Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-03-11
oRsERyANcE OF THE sAHBArTE.

1
fallen into good hands.
OBS ERyANCE. eF THE SABBATH
The fundamental idea of the Sabbath
was the cessation from worldly pursuits
to the substitution of divine worship in
steud. The Sabbath work of editors,
compositors and pressmen come in con-
8icU with this idea, just as much as the
work of a lawyer, fisherman or lumber
man. There was no reason why there
should be supposed TO be any special in-
diligence. III the daily paper were not
such great thing, the public
would not conclude that its ap-
pearance on the Sabbath was not
equally sinful with the working Of shops
or the selling of dry goods. There had
been essavi-ts and editors who say that
you should not judge Napoleon OF
Lord Nelson by the ordinary standard of
virtue and morality-they being too
great for such a standard. 1t was be-
lleVed sometime ago that the king could
not be in error, and that the genius of
of Napoleon or Lord Nelson and the
crown of the king amelloraUe Judgment
on their transgressIOns. The greatness
Of the daily newspaper was its only apOl-
Jgy. Editors ought TO take refuge be-
hind their greatness and acknowledge it
at once, for the newspaper was the
head Of to-day. 1t was
the lawiess Napoleon, the law
less Nelson, living upon laureis,
and could do no wrong. This
was the defense. Ifyou were to throw
around the iumbermeH or fisherman the
same garment Of official majesty, the
people would free them also Irom reli-
gi0us pursuits. What mortal conceived
Of BOnaparte as great sinner. 4 French
pulpit once thrilled its congregation by
the words seed only is great Could
we but feel that the grandeur of Louis
XIV, or of Napoleon, OF Lord Nelson, [
was as nothing IN the presence of God /
could we but perceive that the majesty
of the press was humility Itself compared
with the majesty of the laws OF God, !
we would then confess that 10 be |
mean and sinful which now daZZled our
sight, it was the dazzling greatness Of {
the press that caused Us 10 excuse it. /
That man was religious being seemed
by all history. In the wilds /
Of Africa, the sands OF the desert, he /
seemed b be religious. Man had been 1
created a religious being. It was as Ger |
tain that be was religious a. that he was /
Intellectual. There was no trait that did /
not depend on culture for its growth. /
Culture was life and growth. Neg /
ect was palsy and death. All the I
imposing spectacles in the world, the in /
venJions, the arts and architecture. the
Immense cities, the thorOughfaregOf trade, I
the eloquence Of orators and the poetry
Of poets were the outward expression Of /
culture. This principle would apply .
equally to the religious faculties. The /
soul could not fulfil its religious obliga-
uons by type setting, editorial writing
)r selling fish or dry goods on the Sab /
bath. a man who published newspa-
per every day would become a grca. pub
isher; a man who read that newspaper
taily would become well posted: but by
what process should the world that
works seven days in seven become re-
iglous by whatever process publish
ng made the publisher or type setting
he composit0T, it was Worshipping
hat made WurshipVpr II the
Fcr.d Is to possess religion, il must
JOssss religious culture, and for
,uch culture there must be time
md the Sabbath Is the only set time.
The Jews preferred another day, but the
ime varied, and the idea Is The same. 1
Years in the commencement of life wers
devoted % education, in any pursuit, and
he life afterwards became but a continu-
,tion of culture in that direction. In
'hina graduates renewed and stood new
examination every ten years. Here
hTee years Of professional culture quail
led the student for the pursuit Of law,
iiyinity or medicine, and were eXclu-
lively devoted to that end, study and cul-
ure stiH continuing in after years. For
be purposes Of religious culture but one
I'M
hat religion was 10 be q practice all the
ime; not mere growth of powers, but
worshiping Of the eternal God from
hildhood 20 old age a practice aud a
,lessing, falling Ike a sunbeam on the
milling face Of childhood, and bathing
With its lustre the silvery hairs Of age.
Religion required its scbO0idays as much
o as OuT common schools. The history
+ common schools was terrible. A dis
inguished German schOolmaster had left
Journal Of his life. During his Office
.e had administered ,20000 lashes by
way of discipline On this grOundi il was
lot objected that common shoots should
he abolished. Aud thus the school
{ religion had suffered al the hands OF
nan. He transformed all his blessings
ntO curses. The greatest enemy Of
mankind is man, To aim at a reform
b some manner OF observing the sabbath
vas reasonable; bat 10 aim at its destruc-
ion was cruel. It was the desire Of God
hat one day in seven should be given to
lis wOrship-tO religious culture. Only
thousand or two Of days in a
ife-iime were asked, and this
My in a small gift at time
or Him without whom We were
lothing. 1t was not only bad as a sin,
'ni bad taste 90 say that we had no time
or the sabbath. We had no time for
nyihlng else. There had been much
aid about the Sabbath being a Jewish
1stimiion-begun by them and abro-
ated when they passed away. There
vas nothing Jewish whatever in the
,abbath, God had blessed the seventh
as because he had created the world. !
nd not because he had created the Jews.
It was no more a Jewish institution
ban marriage. Christ was more prop
rlv the prince Of worsnip thaa tie
rince of recreation from business A
-ogd IA favor OF destroying the sabbath
-Ould have been suicidal 10 His cause.
{ was not the man Of Nazareth that was
-ying TO work the transformation of a
art Of that day. 1t was the slnfulness
nd imagined Interests OF mankind. |
luther and Calvin were great lights in
heir time. Luther rejected a portion Of
be Bible, and modern Germans
dvooated recreation on the sabbath.
hey bent TO the weakness Of the people.
ne poor people We're made doubly mis-
lanle BY violation Of the Sabbath, and
nose who looked in sympathy on them
ma believed that they should seek green
.eics, ana music and entertainment on
he Sabbath day, would do better 10
ineii9Iste their poverty and allow them
2T. Slpiag. NV