"Keeping the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus"
"YAH is Our Righteousness"

Background Review and Herald Articles (part 2)

For nearly a century our people have confidently looked for a national movement in this country which would ultimately abridge the religious liberties of citizens, whom God has created to worship Him according to the decrees of his word, and the dictates of their own consciences. As this movement has been quietly developing, year by year, many of us have looked on complacently, simply regarding the movement as an evidence of the truthfulness of our positions in the interpretation of prophecy. We have not realized the necessity of a counter movement on our part, to hold back for a time this element of oppression, and thus give a little more time of quiet in which to prosecute our God given work of crying the truth to the various nations.

At last we have reached the time when we can delay no longer. We must act promptly, or we may be too late. A united, earnest, untiring effort, just now may avert the impending evil, and give us a time to redeem the years we have lost. But unless God shall work for us, we are too late. If the "Blair Sunday Bill," and the "Blair Religious Amendment" to the Constitution of the United States, which are n ow before Congress, shall be adopted, religious liberty in the United States will be lost, and probably lost forever.

The most remarkable combination of societies are working among the people for the approval of these bills now before Congress, and the most powerful influences are being brought to bear in favor of their adoption. A few days ago, Dr Crafts stated that the number of the petitions had then crossed the five million line; and a great convention is appointed to begin in Washington this week, to work in behalf of these amendments.

What are we doing to meet this movement? Next to nothing! What can we do? Let us see!

During the present week petitions will be sent out to all the State tract societies, one addressed to the Senate, the other to the House of Representatives, which read as follows:

"Every man who conducts himself as a good citizen is accountable alone to God for his religious faith, and should be protected in worshiping God according to the dictates of his own conscience. George Washington.

"Religion is not in the purview of human government. Religion is essentially distinct from government and exempt from its cognizance. A connection between them is injurious to both James Madison.

"Leave the matter of religion to the family altar, the church, and the private school supported entirely by private contribution. Keep the state and the church forever separate. U.S. Grant.

"Congress shall make no law regarding an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. U. S. Constitution.

"MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. " "RENDER THEREFORE UNTO CAESAR THE THINGS WHICH ARE CAESAR'S; AND UNTO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD'S" Jesus Christ.

"To the Honorable, the Senate of the United States:

"We, the undersigned, adult residents of the United States, twenty-one years of age or more, hereby respectfully, but earnestly, petition your Honorable Body not to pass any bill in regard to the observance of the Sabbath, or Lord's day, or any other religious or ecclesiastical institution or rite; nor to favor in any way the adoption of any resolution for the amendment of the National Constitution that would in any way give preference to the principles of any one religion above another, or that will in any way sanction legislation upon the subject of religion; but that the total separation between religion and the State, assured by our National Constitution as it now is, may forever remain as our fathers established it."

A circular letter will accompany these, from which we quote the following:

"DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS:

"With this you will receive blank petitions to the Senate and House of Representatives, pleading that our Constitution may remain as it is, so far as religion is concerned; and that no bill may be passed, or amendment adopted, that would in any way recognize or give preference to any religion. These are for you to sign, and to get everybody else to sign. Sign them yourselves, and present them to all your neighbors for them to sign. Many of them perhaps will not have heard anything definite about the Amendment or the Sunday Bill. This you should explain in such a way that they many see that it means the establishment of a national religion, ending in a religious despotism; and that under it no man's religious liberty will any longer be secure, or his right to worship according to the dictates of his conscience any longer his own.

"You will also receive, with this, a leaflet containing the Amendment, with comments and extracts from the fathers of our Republic. Study this leaflet carefully and most prayerfully, so that when you go to your neighbors, the Spirit of God may impress the truth upon their minds, and they will see that it is their safety which we seek.

"You will see at once that this puts it in the power of every one of us to herald the third angel's message as never before. This is the third angel's message. We are not to wait until the image of the beast is formed, and then warn the people against its worship; we are to warn them against the making of the image, as well as its worship. We have preached all these years about the coming of a Constitutional Amendment and a national Sunday law; these both are now hanging in the balance, awaiting a decision as to whether they shall pass or not. Immense influences are being cast in their favor. If they pass, the image of the beast is made. There is nothing being done against it except by us. God has raised us up as a people, a few here and there, all through the land for just such a time as this. He calls upon every one to do this work just now. Are we ready?

"To us are spoken the words, as to Esther in her palace, 'If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?' God has raised us up for such a time as this. Will we do the work now for which he has raised us up? If we do not, deliverance will arise from another place, God will leave us to ourselves, and raise up other people to do the work, and receive the reward.

"A committee has been appointed to go to Washington with your petitions; and it will be their work to secure the presentation of the third angel's message before the members of Congress. And to you that committee would say, as Esther said to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shuahan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king.'

"In answer to the prayers and supplications of the people then, God wrought a great deliverance, and gave to his people light, and gladness, and joy, and honor. 'And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.' 'And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and the officers of the king, helped the Jews.' And the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning unto a good day. Thus may it be with us, if we will seek God with all the heart, as they did. God will stay the tides of evil, and give us a little longer time in which to work, and with this will give us the influence and the favor of the best men in national affairs.

"We now commit the petitions and the work to you, praying that the Lord may in mercy help us all to know his will, to see what is to be done, and to do it in his fear and by his grace.

"Be sure to have all who sign, sign BOTH petitions. As soon as one paper is filled, or all have had an opportunity to sign it, return it, through your librarian to the State secretary, who will forward it to the International Secretary, at Battle Creek. The Lord be with you."

Shall not the week of prayer, this year, be preceded by a week of earnest work, in the circulation of these Petitions, visiting with the people, holding Bible readings, and the distribution of reading matter which bears directly on these living issues.

The Petitions will be furnished free, by the International Tract Society, also the Circular Letter that accompanies them. A four page tract has also been prepared, to use with the Petitions, entitled "The United States Constitution: Shall It Be Preserved As It Is?" This contains the Amendment, with comments, also extracts from the sayings of the fathers of our country. These tracts will be furnished by the International Tract Society for twenty cents per hundred, or $1.00 per thousand.

Let every librarian see that all the members are studying up on this matter, and that there is a supply of tracts and Petitions on hand for those who are ready to begin work with them.

W.C. White

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