The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-02-23
THE LORDS DAY.
An American Citizen Defends His
Faith.
A Seventh.Day Adventist Fined Fifty
Dollars for Keeping Open His Store
ON s'the Lords Day''-He Defends
Himself and Makes Some Telling
Points,
from the American sentinel.l

From the American Sentinel.
w. T. Gibson, a Seventh-day Advent
ist. of Everett, Mass, is arrested as the
result of the work of a spy, who, sent by
the Mayor, purchases a half-pound o.
candy and then informs. The defendant
when brought into court pleaded his case
substantially as follows:
w. T. Gibson-Your honor, I would
like to say that [ am not acquainted with
the rules of the courtroom, and therefore
ask that you make allowance for any mis-
take may make in pleading my case.
Judge Pettengill-I think you will have
no trouble.
G.-Your honor, the summons which
brought me into this court accuses the
defendant of keeping open shop on the
Lords day, to which charge l plead moi
guilty drawing a New Testament from
his pocket; and [ desire to define the
Lords day by the declarations of Him
who is the Lord of the Lords day as they
are recorded in the Lords book.
Prosecuting Attorney our honor,
object.
Judge-Mr. Gibson, this is a civil, not
an ecclesiastical court.
Mr.. Gibson-Your honor, the summons
which brought me before this court is by
virtue of law respecting an establish
ment OF religion, and the very wording
OF the summons necessitSteS a religious
controversy. The summons does not &C
cuse defendant of doing work on the first
day OF the week, commonly called Sun
day, but on the Lords Day." and l de-
sire to read from the Lords book q few
scriptures, which will explain why /
plead not guilty of doing business on the
Lords day. The Lords book is the
only authority which can decide which is
the Lords day.
Judge-Go on, Mr.. Gibson.
CT wish to refer you to Mark H., q,
2S, which reads: "And he said unto
them, the Sabbath was made for man
and not man for the Sabbath; therefore
the Son of man is Lord also Of the Sab
bath" Again, speaking of the Lord
Jesus, the declaration is made in the Sec
ond and third verses of the first chapter
of the Gospel by John, That 1.-The same
was in the beginning with God. All things
were made by him; and without Him
was not anything made that was made.'
The first declaration. your honor, asserts
that the Sabbath was made: and the Sec
ond scripture declares that the Lord
Jesus, who was in the beginning with
the Father, made all things that were
made in the beginning; hence, the Lord
made the Sabbath day, and is, therefore
rightfully Lord of the Sabbath day OF
Lords day. He it was who labored six
days and rested the seventh day; where
fore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day.
and hallowed it," Now, having shown
that the Son of man is Lord of the Sab
bath day, l call your attention to Luke
xiii, 56, to show which day of the
seven is the Sabbath or Lords day.
Judge-Please wait moment, Mr..
Gibson. Clerk, will you bring me the
Bible? (After securing the courtroom
Bible, and blowing the dust from its COW
ersl. Mr.. Gibson, what was your first
reference?
G.-Mark H., q, %.
Judge latter finding the text)-Go on.
Mr.. Gibson.
CT was about to read Luke xiii,
54-56. The text reads as follows: And
that day was the preparation, and the
Sabbath drew on. And the women also,
which came with him from Galilee, fol-
lowed after, and beheld the sepulcher,
and how his body was laid. And they
returned, and prepared spices and oint-
ments; and rested the Sabbath day &C.
cordlng to the amendment. Now next
verse, chapter XIV, verse Il upon the
first day of the week, very early in the
morning, they came into the sepulcher
bringing the spices which they had pre-
pared, and certain others with them.''
The text first quoted states that the Son
OF man Is Lord of the Sabbath This
text states that 1.-The Sabbath day accord
Ing to the commandment" is the day
which precedes the first day ofthe week,
and that day is the Sabbath or seventh
day OF the week. The Son of man is
therefore Lord of the day which precedea
the first day of the week, and that day is
the Sabbath or seventh day of the week,
Therefore the only day which the Sou OF
man declares himself the Lord of. is the
seventh day of the week and not the first
day, hence the seventh day of the week,
or the day preceding the first day OF the
q 10
would like to ask you if the law by which
am prosecuted, relative to the Lord S
day, is not based upon the fourth precept
OF the Decalogue?
JUDGE question your right to ask
the court such question.
G.-Your honor, do not insist upon
your answering it, but would regard the
answer as personal favor.
Judge-Well, 1 presume that it is.
G.-Well, then, your honor, we will
presume that the law is based on the
fourth commandment, which saws: "Six
days shalt thou labor, and do all thy
work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath
of the Lord thy God" Now, your honor
all civil law, not only in this country. bu1
In all countries, recognizes Sunday as the
first day OF the week; therefore Saturday
the world over, is the seventh day of the
week. And, according to the testimony
OF Christ, as read from the Now Testa.
civil law OF the commonwealth OF Massa.
chusetts and of all the countries of the
world, Is the Lords day, a memorial O,
the creative power of Jesus Christ. The
defendant Is, therefore, according to the
Lords book, not guilty of keeping open
shop on the Lords day.
1t is admitted that the Scriptures which
have read were written thirty wears
after the resurrection of the Lord: there.
fore, the Holy Spirit which the Lord
promised to send, and did send. to lead
men into all truth, after he assembled 70
his Father, and which Indicted the Scrin-
lures quoted, teaches, thirty years after
the ascension OF the Lord. and still
teaches to-day, that the seventh dav OF
the week-the day preceding the first
day of the weeks the Lords day. ac.
cordlng to the fourth precept of the
Decalogue.
The command relative to the Sabbath
regulates the CHRISTIANS duty every day
In every weekly cycle in every wear. in
fact, 1t regulates the duty of man every
day of his life; and the command .tSi y
days shalt thou labor" is lust as exnlicit
as the command to rest the seventh dav
Civil law cannot regulate the duties en-.
joined by The hrst four precepts of the
law. These precepts enjoin duties which
can be rendered to God only, and de.
fendant is accountable alone to God fo,
the manner in which he observes tbt
fourth commandment.
Your honor. claim the divine right O
dissent, and therefore deny the right o.
the Pope of Rome, the Car of Russia
the President of the United States. or the
Mayor of the city of Everett, to pres cribf
for me my religious duty. All / ask as
free born American citizen. and as !
man, is the free exercise of my civil anG
religious right to worship God according
TO the dictates OF my own conscience.
deny the right of the magistrate To com.