The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-09-29


A PHARIsAIcAL OBSERVANCE OF the Sabbath
Day is certainly not a matter which should claim
the support of the enlightened journalist, nor
indeed of any well informed christian. The
Founder of Christianity expressed His opinion
concerning the hypocritical affectation of the
Pharisees on the subject of the Sabbatical solem-
nity. The Sabbath is made for man, said He,
not man for the Sabbath. But, it is not always
easy to decide where the mode of keeping holy
the Sabbath Day becomes Pharisaical. 1t is
not easy to fix the limit between the due observ-
ance of the Lords Day, and an exaggerated
Sabbatie solemnization which sayors of the
Pharisee. In general terms, we may observe
that the land is highly favored whose people
really understand what is the proper way to
honor and sanctify the Sabbath Day. We
certainly would prefer even a Sabbatic %solemnity
somewhat tinctured with Pharisaic leven, to a
total disregard for the day of rest-unhappily
too common in many countries which it is
needless to enumerate. To come to the point
of our remarks, a question has been raised in
this community with reference to a circumstance
which sometimes takes place here on Sundays,
as for instance one week ago, and which in the
opinion of many christians amongst US, is cal
culated to disturb the ~solemnity of the Lords
Day, from their point of view of that subject.
In a certain sense, it is a delicate topic to discuss
in the columns of a public Journal, as it refers
incidentally to the highest parsonage of the
realm. We are by no means wanting in that
becoming respect for the head of lawfully con-
stituted authority, which is inculcated in the
same Gospel that commends the due, but not
pharisaical observance of the Lords Day. But
the difficulty seems to be with some to determine
whether the conventional mode of honoring
Royalty with what are commonly called
ROYAL ~salutes," on arrival at, or departure
from the metropolis, does not accidentally
involve a serious inconvenience even tantamount
to a violation of our Sabbath law, whenever it
happens that those Royal salutes must be fred
on the Lords Day. As we have already re-
marked, this is a delicate question to touch
journalistically we think it however the duty
of the impartial journalist to give expression to
the opinions of the public on all matters per-
tanning to the general tone and tenor of society.
Now, we are informed that quite a large class
of christians amongst us feel disturbed and
even shocked at hearing the boom of cannons on
Sunday, and think that on that particular day,
the formality of a Royal salute ought to be
dispensed with. If we may venture to treat
the subject in a style of pleasantly, those good
people, whose zeal for Sabbatic observance
claims our fullest sympathy and approval,
although to some it may seem tinctured with
Pharisaic leven,-those Observation-Disclosures,
so to speak-seem to think that His Majesty
ought to travel incog.-when he has occasion to
move about on the Lords Day. OF course it
is quite a matter of taste with any sovereign to
assume an incognitO, whenever he or she pleases,
Sunday or week day, all the same. Her Majesty
Queen Victoria gives a very amusing account in
her Book about an adventure which befel her
at a wayside Inn in the land of the Gael, while
she was travelling tncog. with the late lamented
Prince Consort not long after their marriage,
under the assumed title of Lord and Lady
Churchill - on which occasion the Scotch land
lady treated the Royal pair-whom she took for
a young Scottish Laird and his winsome
leddie," to a jug of whiskey toddy made of
real usquebaugh, than which I" the Queen never
drank BETTER she said. Now there is nothing
to prevent the King of Hawaii nei from
assuming an incog. as often as he has occasion
to travel on q Sunday and in that way the
consciences, and indeed the nerves, also, of those
very jealous christians to whom we allude, need
not be disturbed by the boom of cannons on the
Lords Day as, of course, it is almost needless
to remark that the ~formality of a Royal salute
could then be dispensed with, without anything
derogatory to Royalty being thereby involved.
The {" Count of Oahu, would sound very well,
as a Sunday incog. for our sovereign, whenever
he happens to be en-voyage to or from the metro
polls on a Sabbath day. Thus all parties con-
cerned would be satisfied. People would say
His Majesty the King travels incog. on Sunday,
and the Royal salute is consequently dispensed
with.
With reference to salutes from our battery
to war vessels entering or leaving port, we GER
tainly have no hesitation in saying that in our
they ought not to be fred on Sunday.
We are told that a question has even been raised
for the lawyers as to how far a gunner who
fires off a cannon on Sunday is liable to pains
and penalties under the Sabbath law, Some
people even seem to think that a gunner could
be prosecuted under the Act, for loading and
touching off his big gun on the Lords Day.
that subject, for lack of legal lore, we can
not express an opinion. In general, we shall
that it is we think, an unnecessary ser
vile work" for a gunner to fire salutes of honor on
the Lords Day. The case would be different
were he called upon to blaze away at an
hostile invader and foe of his country. In such
a case VIZ believe that our Lord Himself would
say the Sabbath is made for man, not man
for the Sabbath. But we question whether the
Divine Master and Lord of the Sabbath would
say the same with reference to the firing of