Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-25
sunday Laws.

OMAHA, June 3.-To the Editor of The
Bee: Kindly give space 10 the accompany
ing article on the Sunday law question,
taken from THE Signs of the Times" a
weekly paper published at Mountain View,
Cal, and which states my views on the
subject. l.. A. SPRING,
Pastor Seventh Day Adventist Church.
From the view point OF either the church
or the state, 1t Is anomalous that such a
thing as a Sunday law should have an eX-
istence. Setting aside the much mOoted
question as to whether Sunday is q holy
day or not. it is an institution of a great
part of the church. 1t is a Religious insti-
tuition. The churches which hold to its
sacredness ought to believe that the prayer
power of Gods Gospel is behind II, as II
is behind every Christian institution, the
h hs His g SgRpGr needed LSI the m 5eip Of the Ne civil
arm. In fact, the civil arm has ever proved
a curse to the church. 1t has led the church
to look to man instead of to God; and thus
saith Jehovah: Cursed is the man that
trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm,
and whose heart departeth from Jehovah.
desert, and shall not see when good cometh,
but shall inhabit the parched places in the
wilderness, in a salt land and not in
Egypt for help. and rely on horses, and
trust in chariots because they are many,
and In horsemen because they are very
strong, but they look not unto the Holy
One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah! .
Now the Egyptians are men, not God;
hIlu llltlT HOTStS lleSIs dTu 10 spirit ana
when Jehovah shall stretch out His hand.
both he that helpeth shall stumble, and he
that Is helped shall fall, and they all shall
be consumed together" These are the les
sons God would teach His children in all
ages.
Though sunday-keeping be right. and
though it be the duty OF the church to
teach IL, II is not its duty to condemn those
who do not observe It. Jesus said: MY
kingdom is not of this world" He said
again: "If any man hear My words, and
believe not, l Judge him not; for 1 came
I not to judge the world, but to save the
world" And one of his great apostles de-
| clares: Not that we have lordship over
your faith. but are helpers of your Joy;
for in faith We stand fast" That church
force in any way religious dogmas or in
stitutions upon men. is forsaking Christ
and committing fornication with the state,
and the end OF that is death.
mand for religious Legislation made by
religionists under any plea whatsoever.
AS soon as this Is done the state becomes a
party, in religious controversies. 1t must
decide as to which OF two parties is right.
It assumes the place of God and becomes
belittle, demean, humiliate. censure, penal
ize and incriminate a class Of its own
subjects, who may be equally good citi-
zens and as truly Christian as those whose
once yields to such demands begins a down
ward road which ends in destruction. All
history has writ the warning large; II is
sad to see men like Justice Brewer of the
federal supreme court and Judge Wallace
OF Kansas City. Mo-, carried away by such
religious prejudice and pressure.
Every patriot as he loves his county,
ought to oppose Sunday-laws, or religious
legislation of every kind. Every Christian
should not only be ashamed to ask such a