The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-06-14
SUNDAY LAWS

The following from the Tampa Tri-
bune is sensible and timely. and may
let some light into the minds of those
who think the Almighty needs the
protection of puny men:
The Christian has all the powers of
heaven at hand to enable him to live
his religion. He does not need the
power of civil government TO enforce
his religion upon him, or upon his
fellow man. No religious controversy
can be settled by the courts. and no
church which believes it has the
power of God back of it will ever dare
ask the puny potentates of earth to
help it enforce its dogmas.
Those who desire to keep Sunday,
or any other day, sacred, can do so
without a civil law. Millions of peo-
pie over all the earth, because of then
religious convictions, surrender bust
ness, lay aside secular affairs, and on
the First day of the week" render
unto God, the things that be Gods;
millions of equally religious who hold
to other theologies, observe another
day rendering the things that be due
to their God-the same God of US all.
The history of all Sabattical laws,
enacted by temporal kingdoms" is a
history which in the end records per-
secution "for conscience sake" 1t was
such laws that created the Spanish
Inquisition; burned Wycliffe, Bonner
and other reformers; bored the
tongues of Quakers with red hot rods;
whipped the Puritan sabbath break
err" and banished Roger Williams
Americans. Christians, and all well
balanced. clear thinking men, unite
in deprecating Sunday Laws" be-
cause their history is written IN char
acters of blood.
Does Christianity need more thar
impartial protection in this county; OF
in any? In reversing the decision OF
a lower court where the state was
urged to regulate purely religious al
fairs. Mr.. Justice WEIGH, of the Ohio
supreme court, said:
"When Christianity asks the aid OF
government beyond mere impartial
protection, it denies itself. It's laws
are divine, and not human. It's essen
tial interests lie beyond the reach anc
range of human government. United
with government, religion never rises
above the merest superstition; united
with religion, government never rises
above the merest despotism; and al
history shows US that the more widely
and completely they are separated, the
| better it is for both"
Charles H. Sturgeon, the creates
Baptist divine of his age, or any
other, cried to the British parliament
Glands off; leave US alone! Chris
| wants no help from Caesar" His ut
| terances on that occasion should b'
| read again by those demanding tina
| the state come to the aid of th'
| church. He said:
81 am ashamed of some Christians
because they have so much depend
ence on parliament and the law of tn,
land. Much good may parliament d.
| to true religion, except by mistake
AS to getting the law of the land t.
touch our religion, we earnestly cry
Hands off. Leave US alone! Your Sun
day bills and all other forms of act
of-parliament religion seem to me t,
be all wrong. Give us a fair field ant
no favor, and our faith has no cause
! to fear. Christ wants no help from
| Caesar. l should be afraid to borrow
help from government; it would lool
to me as if I rested on an arm O
flesh, instead of depending on the liv
ing God, Let the Lords day be re
spected by all means, and may tn
day soon come when every shop will
be closed on the Sabbath, but let it b