North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-08-21
McGREGOR, iowa. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST, 81, 1857


suDday laws. tEnF q"
The below article is an extract from
sermon preached by Rev. X. L. CdiiElRR
of Chicago, on Sunday, July IA, 1867
We publish it more for its historic refer
ences Us to the Sabbath and it's observanc
es than we do to indorse the general teno,
of it. Seriously, we think the Create,
cares nothing for Sunday or Anti-Sunday
motions, but it is pretty rule, in our opin.
ion, to suspend labor as well as boisterous
amusements on the Sabbath. By bolster.
Gus we mean that class of amusements
which offend the tastes or conflict with the
opinions or prejudices of others. Mr.. Col.
lier is one of the orthodox of Chicago, and
his sermon as appended 10 we'll wortl, q
He began by saying that any superstruc-
ture that was meant to be enduring must
have a good foundation any institution
which was intended to outlive criticisms of
all kinds must rest on logical basis
Without that there would be no permanent
cy. Now the Christian world bad, with
more or less rigor, observed from an early
period the first day of the week as the one
which was to be devoted to religious wor-
ship and to be employed in spiritual. men,
tai and physical refreshment. What was
the logical base for it7 ....,...
1t was believed by most persons that the
first day was thus observed in accordance
with the directions of the commandments
which were proclaimed on Sinai, and which
were confirmed, or not set aside by the new
revelation. But the objection to that sup
position was that the Church did not keep
that day holy which was sacred to the He
brews. The first and not the seventh day
was now held in honor. Nor could there
be found any where in the Bible any au-
thorty for the change, or any direction to
the people to modify in that respect their
old habits. This being SO, the questions
might be asked Why was the first day
held in honor? Was it the remnant of
some superstition, or was it done without
cause? ..a .... .....-.. .....
1t was attempted by the Sabbatorians to
persuade the people that the present Sun
day was sanctioned. and commanded by
the Jewish law. Any statement that it
was thus sanctioned was untrue and was
not supported by the slightest appearance
OF fact. The Savior had frequently and
purposely violated the Jewish Sabbath by
doing many things which the letter, hut
not the spirit of the law forbade beinl
done on that day. In no place and at no
time, had Christ directed the Apostles to
observe the first, seventh, or any other day.
There could not be found among the teach
ings Of the Apostles as contained in the
New Testament, word relative to the OBJ
seryance of any day. On the contrary,
many expressions were indicative Of their
entire disregard for holy days. Paul said
to the Romans: "One man estcemeth ey-
cry day above another, and another es-
teemeth every day alike. Let every man
be persuaded in his own mind. He that
regardeth the day regardeth it unto the
Lord, and ho that regardeth not the dav,
unto the Lord he doth not regard it." In
the Epistle to the Colossians he said 'Let
no man therefore judge you in meat or
drink, or in respect to q holiday, or of new
moon, or Of the Sabbath days, which are a
shadow Of the things to come" TO the
Galatians he said: How turn we again to
the weak and beggarly elements whereunto
ye desire again to he in bondage. le OBJ
serve days, and months, and times and
years. | am afraid of you lest have be-
slowed upon you labor in vain."
Whence, then, came the observance Of
the first day? How did it originate 1t
simply commemorated the resurrection of
Jesus Christ, and had no connection at all
with the Jewish Sabbath. Friday was kept
as day of fasting, in remembrance of the
Sayiour's death Sunday as the day of
feasting and praise, in honor of His re-
turn to earth. The first direction for the
observance of the Sabbath, came Mt the
time when the Church and State were
coming closer together--when the latter
was beginning to control the former. The
Emperor Constantine issued an order di-
recting all dwellers in cities to observe the |
Sabbath by going to church, but the coun-
try people who had work to do in the fields |
were expressly exempted from the opera
ton Of the order. '1
The views Of the fathers of the church |
were extremely liberal. Chrysostom told
the people to return to their daily trades
and employments when church service was
over on Sunday. At "a later day Ignatius
had said that the man who tasted on the |
Lord Is day was murderer of Christ. He |
also said that after the services in church |
people could resume labor. Luther declar- !
ed that the men of to-day had nothing to |
do with the Ten Commandments they did |
not apply at all to Christians or Gentiles. |
Moses could now be considered as teach |
er, but not as a law-giver. The rigid Cal |
vim asserted that there was no doubt that |
all the laws Of the Old Dispensation were |
done away with when Christ came, and |
that Christians should not be bound by q |
superstitious observance of days Melanch- |
thon held that men were bound to keep |
the Sabbath. Bishop White, of the Epis-
copal Church, DR.. Arnold, ofoth English
Church, and many others, asseyerated that |
the Sunday law had no foundation in the
Had it any authority? But since they
say not, should they give it up and work
on Sunday as they did on Saturday. III
the giving up of the day was necessary in
order to get rid of the superstition, khey
had better let both 60, but it is unnecessa-
ry. There We're logical, rational, religious
reasons for it. The reason which he had |
for bringing this matter before his congre- !
CATION at that time was the tendencies de- !
veloping in American civilization respect |
ing it. One was the Judaizing tendency,
and the other the rationalizing one leading
to a proclamation of the Sabbath. There
obtained among too many spirit tending
towards a Judaizing Of Sunday. There
was an attempt to bind people down to
certain forms Of observing it. Tho chill
dren of many Puritanical families had
been driven far away from religion on ac-
count of the peculiar manner in which
they were forced to spend the first day of
the week. The legislation of Scotland on |
that subject had been constant and rigor-
Gus, but they had not succeeded in carry
ing their point. Sunday was no better