Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-30
THE CHRISTIAN sABBAFH IN


DR.. J. G. Holland, the editor of Serb
&. = ner's Moathiy, has timely article en- the
Sabbath question in the July number Of his
al magazine. &Of the importance Of the OBJ
~ ss,yanoe Of the Sabbath, in she vital econ
- envy Of the American people," says DR..
Holland. @there is no longer any doubt.
'3ois with ali the periodical rest it brings US, we
stu find ourselves oyerworked; and the
q wrecks of paralysis are strewn around us
lbos en- every hand. Without it, We should find
-, ourselves dospoiled ofoHr most efficient and
reliable safeguard in the dangers which be-
"a set the paths Of business enterprise. As
% matter of economy, therefore-as con-
H seryaiive OF health and life and the power
Ell TO work-the Sabbath, observed strictly as
day of rest from secular labor, Is Of the
utmost importance. We cannot afford &C.
day, and we shall never be able to afford,
IL ITO give it up to labor, either in city or
4 country. Experience has settled this point,
n and yielded upon every hand its testimon-
les to the wisdom of the divine Institution.
AS a measure Of social, moral, and physical
.15 health--as a measure ofindustrial economy
q. 1.-THE ordination of day of periodical rest
like that which the Sabbath brings US
would come Iegitlmately within the scope
q 81 of legislation. If we had no Sabbath, it
would be the duty of the State to ordain
one; and as we have it, it is equally the du-
yof the State to protect it, and confirm to
IN the people the material and vital benefits
rir which it is so well calculated TO secure,
.a-aI "a aTners are certain other facts connected
with the observance ofthe Sabbath in Amer
lea which are quite as well established as
the oneto which we have alluded, the most
prominent of which is, that the high moral
ftg and spirituality Of any community de-
ponds uniformly on its observance Of the
Sabbath We do not believe there is a
deeply religious community in America, of
any name, that does not observe one day in
seven as a day specially devoted to religion.
The earnest Christian or Jewish workers
everywhere are Sabbath keepers, in their
separate ways and days. 1t is very well to
@ talk about an 'every day Christianity and
better to possess and practice it;
but there certainly is precious liz
tie Of it where the Sabbath is
not observed. The religious faculties, SEN
timents, and susceptibillties, under all
schemes and systems of religion, are the
subjects of culture, and imperatively need
the periodical food and stimulus which
come with Sabbath institutions and min
I istries. The prevalence and permanence of
= pure Christianity in this country depend
mainly on what can be done for them on
Sunday. If the enemies of Christianity could
wipe out the Sabbath, they would do more
10 destroy the power of the religion they
contemn than all the Remains and Strausses
have ever done or can DO. they understand
m this, and their efforts will be directed to this
"a end, through every speeious protest, plea,
and plan.
gThe most religious and earnest of the
Catholic clergy of Europe lament the fact
- that the Sunday of their church and their
several countries is a day of amusement.
They see, and they publicly acknowledge,
chat without the English and American
Sabbath, they work for the spiritual bene-
fit of their people at a sad disadvantage.
Il is this European Sabbath or Sunday,
IN which we are told is to come to America at
W last through her foreign population. We
.5h hope not. We would like to ask those who
you'd rejoice in its advent, how much it
has done for the countries where it exists2
= Go to Italy, France, Spain, Ireland-to any
Z pet of Germany, Catholic or lnfdeL and
e find If possible any people so temperate,
pure.chaste, truthful and benevolent as the
Ssbbath-keeping communities of America.
1t cannot be done. The theater, the horse
race, the ball, the battle-ground, the lager
beer saloon, have nothing in them that can
take the place of the institutions of religion.
They are established and practiced in the
interest of the animal; and not at all in the
Interest of the moral and intellectual side of
humanity. They can neither build up nor
-,- purify. They minister only to thoUgntless-
-.T gness and brutality. So much, then, seems
obvious: 1st. That we cannot do without
Sunday as a day of physical and mental
ID rest; I'd. That eithe- - a consequence or a
eoncomitant, moral and spiritual improve
luent goes always with the observance OF
Sunday as religious day; and, Sd. That
Sunday, as day of amusement simply, is
a., human nature and human life.
s-A 'Now the questions relating to the open
ing of parks, libraries, reading rooms, etc,
1,in great cities on Sundays, are not moral or
religious questions at all-they are pruden-
tial, and are to be settled by experiment.
lis to be remembered that there are large
numbers of the young in all great cities
who have no home. They sleep in little
rooms, in which In winter they have no
81 6re, and can never sit with comfort. They
~ are without congenial society. They have
"a not the eRtree of other homes; and they
must 90 somewhere, and really need to 60
somewhere. Christian courtesy does much
10 bring them into Christian association,
-lsH and ought to do thousand times mere
The least it can do is to open all those doors
which lead to pure influences and
Ia the entertainment of the better
side of human nature. a man who
seeks the society of good books, Oh
fae society of those who love good
books, or chooses to wander out for the on;
fsl look at nature and the one feast of pure ali
III which the week can give him, is not to bt
met by bar or ban. Whatever feeds The
man and ignores or starves the brute is t.
:, ,be fostered as a Christian agency. Tit
g5lE Sabbath was made for man, and not maj
forthe Sabbath. That is not religion, bu
uaqan slavery, which makes Of Sunday
, o,,o,,oa and a sarrifira IT is better that