Daily national Democrat., 1859-04-03
Qailp 9latlOnal IlGmOerat.
Opinions of old TheOIOgians on the Sab
bath.

ED. DEMocRAT-Thinking that the follow
ing may be interesting to that class of your
readers who are interested in Sunday Law
MATTERS clip it from Eastern print, and
Seho 1t to you. If a law was made to oblige
every one to live up to their religious profes
sions, 1t would look less ridiculous than the
present bill But do people capable of
thinking, and acting according to the dictates
of their own consciences, need to be thus
compelled to obey an arbitrary rule of any
such religious dictation? We think not.
Perhaps those very pious and conscientious
religious politicians who think the Legisla-
tive members that opposed the "Act," wor-
thy of hanging, may find some latent COM
fort therein.
1t will be seen that the first quoted are of
earliest Christian authority-the Christian
Fathers. Eusebius died A. D. 94O-a ZEAL
Gus writer on whom divines rely st Athan-
asius died A. D. 37l. Chrysotum died 4o7.
St Augustine died A. D. 4SO. All standard
authority. II.
p S. l see that the last rouse" is to get
up petitions signed by the ladies' Ringing
in with the bslleSl Hoop hoorah
l. St Chrysotom, whose prayer is read
every Sunday in all the Episco pal Churches,
says: "After tie congregation is dish Used.
every man may apply himself to his lawful
business. HON V. Matt i.
,. st. Athanasius says: We keep no
Sahtaths as the Ancients did, except an eter-
nal Sabbath which shall have no end. See
! Ieylin de Sabb p. ls3.
3. Eusehus. the ecclesiastical historian,
speaking of the Patriarchs, says. They
cared not for corporal cireunspectior no
more do We; nor for the observance of Sab.
baths-no more do we."- Ecel His. d. 7.
4. 1t, Augustine says: lie that literally
keeps the Sabbath savors of the flesh but TO
sav"r of the flesh is death" De Spirit Lit.
c. xiv.
5. Calvin says: "By changing the day
and yet at,rbuting to this day. when chang.
ed, the same sahctity which the Jews did TO
their Sahhaths, we retain the same typical
distinctions of days as had place among tie
Jews. Those who now cling to them 90
thrice as far as the Jews themselves in the
gross and carnal superstition Of their Sabt ath
worship.-lHst. viii "a
6. Bezl says: "On the Lords day no ces-
sation of work is required that would not
he to aboli h Judaism. hut merely to put it
OF to another y.'-On the Apoc i. To-
7. Archbishop Cramner required of the
clergy to teach the people II "a they wou
previously offend God ii they ab>tained from
working on Sundays in harvest time-See
Crammers Articles.
Jeremy TAYLOR SAYS: "The Lords day
did not succeed in the place of the sabbath.
but the Sabbath was al lrogated. The Lords
day was merely an ecclesiastical institution"
g. Parev SAYS: " Cessation upon sunday
from labor beyond the time Of attendance
upon public worship. l. not minated in any
passn O. of the New Testament nor did Christ
or His Apostles deliver any Command 10
their disci pies for di continuance upon that
day of the common Offices Of their Prof, s.
sons" Again. The resting On that day
from our employments longer than we are
detained from them 10y Attendance upon pub
lie worship. is to Christians an ordinance Of
human institution. Nor. Phil. Y. 7.
10. Wheatey. Archbishop of Dublin, says:
"The Lords day is to be held purely re-
ligious festival Judaism being abolished,
all its spiritual oLservances must, of course,
be wholly at an end. so that we are no more
compelled to keep the fourth commandment
than we are to keep the worship of the Tenn.
pie or the daily sacrifice. Essays on the
writings of St Paul
II. DR. Arnold says: That Sunday should
be day of greater leisure than other days,
and the SUSPENSION as far as may he, of the
common business of life, quite allow but
then | should have much greater indulgence
for recreation on Sunday than you might
have, and if the railway enables people in
the great towns to get into the country on
Sunday, l should think it a very great good
DR.. Arnold's Life, vol. H. p. 2le.
IL. Luther says: Z" If any where the day
is made holy, for the mere days sake-if
any where any one sets up its observance
upon Jewish foundation-then order you
to work on it, to ride on it, to dance on it, to
feast on 1t. to do anything that shall reprove
the Christian spirit and liberty."-See Cole
ridges Table Talk. v ii. =. 3l6.