The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-02
HOW TO OBSERVE SUNDAY.
Mr.. Bsecher's Melton Of What the
day Should be,
Something that Sinners should En-
joy as Well as the Safnts--a Day
for Reasonable Social and In
teIlectual Enjoyment.
The People the best Judges Of what
they may DC on the Sabbath Leg
islation Necessary--The Church
Required to Make the Lords
Day Attractive, Beauti-
full, and Honorable.


New York has been good deal exercis-
ed of late as to Sunday concerts. Sunday
amusements, how to spend the day. etc.,
etc., and it got whispered about few
weeks ago that Mr.. Beecher would
preach on that subject in Plymouth
church, The result was that a very
dense crowd of thousands of people assem-
bled to hear him. Mr.. Beecher looked !
thoughtful as he scanned the multitude of
heads from the edge Of the platform to
the top gallery. There was more than
usual respectful attention.
After the music and prayer, Mr. Beech
er read his text, The verses were the
18th and 14th of the 58th chapter of
Isaiah: - .
II thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath,
the sabbab deliSbt the boIy Of tba iord hon.
orable; and sh II honor Him. t doing thine own
ways, nor auding thine own pleasures, nor speaking
thine own words: Thou shalt then delight myself
in the Lord; and will cause thee to ride upon the
high places of the earth, and feed thee with the
heritage OF Jacob thy father for the mouth OF the
Lord hath spokenit. ~
Mr.. Beecher said this was the command
of the prophes 90 his countrymen--a COM
mand not simply of restriction, but to
make the observance of the day such as
would ennoble men, such as would lnure to
their manhood, such as would make it
honorable on their own side and on the
Lords, not day of bondage and self-de
NAL, but day of delight This was to
the old Jews. and they had the promise
that if they would so use Their Sabbath, it
would inure to their prosperity, The jew
ish Sabbath is gone for the most part. 1t
is still held by few of the people, namely,
by the Jews and by very small part OF
the christian people but as respects the
great body of the christian people the
Lords day has taken its place; but 10 ST.
far as mere ecclesiastical authority is con-
cerned, the Lords day is no more obliga
tory, no more a day of absolute command
and authority, than the Jewish Sabbath
If there be anything that Paul tells US. 1t
is that. man Is free to keep or not to keep
them, whether it be feast days or fast
days; if there be anything which he dis
closed it was, we want to put the Sabbath
Of Christ on higher sphere, sphere of
intellectual liberty her: '''ii mike
lie certi i..--~aI new day as against an
POI @.ilaiayS . The question of truth or of a
custom stands very differently A truth
or a principle does not depend for its exis-
tence upon regulations, nor upon common
consent, nor upon any public sentiment
but custom does, an institution does
Justice, humanity, love, purity faith, de-
church, no part of their authority from the
state. The state may recognizes them,
but they existed before, quite independent
mt tnOtn To-,
these truths may be determined by church
es and for communities for themselves
Now, that
MEN SHOULD REVERENCE GOD
is universal truth. 1t cannot be annull
ed or enacted by legislation it stands il
its own nature before legislation, deriving
its force from the constitution of the hu
man soul. But how men are to express
that reverence they may themselves de
termine. Any given church may determ
Inc it for itself, As regards the Lord
day, which is topic just now of much in
terest on account of special means to aug
ment the contents of Sunday, / would re
mark that the discussion as to its natur
may be left to divines, but what the PEG
pie may do on such day depends on tn,
people themselves. You may discuss tn,
origin of the Sabbath, or the differenc,
between the Apostolic day and ou
modern day, but it is a question for tn,
common peoples judgement as to wha
they will do with the Lords day, and i
must be RENTED to them. The Lord
day must be made a delight and any 9th
er view IS false. Laws and customs which
do not have their authority in the consen
OF the common people must fail 1t is no
enough to prove it in churchly way. w,
are living in an age in which all things tina
pertain to the welfare of the commonwealtl
come before the common people, and if they
cannot stand before this tribunal they mus
go down, and if they can have standin,
and power. then it is above that given tC
them in any other way. Hence the Sun
day question ought to he argued wisely 8,
as to receive the cordial sympathy of al
classes Il ought not therefore to be
question between church folks and th,
world folks so as that there shall be a par
tisan line drawn, for although the churcl
has profound interest in it, and although
the church should instruct its own mem
bers in this matter, it has no authorit
over the whole community of such a kin,
as to justify it in taking on airs of authori
ty.
AIAb WAC a NAIlONAlJ DAY
in its Jewish origin; it was made a nation
al day by our fathers, and our laws max
it one. Now il is taken BY law out of tn
category of secular days, and it stand
apart by legislation from all others Ii j
was in the power of the legislature to Civ
1t this special character, it is in the powe
OF the legislature to put it back again. /
1t was in the power of the common peopl
to make laws for the observance of tn
Sabbath, they can make laws for its non
observance. 1t is not enough for us to sa
that the church teaches this it is cues
ton which, first and last. must come to th
adjudication OF the citizens of the common
wealth. Ii those who are prosperous, there
fore, those that are living at their ease
make Sunday day of rigor for the les
favored citizens of the commonwealth !
instead of being a day of easement. of re
taxation, a day of rest, it is a aay in whicl
the belt is buckled up many holes tighter
day in which the common people canno
breath as freely as on other days, day O,
which they are least masters of themselves
first or last the conviction that it is
church day, and that the common peopi
are oppressed by it, will work its abolition
And it will be wise thing If christia,
ministers and christian churches will TAX
this into consideration that unless Sun
day is made a day Of delight,
NOT IN ANY Low OR sENsUoUs OR MARROW
SENSE,
but in sense that addresses itself to the
social feeling and manhood of the common
people, they will take no interest in it, an,
first or last will tread n dopn Vou MN,