ACCUSED of TREASON by Charles S. Longacre

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 9, 1916

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 43, No. 19.

ACCUSED of TREASON

By Charles S. Longacre

THE CHARGE BROUGHT AGAINST THE DEFENDERS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY BY THE ADVOCATES OF COMPULSORY RELIGION

By CHARLES S. LONGACRE

THE Bible contains many remarkable prophecies concerning earthly kingdoms and nations forming alliances with religious organizations for the purpose of trampling "the truth" "underfoot," and crushing "the saints of the Most High." The books of Daniel and the Revelation abound with such prophecies.

AMERICA POINTED OUT IN PROPHECY

In the thirteenth chapter of Revelation, a prophecy is recorded which, according to all Protestant Bible commentators, gives a striking prophetic outline history of the papal power. It tells of its rise, its persecuting reign for twelve centuries, the "deadly wound" that it received, and how this "deadly wound was healed."

It also tells of "another beast," or earthly power, which was to arise and exercise "all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast [the papal power], whose deadly wound was healed; . . . saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live."

This new nation, which was to arise at the time the papal power went "into captivity," was evidently the United States. It was the only nation that was "coming up out of the earth . . . like a lamb"—the symbolism of Christian principles—at the time the papal power was politically "killed with the sword," and its representative head led "into captivity."

The United States government was to "make an image to the beast," or papal power. An image is a likeness, or facsimile. What was the papacy?—It was a union of church and state, setting aside the true worship of God, and making "war with the saints," "to overcome them." Accordingly, we must look in these United States for a coalition between the religious organizations and the civil power, if we are to have a reproduction, or likeness, of the papal power.

WILL ISSUE A DEATH DECREE

The Bible foretells the rise of a religious power in the United States which will decree the death of all who refuse to do it homage. In unmistakable language, John the revelator thus described this power:

"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak [enact laws], and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." Rev. 13: 15.

Just before the end of all earthly scenes, the nations of the earth are to combine their forces, and "make war with the remnant" of God's people, "which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus." Rev. 12: 17. Since it is evident that we are living "in the last days," we ought to be able to see some indications of religious organizations combining in the United States for the purpose of controlling the state and punishing so-called heretics with death.

Such a religious organization has arisen, declaring that Seventh-day Adventists, who have opposed its schemes in behalf of religious legislation—especially Sunday laws—are traitors and worthy of the death sentence.

DEFENDERS OF LIBERTY ACCUSED OF TREASON

In the October (1915) issue of the Christian Statesman, the promoters of the Liberty magazine were declared to be guilty of "treason" against the government, because they dissented from the ideas of the National Reformers, and from their schemes to establish "a national religion" in the American republic. A person who is guilty of treason against the government merits the death penalty.

Accused of Treason

What we have predicted time and again is now beginning to be made manifest; namely, that the time would come in the United States, according to the prophecy in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation, that the advocates of a compulsory religion would endeavor to invoke the death penalty upon all dissenters and nonconformists.

The Christian Statesman, official organ of the National Reform Association, whose object is to establish a “legal and national religion” in America, hurls its anathema against Seventh-day Adventists, and particularly against the promoters of the Liberty magazine, in the following threatening charge of “treason” against the government:

“It is necessary either to silence the guns of the enemy or to render their fire harmless. . . . If we cannot silence this battery of the enemy, it surely should not be allowed to do harm to our historic institutions. . . .”

“Whenever any one’s theory of liberty leads to the invasion of the liberty of others, it is fallacious. Whenever it invades the right of the nation itself, it is doubly fallacious. Opposition to Sabbath laws does invade those rights. But when it would uproot the fundamental principle of government—that nations sustain relations to God and His law—it is treason.”

A STORM OF INTOLERANCE BREWING

This shows clearly that if the National Reform Association ever succeeds in getting its policies incorporated into law, it will reinstate the gibbet, the rack, and the stake for all dissenters and nonconformists, and deny the right of free speech, free press, and of petition for redress of grievances. Every protest sent to the governmental authorities concerning an oppressive religious statute would be regarded as an act of treason against the state and of heresy against the established religion. The death sentence would be quickly invoked upon all dissenters, in order “to silence the guns of the enemy or to render their fire harmless.”

It will be a sad day indeed for all nonconformists when the church again wields the civil scepter, to coerce the consciences of men and enforce religion by law. Unless present tendencies are checked, we will soon see the dawn of that awful day, and the fulfillment of Rev. 13: 15. May God hold back the storm of intolerance and tyranny a little longer, until His truth has been proclaimed throughout the earth.