The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-01-28
SHALL blue LAW Be IN
FORCED BY LEGISLATION?

4
To the Editor Banner:
Can we impose upon your generosity
in giving space to the following me-
moriaf and thus give voice to large
number Of sincere religious thinkers
who would be injured by the proposed
Sunday legislation.
II you will do SO you will confer .
favor upon large number of God
fearing and God loving believers.
Very truly,
G. S. LONGACRE.
A Memorial Adopted by the General
Conference Committee of Seventh-day
Adventists.
We are Christians and believe in
the total separation of the church and
the state.
AS Christians, we believe in the
American idea of government, and the
constitutional principles upon which
it is founded, and honor the men who
SO nobly stood for the principles Of
civil religious liberty. Their princi-
pies are our principles.
As Christians. we believe in God,
and recognize Jesus Christ his Son,
as our divine Saviour and Mediator,
through whom we have redemption
from sin; and in the Holy Spirit as
the divine power in the regeneration
of the heart. We believe that the
Holy Scriptures are divinely inspired,
and Of supreme authority in all spirit
ual things, and that each individual
should be left free to follow this infal-
lible word as conscience and the Holy
Spirit may dictate; untrammeled by
any interference by the civil Magis-
trate.
AS Christians, we recognize that
civil government is of divine appoint
ment, ordained for the peace and
preservation of society. that it is SUI
preme in the sphere Of civil matters,
and most cheerfully subscribe to the
principle divinely commanded by the
SON of God in Judea, to render unto
Caesar the things which are Caesars,
and unto God the things that are
Gods" A failure to recognize the
distinction between civil and religious
duties has been the primary cause of
al the religious prosecutions of the
past.
We believe that the Constitution
has withheld from the federal gov
ernment the right to invade the soul
Of man and dictate to him what he
shall believe. In the realm of reli-
gion the state has no constitutional
authority. We are left free to believe
or not believe; to worship any god or
no god, to observe a Sabbath or not
observe It. as conscience may dictate.
The state is to direct in civil ques-
tons, and these only. With mans
relations to his Creator, ii has no au-
thority whatsoever. 1t is to protect
all, and to interfere with none For
this reason we protect against any en-
eroachment Of the civil power into the
spiritual realm. The strong organized
Efforts being put forth at the present
time to do this are destructive both
to the church and the state. and how
ever innocent they may appear, if
successful, viii eventually destroy the
pillars upon which our government is
founded.
Sabharh-keeping is not civil but a
religious duty. Congress therefore
has nothing whatever to do with the
question Of its observance. Such leg
isiation is forbidden by the first
amendment to the constitution which
declares that Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment Of
religion or prohibiting the free exer-
else thereof"
The fourth Of July, Washington's
birthday. Memorial day. are civil ms
stitutions, and their observance IS
neyer made compulsory. But the Sab
oath Is religious institution. Its OBJ
sefvance is not civil duty. but a re-
''saous act. Il is worship rendered
g the Creator It's violation is spir-
i'nal not civil offense. It's obser-
vance includes the very thoughts and
paFposes Of the heart. and it's vio-
'at'on y sin. not crime. ana can Be-
punished only ct the tribunal Of the
universal Judge Only those whose
hearts God has changed. can truly
hssp holy Sabbath. AS no lexisla,
s'on by Congress- can change the hu-
n heart. q make citizens perform
8 e''slous aet when they are not re-
'0us 4 y enforce hypocrisy by