The Mankato free press., 1920-12-24
RAPS AT THE Blue LAWS
M. E. ANDERSON SEES MUCH
DANGER IN THEM
He Delivered Sermon On Subject
At the Adventist
Church

erty; or Back TO the Blue Laws, 10 q
large attendance in the seventh Day
Adventist church Sunday evening,
said in part:
"The whole chapter of Romans Is
is devoted to the topic OF liberty, the
seventh verse tells us that honor, Gus
tom and tribute are to be rendered TO
the proper authority. In Matt. 22:l7
our Saviour tells us to be loyal citi-
Zens by paying tribute to Caesar or
in our time it would be rendered, pay
taxes and be loyal to the state and
government. The Bible teaches that
we should be loyal citizens. 1t also
shows plainly that certain things are
required by God and certain other
things by the state God should al
ways come first and then the state,
but If it should ever be impos sible to
serve both, should not God come first?
THE powers OF GCd and man should
Se kept separate. This is a Bible prin
ciple They both have their field, but
should always be separate. All the
persecution of the past has come be-
cause these powers were uni ed.
When the church power dictated the
state obeyed and persecution follow
ed. We are told in Acts 5:29 that
when it becomes necessary to chose
between God and man that God must
be first, but we should obey the pow
ers of state where they do not con-
fiict with Gods requirements,
I'm both the Old and New Testa-
ment we have religious legislation
All that religious legislation can do
is to make hypocrites. In Daniel the
third chapter we have an example of
religious legislation in the Babvlonian
empire. The edict read. Bow to an
image The Bible forbids the worship
of images. The king, the state, all the
civil and religious powers of tha
world, were united to enforce this
command. but the three Hebrews
obeyed God first and were thrown in
to the fiery furnace. This was reli
gious legislation, trying to compel
men to worship contrary to their con
science. Here Caesar was stepping
out Of his sphere into Gods.
''In Daniel, the sixth chapter. unde'
the Medes and Persians we have an
other combination OF church and state
of the true God on penalty of the lions
den. Would we stop praying today il
such a law were passed now? One
man dared to pray, to obey God frs
and was thrust into the lions den
This combining of church and stat
made hyprocrites, but not true men.
In the New Testament we find 2
union of these two powers at the time
of Herod recorded in Acts IL H
killed James and saw that the churcr
was pleased and wanted to continue
the same kind of work.
Paine, the champion of religions
liberty in the New Testament lad hi
plans hindered by union of churc'-
and state. The church called in tn
state to put to death the man VIII
dared to differ with them in religion
DO the Baptists have a right to
compel all to be Baptists? Or must
we all be Methodists? Would il b
right for all to be compelled to be
Catholics? Would not that be a un
ion Of church and state? The blood,
pages in history are there becauec
these two powers were united. Johr
was banished to the isle of Patmos h
union of church and state. ShouIS
the minority in Minnesota be han
ished because they do not agree with
the majority? -.
"The principles on which our own.
country was founded are a complst~
separation of church and state. and
tney should always remain separate
AS soon as they are united the same
.. ENDS
secution. POI
"why did the Pilgrim Fathers como
to this country? Was it not because
they were seeking a country without
a king and a church without a none
SO that they might worship God ac
cordlng to the dictates of consciencep ?
But what they sought was for them
selves. only and not for others.
Origin of the Blue Laws.
These very Pilgrim Fathers were
the ones who put into effect the RIne
Laws. The book American State pa
pers,' a copy of all the laws on reli--
gious legislation in the United States
gives the following law enacted in
1910, just three years after the first
settlement landed:
Every man and woman shall re-
pair In the morning to the divine
service and sermons preached on the
SABBATH day, in the afternoon to di
vine service and catechising upon
PAIN for the first fault TO lose their
provision and the allowance for the
wh0le week following for the second
whipped and for the third to suffer
death Page 33.
Would such a law now make any,
thing but hypocrites? This is a Bile
Law, Do we want it? Do Won want,
a law that will put your neighbor to
deatn because he worships on a dif-
1erent day than you do? Religion
should always be Hands Off A law
page "a. oh
I'm the same year 1910 A law
against blasphemy was enacted in
Virginia, the offender for the first Of
tense 10 suffer severe punishment. for
the second to have a bodllin thrnst
tnrough his tongue, and for the third
70 be brought to martial trial and
mere receive censure of DEATH This
l ls blue law. Do you want one bere9
Would many die? u
On page forty we read the follow
lng Sec. 1.-'Be it enacted bv the
senate and house of representatives
Slc., tnat no person or persons what
soever snail keep open his or her or
-nelr shop, warehouse or workbousa
nor snail upon land or water do anv
manner of labor, business or worI
etc, on the Lords day.
In 1856 we read 'Whosoever sb.1,
. roIane the Lords day or any part of
t-shall surely be put to death il n
=. These are blue laws, do we want
hem here?
Section Bacon's Laws of Mary.
and, Where the said fines shall not
De fmmG0i9folv pa;d - -... .N