CHRISTIANITY is love only, not force,—“God is love.” And “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And “the love of Christ constraineth us.”
CHRISTIANITY is all of faith, not of law,—“For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” And “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” “If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” “Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested … even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference.”
CHRISTIANITY is freedom of choice, not arbitrary requirement,—“If any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not.” “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting lift.” “Whosoever will may come.” “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord.” “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.”
CHRISTIANITY is dependence wholly upon the power of God, manifested through Jesus Christ, by his Spirit alone; not upon the power of man, manifested through government, by the sword or the bayonet. “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” “Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.” “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” “And I will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses nor by horsemen.” “This is the word of the Lord…. saying: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
THE Sunday movement is force only, not love.
“Resolved, That we do hereby pledge ourselves and each other, that we will, from this time henceforth, refuse to vote for or support for any office or position of trust, any member of Congress, either senator or representative, who shall vote for any further aid of any kind to the World’s Fair, except upon conditions named in these resolutions.” [21]
“If temporary injunction is impossible to-day, let proclamation and troops hold gates closed until obtained.” [22]
“The First United Presbyterian Church of Boston, distrusting both directory and commissioners, appeals to you to suppress Chicago nullification with Jacksonian firmness, and to guard the gates next Sabbath with the troops, if necessary.” [23]
THE Sunday movement is altogether of law and not of faith at all. They worked steadily for thirty years to get a national Sunday-law, and everywhere they demand State Sunday-laws where there are none, and the rigid enforcement of them with increased penalties where they already exist. This is so entirely a part of the daily history and the public records of the whole country in the last few years that no particular quotation is needed; for all know that it is so. Their whole cry is, “Law, law, law,” and all for “the salvation of the Nation.”
THE Sunday movement is arbitrary requirement entirely with no shadow of freedom of choice. Sunday, as “the Christian Sabbath,” must be unquestionably observed by all, whether they be Christians, Jews, Infidels, or what not. Even though a man be the most sincere and devout Christian, and observes the seventh day, the day which the Lord himself appointed as the Sabbath, yet this counts nothing—he must observe Sunday, too, or else suffer the penalty of fine, and imprisonment till the fine is paid. These facts are also matters of daily occurrence and public record. Thus the Sunday movement, in behalf of what it calls “the Christian Sabbath,” knows nothing but arbitrary requirement and compulsory procedure to secure its acceptance and observance.
THE Sunday movement is dependence wholly upon the power of man, manifested through law and by force alone; not upon the power of God manifested through Jesus Christ by his Spirit.
“What is now to be done? This is the question that is perplexing the supporters of the Sabbath…. From present appearances relief can be looked for only at Washington.” [24]
“In this third fight … Attorney-General Olney … with President Cleveland, must be our chief reliance.” [25]
IN a Sunday-law speech made in the Baptist Church, Cortland, N.Y., Sunday evening, June 18, 1893, “Rev.” Addis Albro, State Secretary for New York, said: “In all this contest the right arm of power is the executive.” And cited the President of the United States, the governor of a State, the sheriff of a county, the mayor of a city, and the president of a town, as the ones in whom the executive power is lodged.
“To HON. GROVER CLEVELAND,
“Washington, D. C.
“Dear Sir: As God in his providence has given you the highest office in the United States, we appeal to you in this decisive conflict between the friends of God and of good government on the one hand, and the powers of darkness and the enemies of our Christian American Sabbath on the other, to use all the power that has been delegated to you in the position you now hold, to keep and to close the gates of the World’s Fair on the Sabbath, [218] not only the buildings but also Jackson Park….
“I look upon the move as high treason against God’s divine government and the accepted laws of the land, and in this request I voice a half-million people of Indiana, of whom a large per cent. will abandon their attendance at the Fair, if the gates are open on the Lord’s day.
“Your humble servant,
“J. R. Day.” [26]
This Mr. Day is the secretary of the Indiana division of the Christian Endeavor Society—that is, of this kind of Christian endeavor. But what kind of Christian endeavor is that which appeals to a man to settle a conflict between them and the powers of darkness. What a delightsome figure would be cut anyhow, by the President of the United States endeavoring to settle a decisive conflict between the friends of God and the powers of darkness!
“Resolved, That the Prohibition Party of Iowa, in State convention assembled, do most emphatically protest against such action [the opening of the World’s Fair on Sunday], and that we ask President Cleveland to use the power vested in him to enforce the law of Congress to prevent this sin against high heaven, and rebellion against the Government of the Untied States.” [27]
“In Wisconsin, when the mayor of the capital refused to prohibit a prize fight on the Sabbath, the governor ordered the troops to take possession of the stage and grounds, and bayonets prohibited lawlessness. Let President Cleveland order the U. S. troops to guard the gates of the World’s Fair on Sabbath, and keep them closed if need be.” [28]
By the evidences presented in these notes, it is as plain as A B C to everybody that Christianity and the Sunday movement are two directly antagonistic things. The one is Christianity, the other is deviltry. The one is salvation, the other is destruction. These are the two ways; which way do you take?
A.T.J.