East Saginaw courier., 1866-05-23

more freely to initiate and compel
Pharisaic ohservances. 'T'f'p
The worll is doubtless very wicka,l
-lamentably out of order. It.is in
of crime and confusion. Our owl,
country has becn hastonidg in thu
pathway of violence, and the great
sluices through which the turbid lido
of its evil passions havo rushed and
tumbled are even now gaping and un-
closed. Our weekly record Of wrong
and outrage, and iniquity and crilns
in low places and in high, is startling
to contemplate ;>but is their not cause
for all tnis? What have we been do
ingP Has the light of the christian
character for the last five years been
shining brightly among us? Has the
leaven Of godliness been free to do its
perfect work; and has it been doing
It? Is it necessary to go back to tho
non- observance Of the Christian Sab
bath to find the origin of all these
disorders ? What for the last five
years-to 60 back no farther--has
the Christian Sabbath been but a day
set apart aud devoted to the presenta-
ton of incentives to violence? What
has been taught from the pulpit but
lessons full of malice and uncharita-
bleness between man and his fellows?
The ministers, called of God, have
been-with here and there an excep-
tion-like Samson's foxes, ench fro
brand at his tail, with scarcely more
method, cs senseless and as mische-
vious as they.
Will Sabbath ordinances and police
officers to watch the front doors Of in
continent lager-beer saloons cure all
this--restore and repay it ? Is here
the place to begin; and are those
daily inflictions which speak of seated
and damning iniquity to be suspended
and averted by this most homeopathic
evidence Of vicarious contrition?--
The truth is that we dare not face tho
seat of the disease, nor confess even
to ourselves the cause of the malady;
and we need 60 no farther than tho
bible to find, plainly set down, The
sentence to which we are entitled -
81 take no pleasure i'll your sacrifices:
your new moons, your Sabbaths and
your solemn feasts / abhor." ~
1t is recorded Of the latter Jews
that they were the most stringent and
prospective in respect to Sabbath oh
servances--or, as they phrased it.
most jealous for the honor of God
were those who were in circumstances
which relieved them from all need,
either to labor or to seek recreation
abroad They had comfortable houses,
they lived in luxury, entertained their
friends, and cast upon thoir Gentilo
servants the guilt Of Sabbath desecra-
ton. What was true of the Scribes
and Phaiisees Of thousand wears
n 90 is trnn nf .laA;.. le-;t:.-. --.-----
,.,,...nt Christcn2om. A slight exam
ination would show that they who arc
most disturbed by the running of
horse cars on Sunday live beyond tho
ends Of the lines, or keep carriages Of
their own. They who are most dis
tressed at the open coffee houses, keep
nice stocks of tempting beverages at
home and they who are most exer-
cised at the publication Of Sunday
carry TO their residences
on Saturday night stock of periodi-
Gals for Sabbath-day perusal. 1t IL
not easy, at this day, to find a man
whose conscience is i'll much trouble
at the thought of his own sins; but
it is easy to find an abundance whose
indignation over the sins of others is
exceedingly deep-seated and clamor-
Gus. The truth is, these Sabbath
crusades which break out every few
years ar the effects Of snobbery seek
ing to make itself respectable in the
eyes of the world by an ostentatious
display of pious zeal against the rec
reations of what it considere the lower
orders. 1t is the making broad Of tho
phylacteries, and enlarging the Dor.
ders of the garments, that they may
be seen of men.
If it is criminal to sell stimulating
beverages, why does the Government
permit their manufacture, and make
il source of revenue? If it is not
criminal to sell them on one day of
the week, how comes it to be SO ia
sell them on another I? If it is legal
to sell, it is legal to consume and if
it is legal to make, it is legal to sell.
Admitting the consumption to be To-
gal, if there is any difference TO be
made in respect to the times when
they are to be sold, it should be in fa-
vor of the days whom men are relieved
from the cares of business, and fire."
to seek oil allowable means of enjoy
ment. F sFfi