In the last issue of THE ANGELUS, we viewed the Lord’s Day from both a doctrinal and a typical standpoint. This issue we want to view it from both an historical and a practical standpoint.

The reason for viewing the subject at all at this time is that Georgians will be confronted with a referendum as to whether or not certain stores should be required to close on the Lord’s Day. Many voters will be confronted with the issue for the first time at the polls. We believe Christians will be held more accountable for their vote than will the "mammon-lovers" of society.

Historically, when Israel profaned the Sabbath and refused to walk in the ways of the Lord, God ALWAYS sent Judgment. (See Leviticus 26:1-39; II Chronicles 38:14-21; Nehemiah 13:15-22; Isaiah 56:1-7; 58:13,14; Jeremiah 17:21-27; Ezekiel 20:12-26; 22:8; and 23:38.)

Practically, the importance off the Lord’s Day is far-reaching.

President McKinley--"I am in favor of Sunday legislation and strict observance of the Christian Sabbath."

Philip Schaff--"The Church of God, the Book of God and the Day of God are a sacred trinity on earth."

Francis Bacon--"Under our civilization the liberty of rest for each depends on a law of rest for all."

Daniel Webster--"Sunday is Nature’s law as well as God’s."

Ralph Waldo Emerson--"Sunday is the core of our civilization."

Justice McLean—"Where there is no Christian Sabbath, there is no Christian morality; and without this free institutions cannot long be sustained."

Gladstone--"From a moral, social and physical point of view the observance of Sunday is a duty of absolute consequence."

Earl of Beaconsfield--"I hold Sunday to be...the cornerstone of all civilization."

Crawford Johnson—"No Sabbath, no worship; no worship, no religion; no religion, no morals; no morals, then--pandemonium."

Hallam—"A holiday Sabbath is the ally of despotism; a Christian Sabbath is the Holy Day of Freedom."

Babson--"The three greatest forces in the world’s history have been the Church, Sabbath Observance and Family Prayers."

We feel strongly that when God’s people will not fight for the maintenance of righteousness, a country’s last hope has sputtered and died. Surely a nation will look in vain for the unrighteous to contend for righteousness, and will our state look in vain to the Saints of God to plead for righteousness?

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Part V

Text: "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read...."--Isaiah 34:16.

For a thousand years the western world was in a Dare Age without the Word of God to comfort and to guide men. But God was pleased to intervene several times during these years.

In 765, the Venerable Bede, an English monk, translated Jerome’s Vulgate into Anglo-Saxon, which was early English.

In other parts of Europe, portions of Scripture such as individual books were translated by hand. These, though in the vernacular of the people, were very bulky and consumed so much time in making, that they were prized and often studded with jewels which placed them far out of the financial reach of the average family. But other copies were made, and these too were under attack from the Devil. Such copies as these had to be smuggled by men who posed as door-to-door salesmen. If they believed those to whom they were selling their

Wares might be interested in a portion of the Scriptures, they might say, "Ah, but we have a far more valuable item with us," Their discovery by the Pharisees of that day might very well result in their torture or death. But people were eager to know the Word of God, which had been kept from them for whole generations. Often these portions of the Bible were mutilated so that many families could enjoy a portion of the Word of God.

In 1315, John Wycliffe, who has been dubbed, "The Morning Star of the Reformation", had translated vast portions of the Bible from Jerome’s Vulgate. These copies were made by hand, add thus the rapid spread of God’s Word was still hampered. Yet, the Lollard influence, as the followers of Wycliffe were called, was widely spread reaching into present-day Czechoslovakia and touching John Huss fifty year’s later.

Still it was a rarity for families to be able to "Seek out the book of the Lord and read." And God prepared to move as "The fullness of time was come."

In 1456, John Gensfleisch ("Gooseflesh"), who had his name changed to his mother’s side of the family (Gutenberg), invented a printing press with moveable type. He determined the first book he would publish would be the Word of God. HE made 100 copies. What a triumph! Once again men could "Seek out the book of the Lord and read." But wait! What is this I see? an ambassage from the king? What is he up to? Read it in the next ANGELUS.