St. Paul daily globe., 1893-01-30
FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.
The State Association Enters Its
Usual Protest.

Usual Il FOttSt.
The meeting at Odd Fellows hall last
night. in the interests of religious lib
erty, was well attended. II. f. Phelps.
state press agent of the National Re-
ligiouS Liberty association, again gave
the principal address. Other speakers
were present. Rev. A. j. Breed, vice
president of the association, of Mime
apolis, was called to the chair. The
choir added to the interest of the occa-
sion by rendering several patriotic
pieces. In substance, Mr.. Phelps said:
We are to find the origin of Sunday
laws and give their result. This can
easily be done. The names given to our
days of the week were in honor of pagan
gods. And Webster says of Sunday:
80 called because this day was an
ciently dedicated to the sun or to its
worship" This may be a key to the
problem. OF all forms of idolatry,
none is more ancient or more
widespread. 1t may almost be called
universal, for scarce nation can be
found who have not i'll some form EN-
gagged in sun-worship. From the wor-
ship of Ra and Osiris of the Egyptians,
the Baal and Moloch of the Chanaanites
to the worship of Appollo and Hercules
by the Grecians and Romans, was only
sun-worship in some form. And under
whatever name OF form, a female dlvin-
ity was associated with it, and the re-
suit was to defy the faculties, desires
and lusts of man. All of which led to
the greatest eXcesseS possible of the
most degrading nature. Scripture rep
reSentS the condition of the nations OF
Chanaan as of such nature that "the
land vomitted out the inEabitateS
thereof"
The worship of the sun was some
mark of reverence at the sun rising
with the face toward the east. This be-
ing so, the temple Of the Lord was
buiIded with the door looking toward
the east, so that the worshipers at the
temple would turn their back to the
east; the meaning of which is that those
who enter the Lords service must turn
their backs upon all kinds of idolatry.
In the eighth chapter of Ezekiel is rep
resented the denominations OF the chill
dren of Israel. the greatest OF which is
sun worship. In verse 16 men are
represented with their backs to the
temple of the Lord, and their faces to-
ward the east; and they worshiped the
sun toward the east"
+ The fallen church of today desires a
monopoly. The Sunday newspaper the
Iu6dleI anu luG WOIlu ldll are tHS SUI
ceSsful competitors of the church. They
are the church seeking for a monopoly,
and are comprising heaven and earth to
bring about her purposes. And when
they secure the monopoly, they
cannot escape that which will be sure
to come with it. woe and misery and the
destruction of the nation, with all our
free institutions. Will the people allow
of all this? Will they take warning?
Then repeal all and every religious law
enacted 10y the state, Sunday laws and
all. Teach men to be independents, and
the church to depend upon the everliv
ing God. That House File AZ is step
in the right direction. Let the people
support it. Let it become a law. At
the close the resolution favoring the
Wacek bill. that was tabled at the last
meeting, was taken up. and passed
unanimously. The following resolution
was also adopted:
Resolved, That in behalf of the men,
berS of the National Religious Liberty
association, found in nearly every state
in the Union. we do hereby extend a
vote of thanks to the papers of this city
for their courtesy in publishing reports
of these meetings, thus giving publicity
to the principles of the association and
awakening deeper interest in behalf
of rights of conscience.