The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-12-12
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS.
Congressman Roberts and Religious
Liberty.

Liberty.
70 the Editor Of the Press:
In my last article In q recent Issue of
your paper I promised to answer mers
fully the charges against Seventh Day
Advsntists BY Rev. L. p. Woodward. !
will now do this. noticing also few
points made by him In recent public
discourse. and elsewhere, hopiog thereby
to analsys mora fully the prime plss Of
civfl and felis ious liberty wi ic1 are the
prir clples OF true Amsrioanism.
The Command 70 kfep the Sabbath dny
was given by Jehovah amid the thundsrs
and liehtniugs Of Sinai mere than three
thousa.d years bsiors Mrs. white wss
born. This command II our Tesson fpr
keeping the Sabbath Mrs. Whits did
not even Introduce Sabbath-ksspinR
among Seventh Dsy Advsntists. Ela.
JOSEPH Bates was the first Adventist
who kept the seventh day and he was lsd
to do 50 by ssuSyiug his Bibis with
Seventh boy Baptist. There are tnou-
sands Of seventh Day Bsptists who find
sufficisnt eviisnoe In the Bible to lssd
them to observe ths seventh day and %
do I and my people. In regard tO the
c,mparison between my position and that
Of Congressman Roberts. the writer has
entirely ignored Q part Of the Statements
which he quoted from the PRESS
namsIy; 1--WE do not believe In any Ieg-
islation which will In any way RESTRICT
any man In the free exercise Of his oon-
sc,erc,, so long az he does not Interfere
with ths inherent rights Of others." In
this last clause is the safeguard to every
man and every class Of men. Until men
or women In their religious practice In
wade tina equal rights Of another the state
has nothing to do with thsm, NO nattsr
what they believe. for 1t IL scea and not
faith with which ths stats dsals.
Now does seventh Dsy Baptist when
hs rests on Saturday deprive hts neigh
bor Of any Of his rights: MAY not hrs
ueighbor work or rsst as he plsassss Does
the man because he works while the Sew
sntb Dag baptist worships deprive him
of any religious privilsgef We have new
er heard of any complaint on that side.
On the other hand does the Sunday ksep-
er who worships ON Sunday deprive the
Seventh Day Baptist OF any Of bis rights
because the sunday keeper does not work
on Sunday? Not at all Does the s. d.
Bapt ist because he works on Sunday de-
prive the Sunday keeper Of any Of his In
hsrent vights to worship. or ride or en-
Joy himself az he chooses? Not at all.
But 1t is said by one, at am disturbed In
- al 49, Ia a L
on Sunday" Why 90 disturbed? Ara
there not Iuany services held du ring the
week in almost every church in the land
both In the afternoon and in the evening.
when hundreds are working all roundf
Yet We never hear anything about being
annoyed or disturbed In worship because
other men work while we worship, ex-
Then 1t II not the work that dsturhs,
bus thu time vixen the work L. done Is
where the troubles come. Then rest and
worahip are not disturbed by labor.
Proof: Physicians often require THAR
pattsnts to have perfect rest, yet u Is
not necessary that all work and amuss-
msnt In the community should cease In
order that they m AZ rest. Again wor-
shipping congregations are protscssd by
law upon all days OF the week and great
and glorious meetings are held on all days
of the weak and no complaint OF distur-
bance from labor.
From these facts 1t Is apparent that the
that It Ia claimed that labor
causes Ia not a real ons, but a mental
caused by one part of the
seeing another part not will
ing to conform to their manner anu GUS
toms of worship. The whole thing IL bern
of higotry and intolerance. 1t ID foreign
to every righteous principle upon which
this "swset land OF liberty Is founded.
Webster defines civil liberty a. "nstural
liberty so far restricted AID oaly so far
restricted a. 10 necessary for tho public
good" 1t 10 not the purpose OF the atAts
to restrain q man for his own person nj
benefit. This would be treating him rs q
minor or child and would be patsrnal-
ism and NOT Americanism. 1t 10 the
kmsrican principle that svsry man has
q God-gfven and inherent right 10 wor-
ship or not to worship. whsrs, and how
he sees Dc. There must BE- no compul-
sion or restraint here, providing the man