The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-23
The Sabbatarian Question.
HISTORY OF THE SUNDAY LAWS.

Rev. j. L. Hatch gave second lecture this subject,
in Rev. Dr. Maxsons church. last Sunday evening, in
which he gave account Of the establishment Of Sunday
laws under Protestant auspices.
He quoted freely from Milton, McAuley, Robertson
Bancroft, Palfrey and other distinguished authorities
and clearly established the foowing historical facts
among Others which 1t would be well for those who
camorng for the revival and enforcement Of Sunday
laws to ponder on ere they proceed
The Protestant Reormers without exception, rejected
the idea Of Sunday Sabbath and opposed to all
laws enforcing the observance Of Sunday as Sabbath or
specially holy.
The earliest Puritans Presbytorans, Congregation
alsts and Baptiss took the ground with Luther CAL
&C. in opposition to the Observance and especially
to tho enforced observance Of Sunday the Sabbath
g. not until the seventeenth century or the very
last Of the sixteenth that the Sunday doctrine
minister revived exploded faaces and fantasies Of
Aquinas Bonaventro and other school men of the thir
teenh century and made thereto some very specous but
equally fallacous additions
The doctrine, owing to the fanatical zeal OF ts
advocates, and the corruption and superstition which
were then found the Protestant church, made such
Roadway that in 1918 King James, to whom we are in
debted for the popular Protestant version Of the Scrip
lures, thought II necessary TO issue procamatioDcaled
the tBoCk az Sports -grantng to his good subjects ber
ty TO themselves any orderly and decent
Sunday tho Puritans to che contrary notwith-
standing.
S. The Presbyterans, now rapidly increasing polil-
cal pcwer adopted the doctrine and succeeded in
establishing the law OF the realm, civil and eccesias
tica through the fundamentally Of the "Long Paria-
ment' and the "Westmpster Assembly" about the mid
die OF the seventeenth century.
G. II the testimony of John Milton may be taken the
character Of this Parliament and assembly Of dvnes
extremely corrupt and the times which followed upon
the establishment and rigid enforcement of Sunday laws
in England were most gloomy and miserable-therc
neither civil or religious liberty to be enjoyed at all
T. The Sunday Sabbaaran doctrines established by tho
Westminster Assembly and adopted by Parliament
Immediately adopted also by the Cambridge Synod of
New England Dvnes and ratified by the General Court
of Massachusetts. and have become Incorporated into
the ecclesiastical and civil laws Of this country.
s. Tho head and front Of the offences of Roger Will
Iims, which he banished from Salem colony
1885, persistent opposition to the enforcement Of Sum
day and other religious laws by the civil power
o. Peter Stoyvesant who, In tho Of his
government Of this then Colony Of New Netherlands, in
1647, established rigid Sunday laws, unmtgated
repeatedly rebuked for his tyrannical and
noerant spirit by the Dutch West India Company which
appointed him.
10. william Penn under whose leadership Pennsylva-
nia colony established peacefully and happily was
anti Sabbatariap and opposed TO all Sunday laws and
il till the .fne gold OF the Quaker freedom had
s.become DIM by alloy with Presbyterian immigrants
ConclusionSunday laws, in their origin and history,
as well "a their inherent spirit plainly antagonstc
TO civil and religious liberty.
THE QUESTION: IN PHILADELPHIA.
Philadelphia correspondent OF the Sabbath Recorder,
IN discussing the arrest Of driver Of OF the
city Tor violation Of the Sabbath laws and his dis
charge by Judge Ludlow Gays
We nave heard question the righteousness Of this
uecacn, not even tho opponents Of Sunday them
selves the vii Of the case being pal
the Sunday Sabbaarians have lost ground tremendously
IN the community ION this question: not only through
TIE miscarriage OF the case, but account Of
Christian spirit displayed in the prosecution Of It. Your
correspondent has no doubt whatever that the obnox.
ous SUNDAY statute win be repealed the coming
Of our Legislature.