Earlier text: Look and LiveThe True Principle Stated
It was not until 1776, that a place was found among the civilized governments of earth where Church and State both stood where God designed they should stand, each in its own sphere. This was in the Federal Government of the United States. That glorious principle of liberty was emblazoned on the very front of the crest of the republic, in the immortal Declaration of Independence, and in the first amendment to the Constitution. On the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States was placed this inscription, "Novus Ordo Seclorum," meaning— This new order was especially manifest in these two ideas: Government is of the people; and government is, if right, absolutely separate from religion. George Bancroft, the great historian, remarks as follows on these guarantees of religious liberty: “The Constitution establishes nothing that INTERFERES with EQUALITY and INDIVIDUALITY. It knows nothing of differences by descent, or opinions, of favored classes, or legalized religion, or the political power of property. It leaves the individual alongside of the individual. . . . Religion was become avowedly the attribute of man and not of a corporation. . . . VINDICATING THE RIGHT OF INDIVIDUALITY EVEN IN RELIGION, and in RELIGION ABOVE ALL, the new nation dared to set the example of accepting in its relations to God THE PRINCIPLE FIRST DIVINELY ORDAINED IN JUDEA. It left the management of temporal things to the temporal power; but the American Constitution, in harmony with the people of the several States, withheld from the Federal Government the power to invade the home of reason, the citadel of conscience, the sanctuary of the soul; and not from indifference, but that the infinite Spirit of eternal truth might move in its freedom and purity and power.” —History of the Constitution, book 5, chapter 1. Under these guarantees of equity and liberty, during the succeeding century, both Government and genuine religion have prospered as under no other government. NO COERCION FOR OPINION
By John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill, “On Liberty” Let us suppose that the government is entirely at one with the people, and never thinks of exerting any power of coercion unless in agreement with what it conceives to be their voice. But I deny the right of the people to exercise such coercion, either by themselves or by their government. THE POWER ITSELF IS ILLEGITIMATE. The best government has no more title to it than the worst. It is as noxious, or more noxious, when exerted in accordance with public opinion, than when in opposition to it. If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and ONLY ONE PERSON were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. Priests and Priests
By John Greenleaf Whittier
From Whittier's "Curse of the Charter Breakers" Now, too oft the priesthood wait
At the threshold of the State,—
Waiting for the beck and nod
Of its power as law and God. Tell me not that this must be:
God's true priest is always free;
Free, the needed truth to speak,
Right the wronged, and raise the weak. Not to fawn on wealth and state,
Leaving Lazarus at the gate,—
Not to peddle creeds like wares,—
Not to mutter hireling prayers,— Not for words and works like these,
Priest of God, thy mission is;
But to make earth's desert glad,
In its Eden greenness clad; God's interpreter art thou,
To the waiting ones below;
'Twixt them and its light midway
Heralding the better day,— Catching gleams of temple spires,
Hearing notes of angel choirs,
Where, as yet unseen of them,
Comes the New Jerusalem! Is God Unjust?
By Leslie Littell
THE following parable will serve to show that God would be unjust if He made one Sabbath for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. A certain Jew, living before the cross, died and was buried. And a certain Gentile, who lived this side the cross, died also. In the due course of time they met in the lake of fire; and as they saw the flames rolling up on every side, the Gentile said to the Jew, “How does it happen that you are here?” The Jew, answering, said, “I did not keep the seventh-day Sabbath, which the Lord our God commanded us to keep.” “Strange,” says the Gentile; “I am here because I did keep the seventh-day Sabbath, but did not keep the first day. What kind of god have we, anyway? He burns you up because you didn’t keep it, and, in the same lake of fire, burns me up because I did keep it.” LESLIE LITTELL. Cooperation in Salvation
By Ellen G. White
In the heavenly councils it has been decided by what means and methods the grace of Christ shall prove effectual in saving the soul. And it is clear that unless the sinner consents to be drawn, unless he will cooperate with divine agencies, the end will not be attained. The work to be done is a united work. The divine and the human are to work together, and the sinner is to depend upon grace, while rendering willing obedience to the dictates of the Spirit of God. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”—Mrs. E. G. White. Obligation to God
By Daniel Webster
THE most fruitful and elevating influence I have ever seemed to meet has been my impression of obligation to God. FALSE BASIS OF RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION
United States Senate Report on Sunday Mails, 1829
AMONG ALL THE RELIGIOUS PERSECUTIONS WITH WHICH ALMOST EVERY PAGE OF MODERN HISTORY IS STAINED, NO VICTIM EVER SUFFERED BUT FOR THE VIOLATION OF WHAT GOVERNMENT DENOMINATED THE LAW OF GOD. To prevent a similar train of evils in this country, the Constitution has wisely withheld from our Government the power of defining the divine law. It is a right reserved to each citizen; and while he respects the rights of others, he can not be held amenable to any human tribunal for his conclusions. The Real Object of Sunday Closing
By Editor
Do not be deceived. There are some persons who believe in Sunday closing as a temperance measure, but that is not the real object. The real object of the Sunday-closing movement is a full-fledged Sunday law. This we state not on our opinion, but on the positive declaration of those prominent in the movement. Sunday is considered, whether rightly or wrongly makes no difference, a "Christian" institution. To establish Sunday by law is, therefore, to establish an institution of the Christian religion, that which is put forward as "the mark of the Christian religion." And that is to establish the Christian religion to that extent by law. But to establish the Christian religion by law at the demands of the church is to establish a union of Church and State, it matters not whether the church is one denomination or many under one head. A union of Church and State means ruin to the church and the State so united. It has always meant this and has always accomplished it. It ruined Rome; it will ruin America; and the greatest sufferers in sin and pride and eternal ruin will be those who seem to triumph in it. It is to save our fellow men, one and all, Christian and infidel, Catholic and Protestant, Jew and Gentile, Prohibitionist and rumseller, from this dire disaster, that we raise this warning voice. It is easy to laugh and scoff at the warning. Men laughed at the warnings of Christ and His prophets. Men say that this movement will not result in evil under them. But it is already resulting in evil to innocent and godly men and women, and in greater evil to those who have enlisted in it. It will always result in evil. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." The Sunday-closing movement, as expressly declared by its fatherers and fosterers, is the first step; the whole baleful train of evils is bound to follow. Will you, reader, vote to bring them about? A CATHOLIC canon in France condemned from the pulpit, according to the Western Watchman, a school manual which he believed contained deadly error. For this he was haled before the court. Among other things in his defense he said: “To you, judges, the interpretation of the civil law, the punishment of crimes, belong. But above the human code is the code of God. . . . I do not obey, but I yield to, the law. What is my crime? A teacher made his pupils read and study the manual of Calvet, which manual has been condemned by the bishops of France. This manual has pages of error against the truths of religion and faith. I am a priest; and because I am one, I said to the children, ‘You can not keep that book.’ This I had to say. Perhaps my mission is not to preach truth and to struggle against error and lies. Had I kept silent, I should not to-day be forced to appear before you. But the Supreme Tribunal, that which is Truth, and a Judge from whom there is no appeal, should make me hear an inexorable word, a word of terrible reproach and condemnation. Therefore, better obey God than men, and in the choice I prefer to be condemned by men than by God.” Now entirely apart from the priest’s religious views, he took the only stand possible for a man of conscience to take. All such controversies lie properly and always outside of civil jurisdiction. A conscientious priest was made a criminal because of religious opinion. He was fined fifty francs. Neither France nor any other government can afford such prosecutions. The Equality of the Declaration
EQUALITY of mankind does not mean equal physical proportions, nor equal mental caliber, nor equal ability to grasp or power to command opportunity. But it does demand equal liberty for each one to be and say and do just as far as ability and circumstances permit. Politically he is his fellow citizen's equal in life, in liberty, in the pursuit of happiness. It was a glorious hour for the world when America's star rose above the horizon. As long as it was in the ascendent, for its first century of shining, its influence over all lands was beneficent, speaking freedom to the oppressed of all nations, and hope to the despairing toiler. Seeing its shining from afar, millions in the oppressed and downtrodden monarchies, despotisms, and overcrowded countries of the East, found here what Emerson designated "opportunity." And when the Old World saw some of the best of her people flocking to America rather than to her own colonies, her own feudal laws were softened, amended, or swept away before the enlightenment and liberty of America. The Men and Religion Movement
By Editor
THE Independent of May 9 has an article by William T. Ellis, secretary of the Department of Publicity of the Men and Religion Forward Movement. The article is entitled, "A Movement, a Message, a Method." Mr. Ellis clearly shows that there is a movement, and clearly shows, also that there is a method, but the message is not quite so clear. Those who hold to the Gospel side of Christianity must certainly regard with suspicion the fact which is clearly apparent, that evangelism is declining and social service is becoming the dominant thing. In a recent meeting held in New York, Mr. Ellis tells us, "To everybody’s surprise, the missionary sessions were among the tamest of all, partly because there was no new plea to be made, and partly because the presence and pull of the other aspects of Christian service had begotten in the delegates a passion of seeing things in their relationships." But the seeing of things from the human view-point is not always the true seeing. We see things truly only as we see them in the light of God. God would have us see by His seeing. He has given us a picture of this old world and its conditions, a diagnosis of human ills, and all the ages have demonstrated that diagnosis to be correct. He has given us the remedy, not in great, masterly movements of men, not in tremendous crusades, not along political lines, but in our Lord Jesus Christ Himself for individuals. The secretary remarks that, "judged strictly by its own preliminary claims, the Men and Religion Movement has not brought into the churches those three million unchurched men about which we heard so much a year ago. Most of them are still out of the churches." But even tho it should bring them into the churches, that of itself would mean nothing. The popular, aggressive, nominal Christianity of centuries ago, connected with the State, sometimes brought thousands into the church at one time, but she brought very few of them to Christ. It is bringing men to Christ which saves; bringing one into an organization merely, without the saving, regenerating power of Christ in the heart, makes him all the harder to reach with the only means which will save him, the Gospel. The Daily Mail of Fredericton, N. B., of May 11 recites that two seventh-day men were haled before the court at Harvey for hauling hay to the station. When the constable who served the summons entered the court room he did it with "a bound, and treated the Presbyterian populace present with a sample of Cork clog-dancing and high kicking, which caused much merriment, some applause, and catchy remarks from several persons, one to the effect, 'This is a great day for us.'" The integrity, good citizenship, and high standing of the men were laid before the court; their work was allowed; but they pleaded that they had obeyed God and observed the Sabbath He taught, and had harmed no one. They only asked the religious liberty granted by the English throne: "Firmly relying on the truth of Christianity, we declare it to be our royal will and pleasure that none be in any wise favored, none molested or disquieted, by reason of their religious faith or observance."—Queen Victoria. "It is my constant desire that religious and civil liberty should always be enjoyed by my subjects in all parts of the empire."—King Edward VII, to the Plenary Council of the Roman Catholic Church in Quebec, Canada. The magistrate would not give the names of the accusers. On account of "the seriousness of the charge," he fined the defendants ten dollars each, in default of payment within six days, their property to be levied on and the amounts forcibly collected; and this for resting and working on the same days that Christ did. Wireless Messages from an Airship
Experiments in the neighborhood of Paris recently resulted in successfully sending wireless messages from an air-ship a distance of thirty-five miles. Right Forms and Living Righteousness
No one can be right unless his heart is right. He may have right forms; but unless the right forms are the expression of living righteousness in his heart, they are but dead forms. The words may be beautiful echoes, but unless the love is in them, they are sounding brass and tinkling cymbal. The State Cannot Enforce God’s Law
The simple fact is that the State can not enforce a law of God. It can not even attempt it without putting itself in the place of God and bringing reproach upon His name. Every attempt to do this has always thus resulted. All the early pagan persecutions, all the medieval persecutions—whether papal or otherwise—resulted from man or men usurping the place of God. The fruits of such attempts are hypocrites, infidels, and the persecution of those who are brave enough to be true. The Liberty of Christ Jesus
The liberty of Christ Jesus is eternal. It had its day of deliverance from cruel bondage; it has its many days of glorious victory; it has its days of calm, quiet sailing along peaceful shores; it has its seasons of precious rest and counsel with the Master; it has its struggles, its groanings when the oppressor is cruel and the weak flesh is tried to the uttermost; but in it all it looks forward to the immortal state where sin and all its consequences will be forever banished, and all the redeemed—earth and people—shall forever enjoy the “glorious liberty of the sons of God,” nevermore to know the bondage of sin. "Take all the pleasures of all the spheres,
And multiply each through endless years,
One minute of heaven is worth them all." And we may have that minute here, ripening in a little while into the glorious eternal years of God. O soul, go free in Christ, and then “stand fast” “in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free”! The Restoration of the Sabbath
By Editor
IN a meeting of the Men and Religion Forward Movement in Scottish Rites Hall, San Francisco, February 27, Mr. Robert T. Moore, of Berkeley, one of the leaders in the movement, presented his views regarding the Sabbath in the following: "Some believe we ought to observe the real Sabbath. The Men and Religion Forward Movement is going to lay emphasis on this, a claim of the divine. Many do not appreciate the fact that in his service in life man's available resources will all be quickened and strengthened because that seventh day is given to him for rest, thought, and prayer. God Almighty knew just what He said about that seventh day—'Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.' It is essential to the welfare of our national institutions and public integrity to preserve that Lord's day. Some may not be agreed about its observance. We believe it can be restored, and the Men and Religion Movement is set to the restoration of the sanctity of the Christian sabbath." This is good, if Mr. Moore means by "the real Sabbath" the real (true) Sabbath, but the real Sabbath is the seventh-day Sabbath instituted of God in Eden, and observed by Jesus Christ. God did know "just what He said" when He emphasized the day and enjoined men to "keep it holy,"—not to make it holy, but to keep holy the day which He had made holy. "It can be restored," but it must be in God's way, by His Word and Spirit in the heart, but never by civil law or coercion. When men attempt to enforce God's ordinances by civil law, they enforce always the dead, dry, crushing form, which kills; never the true. Socialism and Direct Action
Cuba is having trouble in the uprising of the Negroes. A large amount of property has been destroyed. The rebels seem to have the purpose of setting up an independent republic in the east end of the island. This Government has mobilized a strong battle-ship fleet at Key West. President Gomez sends a strong protest to President Taft against intervention, declaring that Cuba can control matters. Socialism and Direct Action
At the Socialist National Convention in Indianapolis the question and methods of "syndicalism" and "direct action" were raised by William D. Haywood, a leader of the Industrial Workers of the World, and he and his party were beaten. The I. W. W. would organize the laborers in one great industrial union to work for immediate revolution by strikes, violence, or any other means of destroying employers' profits. As an Eastern paper remarks, "American working men are not yet so insane as to believe in the delusion that by deliberately wrecking factories and destroying industrial establishments where they are employed they will advance themselves and civilization." But the revolutionist propaganda is making mighty progress. CALIFORNIA is not alone in her refusal to enact a Sunday law. Arizona, by a substantial majority in both houses, in entering statehood rejects a Sunday bill. Faithful work in enlightening the legislators of that new commonwealth doubtless had much to do with it. Mr. J. F. Blunt, secretary of the Western League for the Preservation of Civil Liberty, associated with Messrs. W. M. Healey, G. W. Reaser, H. G. Thurston, and other religious liberty workers, presented a memorial to the legislature, in which the real principles of liberty and the results of church-and-state union were faithfully set forth. For instance, this memorial, after referring to God's bestowal of rights and man's efforts to subvert them, declares that "these multiplied failures to dominate the minds and hearts of men, and to regulate their religious worship by force, do not deter mankind from renewed appeals to the civil power, for administrative orders and legislative enactments that would curtail the liberties of their fellows and constrain their judgment in the realms of conscience;" and further recites that "these encroachments on the individual rights of citizens have almost invariably begun in the exaltation of the first day of the week as a day of compulsory rest, notwithstanding the conviction of many that the law of God is not subject to human amendment, and notwithstanding the undeniable right of the individual citizen, so far as the State is concerned, to choose for himself which day he will observe as a day of rest, or whether he will rest at all." The memorial then presents the "conviction that civil and religious liberty, the treasured heritage of our fathers, ought to be maintained throughout the republic, and deplores the effort to curtail the free exercise of religious conviction by civil process, and the attempt to force upon others the conclusions of any man, or any set of men, as to which day is the Sabbath, or to regulate by civil law any religious custom or ceremonial." It points out that "the State, in the proper exercise of the functions of government, has no right to discriminate in favor of or against any citizen or citizens on account of his or their religious opinions or ceremonials, and the State legislature is distinctly asked to refrain from the passage of any law the adoption of which would make it unlawful to transact any business on Sunday not prohibited on other days of the week, and that no special privileges or exemptions be granted to any class of citizens not accorded to, or required of, all other citizens of the State." We will present before our readers at some later time the whole of this memorial. It is certainly worthy of preservation. There are lovers of freedom, indifferent tho they may be in this present struggle, who, when the struggle deepens, will stand for liberty. They ought to see in the evil principles of church-and-state union now their dire consequences if enacted into law. Evidently there were those in Arizona who did. We believe that there are those in California who will not yield to religious combinations to effect a political object. Altho there may be Sunday laws in other States, we are glad that there are two States which are standing for freedom. To borrow a stanza from Whittier: "All is not lost. The angel of God's blessing
Encamps with Freedom on the field of fight;
Still to her banner, day by day, are pressing
Unlooked-for allies, striking for the right!
Courage, then, Northern hearts! — Be firm, be true!
What one brave State hath done, can ye not also do?" Graft Indictments Dismissed
Graft Indictments Dismissed.—May 25, Judge Lawlor, of the Superior Court of San Francisco, dismissed twenty-seven graft indictments pending for several years against Ex-Mayor E. E. Schmitz. This was compulsory on the part of the judge, because there had been failure to bring Schmitz to trial within sixty days after the defendant had demanded trial. Judge Lawlor lays heavy blame upon those who permitted such a state of things. Among other things he said: "It will remain a source of shame to San Francisco that where the showing of grave crimes was so formidable, the vindication of the law fell so far short of what was needed in the way of example." Methodist General Conference Elects Bishops
The Methodist General Conference at Minneapolis, in electing two new bishops, Dr. T. S. Henderson, of Brooklyn, and Dr. W. O. Shepard, of Chicago, took eleven ballots. There was more or less of politics in it as usual. May 26 the following were consecrated: Bishop Homer Clyde Stuntz, Bishop Theodore Somerville Henderson, Bishop William Orville Shepard, Bishop Naphtali Luccock, Bishop Francis John McConnell, Bishop Frederick Deland Leete, Bishop Richard Joseph Cooke, Bishop Wilbur Patton Thirkield, Missionary Bishop John Wesley Robinson, and Missionary Bishop William Perry Eveland. The Federation of Churches in America propose to govern and control religious denominations. For instance, if one denomination begins work in a new field, others are not to enter, not even if the first should suspend its work for a time. In other words, an evangelist is to look not to his Master, or even to his own church, for directions, but to the Federation of Churches. Against this, many Baptists take strong ground, and justly, too. The Port of London Building
The Port of London authorities are about to erect one of the greatest buildings in Europe. Three acres near the Tower have been purchased for $5,000,000 for a site. Sixty separate buildings will be demolished, and three old streets will disappear, namely, Catherine Court, Nenscovy Court, and French Hornyard. Some of the buildings to be demolished antedate the great London fire of 1666. Platinum, during recent years, has risen in price from $100 a pound to about $730 a pound. This advance in price is not wholly due to its scarcity. Almost the whole of the world's supply comes from deposits in the Ural Mountains, and this supply is controlled by two men. United States Rubber Company Stock Increase
The United States Rubber Company on May 21 added $40,000,000 more stock to the company, now $120,000,000, and a dividend of $5,000,000, or 20 per cent upon the outstanding common stock. There is more than one reason why rubber goods should be high. (Article IV, Section I, from Constitution of California) "The legislative power of this State shall be vested in a senate and assembly which shall be designated 'The legislature of the State of California,' but the people reserve to themselves the power to propose laws and amendments to the Constitution, and to adopt or reject the same, at the polls independent of the legislature, and also reserve the power, at their own option, to so adopt or reject any act, or section or part of any act, passed by the legislature. The enacting clause of every law shall be 'The people of the State of California do enact as follows:' "The first power reserved to the people shall be known as the initiative. Upon the presentation to the secretary of State of a petition certified as herein provided to have been signed by qualified electors, equal in number to eight per cent of all the votes cast for all candidates for governor at the last preceding general election, at which a governor was elected, proposing a law or amendment to the Constitution, set forth in full in said petition, the secretary of State shall submit the said proposed law or amendment to the Constitution to the electors at the next succeeding general election occurring subsequent to ninety days after the presentation aforesaid of said petition, or at any special election called by the governor in his discretion prior to such general election. All such initiative petitions shall have printed across the top thereof in twelve point black-face type the following: 'Initiative measure to be submitted directly to the electors.'" "Upon the presentation to the secretary of State, at any time not less than ten days before the commencement of any regular session of the legislature, of a petition certified as herein provided to have been signed by qualified electors of the State equal in number to five per cent of all the votes cast for all candidates for governor at the last preceding general election, at which a governor was elected, proposing a law set forth in full in said petition, the secretary of State shall transmit the same to the legislature as soon as it convenes and organizes. The law proposed by such petition shall be either enacted or rejected without change or amendment by the legislature, within forty days from the time it is received by the legislature. If any law proposed by such petition shall be enacted by the legislature it shall be subject to referendum, as hereinafter provided. If any law so petitioned for be rejected, or if no action is taken upon it by the legislature within said forty days, the secretary of State shall submit it to the people for approval or rejection at the next ensuing general election. The legislature may reject any measure so proposed by initiative petition and propose a different one on the same subject by a yea and nay vote upon separate roll-call, and in such event both measures shall be submitted by the secretary of State to the electors for approval or rejection at the next ensuing general election or at a prior special election called by the governor, in his discretion, for such purpose. All said initiative petitions last above described shall have printed in twelve point black-face type the following: 'Initiative measure to be presented to the legislature.'" Coercion Cannot Win Souls
By Editor
We do not blame men who are engaged in this Men and Religion Forward Movement for their earnestness, their zeal, their purpose to do something. We grant that they are sincere, honest men, but we do condemn their methods along inquisitorial and political lines. Coercive methods never won souls. They may seem to be successful for a little time, but they will never come to full Gospel fruition. As one of their speakers remarked, Jesus Christ was one of the broadest teachers that the world ever knew. That is true, but He never resorted to political methods. He never resorted to coercive methods. His appeal was always to the heart and to the conscience. He knew that no soul was truly God's soul unless it was willingly so. That has been the great lesson for the church to learn through all the ages. It is a basic principle in religious liberty, and he who ignores it is bound to go astray. Numbers will not make wrong right, nor will they develop out of a bad principle that which is good.