sort of factitious advantage, the observers of Sunday have
secured the aid of the civil law, and adhere to that advantage with
great tenacity, in spite of the clamor for religious freedom, and the
progress that has been made in the absolute separation of Church
and State. . . . And the efforts to extirpate the advantage above
mentioned by judicial decision in favor of a civil right to disregard
the change, seem to me quite useless. The proper appeal is to the
Legislature. For the courts cannot change that which has been
done, however done, by the civil law in favor of the Sunday
observers."
This passage is in perfect harmony with the foregoing extracts.
It justifies the believers in any religious observance in securing
control of legislation, and in compelling all others to conform to
such religious observance. And it denies dissenters any appeal,
refuge, or resource, other than to do as the oppressors are already
doing-that is, by political means to turn the tables, and themselves
become the
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oppressors. It completely ignores, if it does not specifically deny,
any such thing as the individual r