Encroachments on Freedom
By K. C. Russell
A Dangerous Belief—A Growing Danger
THERE is a dangerous sentiment taking possession of the minds of the great mass of the people at the present time, to the effect that there is no danger of the repetition of the history prior to the Reformation; and the person who ventures to question such a view of the situation is at once regarded as pessimistic. I maintain that the true optimist is not the man who is crying peace and safety in the face of inevitable danger and peril; but he is a true optimist who warns against the present dangers, and shows the people the true condition, and the glorious outcome to those who heed the warning. The Papacy has quietly and surely been gaining great influence and prestige in this country. Many professed Protestants have become charmed by her influence, and think that she is being won over to the principles against which they originally protested in the sixteenth century. This presentation of the matter is not surprising to the student of Bible prophecy, for the Word of God has faithfully outlined the progressive steps and the final outcome so that all who will may know. In the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, the Lord has clearly portrayed the whole career of the last great apostasy from the pure principles which came to us as the result of the Reformation. In Rev. 13:14 we are told that the two-horned beast is to make an image to the beast; and all who are familiar with the Papacy will readily appreciate that this would involve the formation of a union of church and state by the power represented by the two-horned beast, which symbol can be unmistakably demonstrated to apply to the United States of America. Should there be any lingering doubt in the mind of any as to whether this symbol refers to this Government, it can be easily proved, when it is considered that this is the only nation that could make an image to the beast (the Papacy), for no nation at the time of its rise existed which did not possess a union of church and state. It will therefore be readily seen from this that this Government is the only one that could make an image to the beast. This union of church and state, or image, has been in process of development for many years. It has been seen in the action of various religious organizations seeking to bring about so-called needed reforms. The National Reform Association, which is composed of leading ministers of all denominations, with various religious organizations as its allies, has been working strenuously to place all the "Christian laws, institutions, and usages of our Government on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of the land." Repeated attempts have been made, from time to time, to have Congress enact a national Sunday law. Their work was given great prestige by the Supreme Court decision of Feb. 2, 1892, in which it was declared by Justice Brewer that "this is a Christian nation." This decision has been repeatedly referred to by those who are the chief promoters of Sunday laws as a document which embraces all they have desired. It was argued by Congress concerning the question of the closing of the World's Fair on Sunday in 1892, that one of the chief reasons for this action was the fact that this was a Christian nation, and hence, the Sabbath being a Christian institution, it was proper to enforce it. Justice Harlan, of the Supreme Court, at Winona Lake, Ind., May 20, 1905, indicated very plainly that the Supreme Court of the United States would stand for Sunday legislation. Forty-five states out of the forty-six in the Union have Sunday laws. Catholics and Protestants
Sunday legislation is the one great question upon which Protestants and Roman Catholics are united in bringing pressure to bear upon state legislators and congressmen. It is only natural for the Roman Catholic Church to do so, for she claims Sunday as the badge or mark of her authority (See "Catholic Christian Instructed," page 200): "Ques.—What reason have you for keeping the Sunday preferable to the ancient Sabbath, which was Saturday? Ans.—We have for it the authority of the Catholic Church and apostolic tradition. "Ques.—Have you any other way of proving that the church has power to institute festivals of precept? Ans.—Had she not such power she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her;—she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority." Again, in "Plain Talk About the Protestantism of To-day," we read: "The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the church." It will also be interesting to note in this connection a few statements from Protestants on this point: "This day [Sunday] is not apart for divine worship and preparation for another life. It is a test of all religion."—Dr. W. W. Everett, in Elgin Sunday Convention. "The sabbath [Sunday] is the corner-stone of Christ's kingdom. Let us recognize each recurring sabbath [Sunday] as a sign of God's covenant. By this sign the world largely judges the depth of our Christian character, and by this sign God judges us."—Mrs. J. C. Bateham, "Sabbath Leaflet" No. 35. From this it will be easily understood what the mark of the beast (the Sunday institution enforced by law) is, against the reception of which the most terrible judgments of the Bible are pronounced, which are as follows: "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Rev. 14:9-11.5It will be interesting to observe that Protestants, in exalting Sunday, the false sabbath, and enforcing the same by civil enactments, are striking at the very foundations of Protestantism and all that the Reformation stood for. The two great cardinal and fundamental points against which the celebrated Protest of 1529 was aimed, are: first, adopting tradition in the place of the pure Word of God, the Bible; and, secondly, against civil authority interfering with the free exercise of one's religious rights. Their seeking the power of the state to uphold a religious institution like Sunday, is a subversion of the principles of Protestantism. In order that the reader may see that this is not a fanciful presentation of the situation, and to show that persecution will be the ultimate outcome of all this controversy in departing from the true principles of Protestantism, I will herewith append an item of modern history. Since 1878, among Seventh-day Adventists, under Sunday laws, in not less than seventeen different states and territories of the Union, there has been an aggregate of about 150 arrests. The total fines and costs of the cases amount to about $2,500; the number of days served in prison, about 1,500; in chain-gangs, 445. As the result of these hardships endured, and confinements, the death of two men was hastened, and several have not recovered from the effect of bad food and ill-treatment. Many other things in state and nation indicate a departure from the principles which came to us as the result of the Reformation. A great mass of evidence open to all, which might be produced, ought to convince the most incredulous that the principles of the Reformation have been wofully subverted. May the Lord hasten the time when every true Protestant will arouse himself to the alarming situation, and hasten to give the warning against the beast, the image, and the reception of his mark. "VICTORY OVER THE BEAST, and OVER HIS IMAGE, and OVER HIS MARK, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee: for Thy judgments are made manifest." Rev. 15: 2-4.