The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-19

Seabury, White, and other fathers OF our
church in this land. .On the day which is
called Sunday, there Is an assembly Of all
who dwell In towns or in the country. We
then offer up prayers. The head Of the con
gregation delivers discourse. Bread is
broken and wine is poured out, the people ex-
Importance attached to this day was after
wards attested by the crucial question, ad-
dressed to the Christians by their persecu,-
tors: Have you kept the Lords day. so 1t
continued till the age of Constantine, when
the day was legally established through The
Roman Empire as the one day to be kept holy
to the Lord
pause here to say that any scruple CT
superstition, in reference to the change OF one
day to another, Is effectually silenced by the
progress of science The diurnal revolution
of the earth makes every attempt at contem-
poraneous worship impossible. Accurately
speaking, the seventh day in one hemisphere
Is the first in another. In crossing Il fixed
parallel of latitude, it Is the custom Of navi-
gators to alter the calendar, and Saturday Is
changed to Sunday. Added to this, it is well
known that in the polar regions the days and
nights are each six months in duration. To
restrict the ordinance before us to n fixed inter
val Of time, IL would be necessary to restrict
Christianity to fixed latitude, and to circurn-
scribe within the rising and the setting sun
the boundaries Of Christs kingdom upon
earth.
Wise men In all ages-believers and unbe-
levers, including the most liustriOus atheist
OF this generation have agreed that one day
OF rest in seven is Indispensable to the healthy
this confession. Proudhon, the celebrated
French socialist, reckons Moses, on this ac-
count among the law-givers of the world;
not considering that it was known before
Moses, and its origin was as old as Creation.
| Pages Of such evidence might be given down
to the greatest of English historians. Pilates
! Testimony TO Christ Is hardly more remarka-
BILE than the homage rendered by these proud
sceptics to this ordinance OF Holy Scripture,
and to the urgent necessity OF this day Of rest
But u most important use Of the day re-
mains to be considered. Few are inclined to
object to relaxation from toll, If they are only
permitted to choose their own pleasures and
lndulgences without restraint. Many alb
things worse than labor Very often the
Lords day is abused to stimulate the evils it
was designed to heal. As if to travesty its
holy mission, Satan makes use of this day to
assemble his followers In the haunts Of dis
spation. The appalling fact confronts US
that more crimes are committed on Sunday
than any other day of the week Ceasng to
be q blessing, it becomes n curse. What
scenes of intemperahce riot and debauchery
does 1t expose to view; which made
St Chrysostom say in his time that the day
which has been instituted to cleanse away the
crimes OF the week was the day when the
greatest crimes were perpetrated being given
up by so many to debauchery and excess.
In the city where ] write the public press
chronicles am unwilling to say, how many
murders perpetrated on the last Sunday in
the saloons and drinking haunts where hell
celebrates its weekly carnival. And when the
appeal is made to the civil authority to pro-
hibt Sunday traffic and disperse this evil, the
voice of the demagogue is raised to protest
against priestcraft. Frantic tears are shed
over the threatened invasion of popular
rights and the prerOgatveS OF the Jew.
Good men are often thus defrauded Of their
convictions in favor of reform They listen
until they become towards, 50 afraid OF
making religion odious, that they leave it
powerless and conternptble. For one-half
the disorders which defile the Lords day in
our country, good people are. themselves re-
sponsible- their ukewarmness or their pr,l-
dent fear of coercion. Morbldly sensitive t.
the union of civil and ecclesiastical power
they are calOus and insensibe to the usurpa-
tions of crime and unbelief Men are inclined
! to reproach Christianity for the harshness oil
it's prohibitions, not perceiving that the liber-
; ty for which they plead Is q thousand times
) more harsh and cruel in its consequences
Alas! for the morals OF q nation, when
the Lords day loosens men from the re-
, straints Of labor and substitutes no restraints
of its own. 1t becomes demoralizng inst
tuition as soon as it ceases to be observed In
; the interests OF morals and religion.
, But the vicious are not the only offenders
: against the sanctity Of this day. new com
pleXion is stealing over the religious tastes
3 and habits Of society. In nothing is it more
} day. An external obedience to the prescribed
duties Of the day is not neglected, but the
: fruition Of all its advantages, where IS il
found?
, The notion is gaining upon the popular
mind which prevails in continental Europe
} and which claims this day for recreation and
amusement. With no intention to cause any
such offense, every Sunday idleness stalks
, through our streets in appropriate masquer
AIDE to insult the Christian conscience OF this
GnFrpI DhIiOnflDnS
day are thought to be fulfilled if an hour OF
two are given to public Worship This done
T the remaining hours may be consumed il
festive excursions, revery, military parades
: dramatic exhibitions, extending to late houl
t of the night. 1t Is a melancholy fact that ths
Church Of Christ cannot be acquitted Of al
!, responsibility for this evil.
I I respectfully invoke the attention of tina
Church. which has retained the name o
Catholic-not because it is, but because i
wishes to be soto the recorded testimony 0
the ancient fathers, acknowledged by then
as well as ourselves. That testimony is il
|, opposition to this popular abuse Of the Lord
. day With one accord they condemn public
secular employments Augustine's words ar
to this effect: zone will do less evil to cult
; vate and till the earth than in dancing ant
: other 2rofane rejoicngs." augustine Psalm
that this day ought not to furnish
u a pretext for idIeness, lChrysostom
u Sermon on Lazarus.") Justly said, for s.
: far as it affects our spiritual life, it is obvious
= to reason that worldly amusements, world.
u literature, and worldly converse are quite a.
: dlstracting as the LABOR of the hands ofte
y more so, as they are more captivating TO ma
:, ture. We cease to wonder at the prophet
), words: "Your new moons and your Sabbath
l, ! cannot away with they are wearines
:, unto me-" There is profound pathos in thi
! remonstrance. The Sabbath had been wrest
- ed from its sacred purpose and appropriate
e to their own indulgences 1t is Gods day n
> longer. Your Sabbaths-you have made thi
:, day your own. And thus profaned, it is dis
, owned as an offense to God.
But the true blessedness Of the Lords da
d is rightly enjoyed only when it is observe
n it is made q religious day unless Eternit