The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-30

| mcn-CanOn CArER-intimates, the wind
may shift, and the tide turn. and the pres
sure lie on the other side of the vessel.
sabbath Keeping and sabbath Breaking.
The diverse and conflicting opinions in re-
! gard to the observance of the Sabbath, ex-
/ pressed by the Baptist ministers Of this
vicinity in their last Mondays conference,
| pretty fairly represent the condition OF
mind OF Christians generally upon the SUBJ
/ jet. There Is no universally accepted view
which may he taken as cnbodying the sub
stantial truth of the matter, and no one sect
| or party can rightlully accuse any other sect
or party OF sin because il does not keep
the day in any particular manner
If the question were an entirely new one,
there would be but little trouble in disposiug
of il but there are complications arising
from tradition and custom which embar-
rass 1t and render 1t difficult TO settle.
/ Thus, in the conference we have referred to,
the minister who opened the discussion re-
| fcrred to the old-iashoned New England
Sabbath rs Il model without inquiring into
| the grounds on which that kind of Sabbath
was first established. Against him Ger
man Lutheran. a Swiss Presbyterian. or
French Roman Catholic might with equal
force cite the contrary practice Of his
boyhood. CALVIN played cards. and LU-
THEIR iiddled and danced on Sunday without
scruple. The Christian world is not bound
by the customs and regulations of men, but
only by the commands OF Cop, as expressed
in the Scriptures.
But what are the commands OF GoD on
the point? 1t Is conceded that no Sabbath
Is enjoined in the New Testament. The
early Christians kept the first day OF the
week. or our Sunday as day Of rejoicing
in commemoration Of the resurrection of
their Lord. Hence Il got the name of the
Lords day. When Christianity became the
established religion OF the Roman empire,
| business in the courts was prohibited on
this festival, as II is with US on WASHING
TONS birthday and the Fourth of July, and
1t gradually came to be day of suspension
Of labor, resembling, to that extent the
Jewish sabbath. 1t was not until many
centuries later that the idea arose that it
was identical with the Sabbath. and to he
| kept a. that Sabbath was kept among the
Jews, with the further prohibition, unknown
! to the Jews, Of cheerfulness and recreation.
The ISSUE therefore, is primarily upon the
/ obligation OF Christians to keep the Jewish
! sabbath. We're not the command ON the
subject found in tho Decalogue, side by side
with the commandments against murder,
theft and adultery, we fancy that no Chris
tian would entertain for the moment the sug-
gestion that it was binding upon him, since
the whole Mosaic law, outside Of the Ten
Commandments has been ropudiatcd 10y
Christians long ago. Az it Is, some Chris
tian authorities declare that the Sabbath
! has been swept away with the rest Of the
| Mosaic ritual. Others, however, maintain
not only that it Is still in force, but that II
keeps alive all the regulations for its OBJ
servanco found in tho prophets, as well as
in the jewish law. one of the ministers in
the Baptist Conference, for example. cited
some of the penalties denounced upon Sab
bath breaking and the blessings promised
upon Sabbath keeping. by ISAIAH and
EZEKIEL, as il they had been addressed TO
Christians as well as to Jews. Ii this inter-
probation be correct, then, 81 course, the
sabbath should be strictly kept by Chris
tians after the Jewish mode.
Practically, however. but few Christians
adopt this extreme view. They light fires,
they cook food, they employ horses in go-
iug to and from church, and men in blowing
cd with church worship. all of which is con-
trary to the Mosaic law. For this laXity,
however, they make amends by abstaining
from amusemonts, which the Mosaic law
dccs not prohibit and shutting up places Of
public resort which Jews would leave open.
Hence there is a confusion Of ideas on the
whole subject which lcadst to endless contro-
versy. and may possibly result in the giving
up Of Sunday rs day Of rest altogether.
our own notion is that rest on one day out
Of seven. for men who labor hard and uurc-
mittingly the cher six days. is Il wholesome
and proper thing. The utility of some lct-up
to toll is confessed by the vacations which
business men take for themselves, and allow
TO their clerks every summer, and by the
European voyages which physicians pre-
scribe for oyertaxed brains. 1t is very prob
able that, in enjoinng this rest once in
seven DAYS as in many OF his dietary rcgu-
lations NOSES consulted the physical as
we'll as the religious welfare Of his people,
and that Christians do well to profit by his
wisdom. In The SIN establishment proVis-
ion Is made for giving every employed one
days rest in seven, and we find that the
practice works adVantageOusly. But we do
not, therefore, contend Llr the Observance
by Christians Of the Jewish sabbath, nor
share in the sentiment which shuts up
places OF recreation in this city on sunday
CA the contrary We contend that such places
should be allowed TO open, and that every
means Of hcalthiul diversion should be per-
mittel in them, provided no disturbance Of
the public peace and OF worshipping assem-
blies is thereby occasioned We believe, in
short, in n day of rest which Shall be II
day OF rest aud not in day Of austerity
and gloom.
SquaTciy Presented.
The Democrats Of Wisconsin were not
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