CRIMES; SINS by G. W. Copley

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 29, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 13.

CRIMES; SINS.

By G. W. Copley

CRIMES are infractions of civil laws, or laws enacted by earthly governments.

The first object of all civil governments is to perpetuate their own existence; hence, treason is usually punishable with death. All civil laws are enacted from the standpoint of self-preservation, or selfishness; but the character of the selfishness of nations may be enlightened or stupid according to the wisdom or folly of their legislators. The legitimate function of all civil governments is to administer laws that are purely secular. God has granted to all persons certain reserved or inalienable rights. The right to think and labor and worship is God-given, and with it the State may not justly interfere. It is a misnomer to call any government civil where Church and State are united, and these inalienable rights are disregarded. Such governments are neither civil nor ecclesiastical, but mixed. Logically they are corrupt, because they have attempted the impossible, that is, to unite dissimilar, not to say antagonistic, elements.

Sins are transgressions of the moral law, the Ten Commandments. God takes cognizance of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12); the civil law can only deal with the overt act. A person may be morally corrupt at heart (and every sinner is so), and yet not be amenable to the civil law, nor molested in the least if his outward conduct is civil and orderly. But let him do an act of violence to another, and the civil law springs to life, and punishes him. Why?—Because such acts are acts of disorder and violence, and if not restrained would ultimately be subversive of all civil government.

These acts are sins as well as crimes. But here is a different case. Mr. A works in his garden on Sunday. The civil law, so called, criminates him, and casts him into jail. He has committed no sin, and yet he has to pass thirty days in an uncomfortable jail for the crime of working on Sunday, which is the first day of the week, and in no sense the Sabbath of the Lord according to the commandment. Ex. 20:8-11. All such cases ought to be thrown out of court for want of jurisdiction.

Now Sunday is a human institution; and an unwarranted jurisdiction is exercised in such cases.

Would to God the American people could be led to see what this invisible empire is doing to enthral them through these invalid Sunday laws. Had the legislators of the various States held to the true American idea of civil government, the absolute separation of religion and the State, this government would not now be entangled in the meshes of this web of deceit, which is all brought about through the attempt to enforce the observation of a spurious sabbath contrary to the express command of God.

So we see that there are crimes that are sins, and crimes that are not sins, and crimes that it would be a sin not to commit; and all this confusion in the popular mind is the result of not knowing where Cæsar's jurisdiction ends and the Lord's jurisdiction begins.

G. W. COPLEY. Healdsburg, Cal.