the law; and we do strictly charge and enjoin all those who may be in authority under us that they abstain from all interference with the religious belief or worship of any of our subjects, on pain of our highest displeasure.—Cassell's History of England, vol. 8, chap. 52, p. 513. This proclamation breathes the spirit of true liberty. Her majesty disclaims either the desire or the right to impose her religious convictions on any of her subjects. She declares it to be her royal will and pleasure that none be favored, none molested, by reason of their religious faith or observance, but that all shall enjoy alike the equal and impartial protection of the law. We make no plea for liberty to trespass upon the rights of one of our fellows, but we do ask for the liberty to exercise the rights conferred upon us by our Creator. This liberty the State is in duty bound to insure to the weakest of its subjects.—A. G. D., in Bible Echo.