, 1859-08-04

The Petition of the Clergy.
Edto7s 1ness and Tribune:
Atthe meeting Of tue Clergy on Friday after
noon it was agreed that the following petition
should be circulated for signatures:
Petition sAc CAe7so 1Ior4e :w4y Co., and owners os
Wsihe aaasnlsnea 'hi.s. Of chle,so do respectfully
% sss ssse.:s 'nsny j ouE - t. .hs G.ars
"a q th aa' s+s sosD IT, Il ID ha se %
g thtse'u,s rus: TIT ,eu ~ esse t. run II ygr,, re-, .
this end.
The first thought that strikes one on reading
reasaus @ far itself which the framer. Of It could
sirc or choose TO rive, is this =: The position,
that By tic law Of Christianity, every n,an is
bound to keep the Sabbath day, or Sunday,
holy, position which, | supposed would GER
tainty be taken, is abandoned. While BY tAkinE
this course the clergy have wisely eliminated
from the present discussion atl contest us to the
correctness Of that position, it seem to me that
they hare taken away the only ground on which
any man cun consistently sign that reutinn, II
any man believes that there is Iar, binding On
uEl Christepdon,. .hicl, ordains that the first
day Of the week shall be devoted exclusively to
religious exercises, au ordinance nf God sancti-
fyiug that dag. he may consistently ask for 4
disc0ntianance Of q custom which violates that
Law, aud d,stegards that ordinance; and it lle
believes that such violation involves moral tnr-
piude, the actual commission Of sin, it is bis
duty TO work md pray without ceasing for iss
abolition. To he sure, such 4 1nan would find
ii impossible 10 prove lis premises to the satis-
faction Of any unprejudiced mind. but his own
belief would justify him.
Now wl,at are the grounds On which signers
to this petition base their action The Gsst is.
'tTt,e disturbance Of our Worship" Those who
nb.-l rnf,1
br the nuise Of the CUTS, will furm but small
class, und even those will have, in candor, to
ask themselves, whether the disturbance Of
their religious Inedtta1ions Is Of such d nature,
or to suci degree, that they are justified iii
saying that it alone prevents them iF1tn the fea-
souable enjoyment Of public services. This con-
siderat1on, faithfully Intended TO- will reduce the
number still lower.
The next ground is 'tlle disturbance Of the
pcace of the community" This either means
what is chilled in legal phrase "aSainst tue
peace Of the State," or it means nothing. Er-
err complaint against a criminal alleges TINT
the net was done -'against the peace Of the
State" meaning thereby contrary to the laws
OF the State. Thus u nuisance, forgerv,
theft, are against the peace" A." breach Of
the peacc, Technically called, is to offer per-
sonal violence to my man. Now, the running
Of the horse cars is. in no legal sense, sagainst
the peace of Tue State Of illinois," either on
k3AHuuf UT AN$ OLAEA NAas A4ht - ~ N'o<Ah9
bance Of The peace Of tue community" is meant
q uoise that il disagreeabie, but not anenab!c
to law, the objection is ridiculous because it is
untrue, and because, cren II ttue, it would fuInl
NO objection. since auy mao bus right to make
noise, which is not nmenntle to Inv. Thc
signatures can be obtained on this ground.
The third ground Of the petition is, it posi-.
bic, more absurd than any Of the others. 1t
contrudicta ITSELF "a gross violation Of day
VIC hold sacred." Who is "we.' The petition.
crs, Of course. Very well. None can disobey
a moral !aw, but those who believe it 10 bc
ancc, except those who believe it to he sacred.
! An act. to be sin, must wound the conscience
| Of him who commits it. To eat meat ou Fri
| dav is no sin in Protestant, though 1t would
be in Catholic. Now, the petitioners can very
easily avoid this :" violation" by refusing 10
refusing to ride on the ours TN Sunday. If they
la,d the day sacred they can keep it 50, but they
cannot SAY Tint the directors If The railroad
cotnn,it their sins The thing is Impossible
The consciences ofthc petitioners are not rlo!a-
ted ty the acis af the railway company. A
sort OF y1carious crimination this would he that
| was never heard of before. Probably the di-
rcc,ors do not hold the day aarrea ut least SO at
to make it sin to run tie cars. If they did
they would not run them. What earthly bnsl-
| ucss hare TO ask them to refrain from doing
an act, sin,rly tccansc if did it, should vio-
Lutte my conscience: Can I ask my neirhbor
not to drink brandy. because hare taken tue
pledcey Tan my srrvant refuse TO cook meat
| ior ,,s duringIL Lent, because sue does not cat
,ucat at that time, thinking it wicked!
| This ground OF the petitioners has at least the
merit of originality. 1t never was taken before.
In all controversies Of this sort, one party says,
this or that belief, this or that observance, is
tic law Of God, IL ordained by God, is absolute
truth, is necessary for salvation. Therefore,
believe, obey. Otherwise we sa,ull he Justified
in communicating you, or cutting you down,
aS cncIn5cs Of God, aud opponents Ut his word.
We will pray that tlIis law may lie revealed to
you, that tits absolute truth may be admitted
into rour mind, in order that you m1y otry il
sies should sag to lhe lcatilen you .al>t aba1,.
dan rulygaa,y because we think it wrong
What sense would there be III tlats What lopt
could they have Of cxtcrt1iuafing the vice! ],
tl.At tho wuy in which sins arc usually attackel
Certaiuly not. Neither is anv man going te
tl,r City l;ailway Company, ''Now, gentlemen
II l.uld SUNDAY to be \ sacred day. and for you
"to run your cars on tllut day is violation O
''onc Of mr. religious obserrances. really wish
'.thcrcfore, that you would stop your cars
There will be no sisaess 10 1l'e petition on thi
ground.
presume there can be GO question that i'll,
wor..,s in Ills petition were carefully chosen
aud used a,lsi:c4y. The only ground Of dit
ference apparent ut either Of The two meeting
Of the clergy On this snlject, wax whetlieT the,
should take high ground" or not. W .als'
ground" was meant, rs lar US one could Juds
from the printed report, tue ground that !, 70
pensale part Of Christian duty. and essential +
salvation. Al any rate, if it was intended +
take This uositiun tue petition would not sVre
hare stated that " we huil" the day to be So
, cred: mud as The loiut vas debated we hare
right to suppose that 1t wus dcciied.
- IL I has lx-4 4.Hn mi