Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-02-11
For the Reporter.
Sabbath Breaking,

The Sabbath IS the foundation of good
morals in society. Without its aid, YOU can
not long sustain valuable religious interests
among any people. You NAV, indeed keep
up a system of superstitious forms and, by
the aid Of ignorance and power of fear, COM
pei men to the observance of certain rites and
ceremonies which tend to enguIf them still
deeper IN ignorance and render them willing
dupes in the hands Of others. But uolao.ta-
1Y contemplation Of truth and intelligent con
sideration Of our relations and destiny which
reach cut and bind Us in strong and solemn
obligations to God and man-such consid
Grafton ond application Of the principles Of
relative justice as will quicken Us in the
practice Of virtue, and so develope our man
h0od-ttGt cannot be secured, to any extent,
without proper observance CT the Sabbath
as day Of religious worship. Such OBJ
serYance of this day is the only means by
which the public mind can long be held to
consideration Of such subjects. But in order
! to throw around men restraints to vice and
Inducements to virtue, such consideration is
Of imperous necessity. For truth uninvesti-
gated 70 matter how important, can have no
control over our hearts or influence on our
lives. Obligations, 10 matter how broad, sa-
! cred, or solemn, if not properly weighed and
| rightly understood, can have no power to lead
Us in the line Of duty. And just so soon as
men cease from a candid and enlightened in
vc8tigation of the former and fail rightly to
apprehend the measure of the latter, they
are entirely open to vicious influences and
sure to drift in a wrong direction. Dr. Frank
lin, with all his saoacity, stretch of intellect
and penetration Of iudgm ent, spoke in refer.
encc to this matter as follows: THE most,
and indeed the only, cflectual way OF securing
al enlightened and appreciative conscience
and sense Of duty which shall lead us to a
tore of virtue, is to hold the mind to steady
contemplation Of ethical truth and the obi
cations growing out of our relations as intel
ligent and accountable beings" Was Frank
lin "a Sunday bigot," or did he speak as
sound philosopher But hou can this ICON
temptation be secured? Is it by devot;ng
the Sabbath, the very day set apart for this
special purpose, to recreation and pleasure
Are lRen generally given to such ''contem-
plation" amid the ceaseless whirl and excite
ment Of business that so completely absorbs |
their entire attention during the ''Six days Of
labor?" Experience utters an emphatic no |
Abolish the Sabbath, aHd you have cut the |
cords of influences that hold mems minds to |
.
as an anchoriess bark driven by fierce winds |
amid the rocks, shoals, and breakers Of |
weather-bcaten coast, SO you let them loose
upon the surging billows cf vice. ! state it |
as truth susceptible of clear demonstration,
that the morals Of people that practice |
general Sabbath desecrati0n, arc invariably |
jad r statistics arc at all reliable, most ofi
the inmates CT our jails and penitentiaries |
are from such localities. 1t is very natural |
that it should be SO. Where the moralizing |
influences arising from a proper observance
Of this day, are not felt, there are but few
restraints to check men in a life Of vice. It's
dissertation G!3rayS tends to immortality and
crime. It is sure to work corruption 20 So |
NiSpt bS lCGuiiiS5 men ~ IIGFtIpncC toward
God and disregard of their Obligations to
man. 1t is sapping the very foundation of
good morals and leading men to sink TO life
Of infamy. Such as tie clear ocrIict Of erperj-
e.2ce and history.
And what Is gained by the Sabbath breaker
in return for working this injury to society
Absolutely asoh;"q. He is no more intelli-
gent, amiabIe, or useful-no more successful
in his business or in the accumulation Of
wealth, than those who devote the day to its
proper object. The Sabbath is based on nat
ural law. Man needs it, not only morally, but
also physically. By careful experiments, made
in almost every cline and condition OF socie-
ty, it has been clearly proved that where it
has been regularly and carefully appropriated
as a season Of rest, moral culture, and reli-
gious worship, there men have accomplished
more physical labor and been more successful |
il business of eeeTy description, than where
they have devoted it partially or wholly to
pleasure or work. And there, too, has socie-
" a5,ca5s been found the most refined and
stable This is not a matter Of theory, but
Of stubborn fdct. If any one doubts it, let
him refer to the testimony as given in THE
Sabbath Manual" lately published. Accord
ing to figures and facts, given by competent
witnesses and impartial judges, every Sab
bath-breaLer is inficting positive injury on
himself and, as far as the influence CT his ex-
ample goes, is inducing all around him to a
course Of life that will lead to immortality in
society and weakness in the State, and tend
to reduce our race, if not to heathenism, at
least to in1idelity. NO man can serve his
race more eftectually as a philapthropist,
patriot, or citizen, than by remembering the
Sabbath day TO keep it holy" So said the
eminent Jurist of England, Sir Matthew
Hale TEACH THAT LESSON TO YOUR CHILDREN.
PINE