Sunday Laws

Notes

1. "Let all the judges and townspeople, and the occupation of all trades, rest on the venerable day of the sun; but let those who are situated in the country, freely, and at full liberty, attend to the business of agriculture; because it often happens that no other day is so fit for sowing corn and planting vines; lest the critical moment being let slip, men should lose the commodities granted of heaven."—Schaff's Church History, vol. 2, chap. 3, p. 105.

2. Church and State were united under Constantine, in the early part of the fourth century. Says Draper:—

"It was the aim of Constantine to make theology a branch of politics; it was the hope of every bishop in the empire to make politics a branch of theology." "The unavoidable consequences were a union between the Church and State."—Intellectual Development of Europe, chapters 9 and 10.

3. Referring to Sunday legislation, Neander says:—

"In this way the Church received help from the State for the furtherance of her ends."—Neander's History of the Christian Church (edition 1852), vol. 2, p. 300.

Speaking of Constantine, the American Sabbath Union, in its Pearl of Day Leaflets, No. 3, says:—

"He was inclined—whether from policy or conviction is not material to our argument—to favor Christianity, and to make it the prominent religion of his empire, and one step toward this was to recognize the day which he found universally(?) observed by Christians, as the day of rest for his people."—P. 12.

4. Satan's object in securing Sunday laws is to cause men to honor Sunday in the place of the Sabbath—to obscure from their minds a knowledge of the true God by blotting out His great memorial of the manifestations of His creative power, and to keep alive that form of religion of which the Sunday sabbath is the sign, or mark, which is idolatry.

"Not a move has been made in exalting the idol sabbath in bringing around Sunday observance through legislation, but Satan has been behind it, and has been the chief worker."

"No law has ever been made to exalt the idol sabbath but that Satan has taken a leading part in its enactment and its enforcement. Every law for the elevation of Sunday has a direct reference to the fourth commandment. Every move that has been made to enforce its observance is for the purpose of exalting the man of sin above God and above all that is worshiped."—Mrs. E. G. White, in Review and Herald, April 15 and 29, 1890.

5. From the first, church leaders have been instrumental in securing Sunday laws. The following admission states the truth: "During nearly all our American history the churches have influenced the States to make and improve Sabbath laws."—W. F. Crafts, in Christian Statesman, July 3, 1890.

6. One of the chief arguments against the States allowing Sunday labor, Sunday newspapers, Sunday excursions, and various other kinds of amusements on that day, is that they keep people away from the churches. Thus:—

"It is but too true that the sanctuary of worship is neglected by a large number of young men. Not only God's word but the means of grace are despised, while excursion trains and steamboats are thronged on the Lord's day. We must warn both old and young against the sin of sabbath desecration, and use our influence to have laws passed that will purge the body politic from all festering evils."—Melbourne Presbyterian Monthly, Feb. 1, 1894.

"The Sunday newspaper is tempting hundreds and thousands to stay away from the sanctuary."—J. M. Foster, in Christian Statesman, March 27, 1889.

"The Sunday train is another great evil. They cannot afford to run a train unless they get a great many passengers, and so break up a great many congregations."—W. W. Evarts, at Elgin (Ill.), Sunday-law Convention, Nov. 8, 1887.

"Give us good Sunday laws, well enforced by men in local authority, and our churches will be full of worshipers, and our young men and young women will be attracted to the divine service."—Homiletic Review, Nov., 1892.

In contrast with this we say:—

"The conscience should not be compelled even for the observance of the genuine Sabbath, for God will accept only willing service."—Mrs. E. G. White, in Review and Herald, April 15, 1890.

7. The Sabbath of the Lord is religious and religious wholly, and requires only the law of God, which is spiritual, for its support. Rom. 7:14. Being the seal of God, it can be received only in the forehead (Rev. 7:1-4; Eze. 9:4), where the mind resides, with which we serve the law of God. Rom. 7:25. But the mark of the beast can be received in either the forehead or the hand. It is not a little significant, therefore, that the Sunday sabbath, which is this mark, takes on this twofold aspect of "civil" and "religious," and requires not only the dogma of the church, but the law of the State for its support. Like Caiphas of old (John 11:49-52), Mr. Crafts spoke more prophetically than he knew when he said:—

"We, the Sabbath Union, W. C. T. U., all the churches, and the Y. M. C. A., are laboring with all our might to carry the religious sabbath with our right arm, and the civil sabbath with our left. Hundreds of thousands will receive it as a religious institution, and all the rest will receive it as a civil institution, and thus we will sweep in the whole nation."—W. F. Crafts, in Sunday Union Convention, at Wichita, Kan., Sept. 20, 1889.

8. It is frequently said that Sunday laws do not interfere with the keeping of any other day that one may choose to observe. This is a specious argument. Sunday laws do interfere with Sabbath keeping, for, as no man can serve two masters, neither can he at the same time keep the sabbaths of two different and opposing powers. He cannot have the seal of God and receive the mark of the beast at the same time. The enemies of the three Hebrews might have said the same to them: "This decree to fall down and worship the image does not prohibit you from worshiping any other god you choose to worship. Your liberty is not interfered with in the least." But it was. They could not worship idols and the true God at the same time. They could not worship idols and keep the second commandment. Neither can a person observe Sunday and keep the fourth commandment. To attempt to do so shows lack of intelligent faith.

"The churches that were under the rule of the Papacy were early compelled to honor the Sunday as a holy day. Amid the prevailing error and superstition, many, even the true people of God, became so bewildered that, while they observed the Sabbath, they refrained from labor on the Sunday. But this did not satisfy the papal leaders. They demanded not only that Sunday be hallowed, but that the Sabbath be profaned."—Great Controversy, p. 65.

"In this situation worldly policy will urge an outward compliance with the laws of the land, for the sake of peace and harmony."—Testimony 33, p. 240.

9. Satan would not be content with the keeping of two days, could that be done. The Sabbath must be given up. He is a usurper, and so is his sabbath. Every Sunday law has reference to the fourth commandment, and the displacement of the Lord's Sabbath. And hence the final issue will be brought to this:—

"The decree will go forth that they must disregard the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and honor the first day, or lose their lives."—Testimonies, vol. 1, pp. 353, 354.

"The decree which is to go forth against the people of God will be very similar to that issued by Ahasuerus against the Jews in the time of Esther."—Testimony No. 32, p. 206.

"I saw a writing, copies of which were scattered in different parts of the land, giving orders that unless the saints should yield their peculiar faith, give up the Sabbath, and observe the first day of the week, the people were at liberty, after a certain time, to put them to death."—Early Writings, p. 143.