Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-17
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
A Forgery.

A Forgery.
EDITORS APPEAL-In Your issue OF
the fifteenth we see communication
signed by our name. We assure you
that we never wrote it, and would like,
in YOU could indicate the author, who
has used our names without warrant.
PEOPLES d BRANUM.
GRENADA, MISS, March Ii, 1876.
TWe regret that it is wholly impOssi-
BILE for us to comply vito the request OF
Messrs. P. & B no other name being
amended to the communication but
that published az theirs-EDIT0Rs AP-
PEAL.
The Observance of the Sabbath.
EDITORS APPEAL-Quite number of
persons seem to think they are arTaying
themselves against the Pastors associ-
ton when they are writing against the
Sabbath. The Pastors association have
nothing of their O1U1 to defend. Ihey
have dared to lift up the voice OF remon-
STRANGE and entreaIy against the desc
Grafton of Gods holy day, and for
this discharge OF their duty they have
been asssiled in every direction. BE 1t
so, "The disciple is not above his Mas
ter. nor servant above his lord" AS
fair specimen of the articles that have
been published, we may advert briefly
to the Communication of "AarOn." In
aIstrain of irony he asks why not "sup-
press the selling of peanuts, liquors, etc.,
and the running Of railroads and street.
cars on the Sabbath, and compel the
wretches who thus violate the lay OF
God, to Acknowledgment" To which !
answer: The prohibition of these things
would be right. First, because the law
OF Gcd forbids work on the Sabbath.
Secondly, because those who engage in
such work, should be given no advsn-
tsqe over their fellow-eitizens, the legit-
innate merchants, traders, laborers and
farmers all over the country. VIII
+" Aaron" tell US what right one man
has to labor on the Sabbath mors than
another2 Or would he abolish the in
stitUtion altogether? He sneeTs
at the idea OF Gods wrath coming upon
men for the violation OF the Sabbath,
WBut the house of Israel rebelled against
me in the wilderness; they walked not
in ray statutes; and they despis9d my
judgments, which, If gian &c, ne shall
even live in them; and my Sabbaths
thew greatly polluted. Then L said l
would pouE out my fury upon them in
| the wilde Eness to consume them.' Ezek.
20, 10. In regard to what he says about
compelling them to attend church, that
is only an insInustiOn that the ministers
would compel people t. attend church II
they had the power. We may challenge
| "ARron" and all others to say Whether
thew ever heard from the pulpit or in
| private conversation, or eyer saw IN
| brint anything from q minister OF the
gospel that would Justify such an in
| situation. No; il it were in our power
to compel every man, woman and child
/ in Meuofckis to attend church we would
not do it. "God is a spil.c, ~: ~mn theS
! that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth" The only COM
pulsion ministers would use is that
which the Divine Master authorizes
them to use, when He says: "Go out into
the highways and hedges and compel
them to come in." We would compel
men by entIeaty, but not otherwise. We
would not compel men to keep the Sab
bath religiously, We would per-
suade and entreat them to keep
the Sabbath holy, and to go to
church also. That is exactly the
appeal we have made to ali who
believe in the Sabbath either as divine
| institution or as a day necessary to
mans physical and moral well-being.
AS TO the JaaU Of the Sabbath, 1t should
90 no further than to prohibit all work
! for the sake OF gain. Ii man Will lee
| ture, or cell liquor, or run car on the
Sabbath, let the Law forbid him to re-
ceive any pay. OF course At Is money
money, nothing but money tdat causes
people 70 work on the ERbbeth. AS tC
the dissertation Of the Sabbath In othel
ways than by work, it is sad indics
| ton of the Generalization OF the times,
but ministers do not want any law tC
prohibit it. All we can do is to hold uI
the law Of God. The vast msjority o
the millions of this land are believers in
the bible. Tne fathers and founders o.
our nation, Sgd nearly all the great anG
good men that nave adorned our histo
~, were devout believers in divine rev
eistion. It is therefore with feelings o.
profound regret, net unmingled with
fear, that we have witnessed growing
disregard of divine authority and fear
full departure from the paths OF integrity
and virtue. The corruption in higt
| places and in low, and the want Of con
fidence in the honesty and truthfulnesi
eff men, are enough to SlaFn1 not only
the believer in the bible, but every one
that desires the happiness and pros
Cerity of his fellow men. This nation
Is suffering terribly at the present time
and the country never was so corrupt a.
in this our boosted centennial year. The
| decentralization of our people since the
close Of tho war -hse been featful. Al
intelligent lawyer remarked to thu
writer few days ago: "The broken
down and distressed condition OF the
people financially is but picture o
their condition morslly.n Moral Tank
ruptsg Whether the dissertation Of the
Sabbath has anything 10 do With thii
terrible state of things, every one mus
Judge for himself. "Whep the French
eucyclopedists undertook to crush chris
! tiapity they saw that q God-ordaineC
Sabbath stood in their way. Voltairt
said truly, "There is no hope Of destroy
ing the christian religion 80 long as the
christian Sabbath is acknowledged anC
kept by men IS q sacred day" And
they resolved upon its complete abOli'
ton, appointing one day In ten for resi-
and recreation. Their plan was shreWd
and their estimate OF the lover oil o So
cred Sabbath correct. Tney failed be-
cause God was against them. But why
should there be question as to the sa'
cIei nature and perpetual obligation o.
the Sabbath? AS with marriage, Sc
with the Sabbath; they were both instl'
tuted for the race ct the outset, and are
alike necessary for its highest welfare In
ali time. tsobservsnce down through the
twenty centuries before the giving Of
the law on Sinai, as not Obscurely
| limited at once and again; its incoIpora-
ton in the center Of the decalogue; the
great moral code for the government OF
man OF all nations, in an timesi its I'M
piled re. enaction by Christ in his sum-
NATION OF the whOie dLty Of man III the
New Testament; his positive assertion
| that the Sabbath was made for HUMANE
! ty; his own religious Observance OF 1t
by attendance upon public worship upon
| that day, and the practice of the Apos
tolic church in a sacred keeping Of holy
time, al conspira to demopstrate It's TneT-
petual obligation. 4 PASTob,