The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-08-11
COMMUNICATIONS.
SUNDAY.


SUNDAY.
On all days Of the week, Sunday included,
an Omnibus belonging to the Excelsior line,
ran between Pittsburgh end Lawrenceyille,
a distance of about three miles. At length
complaint was made against the driver of this
Omnibus before Alderman McMasters of the
city Of Pittsburgh, that he had performed
certain worldly employment on the Lords
day, commonly called Sunday. In due course
the case come before the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania when it was decided by ma
jority of the court that the Omnibus driving
on Sunday was contrary to the Statute Of
that State.
Justices Le,ois d woodward dissented, g.
gave seperate opinions. The opinions and
all very elaborate, made apparently after
great consideration and investigation of the
subject. But we notice the case for no other
pu' pose than to bring property before our
readers the following extract from the opn-
ion Of Justice Lewis, which we think our
Biblicul friends will find very instructive
commentary upon Sunday and the Sabbath.
The Saviour, after his crucifxion and re-
surreetion, gathered his eleven disciples to-
gether upon the mountain in Gallee, and
commissioned them to ego and teach all na-
tions." Considering that this was essential
ly the voice Of God himself, it is not to be
! supposed that the Creator, or his chosen mis-.
sioraries, were ignorant of the law Of his
own creation, by which the Sabbath cannot
commence and terminate with cali nations"
at the same instant of time, but necessarily
varies with the degrees Of latitude and longi-
tudc. - When it, 10 = Sunday morning at
Jerusalem it is evening in Sandwich Islands.
+, When it is Sunday at noon in Philadelphia,
1t is midnight in China. The territory lying
between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf,
where the commandment to keep the Sabbath
was delivered to the children of Israel, en-
joys the alterations of day and night every
twenty-four hours, while in some parts OF the
Polar circles these alterations occur only
once year. His direction to "the chirldren
Of Israel" TO keep the seventh day of the
week "for a covenant" and "as sign be-
tween their Creator and themselves forever"
therefore, could not have been intended to
exclude such notifications in the time and
manner. of observing the day, as the ne
cessites of other nations in different loca-
tOHS OH tHe Siouci Tcqu'Ie' ia VIC" VI thiS
necessity. the fundamental principle was
affirmed by the Saviour, that "the Sabbath
was made for man and not man for the Sab
bath" The selection Of any particular
period Of twenty.four hours was, therefore,
not of vital importance. All that wss re-
quired by the spirit of the institution was
that one-seventh part of time should be set
apart for worship and rest. The first day Of
the week was the day on which God created
the Heaven and the earth, and was also the
day on which the Saviour arose from the dead.
That this day was substituted for the seventh
by those entrusted with full pewer to teach
all nations the new dispensation, sis fact
established by the usage introduced by Stheir
authority and example, and continued Tor
eighteen hundred years. 1t is, therefore, too
late to raise question in.sregard to the ap-
propriate day So far, at least, as this Com
menwearh is concerned, it has been settled
so long that the "memory Of man runneth
not to the contrary"
Those who had authority from God to de-
liver the GLAD tidings of salvation to man.
kind, and to change the day for the obser-
vance of the Sabbath, had also authority
from the same high source, to direct by pre-
cept and example, the manner of keeping it.
That they did make change in the manner
of keeping the Sabbath is as we'll establish
ed as they changed The day. Under their in
structions and example, it was no longer re-
garded as a breach of the commandment for
any MIN to "go out Of his place on the sew
enth day." because the Saviour and his dis
ciples went about on that day teaching, ex-
korting, and healing the sick. 1t was no
longer a capital crime to pick up food. or to
I"gather sticks on the Sabbath" for those
who were hungry were allowed to gather corn
to satisfy their wants. Mum. 10: 80; Mat
l2: /. 1t was no longer violation of the
law under all circumstances to shear any
burden" on the Sabbath: for when the man
who was healed of an infrmity of thirty and
: eight years. standing, was told by the Jews
: that it was not lawful for him to "carry his
bed" on the Sabbath day, his plea was un-
answ erahle; she that made me whole, the
same said unto me, take Up thy bed e. walk"
n Jer. II: 81; John 8: IL. 1t was no longer
a crime to "kindle fire in habitation." Elk.
n as: 3, nor to "bake nor to seethe" on the
q Sabbath day. Ex. l6: %, for he that was the
3 Lord of the Sabbath had declared that "the
q Sabbath was made for man, not man for the
:. Sabbath" Mark 2: 81. Even under tht
o elder dispensation, tho injunction that no ont
sshould 90 out Of his place on the Sabbath,
t had undergone a modification 10 suit tn