The Sunday Movement the Central Theme
By A. O. Tait
THE enforcement of the observance of Sunday is the one object in the federation of the religious bodies upon which they all agree. In the various federation meetings and conventions it is customary for them to mention in their speeches and statements of objects and principles the subjects on which they think they can all unite and work in unison. It is to be noticed that in all these statements there is one subject upon which practically all are agreed, and that is the enforcement of "sabbath laws." It is not the plan to teach Sabbath observance from the Bible and enforce it by persuasion upon the consciences of men; but it is purposed to work the combined force and influence of the various national, state, and municipal federations to the end of securing more stringent Sunday laws where they think they need them, and to compel people by civil law to refrain from labor on Sunday. We may search the Bible from cover to cover, and we will look in vain for the precept or the admonition from the Lord that suggests the thought of enforcing any religious observance by civil law. "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." 2 Cor. 5:10, 11. Those who know of the coming judgment are to "persuade men." "I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright, the morning-star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come; he that will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22:16, 17. God's Word urges the invitation, but it compels no one. The plan of the federation is to unite in securing and enforcing so-called "civil" Sunday laws. Thousands of those engaged in the movement are without doubt sincere. They see the evil that is stalking through the land and dragging so many, especially of the young people, to ruin. And this is one of the means by which they hope to remedy it. But they are following a principle that has been proved again and again to be wrong, and to work disaster and persecution in the end. Regardless of the wrong principles that are followed, it is nevertheless a fact that there is a strong and united determination to make Sunday rest the central point in the federated movement. This Sunday rest will be secured through the influence of great numbers federating together in one body. The strong evidence that they will present will be the multitude that they are able to muster. They will exhibit the fact that they are a host of millions, and for this reason they demand what they desire. And, as they affirm, the lawmakers will grant their desires because of the overwhelming influence of their numbers. But all the time that these federating forces are gathering, there is another company of men and women, very insignificant in point of numbers, who have the firm conviction that Sunday is not the Sabbath. They see the plain and obvious teaching of the Word of God that the seventh day, or what is commonly called Saturday, is the Sabbath of Jehovah. They believe and teach that God requires the observance of the seventh day now just the same as He has always done since the creation of the world. They believe and teach that the Sunday sabbath is a man-made institution, and that it comes so far from being the Sabbath of the Lord that it is actually a rival of the divine institution. Thus is the issue set forth that is squarely joined between the two forces. On the one hand is the vast army that depends upon its numbers to enable it to win. But on the other hand is the insignificant army in so far as numbers go; this latter company depend wholly upon the power of God's truth to sustain their cause. They take the clear Word of God which says that the "seventh day is the Sabbath" of Jehovah. They take the plain promise of the commission of Christ to His disciples, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28:20. And in the belief and the consciousness of the presence of the Christ of God they go forward, humbly but boldly. They have not trained themselves to look upon the numbers that adhere to a doctrine as having any particular bearing upon either the right or the wrong, the truth or the falsity, of it. They have trained themselves to study the Word of God and to accept and act upon what it says. That Word has foreshadowed that the Sabbath question would be the central point of the last great religious controversy that will be waged in the world before the Lord comes. We can see the forces lining up for the conflict. On the one side is the vast army supported by the civil power, and depending upon the civil law and the iron arm of the civil officer; on the other side is the small company that place no trust in the weapons that are carnal, but depend wholly upon the spiritual power of God for their support. And there is a deeper meaning to all this than a mere religious controversy. It marks the final conflict that will bring the coming of the Lord in person in the clouds of heaven. Let us stand in that day, trusting in God and His power, and not in the power of men, no matter how good may be the intentions that have misguided them.
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