The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-25
Rev. s. G. Huntington Rejoices
That Sunday Legislation
Was Killed.
BELIEVES IN SEPARATION
OF CHURCH AND STATE
He Draws His Lesson From the
Recent Action Of the
Upper House.

church, corner Of Fifth South and Sixth
East streets, the pastor, Rev, 5. q.
Huntington, took for the subject of his
discourse. Defeated Sunday Legis-
lation q Triumph for Religious Liber-
ty.' DR. Huntington took for his text
" Render to Caesar the things that are
Caesar s. and to God the things that
are God So Mark l2:l7. He said:
These are the words OF Jesus Christ
They reflect in the most simple terms
by him who ordained them. the true
that each has a distinct and independent
sphere of It's own and that within the
tinction between these two spheres as
herein set forth should ever be main
tanned: As enunclated ?d by L; $. Grant am
he State PTfnSPs IS the ana
The motive that prompted the Pilgrim
Fathers TO turn their backs upon friend
Journey in their, frail barks across the
turbulent Atlantic and thus sail for
tar-off and distant hemisphere was was thai Isd
ther heK Poserg se 0hq habia,on fGr Where free
from the CALLING yoke OF kings-craft and
prIests-c craft they could enjoy the sweet
in that immortal instrument. the
r laration OF Independence. the franz
- q which appreciating the priceless
these truths to be self-eyident. that all
men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their creator with certain
unalienahle rights that among these are
life. liberty and the pursuit OF happi-
ness. Embodied in the constitution OF
the United States are TO be found these
words; Congress shall make no law
exercise thereof, or abridsing the free
dom OF speech or OF the press
Thus assuming that true attitude OF
true republican form OF government; and
guaranteeing TO every man the right To
worship God according 10 the dictates OF
hIs own conscience this nation TOOK It's Its
earth and has since become the stand
ard bearer of the governments OF the
tanned this lofty standard. the question
arises shall Il be maintained. and If So
how? To the first proposition our an
swer is that It should, and TO the second
that Its maintenance rests wholly upon
the continuation OF those same funda-
mental principles that have made us
what we are
Church and State.
But inconsistent as II may seem II is,
nevertheless, n, deplorable fact that by
some these principles would be totally
repudiated and others. diabolical and des-
tructive, involving union OF church and
State. recognized In their stead. Omit
ting. for brevity. the declarations OF the
National Reform association, many of Its
auxiliaries and those prominent clergy
men all over the country. will call your
attention TO both national and local is
sue along this line which will serve TO
illustrate the evil involved in this whole
question.
Through the influence of leading
church representatives Of this city there
was introduced in our late Legislature
apon on, the frss dag OF the week.
ly called Sunday. That this bill was in
troduced strictly from religious point
introduced II and other members who
favored II prove beyond controversy.
But regardless OF the admissions Of the
ac1s'S acter Sabbath w Hesitation isis m is de decidedly
religious legislation IL one OF It's most
ultra forms
history was made at The very beginning
of the union OF church and State between
Rome and the Christian church, This
was by Constantine, Emperor OF Rome A
Sunday -Sabbaths. Hence Sunday-Sab
baths, as Neander says. like all other
fHssvsE WAS aTags only human or
the contrary. Thus from this first step
in SUNDAY legislation other legislation
upon Sunday and other church dogmas
followed In quick succession until church
and State became closely united that
in A. D.. 5SS the Papal hierarchy was
fully established. Then began the wilder
ness. state OF the church and that period
Of time known as the darl! ages wherein
fifty million or more OF Gods saints were
martyred for their faith.
OF God at this time was In the wilder
ness, hence that church that sought Sum
day laws laws and other church legislation
was most conclusively an apostate
church Even so II is today. No true
church will ever seek the assistance of !
therance, OF her dogmas. Manifestly. a
gospel that is not big enough, broad
enough and all-powerful enough to stand
alone without crutches furnished it by
the State Is woefully lacking somewhere.
Furthermore. doctrine that can not be
maintained by the gospel and men won TO
the gospel is unworthy OF the name by
which 1t is called. The God OF the Bible
has never solicited the assistance OF any
State or nation in behalf Of his teachings,
They live, in the hearts OF his followers.
Coercion is not the spirit of the gospel
II is the Love of God that leadeth mon
righteous under the lash OF civil enact
ment As well legislaae upon the doc
trines OF baptism or the ordinances OF
question. These are strictly moral obIl-
cations and relate TO ones duty TO God
only. hence far beyond the purview of
the State to act upon
States Alleged Rights.
Indeed If the State assumes the right
10 declare what ITS subjects shall not
do on the Sabbath, would II not also have
The same right 70 declare what Its sub
Jects shall do on the Sabbath? Exactly.
day OF the Sabbath and then tell us what
we shall or shall not do on that day?
Are we TO be accountable to the State
for the performance nom performance
of our religious duties2 Religion In
wolves worship and a heart service and
rests wholly between the Individual and
his God. National allegiance involves
ones relationship to the government and
the people OF the government In which
he lives In matters civil, The trans
the transgression OF the law of the land
is crime. Governments can punish for
crime but not for sin, bur II a religious
law Is enacted into and inforced by our
civil code, such for instance as Sunday
and similar legislation involves. then
that government which before was civil
becomes government hierarchial
Therefore, 1t becomes the moral duty
OF every liberty loving citizen OF this
commonwealth 10 repudiate any and
every encroachment OF any church or
combination Of churches upon the rights
and privileges Of the people or any part
n nf al