THE SUNDAY BASIS | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 7, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 39.

THE SUNDAY BASIS.

This epidemic of Sunday legislation serves to show how ineffectual it all is. Sunday goes down in spite of gray-haired laws, and yet men clamor for laws to prevent the destruction of "our American sabbath." This favorite term, "American sabbath," shows how far the friends of Sunday have departed from biblical facts and principles, and how essentially weak the whole system of Sunday observance is. The public conscience is comatose, or dead, and yet men seem to think they can galvanize it into life. If there were any biblical basis for Sunday, and if its friends had spent one-half the time and money to arouse and strengthen religious conscience which they have spent to obtain help from Congress and State Legislatures, the cause of genuine Sabbath Reform would be much farther advanced than it is now.

The bottom truth is this: Religious men dare not appeal to the Bible, lest the despised "Saturday" come to the front and gain the victory. All right, brethren, go on. Call on Egypt for help. Become religious politicians. Rejoice in sharp "parliamentary practice," if it seems to give temporary advantage. Lean on "broken reeds." Build on the quicksands of political lowlands. Failure will come the sooner and be the greater. We prefer to trust the loving God and his everlasting law. We can read the fourth commandment without mental reservation or metaphysical deception. Can you?—Evangel and Sabbath Outlook.