Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-02-15
THE LORDS DAY.
A CASE IN WHICH THE QUESTION
is PRESENTED.

4 Victim Of the Sunday-iaw Cru.
sade Is Fined $50 and Costs For
Keeping Open store o" the
ssLOrd,s Day."
w. +. Gibson, Seventh-day Ad-
ventist, of Everett, Mass, was lately
arrested as the result of the work OF a
spy, who, sent by the Mayor, pur-
chases a half-pound of candy, and
then informs. The defendant, when
brought into court, pleaded his case
substa TALLY as follows - --------r- y
". T. Gibs0n-Your honor, would
like to say that | am not acquainted
with the rules of the courtroom, and
therefore ask that you make allow.
ance for any mistake may make in
pleading my case.
Judge PettingiH-I think you will
have no trouble.
G.-Your honor, the summons
which brought me into this court &C.
cuses the defendant OF keeping open
shop on the Lords day, to which
charge I plead not guilty drawing a
New Testament from his pocker; and
l desire to define the Lords day by
the declarations of Him who is the
Lord of the Lords day as they are re-
corded in the Lords book.
Prosecuting Attorney-Your honor,
I object.
Judge-Mr. Gibson, this is a civil,
not an ecclesi astical court.
G.-Your honor, the summons
which brought ME before this court is
by virtue of law respecting an es-
tablishment OF religion; and the very
wording of the summons necessitates
religious controversy. The sum-
mons does not accuse defendant of
doing work on the first day OF the
week, commonly called Sunday, but
on the Lords day; and I desire 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.
G.-I wish to refer you to Mark 9:
q, %, which reads: "And he said
unto them, The Sabbath was made for
man, and not man for the Sabbath |;
Therefore the Son7of man is Lord also
of the Sabbath" Again, speaking Of
the Lord Jesus, the declaration is made
in the second and third verses of the
first chapter of the Gospel by John,
that the same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by
him; and without him was not any
thing made that was made" The
first declaration, your honor, asserts
that the Sabbath was made; and the
second 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 or Lords day. He it Was
who labored six days and rested the
seventh day; wherefore the Lord
blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed
it." Now, having shown that the
Son of man is Lord OF the Sabbath
day, 1 call your attention TO Luke
% :56, to show which day of the seven
is the Sabbath or Lords day.
Judge.-Please wait q moment, Mr..
Gibson. Clerk, will you bring me the
Biblei (After securing the court
room Bible, and blowing the dust
from its covers) Mr.. Gibson, what was
your first reference!
G.-Mark 2:17, %.
Judge.-(After finding the texD-
Go on. Mr.. Gibson.
G.@I was about to read Luke % :54-
Sc. 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 Cali
lee, followed after, and beheld the
aepulchre, and how his body was laid.
And they returned, and prepared
spices and ointments; and rested the
Sabbath day according to the com.
mandment. Now (next verse, chap.
"a. verse y upon the first day Of the
week, very early in the morning, they
came unto the sepulchre, bringing
the spices which they had prepared,
and certain others with them" The
text first quoted states that the Son
of man is Lord of the Sabbath. This
text states that "the Sabbath day &C
cording to the commandment" is the
day which precedes the first day OF
the week. The Son of man is there
fore Lord of the day which precedes
the first day Of ths week, and that day
is the Sabbath or seventh day OF the
week. Therefore the only day which
the Son 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 week. is
the Lords day.
Your honor, I would like to ask you
if the law by which I am prosecuted
relative to the Lords day, is not based
upon the fourth precept OF the Deca'
logue?
Judge.-I question your right to
ask the court such q question.
G.-Your honor, I do not insist
upon your answering it, but would re-
gard the answer as personal favor.