p. 7 | Equal Rights by E. F. Johnstone

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 28, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 47.

Equal Rights

By E. F. Johnstone

Believe or doubt, be saved or damned, take or reject the light, Worship what, when, and where you will, you have a perfect right. The infidel, my Christian friend, has rights as well as you; And so has the Mohammedan; so also has the Jew.

Conscience is free in this fair land; and he who lifts a voice To worship God or God deny, proclaims his right of choice. This right is sacred, and the Lord Himself declares it so. Then what is man, that he against the Word of God should go—

To build the thumbscrew and the rack and persecution's fire, To make a man a hypocrite, a martyr, or a liar— To make him praise, or claim to praise, against his own conviction? My friend, this matter is beyond all human jurisdiction.

"Choose ye this day whom ye will serve"—yea, choose the good or evil; 'Tis ever man's God-given right, tho he may serve the devil. Tho Heaven's love may fail to win a man from sin's dominion, Jehovah never uses force to change a man's opinion.

The history of the world declares religious legislation, Wherever found, has been a curse to every tribe and nation; And yet to-day the bigot would be conscience for his brother, And by a civil law would force his views upon another.

God's day of rest, His Sabbath day, the seventh from creation, Some men religiously observe with praise and adoration; Some men observe another day, if not by God directed, In either case, men's equal rights should ever be respected.

Render to Cæsar what is his, and to Jehovah render What He requires at thy hand, with conscience clean and tender. Thus taught the Master when on earth, the same to-day and ever— Use the compelling power of love, but use coercion never.