p. 7 | THE ONLY EQUAL LAW

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 23, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 12.

THE ONLY EQUAL LAW.

THAT is a true saying of the Examiner (Baptist) that, “It is a just principle of jurisprudence that all laws relating to the rights and liberties of the citizen shall apply equally to all members of the community.” The principle applied would rule out a great mass of so-called civil law. It would do away with all manner of human laws for the establishment of religion. On that principle, no law commanding the observance of Sunday, or any other religious institution, could find place on any statute-book.

There is one law, however, that is based on the principle enunciated by the Examiner, and that is the law of God. It is a “holy” law, and “just, and good.” Rom. 7: 12. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Ps. 19: 7. No human power can devise a perfectly equal and just law that will “apply equally to all members of the community.” Everything that man does is imperfect; therefore he is incompetent to make laws for the regulation of matters pertaining to the conscience.

It is only because men refuse to obey the law of God that human law finds any legitimate place at all. During the rule of sin in this probationary period, even imperfect law regulating temporal affairs is better than chaos; hence, for the time being, civil government is ordained of God. But the line of jurisdiction is drawn at the realm of conscience. No imperfect legislation must be tolerated there. And all of man’s efforts to invade the forbidden realm with his imperfect rule have proven disastrous to liberty, to equality, to justice, and to righteousness. God’s ways are equal, man’s ways are unequal.

We may endure the imperfect rule of man for a time in temporal matters, but God says, “Son, give Me thine heart.” There man can not rule; either the love of sin or the love of God is supreme. In the natural mind sin has dominion, and man is powerless to prescribe a remedy. “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” Ps. 146: 3. “Come unto Me,” says Christ, “all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11: 28. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Ch. 22: 37); and in the heart that is fully yielded to God He writes His law (Jer. 31: 33).