American Sentinel, vol. 5

January 23, 1890

“Front Page” American Sentinel 5, 4.

E. J. Waggoner

In his late speech in New York City, Mr. Crafts said:- AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.19

Vermont is the only State in which the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union has not a Sabbath Observance Superintendent; the reason being that whatever may be the wrongs in Vermont, Sabbath breaking is not one of them. AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.20

Yes, indeed, the American Sabbath Union and the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union can boast, of Vermont. Vermont is directly in their line of things. The Sunday laws of Vermont are exactly after their own hearts; for we have it upon the authority of Mr. Crafts himself that the Vermont Sunday laws require people to go to church and to religiously observe, the day. AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.21

The Christian Nation says:- AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.22

God, who is the source of all authority, has appointed our Lord Jesus Christ the Ruler of nations. The Bible, God’s revealed will, contains law for nations, and is the standard by which all moral issues in political life are to be decided. National acknowledgement of this authority, and obedience to this law, constitute a truly Christian nation. AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.23

It is an easy matter to say that this is so, but it would be difficult to prove it by any statement of the Scriptures themselves. God has promised the world to Christ, but it has not yet been given into his hands; nor will it be till the time comes for the destruction of all earthly powers. This is clearly indicated in the second Psalm. Christ himself said that his kingdom is not of this world, and has likened himself to a nobleman going into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And it is at the time of his return that he will take the kingdom. But some of his professed followers not content to wait for his return are officiously trying to force the kingdom upon him in his absence, with the sense, with the evident purpose of setting themselves up as his representatives, to administer the government in his stead. It is this usurpation of power which we oppose. Christ has his representatives in the world, but the only authority ever given to them is found in Mark 16:15 and parallel texts. Working under this commission the apostles besought men to be reconciled to God, and that is all anybody has any right to do. To adopt the Bible as the law for the government of the Nation would simply be to provide that the majority should dictate to the minority in all things pertaining to religious faith and practice. AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.24

“Rome and Liberty” American Sentinel 5, 4.

E. J. Waggoner

This article which we clip from Present Truth, a religious paper published in London, shows that even in England the contest now being waged in this country between the principles of Protestantism and the principles of the Papacy, is being watched with no little interest. The fact is also recognized that the principles of the so-called National Reform Association are the principles of Rome. Present Truth says:- AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.25

In an Encyclical published a few years ago, the Pope said, “All Catholics should do all in their power to cause the Constitutions of States, and legislation, to be modeled on the principles of the true church. All Catholic writers and journalists should never lose, for an instant, from view the above prescriptions.” It has been urged officially that this should be specially kept in mind in England and the United States. The activity of Catholics, as Romanists, in the field of politics and journalism in England, is a constant reminder that the advice is being acted upon. AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.26

The recent Catholic Congress in America has drawn attention again to the work of Rome in the United States. A suspicious feature of the conference was the repeated and vociferous protestation of loyalty to free institutions. Those who are loyal at heart are content to let their lives and work show it, and do not find it necessary to multiply honeyed words. It was not many years ago that a papal encyclical anathematized “those who assert the liberty of conscience and of religious worship.” Speaking of the present position of the controversy in America-and we can see there more fully developed, perhaps, the forces which are at work in this country the Christian Commonwealth says:- AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.27

From across the Atlantic come many ominous warnings of a great struggle soon to come. The great Republic is awaking to the prospect of a battle which can in no way be decided, for it is simply a fact of inevitable destiny that the people of America must pass through a conflict with Rome. Rome! Name of unspeakable portent! The very word calls up a whole panorama of lurid apocalyptic visions: For ages the wave of human energy has rolled westward. And in our day the battlefield where the crowning struggle of liberty is to be fought seems likely to be found in the western Hemisphere. AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.28

But the Commonwealth draws inspiration from a recently published work showing the “increase of Protestantism and the decline of Popery.” It says:- AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.29

The Protestant peoples are rapidly tending to out-number the Romish, and this single fact entirely settles the future outlook. As to America, when the Puritan element there is really roused the ambitious and dogmatic Romanism which is seeking to seat itself in a dominant attitude over the grand new prerogative of nations-liberty for all consciences-will quickly be convinced that it is in the minority and must never hope to emerge from such a position. AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.30

This faith as to the increase of Protestantism, is based on figures showing the increase of nominally Protestant people. But we do not forget the words,of an eminent European who said, “Protestants there are, but Protestantism is dead;” nor the words of the late Dr. Prochnow, “The land of Luther needs again the spirit of Luther;” nor the very recent remarks of Mr. J. A. Froude, That magnificent intellectual Protestantism is forever dead. The spirit that inspired Cromwell and William of Orange, oh! that spirit has altogether died out.” Were this not the truth, the children of the Reformation would do the works of the Reformation. AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.31

Even the “Puritan element” which is expected to become roused in America, has been fawning upon Romanism aacl begging its co-operation in powerful movement which is designed to amend a Constitution now guaranteeing freedom of conscience to all, so that it shall be what is called a ‘Christian Constitution,” which “would disfranchise every logically consistent infidel,” along with whom, it is declared, the Christian observers of the seventh-day Sabbath, and the Jews would have to be placed. To effect this revolution, the aid of the Romanists is necessary, and some time ago an article in the organ of this “reforming” movement, the Christian Statesman said, that although they might expect some rebuffs at first, the time had come “to make repeated advances, and gladly to accept co-operation in any form in which they may be willing to exhibit it.” The same programme anticipates the confirmation of religious instruction into favor, is what she calls the “true religion.” And when the tiger is unchained by the removal of those Constitutional barriers which have placed matters religious where the religion of Christ places them, outside the jurisdiction of civil government, it will need no prophet to foresee the result. We will let the Christian Commonwealth state it:- AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.32

The 8,000,000 of Papists in the United States are being drilled day and night to demand supremacy over the civil power in the all-important department of public education. Should the people of the United States yield the control of the schools to the Romish hierarchy, the death-knell of popular liberty would be rung. AMS January 23, 1890, page 22.33

“Back Page” American Sentinel 5, 4.

E. J. Waggoner

The American Sabbath Union officially makes the following announcement of what it wants, and it is this:- AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.1

What we want in this matter of Sunday work is total abstinence. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.2

Mr. Crafts reports that he found a conference of ministers in New England that declined to indorse the petition to Congress for a national Sunday law. Good! May such conferences increase in number daily. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.3

The secretary of Publications and Legislation of the American Sabbath Union, has issued a circular in which he says: “Some churches have appropriated a hundred dollars for the prevention of heathenizing America by Sabbath reform.” Well, the AMERICAN SENTINEL appropriates more than twice that amount every week, for the prevention of the heathenizing of America by such Sabbath reform as is represented by the American Sabbath Union. We know of one church that appropriates yet more than this for the same purpose. And let the good work go on. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.4

A lady writes thus from Rockport, Atchison County, Mo.:- AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.5

EDITORS AMERICAN SENTINEL: One of your papers came to me a few days ago. I must say I like tile spirit of freedom it breathes, for I see you not only wish to preserve the rights and liberties of the minority of Christians, but the free government our fathers bequeathed to us baptized in their own blood. I should consider myself unworthy of a free government or the right to worship God according to the dictates of conscience except I am willing to grant to all, both great and small, the right to worship how, where, and what they please. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.6

The American Sabbath Union says that its work for Sunday laws is “a real home missionary cause”, “of like importance with the Christianizing of heathen lands.” But the American Sabbath Union is attempting to do its work by legislation, especially national legislation, therefore the American Sabbath Union in asking State support thereby asks the State to take part in a missionary enterprise and do a missionary work of like importance with the Christianizing of heathen lands. This argues that the Government of the United States is a missionary society. The work of Christianizing heathen lands was committed by Jesus Christ to his disciples and not to the Roman Empire; to his Church and not to the State; and never since that has he committed that work, nor any part of it, to the State. It is committed, and belongs, to the Church only. If the Church cannot do that work without the help of the State, she cannot do it at all. Therefore the American Sabbath Union, in asking for Sunday laws asks the State to aid the Church. It asks for a union of Church and State in the work of “Christianizing” the people. Deny it as they may, the evil that is in this Sunday-law movement will crop out, unconsciously though it be. Let everybody understand that the Government of the United States is not a missionary society; but that the American Sabbath Union proposes to make it such a thing. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.7

The American Secular Union makes the following announcement:- AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.8

The American Secular Union, a voluntary association having for its object the complete separation of Church and State, in practice as well as in profession, and in no way committed to any system of religious belief or disbelief, acting herein by its President, Richard B. Westbrook, A. M., LL.D., as its special trustee and attorney-in-fact, hereby offer a premium of one thousand dollars ($1,000), lawful money of the United States, for the best essay, treatise, or manual adapted to aid and assist teachers in our free public schools and in the Girard College for orphans, and other public and charitable institutions professing to be unsectarian, to thoroughly instruct children and youth in the purest principles of morality without inculcating religious doctrines. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.9

The papers should all be submitted by April 1, 1890, though more time will be granted if necessary, and the committee is now ready to receive manuscripts. Each manuscript is desired to be in typewriting, or, if written with the hand, must be very clearly written. It should have a special mark or designation, while the real name and post-office address of the author should be sent separately, in a sealed envelope bearing the same mark as the manuscript. Both manuscript and envelope to be addressed to R. B. Westbrook, No. 1707 Oxford St., Philadelphia, Pa., postage or express prepaid. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.10

The Ridgewood Amusement Company of Queens County, N. Y., leased their grounds for playing base-ball and the clubs played on Sunday. The grand jury indicted the company for maintaining a nuisance in allowing Sunday base-ball. The company made no denial of letting the grounds nor of letting them for the purpose of playing base-ball, nor that base-ball was played there on Sunday. The company denied that it was a nuisance and brought many citizens and some officials, all residents, who testified that it was not a nuisance. Of course, the prosecution failed to convict. The American Sabbath Union is considerably annoyed at this, and says, “Every lawyer knows that it is a much more difficult matter to convict for maintaining a nuisance than to convict for Sabbath-breaking. The indictment should have been for Sabbath-breaking.” But Sabbath-breaking is distinctly an offense against God. It is essentially a religious offense and no man is responsible to any soul on this earth for Sabbath breaking; and when the power of the post State is employed to deal with the offense of Sabbath breaking that power is not carried entirely beyond every limit that properly pertains to the jurisdiction of civil government. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.11

A correspondent of the Central New Jersey Times says in a recent communication to that paper:- AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.12

Rome does not know what liberty of soul, body or conscience is, and she never has since she claimed temporal power. Catholics, however, have rights that should be respected, and it must be a source of regret that efforts, resolutions, and discussions, even of some religious bodies, have savored of compulsion and of legislation against Catholics. That is all wrong. If a Protestant majority can legislate against Catholics, a Catholic majority have just as good right to legislate against Protestants, and as a Baptist I want Catholics to have just the same rights and privileges as myself. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.13

Certainly Catholics have just the same rights that Protestants have, and those rights should be respected. And when Protestants forget this and seek to evade the rights of the Catholic minority they cease to be Protestants, for not all Papists are in the Papal Church. The Protestant principle is that so far as his fellow-men are concerned every man shall be left perfectly free in matters of religion, and only those who act upon this principle are entitled to the Protestant name. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.14

The home address of Alonzo T. Jones is 75 West 100th Street, New York City. AMS January 23, 1890, page 32.15