Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-16
81 North Summer st.
mh3Otnjan25 70 cod sp

The ships of the nation have to be out upon
the sea, at work, compelled to be there.
Not a word of truth in it. The reason why
it is done is that those who have charge of
the affairs of the nation, and those who
have charge of the ship,toO, are Willful Sab
bath breakers. Take armies for instance !:
WHAT is to hinder them from remaining
quiet on the Lords day? Do you tell
me that the steamers which
convey the mails on the ocean must travel
on the Sabbath day. l tell you that the
God of storms would always protect them
if they would not violate it. Our railroad
necessities! l propose to discuss this mat
ter. | know members of this church who
are cut to-day on these railroads. Never a
Sunday passes that we don't know men,
bers of our churches out on these railroads.
Has any company right to violate the
Sabbath simply because it has a charter
from the State? Are our banks open on
the Sabbath? Are our wholesale ware
houses? Does not the stranger in our
midst, who wants to make his purchases at
these stores have to wait until Monday be-
fore he can do so? But the railroad must
run its interests on the Sabbath day. Not
a word of truth in it, not single word d
truth in it. When here is reached, there
is railroad activity on that day? The mo-
ment you reach Georgia, there is quietude.
The cars are not running. 1t is a credit to
that State. But our necessities compel
us to do otherwise. Not a word Of
truth in it. Somebody is to blame
for this. Let us see if we cannot find out
who it is. Yonder is an apprentice boy in
one of the railroad company's car shops. A
locomotive is out Of repair and it must be
put in running order at once. Who has
control of the boy? The foreman. Who
has control of the foreman? The railroad
company. Is the boy absolutely compelled
to work? Is he to blame for his conduct
as a Sabbath breaker? Yes, he Is to blame.
l tell you it is better to lose your head than
disObey God. A man once brought mes
sage: "Gen. johnson says that this mill
must run to-day" cit was the Sabbath.)
"Then let Gen. Johnson run it, " was the re-
ply. And after all it came out that the or
der did not emanate from Gen. johnson
but from a STRIPPING subordinate. But how
is the evil of this railroading on Sunday to
be remedied? l go to the Superintendent:
He says he only obeys orders: l do as L
am told! 90 to the President. He says:
do as l am directed by the Directors; l
cannot control them. And you are willing
to obey Board of Directors in open issue
with Almighty God. L go to
the Directors. They say the
stockholders elect us. And who are the
stockholders? Many of them have gone to
church on that very same day when the
cars are running; and they bind down a
thousand better men than they. l don't
know but that l am talking to some of
these stockholders this morning. If it is
80, l am glad. They are the men 1 am
after. Take your Bible and tell by what
right you are accessory in the violation Of
the Sabbath. How can the evil be COR
rected? By getting the public mind to look
into this question. Awakening a correct
public opinion upon this subject. Men say
that this discussion will give Offense. l
don't care. The principle is right that the
Sabbath day ought not to be violated, and
it is part of the Divine Law. If it is
in consequence of an oYerplus of prosperity
that is the cause of the violation of the
Sabbath by the railroads, by retail cigar
dealers and others, let us pray God
to take a part of this prosperity
away from us so we can observe Gods law,
and not violate the Sabbath. But no need
of that. He will do it if you continue VIC
lating His law"
The closing point of the sermon was that
those who violated one commandment
violated them all. The Sabbath violator,
therefore, classed himself with the muir
derer and perpetrator of every other crime.