The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-16
SEVENTH DAY ADVENT1sTS
AND THE SABBATH LAWS
\ sectarian Propaganda Under the
Guise of Religious Liberty.

Guise of Religious Liberty.
Editor virginian,
Sir: see that our Seventh Day
Adventist friends are very active in
the present crusade against the Sab
bath laws
Let nobody be deceived 1t Ia only
shrewd sectarian method Of adver-
Using their peculiar tenets. Having
little or nothing distinctive with which
! TO make reasonable appeal to the
faith of the people. they must mas
querade under the high sounding
! title OF friends OF religious liberty"
/ Their Adventism having failed. and
their Seventh Dayism being without
| communicates in 1915-as against
more than 5000 900 Baptists and
and more than 1000 900 Meth
odists) they must bring out
the ancient boRy OF the union OF
church and state.
The gentleman who vs. scheduled to
speak next Sunday at the proposed
Mass Meeting on Religious Liberty is
none other than a preacher or lee
turer of this small but clamorous de-
nomination. He Is an excellent gen
tleman, no doubt, and well informed
in the peculiar doctrines of his de-
nomination. He has doubtless a plen-
tiful stock of historical references of
the encyclopedia order and numerous
quotations of the give me liberty or
give me death" sort But, after all,
he Is only a UNCONVENTIONAL propa-
gandist, selling the present agitation
in Richmond TO promote denomina-
tional rally.
1t shows quite a bit Of worldly wis
dom on the part of the denomination
al leaders. and nobody begrudges them
the amount OF denominational adver-
tising they may get out OF II. But
again, let nobody be deceived is
a meeting, IL held. only for denomi-
national purposes
AS for the matter OF religious lib-
erty, or the union OF church and
state" and references 10 the blue
laws'' and the dark ages and re-
ligious prosecutions, all of us know
quite as much as our Adventist breth-
rem about those things and are quite
as orthodox about them.
We heard those cries, repeated over
and over during the prohibition cam
paign in 1914. and have heard them
In every local-option canvass IN the
last thirty years They came from
the barkeepers. the liquor dealers and
the dive promoters.
If am not mistaken, our Advent
lSf DFelnTFn WE'RE quite OchiouS AZ
the interest of prohibition as any Of
us. according to their numbers. This
writer had the honor of speaking in
one of their churches to a most at
tentive audience, When the liquor
dealers sad the dive promoters raised
the cry Of religious liberty and the
union OF church and state and vocif-
Grated In most approved terms against
making people religious by legisla-
ton, our Adventist brethren, II l mis-
take not, turned a deaf ear to all
their plead and Joined with the
rest of US unregensrates In writing
that great act into the laws Of our
State, contrary TO the views of the
wet apostles OF religious liberty"
All Of US believe In religious no
erty None Of US believe In the union
OF church and state And when those
dire things happen. X they ever come
20 pass. they Will not come from those
who believe in proper safeguarding
Of the Christian Sabbath. They will
come from the very sources that are
now Joining hands openly and secret
~ with thu Seventh Day Adventists
In a persistent and concerted effort
TO break down all regard for our Sab
bath The foes OF religious liberty
are not in the ranks of the despisod
and hated sabbatarians The foes of
religious liberty are In the ranks Of
greed. of lust. OF pleasure, Of religious
Iopportunisfn, that are Joining hands
with the Adventists in the present cru
sa de against our Sunday laws
All that the friends OF the Christian
ga hbath ask is sane and consistent
administration of the Sunday laws,
There are certain outstanding abuses
that ought to be abated There are
certain great public conveniences that
may be olassed as necessities, because
they serve the public at large.
There are certain other forms of
trade that serve only limited constitu-
encies OF greed on the one side, and
sensual or pleasurable qualification on
the other OF these latter are mani
testify ice cream parlors. soda foun-
tatns, cigar stands, amusement parks
or performances. shoe-shine and pub
lie news stands. and such like.
These forms OF trade in violation
Of the law promote contempt for the
sa bbath and all religious work con-
neoted with 1t. out OF all proportion
to the interests involved or the pub
Tic service rendered. That seems to
me- ought TO be the prime considera-
ton to govern the administ ration OF
the Sunday laws
Amy rash or insane administration.
such as Is threatened. can but be un-
derstood as a part OF a conspiracy
to break down all such laws. And
! such rash or foolish movement can
| but result, in the long run, In the
enactment, by future Legislatures, of
more specific and drastic Sunday reg
ulations. Yours truly.
| J. Fl. LIGHT.
| nvpa nm Tayox