Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-07

SABBATH EVENING "SACRED ~CoNCERT."-
W hAla~ IN a-i-~e+ f--
cellent sermon, which We o from the
Herald, delivered by Rev. Mr.. Rylance, Of
st. Paul's Church, on the subject of the
the Sabbath. This sermon, as we under
stand it, was called out by the notices given
by the city papers of a so-called Sacred
Concert" which took place last Sunday
evening, and particularly by an article that
appeared in the local column of the LEADER.
This article, We will say as a matter OF
justice to the proprietors of the LEADER,
was written by one of our reporters on his
own responsibility, and had it been seen by
the managing editor, it would not nave aP-
peared.
The SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN, AND
NOT MAN FOR THE S~ABBATH.-The above text,
from Mark I'd chap, 9th ver., was the basis
of a very powerful, unwritten sermon,
preached on Sunday evening at st. PauPs
Church, by the Rector, Rev. Mr.. Rylance.
The speaker said he had noticed that text in
a very strange connection in a newspaper of
the city, the day previous, in giving notice
of the opening of a new religious agency
in this city on that evening, to wit the
Academy of Music. (The speaker should
have said Brainardis Hall, at which the
Opera Troupe gave a so-called sacred
concert) The Reverend gentleman
preached a sermon of nearly an hours
length, r~escuing this text from the improper
use thus made of it, and in calculation of
the real meaning Of the words. We can
give but the faintestsketch of the discourse.
The speaker opened with scathing irony in
regard TO this "new religious agency"
and e on to show that while it was ut
terly impossible to keep the Sabbath as en-
joined by old Jewish teachings, or by the old
Puritan standard, it yet was to be observed
as a day of religious rest and improvement.
lie demonstrated that such was the design
Of the day from the character of Him who
uttered the words.
One of the most forcible arguments in the
discourse was wherein the speaker referred
to a residence of a number of years in a city,
paris, we suppose,) in which Sunday is OBJ
served merely as a holiday, and pointed to
the fact that the laboring classes there nave
not that day as a day Of rest, but go forth
TO labor as on any other day. He showed
that no where was Sunday a day of rest
save where recognized as a day of religious
observance. In this connection the speaker
made a very able point against such of the
laborlng classes as would make 1t a mere
day of amusement, and argued, convincing
ly, that if such views were carried out it
would defeat the very thing the laboring
class demanded-respite from labor. This
part of the argument was thrillingly point
ed by referring to the effect in Paris Of Sun
day theatres and concerts.
The Reverend speaker concluded his SER
mon by referring to the proper use of SUM-
day. He supposed no two persons would
agree upon the subject. He would lay down, |
in that regard, the claw of liberty" "Let
every man be fully persuaded in his own
The verse succeeding the text in
the rule-"The Son of Man is Lord
also Of the Sabbath day." Let each ones
own conscience furnish the guide to Sunday
by keeping it as would be ac-
ceptable to the Lord of the day.
The speaker lamented the use of Sunday
in the giving of such concerts as the
one advertised, and said if it was proper for
a Sunday evening religious exercise, it was
Just as proper for Sunday morning, and
thus the entire day might be desecrated. He
hoped the good sense, and sound principles
If the people of the city, would discounte-
nance such a violation of Gods day.