p. 9 | Sunday-Law Propaganda

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jun 10, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 24.

Sunday-Law Propaganda.

It is neither local nor ephemeral. It is not, however, a disease indigenous to American soil, if research and diagnosis lie within the times when the government was founded on the Declaration of Independence and the Federal Constitution. But it is fast becoming chronic in every state; and in some sections, owing to unwholesome local conditions, it is periodically epidemic.

From the view-point of either the church or the state, it is anomalous that such a thing as a Sunday law should have an existence. Setting aside the much mooted question as to whether Sunday is a holy day or not, it is an institution of a great part of the church. It is a religious institution. The churches who hold to its sacredness ought to believe that the power of God’s Gospel is behind it, as it is behind every Christian institution—the Lord’s Supper, for instance. Never has His Gospel needed the help of the civil arm. In fact, the civil arm has ever proved a curse to the church. It has led the church to look to man instead of to God; and “thus saith Jehovah: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from Jehovah. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.” “Wo to them that go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah! . . . Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit; and when Jehovah shall stretch out His hand, both he that helpeth shall stumble, and he that is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together.” These are the lessons God would teach His children in all ages.

Tho Sunday-keeping be right, and tho it be the duty of the church to teach it, it is not her duty to condemn those who do not observe it or to seek to compel them to observe it. Jesus said: “My kingdom is not of this world.” He said again: “If any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” And one of His great apostles declares: “Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are helpers of your joy; for in faith ye stand fast.” That church who turns from her Lord for power to enforce in any way religious dogmas or institutions upon men, is forsaking Christ and committing fornication with the state. And the end of that is death.

The state can not afford to admit the demand for religious legislation made by religionists under any plea whatsoever. As soon as this is done the state becomes a party in religious controversies. It must decide as to which of two parties is right. It assumes the place of God and becomes the judge of conscience. It is forced to belittle, demean, humiliate, censure, penalize, and incriminate a class of its own subjects, who may be equally good citizens and as truly Christian as those whose side the state espouses. The state which once yields to such demands begins a downward road which ends in destruction. All history has writ the warning large; it is sad to see men like Justice Brewer, of the Federal Supreme Court, and Judge Wallace, of Kansas City, Mo., carried away by such religious prejudice and pressure.

Every patriot, as he loves his country, ought to oppose Sunday-laws, or religious legislation of every kind. Every Christian should not only be ashamed to ask such a thing, but should protest against it with all his might. Agitate, agitate, to one’s content; but leave the decision between the soul and God.