The Era of Religious Legislation Followed by the Dark Ages
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ANCIENT Israel furnishes the only example of a true theocracy in the history of the world. The Lord Himself ruled the nation, directing in all the affairs of government. The laws were of divine origin, and judgment was executed under God's direction.
Jehovah being infinite in wisdom, and infallible in judgment, all will concede that a government under His direct supervision would be ideal. But Israel became dissatisfied with the Lord as ruler, and wanted to take the government into their own hands. They clamored for a king to rule over them, and the request was finally granted, after they had been warned of the results of their evil course.
All went well so long as their king obeyed the Lord; but when he began to walk in his own ways, and listen to the voice of the people instead of the voice of God, Israel was led into no end of trouble.
He Separated Church from State
WHEN the Lord was no longer permitted to have full control of all the affairs of government, He did the only thing He could do under the circumstances — made a separation of church and state; for He alone can rule the two together. Since a king was given to rule ancient Israel, there has never been a true theocracy on earth, and there never can be one so long as sin abounds and present conditions prevail.
As civil governments have become corrupt, so-called "reformers" have from time to time endeavored to reform them by uniting church and state, having the church dictate the rules to govern the state, and the state enforce the dogmas of the church. Such a union, made and controlled by man, is a false theocracy, and has always proved disastrous to both the church and the state.
The Most Notable in History
THE most notable example in history of the results of a false theocracy is found in Rome. When increasing wealth, pleasure, and idleness, and other elements of national destruction, were causing the rapid decline of the iron monarchy of Rome, certain "reformers," aware of the corrupt condition of the civil government, and realizing that the Christian religion is the only power that can truly reform, began to urge that the two be united, and that Christianity be enforced upon the citizens of the state.
The results of such a scheme would not have been so bad had the church been in the condition it was in immediately following Pentecost, when the members were all filled with and led by the Holy Spirit. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, the church does not need, and has never called for, the power of civil enactments. When a church clamors for state laws to enforce a religious duty, that is an acknowledgment of a loss of the greatest reforming agency in the universe, the power of the Holy Spirit.
Not long after Pentecost, there came a "falling away," and the early church lost both the Holy Spirit and its "first love," without which the Christian religion is powerless to reform the human heart.
It was this Spiritless, backslidden church that began to seek the power of the state to enforce her man-made creeds, and with which it was planned to reform the government by uniting the two. A backslidden church united with a corrupt state is a bad combination, and the offspring of such a union has always been persecution.
A Sunday Law in the Lead
THE first religious law enacted under this false theocracy was a Sunday law, or a one-day-of-rest-in-seven act. This law was made by the emperor Constantine, A. D. 321, for the protection of Sunday as a day of worship. It was mild in character, containing exemption clauses for certain classes; but it gave these "reformers" a thirst for political power, and more stringent laws quickly followed. All places of business and pleasure were closed on Sunday, and there was no stopping place until every doctrine of the established church was legislated into law and enforced by the state.
The result was not a reformation, but the Dark Ages, during which Europe's soil was drenched with the blood of a hundred million martyrs. And all because of an attempt to "reform" the state and to protect religious institutions and enforce religious duties by civil law.
History repeats itself. Patrick Henry said, "I know of no way to judge the future but by the past." The history and results of religious legislation were repeated in the early days of this country, when the Baptists and the Quakers were persecuted because they were in the minority, and could not see their way clear to fall in with the majority and worship God contrary to the dictates of conscience. Most of these religious laws were for the protection of Sunday as a day of worship, and these one-day-of-rest-in-seven acts became so stringent that all the people were compelled to attend church and pay tithe, whether church members or not. Even the death sentence was imposed upon violators. The stocks and the whipping posts were in front of the churches.
Good Religion Can Care for Itself
THE examples of the past should serve as fearful warnings to American citizens, and especially to National Reformers, who, recognizing the condition of the state, are endeavoring to bring about a sweeping reformation by a union of church and state. But even though it were God's plan to form a theocracy, is the church to-day in a condition to reform the state by such a union? Are the majority of its members filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit? If they were, they would not be clamoring for civil legislation to protect their religious institutions. Franklin said: "When a religion is good, it will take care of itself; when it is not able to take care of itself, and God does not see fit to take care of it, so that it has to appeal to the civil power for support, it is evidence to my mind that its cause is a bad one."
If the schemes of the National Reformers are carried out, another false theocracy will be formed, as dangerous as the ones in Rome and in the early days of this country, and religious legislation will be carried to the same bitter end.
Persecuting Threats
THE Rev. M. A. Galt, at one time a prominent National Reform worker, stated the purpose of the organization in the following: "Our remedy for all these malefic influences is to have the government simply set up the moral law, and recognize God's authority behind it, and lay its hands on any religion that does not conform to it."
Dr. David McAllister, one of the presidents of the National Reform Association, said: “Those who oppose this work now, will discover, when the religious amendment is made to the constitution, that if they do not see fit to fall in with the majority, they must abide the consequences, or seek some more congenial clime.” This is exactly what was done in Rome and during colonial days. Do we want their history repeated?9All over this country, men are demanding of Congress and state legislatures laws for the protection of Sunday as a religious institution. Exemption clauses and deceptive titles fail to disguise the fact that these are religious measures, designed to protect and enforce religious dogmas, and are un-American, uncivil, unconstitutional, unchristian.
The citizens of Oregon who understand the danger of religious laws will on November 7 vote to repeal the only Sunday law on the statute books, and place Oregon in harmony with the state and national constitutions, which guarantee not merely toleration, but absolute religious liberty, to its citizens.
