Religious Liberty
The Last Act in the Drama
The substitution of the laws of men for the law of God, the exaltation, by
merely human authority, of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is the
last
act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will
reveal
Himself. He will arise in His majesty to shake terribly the earth. He will
come
out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their
iniquity, and
the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. --
Preparing for the Sunday Law Crisis
The Sunday party is strengthening itself in its false claims, and this
will
mean oppression to those who determine to keep the Sabbath of the Lord. We
are
to place ourselves where we can carry out the Sabbath commandment in its
fullness. "Six days shalt thou labor," the Lord declares, "and do all thy
work;
but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt
not do
any work." And we are to be careful not to place ourselves where it will
be
hard for ourselves and our children to keep the Sabbath.
Preparing for the Sunday Law Crisis
If in the providence of God we can secure places away from the cities, the
Lord
would have us do this. There are troublous times before us.-
Preaching the Distinctive Truths
Called to Expose Man of Sin.--In the very time in which we live the Lord
has
called His people and has given them a message to bear. He has called them
to
expose the wickedness of the man of sin who has made the Sunday law a
distinctive power, who has thought to change times and laws, and to
oppress the
people of God who stand firmly to honor Him by keeping the only true
Sabbath,
the Sabbath of creation, as holy unto the Lord.--
Religious Liberty
When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to
enact a
Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with popery; it will
be
nothing else than giving life to the tyranny which has long been eagerly
watching its op****tunity to spring again into active despotism.
Counsels to Editors
We should now be doing our very best to defeat this Sunday law. The best
way to
do this will be to lift up the law of God and make it stand forth in all
its
sacredness. This must be done if the truth triumphs.-
Preparing for the Sunday Law Crisis
Troublous Times Before Us
We are not to locate ourselves where we will be forced into close
relations
with those who do not honor God. . . . A crisis is soon to come in regard
to
the observance of Sunday. . .
Remember the Sabbath Day
Sunday is generally made a day of feasting and pleasure seeking, but the
Lord
would have His people give the world a higher, holier example. Upon the
Sabbath
there should be a solemn dedication of the family to God. . . . Let all
unite
to honor God upon His holy day. . . .
The Sabbath the Great Point at Issue
In the warfare to be waged in the last days there will be united, in
opposition
to God's people, all the corrupt powers that have apostatized from
allegiance
to the law of Jehovah. In this warfare the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment
will be the great point at issue, for in the Sabbath commandment the great
Lawgiver identifies Himself as the Creator of the heavens and the
earth.--3SM
392 (1891).
Sunday Laws
"Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep," the Lord says, "for it is a sign
between Me
and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord
that
doth sanctify you" (Ex. 31:13). Some will seek to place obstacles in the
way of
Sabbath observance, saying, "You do not know what day is the Sabbath," but
they
seem to understand when Sunday comes, and have manifested great zeal in
making
laws compelling its observance.--KC 148 (1900).
Sunday Laws
Protestants will throw their whole influence and strength on the side of
the
papacy. By a national act enforcing the false sabbath they will give life
and
vigor to the corrupt faith of Rome, reviving her tyranny and oppression of
conscience.--Mar 179 (1893).
Sunday Laws
This very class put forth the claim that the fast-spreading corruption is
largely attributable to the desecration of the so-called "Christian
sabbath"
and that the enforcement of Sunday observance would greatly improve the
morals
of society. This claim is especially urged in America, where the doctrine
of
the true Sabbath has been most widely preached.-
Liberty of Conscience Threatened
These records of the past clearly reveal the enmity of Rome toward the
true
Sabbath and its defenders, and the means which she employs to honor the
institution of her creating. The word of God teaches that these scenes are
to
be repeated as Roman Catholics and Protestants shall unite for the
exaltation
of the Sunday.
THE SABBATH AMONG THE WALDENSES.--THERE ARE WRITERS WHO HAVE MAINTAINED
THAT
THE WALDENSES MADE A GENERAL PRACTICE OF OBSERVING THE SEVENTH-DAY
SABBATH.
THIS CONCEPT AROSE FROM SOURCES WHICH IN THE ORIGINAL LATIN DESCRIBE THE
WALDENSES AS KEEPING THE DIES DOMINICALIS, OR LORD'S DAY (SUNDAY), BUT IN
WHICH
THROUGH A PRACTICE WHICH DATES FROM THE REFORMATION, THE WORD FOR "SUNDAY"
HAS
BEEN TRANSLATED "SABBATH."
Guiding Principles in Administration
By request I spoke about thirty minutes, warning them against letting
their
Sabbath school degenerate into a mere mechanical routine. We should not
seek to
imitate Sunday schools, nor keep us the interest by offering prizes. The
offering of rewards will create rivalry, envy, and jealousy; and some who
are
the most diligent and worthy will receive little credit. Scholars should
not
try to see how many verses they can learn and repeat; for this brings too
great
a strain upon the ambitious child, while the rest become discouraged.
Preparing for the Sunday Law Crisis
The Sunday party is strengthening itself in its false claims, and this
will
mean oppression to those who determine to keep the Sabbath of the Lord. We
are
to place ourselves where we can carry out the Sabbath commandment in its
fullness. "Six days shalt thou labor," the Lord declares, "and do all thy
work;
but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt
not do
any work." And we are to be careful not to place ourselves where it will
be
hard for ourselves and our children to keep the Sabbath.
A Purified Church
As the sign of the authority of the Catholic Church, papist writers cite
"the
very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday." . . . What then is the
change of
the Sabbath, but the sign, or mark, of the authority of the Roman
Church--"the
mark of the beast"?
God's Law Immutable
It is a fact generally admitted by Protestants that the Scriptures give no
authority for the change of the Sabbath. This is plainly stated in
publications
issued by the American Tract Society and the American Sunday School Union.
One
of these works acknowledges "the complete silence of the New Testament so
far
as any explicit command for the Sabbath [Sunday, the first day of the
week] or
definite rules for its observance are concerned."--George Elliott, The
Abiding
Sabbath, page 184.
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