Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-18

glorious land of liberty, where, let me
| say en- PEASANT, We are, fear, abjut to
| fall through too much freedom-there is
| an old prOverb somewhere which says:
mo man has the right TO do as he
| pleases, unless he Ileases to do right"
| But who is to determine what is right {?
| Is every man to be law unto himself?
| Rather would we answer, the bible is
the word OF God, the only infsliible rule
| Of faith and practice; "the only chart to
guide our barque on Hfe's tempestuous
sea The whole subject is narrowed
down to this one queslion-is the bible
| true, or is il a clnningly devised fable?
| Are its requirements just or Unjust?
| Are we christian people recognizing
Gods authority over us, and his right to
command US? Has he not blessed and
| prospered Us enough 10 call forth our
| gratitude, and make US willing to re-
member the Sabbath day to keep it holy
| And now, as you say so much about
every one having the right to do Just as
| they please upon this day, wish mere
| ly to ask, Have we not laws, or Sunday
| ordinances, prohibiting men from trade
ald traffic on this dsy? It seems to me
tnat way back, in past times. l have
seen notices in the lOc=l columns of cur
papers Of men being fined fer violations
of the Sunday ordinances; and if it is
wrong to keep open stores, banks and
other places where money is made, it
does seem to me equally wrong to allow
the theater and other places of amuse-
ment to be opened, aud money paid for
the same. know that Carl Schurz and
others Of his views have said that Sun
day concerts, operas and such like places
have done more good for the masses
than all the churches in the land, and
there is q class in this country who
are trying hard to abolish the Sabbath
altogether. If there is a Sunday ordi-
nance it only needs to be enforced. and
our city officials are the men to DO it.
You speak OF the Jews who do not
believe in cur Sabbath! / strongly sus-
pect that if they lived in jerusalem, aEd
had nationality Of their own now, as
in days long gone by, and we should
happen to be s0jOurneis in their country,
We would have TO pay taxes, and con-
form, oUtwaIdiy, at least, to their laws
respecting their Sabbath, and We would
not think it any great hardship either
II strikes me that they are not the class
of persons in our midst who are clam
Cr0us for open places of anus ameats,
to laws or custom. They are, and ever
have been, a lsW-abi Ting class Of citi-
zens. II is tue, they 40 not believe in
our particular Sabbath; but they DO net
make their unbelief preteXt for the
outward violation Of the laws regulating
ou5s, as some others DO. They would be
the last people to do any such thing, if
hey knew it to be unlawful. We know
that at the first, when GOd had finished
the work OF creating the world, he rest
ed on the seventh day, and ordained it
sabbath Of rest, to be kept holy unto
himself; insOmuch that the penalty of
death was pronounced against all who
ehould transRlees. That was for the
government OF his own peculiar people,
the Jews, which clearly shows that it,
with all the ceremonial and judicial
bearing Of If, was to have its fulfillment,
sud then 10 be superseded. And when
Christ came, and the work of mans re.
demption was completed by his keeping
the whole law for man in every respect,
by his death UPON the cross, thereby
paying the penalty dus to GOi's vioiat-
ed Law by mans disobedieDce, and by
rising again from the dead upon the first
day of the week for mans Justification,
showing that the way is now Open--the
work fibished--thGt being work Of far
greater Importance, SO tospe2k, OF great
er magnitude and glory than that of
creating the world, The Sabbath was
changed from the seventh to the first
day of the week, thencefOrth to continue
till the end Of the world the christians
Sabbath. Now for the truth Of all this
| can only refer you, or any one, to that
same blessed old book, the bitle. There
it is, and whOms0ever will may read.
1t is Gods command, "Remember the
Sabbath day 10 keep il holy" and he
will curse the people VINO know and do
not ebay. 1t is the teachings Of this
book that have made us ss great and |
prosperous SIS We are. Lock at the most |
cultivated, enlightened nations that ever |
existed without the bible and the Sab
bath, and sea how far they could rise,
uuaiGcd by divine eFslRtioD. One other |
thing you say, MEsSrs. i lit0is: After |
all, why need christians care; they have |
only to answer for themselves" That |
is true in a certain sense, but they are |
responsible for their influence, be it good |
or bad. They are guilty il they do not
use all lawful endeaVOIs to preserve true
religion-that which the bible teaches.
Take, for instance, the case of Lot dwell
ing among the wicked people of Sodom;
to my mind be is the very weakest type
of a cljisiian recorded IN the whole
bible. We do not know that he
was iDgiunental IN the conversion OF
one sir g e soul, be bare ~ ESCAPED with
his daughters, and that by the help of
angels. We are told that his righteous
soul was veXed from Day to day with
their Unls !. tul deeds, but We do not read
Of a9y Temonstrancs On mis- part against
it. ksr be it f,om US to wish religion en-
forced by law or any harsh m aasures,
but this Observance OF the Sabbath day
is, and has al wa baen, 80 great con-
serv9h OF goOd nacFs!y and manners;
so great a check upon vice and crime;
30 essential to the prosperity and good
name q this o. any other city, thas we
canDOt &se TO plead flr its decent OBJ
sefVAnce. l. is a matter in which ]
have always felt 8 deep interest as an
old c.tzen--t0 have quiet, orderly city
upon the Sabbath day-and have felt
81 Il tSks up ths pen IN c
tense OF it i'll psS5 days. 0lce when
there was proposition made to decorate
the graves Of our dear southern soldiers
Oh this day (the various benevO!ant o." !
2leties were &c go with music and han.
1ersl, as s5cred as this duty was. we felt
,heie Ssutd be great inconsistency in |
closing the various houses of worship
md using the day to pay tribute to our
lead heroes. The king Of kings claims
special p5opriety ia this day-and
Pill men rob Gcd? And now let me
'ag thaT If trying TO get those who have
Influence, and AUTHORITY to use it. in see [
ng that oar Sunday ordinances Il know
Fe have them are enfOrced-if' this be
ntoierance-I must plead guilty to the
,;haFge; but please do not rate nae with t
hose females who ciamors for 'rigbts, 1
rec speech" etc for l am one Of the /
ld-iashioned who believes in Woman's
Unfortunate position-not necessarily in 6
ertor, but su5ordinate--andI readily &C.
ept what Peter says in his first epistle,
nIrd chapter. Please excuse me for
resuming so largely upon your chivalry. i
JEAN MILLER, :