What the Passing of a National Sunday Law Means
By Frank Peabody
1. WHAT is the nature of any movement in favor of religious legislation? "Any movement in favor of religious legislation is really an act of concession to the Papacy, which for so many ages has steadily warred against liberty of conscience."—"Testimonies for the Church," Vol. V, pages 711, 712. 2. To what does Sunday observance owe its existence, and what will its enforcement be? "Sunday observance owes its existence as a so-called Christian institution to the 'mystery of iniquity;' and its enforcement will be a virtual recognition of the principles which are the very corner-stone of Romanism."—Id., page 712. 3. What will be the significance of the enacting of a Sunday law by our nation? "When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with popery; it will be nothing else than giving life [Rev. 13:15] to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching its opportunity to spring again into active despotism."—Ib. 4. In what will such legislation result? "If popery or its principles shall again be legislated into power, the fires of persecution will be rekindled against those who will not sacrifice conscience and the truth in deference to popular errors. This evil is on the point of realization."—Ib. 5. What will the enforcement of Sunday by law mean to our nation? "By the decree enforcing the institution of the Papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with Spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and Republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan, and that the end is near. . . . So may this apostasy be a sign to us that the limit of God's forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nation's iniquity is full, and that the angel of mercy is about to take her flight, never to return."—Id., page 451. 6. What may we expect God to do for his people and work when this is done? "When legislators shall abjure the principles of Protestantism, so as to give countenance and the right hand of fellowship to Romanism, then God will interpose in a special manner in behalf of his own honor and the salvation of his people."—Id., page 525. 7. What will be the sign of the close of probation? "God keeps a reckoning with the nations. Through every century of this world's history, evil workers have been treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath; and when the time fully comes that iniquity shall have reached the stated boundary of God's mercy, his forbearance will cease. When the accumulated figures in heaven's record books shall mark the sum of transgression complete, wrath will come, unmixed with mercy, and then it will be seen what a tremendous thing it is to have worn out the divine patience. This crisis will be reached when the nations shall unite in making void God's law."—Id., page 524.