, 1874-04-20

L
E,nporor Uonstantno-n worry questionable kind
OF Christian, aud no rory ,groat authority on
Christian obsorvancesa, By the way-iaeuod an
ax Sst Il SnlsE Sa @as 'Ss' S9 s ss p g. @ S @ @
serves, was probably fran, desiro to put upon |
tlo Christian fostival ali honor equal to that in |
which tho hoathon days Ind boon hold, ra.nor |
than out Of my rogara for tho Jowish Sabbath |
And horo lot mo pause in my atatomont Of |
facts long enough to confirm my position by tho |
silence Of the Now Testament, md by Tho condi- !
tion ot tho o9ry ohristialn; There M ia no ren,
"kooping" OF tic first day Of tho wook could
havo boon rogar1ed rs binding. Consider tho |
meaning Of tlio New Testamont'a aIlenco.
~, Hero are churches lust !, out ot hoathonisn
whole Btylo Of thought md maunor Of lifo. II.
thoy nocdod instruction anywhere It would be
hero. II thny liable to mistake failure any
whore T. would bo 2 hero: Aug YET II all tho epis-
full and instructions gu allothor points Of
Christian doctrine aud discipline. Yet ii is nevor
limited TINT this is doosrine or that horo ia any
liability to faurs N alaeplne. II, Iho Ghrietian
Sunday keeping iB never ono Of them. Tho vices
and sins are cataiogucd; but sabbath-brealing |
is noyor one Of them. Tho ColoaBan Christians
ar9 expressly "a al fro fho
neod not keep tho Jowish Sabbath, you must
keep tho Oiratian Lords Day.; Considering tho |
liability OF miHconceving its naturo and how DIFF
acult It las boon 70 maintain Its observance in
Paul should never have spoken Of It. nor given
any directions concerning 1t, had ho occupied
the /" Eyaneelical standpoint IN regard to IT,
And tllnn there 10 another consideration That
is, If possible, moro conclusive still. Tho carly
Christian centuries woro centuries OF frequent
persecution. Whole years were ondurod whom
to DO known to be a disciple Of tho Orucihed, In
cortain regions and citieB, WAS to die. And during
all f1tnan frna n n 11c
that tloy had secret adhercnt6 In oyory corner Of
tue empire. From tho peasants In tho folds, up
through all ranks IT society, to the officers Of
tho army and tho household ot onaars self.
keep sacred from amusement aud work any ono
tay In tho aoyon 1t would hayo been, always aud
certain exposure and death. And yot amid all
tho monna by Witch they were dotected, this waa
tried to keep II, or oven Of their having offered
any apology for not having tried. I submit,
there is no possible .way Of explaining this Oh tho
"evapgelical basis.
Constantine down to the Reformation Of tue six
tcentl century, the Lords Day was the holy day
Of tho Church. Rules and regulations concern-
ing 1t multiplied; but tho claim was nevor id
New Testament. It WAS only tho Church mnk-
ing her own laws. But the day never lost ita
character US d festival; and, aftor the mass, or
the church-soryice Of whatever kind, tho poop1o
Even Calvin aud Luther would to-day DO sub.
octed to discipline by tho very churches that nro
called by their names. for thoir "1ooso" and
"continontal practices on "tho Sabbath"
sports on Sunday afternoon. Neither Of them
contoundod tho Lords Day, or Sunday, with the
sabbath. And there is no good roason, historic
or otherwise, for our using tho word sabbath at
all as synonomoua with Sunday. It is Is entirely
anothor day in origin, Significance, and manner
Of observance. Tho custom 1rBt arose with tho
Scotch and Engliah puritans: 80 that the "Pu-
ritnn Sabbath, both the name and tho thing,
originated in the aixtoanth century, and was
| mover before heard Of.
only jewish. It has mover boon binding on tho
Christian Church. T1oso who haye chosen to
keep 1t have done SO in obedience to their own
will, not the will Of God. The first day Of tho
weok iB day Of memorial, voluntarily rot
apart by tho early Church IN honor OF itY found
or. It has Just that force and authority that
there ia III tho roason and tho use Of it-no
more. Tho Puritan Sabbath, as q daT Of roBtric-
ton and austerity, Inns for ila authority only
mistaken zoal TINT substituted its own Inventions
for " THUS Baith the Lord"
Would I, then, abolish tho day7 No. Would
adopt tho - Continental sunday"2 2 No. What
However perverted, and through whatevor
misconceptions, tho day has como to rs aH pro-
cious legacy Of the past, would thankfully ao-
copt 1t and mako tho most of it. Because / ill.,
| herit 4 fortune from my ancestors, I am not
therefore bound to their theories Of finance, nor
their methods Of acoumulating. Whatevor def
| nitions those torma may have received, Sunday
has stood for physical roat, and the cultivation
| OF tho higher part OF man. RoBorying tho right
to deiino what moan by rest, a.;:l how 1t ahail
bc taken, what I moan by tho higher wants Of
man, aud how they aro to DO met would say
that in all the future, Sunday should stlll stand
protonsions,-or rathor. show that they arc un-
| founded, d,-because these tic tho world down to
ceremonies and routine and hinder the right use
and development OF the day.
nhture and needs OF man. Our life Is rhythuical
In its motion. Summer and winter, day aud
night, arc movements Of the universe to which
the rhythm OF our lives is Hot. We cannot diBro-
gard these laws With impuuity. And, just a. We
need special hours In each day for rest, 80 eK-
| perience haa demonstrated that man IL the
bottot for special day Of rest in each week:
And this voice Of experience is the voice Of
ground the day. And though here is sufficient
renson for it's observance, yet tho law iB fo1iblo
and fluid, yielding to occasions and adapting
itself to circumstances, This makos 1t mans
l would have this physical mood ono pillar Of
its support. AS tho other pillar, I would got up
tho nouestity for loauro to attcnd to msn's
higher nocdH. AB n 1nnn might exist without
course, ho could got ulong without any aet time
In which to gtvo heed to, train, and develop that
in him which is supor-physical But as In the
one oaso. he would probably be iE,fod. and suffer
almost certainly would q like train Of oonse.
quonces follow in his higher life.
| But what would I include under tho head oi
physical rest, and how would I nonrish ths
higher life The answer to this will indicate
my conception Of tho proper method OF Sunday
observance.
And hero would say that know Of, aud
could reoogpizc, no Inv In the matter, b9t thu
law Of human convenience aud well-beiug
Whatoyor viii help mon, is holy enough to b
done; and all that legal statutes can justly
clain in the matter Ia the right aud duty. o1
protecting every oitizen IN hls rights and hbor'
tics. These rights and ltbertios being delined tc
be whatever ho chooBea to think, or act or bo
TINT doos not interfere With the righta aud liber
ties Of any other.
May phyeical labor DO performed thon on ,
Sunday? Most certainly, II there Is any necos
aity for it. Though it ia 4 duty that oaoh owos
| to himself, and to others, to help in hopping Il
sacred to rest; because it is noedod aa such
nlay men journey on sunday7 II there is any
mood Of Il, theY may; and that elthor In steam