The New York herald., 1874-11-23
The Sabbath and Man.


The Sabbath and Man.
Another Sunday has passed, and another
example OF the utter inability of the churches
to gather into their fold the populace Of this
great city has been furnished. The churches
were crowded. yet the throngs of people were
few compared with those outside of the holy
walls. The streets were filled with pleasure
seekers; there were thousands in the Park;
the taverns. billiard saloons, beer gardens and
restaurants were doing good business. and
in the evening musical and theatrical per-
formances were given for the entertainment
Of audiences of average responsibility.
Clergyman who had made yesterday the tour
of New York would have acknowledged how
vast is the busy, active world outside of the
church on Sunday.
The traditional idea of properly employed
Sunday is one which is divided between the
church and the home, and such division is
certainly beautiful and wise. But it is right
to consider the difficulties which attend such
an observance Of Sunday in large city,
Many thousands of citizens have no homes in
the highest sense Of the word; they dwell in
unattractive places, tenement houses, narrow
streets or quarters of the city in
which green leaves and pure dir are
unknown blessings. The crowded state
of this city, which IS built upon
narrow island and unprovided with means
of quick transit, should be taken into consid-
Grafton when we treat of the Sunday question.
1t is impossible that our Sunday should be
like that Of village, for the conditions are
culiar wants which neither lodging nor o
church can supply. The greatest of these
wants is liberty. and for that reason the public
insist that Sunday shall boa day Of social
freedom.
This view many Of our clergymen have
failed to take. They assume that the church
is sufficient for society on Sunday, while So
ciety af6rms the contrary on ffty-two days Of
the year. They condemn everything outside
of the church in the way Of public occupation
or amusement, forgetting that if their views
were enforced two-thirds OF the population Of
New York would be reduced on Sunday to q
condition Of vacoity and idleness. This
seems to be the staple OF DR.. Fulton's argu-
ment on theatres-which, by the way, rivals
those Of Rev. Mr.. Talmage in sweeping de-
nunciation Of the stage. It certainly shows
profound ignorance OF the subject. Dr.. Full
ton asks this remarkable question, ''Could
you invite Christ to go with you to a theatre9"
Probably we might not, but what the fact
proves is difficult to see. There are many
places to which DR.. Fulton even would not
invite Christ, if he could-for instance
to market, or cigar shop, or o
Broadway stage, or strawberry church fair,
or o rattle for the benefit OF Baptist church.
Yet Christ in His day mingled with publicans
and sinners more than He did with the priests.
The Rev. Mr. Rossiter also seized the oppor-
tunity Of attacking Sunday amusements gen.
orally, and actually declared that the Sunday
newspaper has taken the place of the Bible.
He is wrong here. 1t has only taken the
place Of certain kind of sermons.
But we should regret to have the
necessity OF debating the subject upon
the grounds which these reverend
gentlemen have chosen 1t is impossible to
argue with any one who thinks that prostitu-
ton supports the stage, and the stage in turn
supports prostitution, or with one who be-
lieves that when q man gathered sticks on the
Sabbath, God said, "Stone him to death. .
The question is one which is for higher
Christianity to decide, and there con be differ
ence of opinion without destitution of charity
or knowledge.