Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-08
| BAPTIST MINISTER AT WAVERLY
TELLS WHY HAVNER HAS
FALLEN DOWN.
CAN'T MAKE CHRISTIANS
THRU MAN MADE LAWS
Pastor BIames Radical Relisionists For
Failure Of Churches to Enlist Many
Men in Gods Ssrviee-sIue Laws
Must Apply to All Alike or to None,
Says Rev. Lewis Brandon.

Waverly, June S.-The pastor Of the
preached to a large congregation an
unusual sermon on the subject, why
Havners Sunday Law Enforcement Is
Failure He said he did not like to
say K told you So yet he knew ana
! previously stated in sermon that Sucn
! always brought the Sabbath into dis
repute and caused the very people the
! church wishes to reach to become dis
! gusted with religion.
| 81 certainly hope people will be MADE
TO realize the need of keeping holy one
! day in seven" said Mr.. Brandon. our
very nature needs the rest. Its effect,
when observed with the will and wish,
| is of great beneft.
! When one is opposed to indiscrim- :
! mate Sunday laws, he is often classed
with the lawless and vicious. This is
often done to kill ones influence, often
it is done in ignorance.
''Havner's effort to enforce sunday
laws is a failure because it is the usual
stunt Of an attorney general who
wishes to later become governor TO
I start tll6 SlllotSCIAOiAe VI s'ohAS
lete law his predecessor overlooked.
He holds the Sunday newspaper is
all right and can be sold. When man
! wishes office he seeks the support OF
| the daily papers. The automobile
owners are to have selling stations for
! gasolene and repair shops kept open.
| The rich and influential own the auto
mobiles The general public can see
| the why in such ruling.
"All should stand equal before the
! law. il should grant no religious Ia
| voritism. If it is a violation for DINERS
! to earn wages on Sunday it certainly
should be for preachers and their
| helpers When a church choir ceases
| to charge for Sunday and reverts the
charges to week day rehearsals we
know it is purely an evasion OF law
and should be beneath the dignity OF
| professed christians.
| Questions Nations Christianity.
"One of the stock in trade arguments
| for Sunday laws is that this is chris
tan nation. That's strange. fe"er
people are church members here than
| in England, Germany or France. even.
We had more murders up to 1914. more
| divorces. more suicides, more drunk
enness than they The question is, what
made It a christian nation? Why, the
supreme court decreed so. Yes, and
the supreme court decreed in 1857 that
a. negro had no rights white man
had to respect. 1t cost the lives OF
700, 600 white men to prove he did have
rights.
Another stock in trade argument Is
that this is Gods country and His laws
should be obeyed. Gods laws should
certainly be obeyed, but 1t is not with
in the province of civil law to inter-
! pret and enforce those laws that per-
tain alone to mans duty to his God.
| Then again the bible says the devil
is the God of this world. Look on ev-
cry side and you will see his power.
Some day God shall take possession
and then His law shall prevail.
IF Gods law is to be enforced by
the civil power, whose Interpretation
OF II is to hold sway? I believe the
bible teaches all believers should be
immersed, yet / would rather die than
immense any one contrary to his wish.
Then why should I wish to coerce
man into keeping day my religion
chooses? psi
has no conscience. at least none that
christians have a right to respect is
It any wonder that so many unsaVed
men hold the churches in contempt?
They know that one right Of theirs is
that they shall not be forced 10 keep
purely religious institution, forced on
them by civil power.
Man Made Laws Not Supreme.
tn yany
Gods law. Here is a law Of Christ, OF
God, that many overlook. 1 want you
to take it and read it when you get
home: yes read the whole OF the 14th
chapter of Romans. Here Is Gods
law as to how to respect and treat
others conscience. It forbids us judg-
/, ing a man. 1t says One esteemeth
one day above another and another es-
teemeth every day alike This law
saws these men are Gods servants and
forbids us, judging either Of them.
ANY man, preacher or any other man,
who is responsible, directly or indi-
rectly. for a man being forced into
civil court to be judged because OF his
esteem or lack Of esteem Of day is
a yiolator Of this plain word or law OF
God. The sad thing about it is the
spirit of intolerance 1t develops, in an
otherwise good man.
IF preachers and christians would
devote their time to loving all men
and to deeds of loving service to 9TH
ers and less to trying to get the civil
power to make laws that stand be-
tween man and his God, then religion
would be respected more.
1.-The Sabbath should be kept and the
law should be so that all men who
work for others are laid off one day IN
seven, but we should remember we
have no business getting between any
man and his duty as given in the first
4 four Of Inc ten commando: his
conscience is to settle that matter.
1--WE have had one great war in this
country to settle questions Of human
rights. Liberty of conscience Is toe
! precious to trifie with. The people 81
this age are too wise to allow anti
quated civil laws enforcing religion.
duties. Ffavner's Sunday law enforce
ment must fail and should, but 1t Il
bringing Gods i5auuati1 into 5!!ss-s-.:.. e
for which I am made sad"