The World’s Day of Rest – Part 2

TimeWatch Editorial
December 25, 2015

In part 1 of this article we stated that on October 24, 1915, the New York Times Published an article entitled: “Expert Suggests a New Model Sunday Law.” The expert quoted in the article was Powel Crichton, Attorney for the Sabbath Committee. Mr Crichton’s office was located at 14 Wall Street, and he laid out a suggested “Model Sunday Law” that America should follow. (See Editorial, December 22, 3025) In part one we got as far as section 5 which said the following:

Section 5

“It is a sufficient defense to a prosecution for labor on the first day of the week, that the defendant uniformly keeps another day of the week as holy time, and does not labor on that day, and that the labor complained of was done in such manner as not to interrupt or disturb other persons in observing the first day of the week as holy time.”

In other words Mr. Crichton was willing to make allowance for the people who worshiped on Saturday, if they did not “to interrupt or disturb other persons in observing the first day of the week as holy time.” The rest of his outline was equally flexible.

Section 6

Public Sports on Sunday.—All public sports, exercises or shows whether indoors or out of doors upon Sunday, are prohibited. This would allow private baseball games to which no admission is charged directly or indirectly.

Section 7

Business.—All business, professions, arts, crafts, sciences, trades, manufactures and agricultural or mechanical employments upon Sunday are prohibited, except

1. Works of public utility, necessity and charity needful to the good order, health or comfort of a community.
   
   
2. Works that by their technical peculiarities require continuous operation.
   
   
3. Work to save property in and of any business in cases of emergency, or where such property is in imminent danger of destruction or serious injury.

Section 8

Public Traffic on Sunday.—All manner of public selling or offering for sale or purchase, any goods, chattels, or other personal property or any real estate.

Section 9

Serving Process.—All service of any civil process on Sunday is prohibited and shall be void, except where such service is specially authorized by statute and to the same effect Saturday shall be construed as Sunday in favor of any person who keeps that day as holy time and does not labor on that day.

Section 10

Processions and Parades.—All processions and parades on Sunday are prohibited, except processions to and from any church or a place where memorial services are held, or any cemetery.

Section 11

Noise.—All disturbing noises, within sight or hearing of any place of religious worship, or affecting the quiet and peace of any owner or tenant of land, are prohibited on Sunday.

Section 12

Public Amusements other than Sport, Exercises or Shows.—Every performance or rehearsal of any amusement in which any artist, acrobat, actor or other performer of the vaudeville, operatic or dramatic stage takes part is prohibited on Sunday, irrespective of whether an admission fee is charged or whether an audience is present or whether the performance or rehearsal is given on a stage, at a private home, out of doors or at any other place whatever.

Section 13

Enforcement of the Sunday Law.—Any neglect or omission in the prohibition or prevention of the continuation of any violation of any section of this Sunday Law Statute on the part of any officer of the law whose post or duty includes the place of the alleged violation is prohibited, and any two residents of the state may make complaint therefore, before any police magistrate or justice of the peace who must on the same day summons the officer complained against to appear before him for a hearing within the next three succeeding days.

The reason why we took the time to go through this proposed ‘law’ is to let you know that the coming law will indeed be even more detailed than his suggested list. In fact, the coming list will not include the flexibility displayed in Mr. Crichton’s list. In fact, Great Controversy page 608, paragraph 1 says:

“As the defenders of truth refuse to honor the Sunday-Sabbath, some of them will be thrust into prison, some will be exiled, some will be treated as slaves. To human wisdom all this now seems impossible; but as the restraining Spirit of God shall be withdrawn from men, and they shall be under the control of Satan, who hates the divine precepts, there will be strange developments. The heart can be very cruel when God's fear and love are removed.” {GC 608.1}

This picture is certainly worth taking seriously.

Cameron A. Bowen