This pamphlet contains the arguments in behalf of the rights of American citizens, and in opposition to the Blair Sunday-Rest Bill, which Mr. Jones presented before the Senate Committee on Education and Labor, December 13, 1888.
Dr. Wilbur F. Crafts has pronounced the report as published
“MIGHTY INTERESTING READING.”
And Mr. Jones's comments will make it more so. His argument is enlarged to what it would have been without Senator Blair's interruptions, objections, and counter-arguments, and is accompanied with answers to all of his objections and counter-arguments.
NO EARTHLY THEOCRACY—NO SUNDAY LAWS. 95
Mr. Jones.—But no government but a theocracy can enforce such laws.
Senator Blair.—Then unless we have a theocracy, we shall have no Sabbath.
Mr. Jones.—We shall have no laws regulating the Sabbath.
Senator Blair.—The Sabbath did not descend to the Jews and to all mankind, because there was a theocratic form of government among the Jews. How did the Sabbath come to mankind at large, when there was no theocratic form of government?
Mr. Jones.—Those nations never kept it. Nobody but the Jews ever kept it.
Senator Blair.—They could have kept it, because you say the Sabbath existed for all; not for the Jews alone, but for the human race.
Mr. Jones.—Certainly, but if they did not keep it, it would do no good.
Senator Blair.—It did not exist for good, then?
Mr. Jones.—Certainly; a thing may exist for my good, and I may refuse to use it, as thousands do the salvation of Christ.
Senator Blair.—I was taking your statement as true that it did exist for good outside of the Jews.
Mr. Jones.—I said it was for the good of man. The Saviour said it was for the good of man. The Saviour died for the good of man.
Senator Blair.—You would abolish the Sabbath, anyway?
Mr. Jones.—Yes, in the civil law.
Senator Blair.—You would abolish any Sabbath from human practice which shall be in the form of law, unless the individual here and there sees fit to observe it?
Specimen page from “National Sunday Law.”
As the Sunday question is now a living issue, this treatise will be interesting to all classes, especially legislators, lawyers, judges, and other public men. The argument is
Based on Scripture and History, Constitution and Law,
Showing the limits of the civil power, the unconstitutionality of the Sunday Bill, an analysis of the Sunday laws and other religious legislation of the different States, the Sunday-law movement of the fourth century, the Sunday-law movement of the nineteenth century, the methods used in securing indorsements to the petition for the Blair Bill, and the workings of such Sunday laws as are proposed for the United States.
Address, AMERICAN SENTINEL, 1059 Castro St., Oakland, Cal.; 43 Bond St., New York.
THE WORK CONTAINS 192 PAGES.
PRICE, 25 CENTS.
Sunday Laws and Freedom of Conscience
It is urged by the advocates of Sunday laws that they do not infringe the rights of conscience, because while they forbid work on Sunday they do not forbid the keeping of another day also. But is this true? God has said, "Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work." This at least gives all permission to work six days out of each seven. The divine law also says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work." One man reads that commandment and says, That requires me to keep the definite seventh day of the week. Another says, That means that I shall work six days and rest one; any stated day will do. The first man keeps Saturday, the seventh day of the weekly cycle. The second man keeps Sunday, the first day of the week. The State steps in and says to the first man, "You may keep the seventh day if you wish, but you must also keep the first day. Does it not, by thus depriving him of one-sixth of his God-given time for labor, to all intents and purposes fine him for acting according to his convictions of duty?
Willful Ignorance and Divine Judgment
By Editor
THE Golden Gate takes exceptions to the Scripture statement quoted in these columns recently, that when "Christ comes it will be in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God." Our neighbor expresses a belief that "Christ will not do any such a cruel thing," and seems to be astonished that vengeance should be taken on people for their ignorance. But it must be remembered that this ignorance is willful; they not only believe a lie, but have "pleasure in unrighteousness." The apostle Paul fully answers this objection in the first chapters of his epistle to the Romans. He says: "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves; which show the works of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." Rom. 2: 14, 15. This is simply saying that even the most ignorant have sufficient light to condemn them, for the reason that they do not live up to the light which they have. And this is not to be wondered at, since "the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."
The Scriptures do indeed speak of taking vengeance on the wicked, and yet it is not vengeance in the sense in which we use and understand the term. God will destroy the wicked simply because it is impossible in harmony with his nature that he should perpetuate their existence. It is not that he feels revenge as we feel it, or that he has malice, but because, being holy, he can bestow eternal life only upon those beings who are holy.
REMAINING CAMP-MEETINGS FOR 1889.
[A star (*) indicates that the meetings thus marked will be preceded by a worker's meeting.]
Nebraska, Oxford, July 23-29
Arkansas, Texarkana, " 23-29
*Georgia, July 31 to Aug. 6
*Ohio, Mount Vernon, Aug. 2-13
North Carolina, Lenoir, " 6-13
Virginia, Luray, " 13-20
Michigan (S. W.) Kalamazoo, " 13-20
*Missouri (general), Kingsville, " 13-20
California, Ferndale, Humboldt Co., " 15-22
*Arkansas, Rogers, " 20-27
Maine, " 20-27
West Virginia, Grafton, " 20-27
Michigan (Eastern), Aug. 27 to Sept. 3
*Texas, Garland, " 27 to " 3
Vermont, St. Albans, " 27 to " 3
California, San Diego, " 29 to " 9
*Colorado, Sept. 3-10
Canada, " 3-10
*Illinois, Bloomington, " 3-10
*Nebraska, " 10-17
*Indiana, " 17-24
Tennessee, " 24 to Oct. 1
*California (general), Oakland, " 25 to " 7
California, Arroyo Grande, Oct. 22-29
Sunday Closing of Denver Saloons
By Editor
IN a recent editorial in regard to the saloon business in Denver, Colo., the Daily News of that city argued that "it is rational as well as decent for the liquor traffic to suspend one day in seven, when nearly all other business takes a rest. The owners of the saloons and their bar-tenders will be the better for it. A cheerful and manly compliance with the Sunday law would do much to remove the feeling of hostility that is spreading rapidly against liquor business, and that is alienating the men in that business from the better element of society."
Yes, certainly, just get the liquor men to see that it is to their interests to favor the Sunday movement, and they will be among its most zealous advocates.
The Cormorant Searches for Cudney
By Editor
FROM the Honolulu Daily Bulletin of May 22 we learn that the English cruiser Cormorant left Honolulu the above date, and that she designed to touch at the following islands: Washington, Fanning, Christmas, Jarvis, Penrhyn, Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Hervey, Takutia, Aliu, Mietiero, Mauki, returning to Rarotonga June 28, touching at Tahiti July 2, Pitcairn July 18, Easter July 29, expecting to arrive at Coquimbo August 20. From there she proceeds to England. As this ship passed on somewhat the same route as did the Phebe Chapman, on which Elder Cudney sailed, among the islands where it is supposed his vessel may have been wrecked, and upon one of which he may have been cast, we shall hope to hear some different news concerning him and the crew when the Cormorant arrives in England. We hope our friends there may make diligent inquiry at that time.
Sunday Law and Persecution
By Editor
WE call the attention of our readers to an article in another column entitled, "The Sunday Law in Operation," by Elder Covert. It presents the logical outcome of all religious legislation. Sunday is a religious institution, originating as a holy day in the professed but apostate Christian church; and an attempt to compel its observance by law will always be attended with persecution and suffering. And while many active National Reformers would denounce such deeds, they are indirectly responsible for them, are partners in the outrage, just as much as Spies, the anarchist, was a responsible party in the Chicago riot. Spies would probably have never thrown a bomb or used dynamite, but his writings and harangues incited others to acts of violence. And this effect of the enforcement of the Sunday law in Tennessee is the logical sequence of what National Reformers are advocating. Let Sunday laws and their enforcement once become general, and the persecution will follow. Rifles, revolvers, and shot-guns will be favorite arguments against the truth.
Yachting and the Fourth Commandment
By Editor
The Boston Recorder is grieved at what it is pleased to denominate the "open and audacious violation of the Sabbath" by the yachting clubs of that city. It says:—
"Within its proper restrictions, and ordered by due care, yachting is a healthful and manly—and there is no reason why it should not be a Christian—pursuit. But if its fundamental principle is to be that the owning, or the right to use, a steaming or sailing craft, works dispensation from all obligation to the fourth commandment, it threatens in the end to prove an unmitigated curse not only to all immediately connected with it, but to that large part of society which is more remotely influenced by it."
Our contemporary ought not to assume so much, and might as well stop to show what connection yachting on Sunday has with the fourth commandment. If we mistake not the fourth commandment makes no reference whatever to Sunday, but specifies another day, namely, the seventh day. It reads, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." We think the Recorder will find it a difficult task to show that yachting on Sunday is a violation of any divine law.
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF SUNDAY.
By Editor
NUMBER 9 of the Bible Student's Library, entitled, "The Origin and Growth of Sunday Observance in the Christian Church," lies before us. This little work of 96 pages is a most able treatise on this subject. Heretofore the main evidence relied upon by seventh-day advocates, to show the change of the Sabbath, has been the inspired predictions concerning it, their fulfillment as recorded by historians, and the admissions and claims of the Roman Church. While this evidence is sufficient to establish the point, it is objected to because of the Roman Catholic testimony. It is contended that evidence is drawn from the enemies of the Bible and the Sunday. All these objections are obviated by the work we are reviewing. Its evidence and historical statements are taken, not from the enemies of the Bible and Sunday, but from the friends, advocates, and observers of Sunday. The thoroughness of the work is indicated by the name of its author, the late Elder J. H. Waggoner.
The work is in two parts. Part 1, after a very candid and fair statement of the question, takes up the "Pagan Origin of Sunday," and "Constantine's Motive." Part 2 discusses "Sunday Established in the Church by the Papacy," "Council of Laodicea," "Abuse of History to aid the Sunday," "Constantine's Second Sunday Law," "Catholic Church Councils," "Decrees of the Leos," "Letter of Pope Leo the Great," "Catholic Frauds for Sunday," "Sylvester, Constantine, and the Lord's Day," "Candid Sunday History," and "History is not Bible Interpretation." The above will give something of an idea of the scope of the work; but to value the work aright it must be read. No Sabbath-keeping family ought to be without a copy, and the workers in the last message ought to put forth special efforts to circulate it. This pamphlet is one of the very best of the good numbers thus far published in the Bible Student's Library. Its price is only 10 cents. Address, Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal., or 43 Bond Street, New York.