The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-04-12

ply ana purcfy a fetKtous Qucsfton. Q l which the state can take 10 cognixanee j Nov. il will not do for you to say tha this IS Christian country and tha, th, majority of the people have the righ, ts pass and to enforce law having fcr i,. object the maintenance of christianity because you introduce A preceden, anc principle by which you leopardise you, own personal liberty There arc about [ .S,ooc Jews Tn thss country There ara at least 100000 ,nhdels and agnost,cs and .ooooc or socooSo morc who dc not care a cent tor christianity. IL ts con- ceiva6le and possible that this class ci people may some day bc in the majority And If we have the constitutional slghi to shu, up their shops and stores, and compel them by law to recognize our re- hgioas opinion on this subject. simply because we ase the strongest. then, should they become the stronger. they would have the equal rsgh, 10 compel ,> by law Ia recognize theu opinions. and 10 shu, ap our churches en sunday II might makes . constitutional tigh, then If the lew were strong enough. he would have the rght 10 abolish sunday and compel us to keep his >,bhaih and fl i the agnoStE were strons enough he would have the constitution right ~ abolish both the Sabbath and the san day. and compel us Ia Keep all days ahkes l don, see how any sensible man can avoid the eorste;.en that ihe SAaAsy law is, per SC. party legislation on a ,e iigions question:. which cuttalls the per sonAi rights and restrains the hbertie> ot thousands of good elttcns. and ls ,hrtc. fore. per se. unconstitutional l. x based entirely on that inlqat,oas ptindple hy which the Roman sthoiIe could, li strong enough, cstabiish by law hIs te- iigion, and compel conformity thcIcia i. by whit h the leN sni scs cnth-dN Rap ts,. II strong enough. could foolish San. day and compel al Christians toobsetvc thetf sabbath or by winch the Ipis.o- pallan could. If strong enough enact such laws 2, would compel the reigiaas ob- sersanee oi Good indty and the en,cn season The state ha. nothing to do wi,h questions ot religien, Ina, ought ,s he lch entirely ,o the individual cons. ,rnCr and history sho~s tha, whsnes CT the state has meddied with religious matters she has only damaged the cause she under took to guard
 Now. m regard to sunday la~s. It does he Tn the province of the state Ia protect by law her ei,lfens Tn the pea cable and undis;ufhed enjoyment of thcit religion ] believe n inday law ,o that extent. and no further. fublie worship should moi be allowed To be disturbed. either on sunday or any other day. Whatesef ln- ,erfercs with that should be ahated as nuisance, because Il inieficres ~ith the rights and lbefties oi the c,ttsens Bu, the requirement by las of al cessation from business. that IS carried on Tn quiet and peacrablc way. utterly u.n. scends that obje,; and IS lniqu,toas Tn i,s operation. zee how u affects inc lew l. absolutely oompels him no, only ,o keep day m which he does no, believe, but practically compels him To violate a day in which he does rellg,ously believe. No conscientious lev can make an hones, living in th,s country. The law com polling him to keep our sunday i as Sabbath, eompels him to keep two days in the week, or to deliber- ately immoiate his conscience. So with i the rcyenth- day Christian BAptlst. Thus the sunday law now stands m eternal de 6anoe sf the fundamental principles of personal ishery, and gives the emphatic lie 10 the constitution of this country and the very genus Of civil rights l, is positive disgrace 10 a governmen, and nation such as ours.
 Aga,ns, the president of the taxing- district l have not A word to say in cfitl- cism. The law IS m the statute book l, IS no doub, his duty n enforce IL He Is sworn officer of the law. bound to enforce. Bu, II has no business on the statute books. and II IS the duty of ali good ciuzens n have |, stricken from the book, and make the very place where Ii stood an everlasting blot,
 believe m Christian sunday ,o be kep, y Christian people d day of res, of worship and of holy meditation. We need il, and we cannot do wIthou, II The Inrnos, wants and nature oi our souls demand II. Ba, we have moi ,hc righ, to force that day on others, or to dema ,ha, they should keep II as we do z, every man be fully persuaded ID his own mInG
 eapect some people ,o be shocked by these remarks, and to crI,icise them w.,h redho, iervor. I. is only natural ,ha, they should be. But let me impress i, on your memory that, in the ui,erance Of these oplnIons, 1 am not hefe,ioal, what ever else you may say of me Don't for : get that | am strictly orthodox stand with Luther. LSibgle hnon, and even Calvin, and last and by no means least, with al the ancien, fathers of the church, from tke Apostle Paul ;o Constantine the Great. and will venture the prediction tha, in less than fifty years from nos the entire Christian church ~ili stand upon this qsesi,on exactly as ! stand ,o-nigh, Many of the tesi. mos; pious and leaned mer apon the globe are standing now ez- actiy ss stand, and they are gathering numoers daily.