Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-05-19

LAOFADh FtA wa XIV HAAIELN AAi
attention 1t justly merits, We most re
speetfully submit the same to your wis
dom and discretion.
-. B. BRUERo. ICON
an b NODRAL,) Oom'
MISSISSIPPI PREsBYTERY.
The following interesting memoria
from the Presbytery Of Mississippi wa;
presents tIand on motion referred to the
Committee on tie State Of Religion
To the General Assembly OF the Cumberland
2 esbyterian Gnu n, convened at Aemphis
Tennessse-Greettng:
Seeing that the hand ef God rests
heavily upon US; knowing that he is
good 10 ali and his tender mercies are
over all his works, and remembering that
he has said that THE curse causeless
shall not GOMEZ "The wicked shall not
20 unpublished we are led to seek for a
cause of the many manifestations of his
displeasure. Taking the word Of God as
our guide, and led, as We hUmbly trust,
10y his own good spirit, We beg leave to
call the attention CT your reverend body
to orr breach of Gods holy law, which
under the old dispensatiOn called forth
similar manifestation of his displeasure.
The Sabbath is a divine institution God
has reserved one day in seven, sanctifed
it and set it apart for himself as a day Of
rest for both man and beast. He has ex-
pressed his will regarding it in the fol-
lowing passages: FIX, 20, S, II, 81, Is,
IS; Isa- IS, Is, ii; Jer. Il, 10, p. God is
our king We acknowledge Nc other: we
deny the divine right IF earthly kings.
God was chosen king by our fOrefathers,
and we IS their children have
Professedly ratified their choice. His
law is supreme; we prOfessedly
3 ol.-4 - TbaF laur ranrf-os III 80
observance of the Sabbath by nations as
well as by individuals. We have not
Kept the Sabbath. We have committed
81 great evil in forsaking God, the foun-
tain of living waters, and now our wick
edness is correcting us and our backslid-
ings are reprOying US. The threatened
war and drouth Of 81 the hog cholera
in 81 the blight upon the oats in '5S;
the cattle plague in 80 the droSth again
in go, the fearful war-clOud that broke
upon Us in i61 followed by four years Of
carnage, war and d~eSOlatiOR, and the
famine which is inevitable from the
failure of the present years crop, in .
large section, all come up as sad testi-
mOnials to the great truth that we
have foTssken the Lord our God. No
nation since that established by God
himself in Palestine has sustained the
same relation to him that ours does. The
Jews chose God as their king; so have
we. They looked for salvation through
faith in the Messiah 50 do we-and by so
doing we became the children Of abraham
and the heirs, according to the promise.
know We not that as manyas are of the
faith, the same are the children of Abra-
ham, "Lf ye be Christ's, then are We
Abraham's seed.n They plead his
promise so do we. When they were
obedient, he blessed them; so be has us.
When they were d~isobedient he cursed
them, according to promise so he has
Us. When his hand rested heavily upon
them, his people pointed TO the causes of
his displeasure. Jeremiah, commissioned
Of God, said, " Because ye have s5nped
against the Lord, and have not obeved
the voice Of the Lord, nor walked in his
law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testi-
monies, therefore this evil has happened
unto yOun-because they trans
crossed the laws, changed the ordi-
nances, broke the everlasting cove
nant. Therefore hath the curse de-
voured the earth, and they that dwell
therein are desOlsted,n aud we now. as
the humble ambassadors Of our Divine !
Master, wsuld call the attention of our
brethren and G countrymen 10 this
covenant, entered into by God and his
people, and recorded in the 3Ist Of Exc
dus, ITO be a sign between him and his
people forever, throughout their genera.
tons, y a perpetual covenant. And now. |
since God Is immutable, a like breach on
our part would call for a similar yisitaflon
With our bible open before US, we can no
longer plead ignorance Of u sins. ant |
in the language CT the weeping prophet,
Our transgressiOns are multiplied be-
fore thee, and our sins testify against Us
for our transgressiOns are with US, and As |
for our sins, We know thsm.n We must |
Therefore plead guilty under the follow
ing specifications
Each state has the right TO enact laws
prohibiting the violation OF the Sabbath
This right has been recognized nv the
people Of most Of the states. and indi.
viduals have been punished. Cornora.
tiOns nave not been properly restrained.
Railroad and boating. companies. by
throwing a few thousands or millisns to-
gether, can, with almost impunity. des-
ecrate Gods holy Sabbath. Our Iegisls-
lures have not been properly Instructed
upon this subject and God has not heard
His voice echoed in the voice OF a free
happy and professediy God fearing neo,
pie, at the ballot box. The United states
government has manifested a sad want
Of regard for this holy institution
/. It's ports sts.nd open, and its sails |
whitening the ocean come in and 90 out
on this 5 on other days.
2. It's armies are drilled, worked.
marched and fought on the Sabbath as
Oh other days.
3. Its navies know nc Sabbath.
1. Its postal department recognizes no
Sabbath, and the government not only
legaiizes Sabbath breaking, but offers .
premium to it's citizens to openly violate
IT, It's mail contracts embrace the Sab
bath as q regular mail day, and its laws