Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-18
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Observance of the Sabbath.

The Observance of the Sabbath.
| EDITORS APPEAL-As those who feel
a deep interest in the subject of "Ssb.
! bath Dissertation" now SO freely dis
! cussed in your columns, we would re-
| spectfully solicit space in the APPEAL
| for the following article, written by as
| profound q theOiOgian as this cOuutry
has ever produced. The writer is Rev.
Charles Hodge, DID,, and the extract is
taken from his recent work on System
attic Theology. S. AND D.
| EXTRACT.
1t is historical fact that christianity
is the law of this land, and has been
from the beginning. AS the great ma
| jority Of the early settlers Of the cOun-
| Try were from Great Britain, they de-
| clared that the common law of England
should be the law here. But christianity
is the basis Of the common law of Eng
| land, and is therefore the law of this
country; and so our courts haVe repeat
eddy decided. It is SO not merely be-
cause of such decisions. Courts cannot
reverse fact. Protestant christianity
has been, is, and must De the law OF the
land. Whatever Protestant CHI istianity
forbids, the law of the land within its
sphere, that is, within the sphere in
which civil authority may appropriately
acD folbids. Christianity f5rbjds polyg-
amy aud arbitrary divorce; so does the
civil law. RDmanism foTbids divorce, even
on the ground of adultery; Protestant
isn admits it on that ground. Tnel9
of all the States conform in this matter
to the Protestant rule. Christianity fOr-
bids all unnecessary labor, or the trans
action Of worldly business, on the Lords
day; that day, accordingly, is diesnO'9
throughout the land. M contract is
binding made on that day. No debt can
be collected on the christian Sabbath,
II a man hires himself for any service
by the month or year, he cannot be re-
quired to labor on that day. All public
offices are closed, and all official hush
ness is suspended. From Maine TO Geor-
gia, from ocean to ocear, one day of the
week, by the law of the land, the peo-
pie rest. This controlling influence of
christianity is reasonable and right 1t
is In accordance with analogy, II
man goes 10 China, he expects to find
the government administered &C 3Ording
to the religion of the country. If he
goes to Turkey he expects to find the
koran supreme and regulatin G all public
action. II he goes to a Protestant cour.
try, he has no right 10 complain should
he find the bible in the ascendency and
eXerting its benign influence, not only
on the people, but also on the govern
nent. This principle, OF course. has irs
limitations. But Wher0 the religion OF
people requires nothing uTjust or
cruel, or in any wsy immoral, then
those who come to live where it prevails
are bound to submit quietly to its 6On~
trolling the laws and Institutions of the
county. When Protestant christians
came TO this country they possessed and
subdued the land. They worshipped |
God aud his son Jeaus Christ as the So !
vior of the world, and they aeknowI- |
edged the scriptures to be the rule of |
their faith and practice. They intro |
duced their religion into their families, |
their schools and their colleges. They |
abstained from all ordinary business on |
the Lords Gay, and devoted it to reIi- !
gion. They formed Intensely es as |
christians into municipal and State or. |
ganizations. They acknowledged God |
in their legislative assemblies. They /
pTe5cribed oSttig to he taken in his name.
They closed their courts, their PLACES ,
Of business, their Legislatures, and all
places under the pnbiic control, on the |
Lords day, They declared christianity |
to be part of the common law OF the |
lard. In process Of time, thousands |
have come among u3 who are neither
PrOtestants nor christians. Some are
papisis, some are jews, some Infidels,
aud some atheists, All are welcomed
all are admitted to equal rights and
privileges, All are allowed to acquire
property, and to vote in every election,
u ade eligible to oil offices, and invested
with equal influence in all public
affairs, All are allowed to wor-
ship as they please, or not TO
at all, If they see IT. No
man is molest9d for his religion or for
his want of religion. More than this
cannot be reasonably demanded. The
demands of infidels are unjust. II chris
.isnity is not to control the action of |
our municipal, State, and general gov.
ernments, then if elections be ordered
o be held on the Lords Gay, christians
'aunOt vote. II all the business of the
country is to go On, On ghst IS on other
lays, no christian can hold Office. We
hOuld thus have, not a religious, but an
mt. religious test-sct. Such ia the free
hinker's idea of liberty. But still fur
her, If christianity is not to control the
avs of the country, then as mo-
logsmy is peculiarly christian
We tau nave uO laws
gainst polygamy, sfbltrary divorce, or
free love" All this must be yielded |
o the anti-ohristian party. Since the
al Of Lucifer, no such tyrant has be3n s
lade known 10 men as August Comte,
be atheist. If, therefore, sny man
7ishes to ants-date perdition, he hiss
othing to do but to become a free, t
mixer and join in the shout, "Civil c
overnment has nothing to do with re- |
gion, and religion has nothing 10 do [
18th civil government" C
A Plea TOE the Sabbath Again. q
EDITORS APPEAL-I am sorry to find
lat l reckoned, without "mine host"
hen ] made an appeal to the APPEAL O
/ behalf OF the Sabbath day, for hoped
} have in you firm ally in this mat s
II. A few Sunday nights since, at the :,
lnGsl meeting of the Memphis and '
helby County bible society, heard DR.. n
Hanback, read q very commemorate =
-ticle from your paper IN regard to the
'est and good WORK OF disseminating Ia
ie bible so that it might be possessed 81
id read by all the families in the land. oi
nyOne would have thought that you ri
dorsed and approved that book. Now, n
ide from all this melange-this clsmor II,
out rights, freedom, ETC., everyone to
ink and do as he or she pleases, in this