The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-28
How ShnII Sunday be Kent

How Shall sunday be Kcptt
Tao Rev DIR. joins HALL was the chief
speaker at the meeting just held in phila-
dclphia to protest against the dissertation
of Sunday or the Sabbath as he crrOncous-
" styled the first day cf the week involved
in the opening Of the Permanent Exhibition
in that city, on that day. Ilccontcndcd that
the history of the world. before and since
the Dccaloguc. showed that men needed one
day Of rest in the seven. and that they had
taken it. 1t is an established fact, and those
who fail TO regulate their lives in accord
ancc with it suffer in mind and body, II not
also in morals.
But this docs not touch the Sunday Qucs-
tion rs forced ON the people in these days.
No sensible man denies the need of abstain
ing from labor one day in the week. But
how shall he use the day thus saved from
toll Shall he make II one wholly or par
TALLY Of recreation. or shall he give up all
its hours TO formal religious sacrifice,
oschcwing all pleasures after an ascetic
plan? Shall the law and the customs of
society. though they cannot compel him to
go TO church twice n day. and spend the rest
of the time in holy reading. at least keep
him from pursuing his amuscmcnts These
are the questions which divide the advo-
Gates Of Sunday rs day Of rest and rccrca-
tion from those who would keep it a. u mod
ilicd Jewish sabbath
Moreover, II large part of the Christian
Church holds no such view of Sunday as that
maintained 10y the Rev. DR.. JoHN HALL and
his associates. 1t refuses to observe the Sab
bath in the jewish sense. In Catholic Eu-
pursuit of innocent amusement ON that day.
and it is given to hotl prayer and rccrca-
tlon. II is a weekly holiday sanctiiied by
sacred ohscrvances. ~ also in this country
many churches and chirch people do not de-
mand that ascctic treatment of Sunday
which the Sahbatarian, require In truth.
the majority Of the population. including
both churclf-gucrs and those who do not at
tend church. resist the idea Of tn" Puritan
Sabbath, or what the Rev. Dr. HALL
mistakenly calls the Christian sabbath as
involving an invasion 1f their liberty. II the
Sahhatarians wish To- keep the day simply
for iurmal religious useS. and their CON
sciences require them tuahstain from world
~ amu-cmcnts. let them do il. say the ma
jolity; but they ought not to interfere with
others in enjoying il after u diiirrcn, fash
ion. Ii they think It wrong To 20 To Il
puhlic exhibition. like the Permanent EXhi-
hi,iun ia Philadelphia. or the Academy Of
Design in New York let them stay away:
hut Why should those who do not think it
wrong, hc kept out ui these places on the
one day II the week when They have the time
10 visit them?
Tia" Rov. Dr. HAIL says that the for
cigacr- who came O. this country found
certain arrangements and institutions
which, in IA" Judgment Of the people, -com-
cd To work we'll. and among them certain
way Of keeping SUNDAY: and his inference
H. that they ought to submit To- them.
But wl"n those immigrants become a part
of our country. they nave a. much right To
hrh"arda towhat ourarraugcmoute and in
-iitutiun- shall be- as the citizens they found
here They have right To- claim that we
shall not force them To- keep Sunday after a
manner uhnoNiuu- to Thorn: and Il county,
wNl'n mas "a" rtatr church, and recognizes
the entire religious lil"rty of every citizen.
stu.tiir~ itself when it undertakes To- do il.
So long n tine law 500. that order l. MAIN
tanned ON sunday it goc. ~ fpra- it has
any right To- go. 1t cannot justly proceed
un amy religious theory Of how that day
ought to hr observed. L /. tine hu~inr-.
of tho-" who think sunday should Ice oh-cry-
eel a- a Christian sabbath. to induce th.-,
whom they can affect to $50 trent IT, The
state mast deal with it onlya- day If rest.