Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-13
rurnnRD,s DAY.

Is a mistake, has been proved by the eau
-tivns given to the original gentle Christians
not 10 keeptne Sabbath, because to obey one |
clause of the Jewish law makes Us debtor to
the Whols law, aid demonstrated by thu fact
that in the four instances in the gospels, IN
which Christ recapitulated the decalogue as
it stands now binding upon christians, and
st. Paul doing the same, the fourth COM
mandmeut is left out. The question now
arises: Is there no rest left for the people OF
God? Must they labor from January to De-
cember all their lives, and the domestic ami
mails with them, without cessation? The re-
DIV to this is that, although christians have
no Sabbath like the Jews, they have the
Lords day. That day was the Jewish hrst
dsy of the week, which was from our Satur-
day night at sunset to Sunday
at sunset, and that day wac
chosen because on 1t Christ
rose from the dead; an occasion the church
celebrates to-day, Easter Sunday. We are
not sufficiently mindful of patriotic duties to
celebrate the birth of Washington, on the
twenty-second of February-once year,
but from the FIRST Christ's followers, with
tender piety, celebrated the resurrection OF
the Savior every week. We need not cite
the passages in which the new testament
mentions the meeting of the apostles first,
and their converts afterward, on the first day
of the week; every bible-reader knows them.
But there is not only example, there is pre-
cept, where christians are exhorted not to
forsake the assembling Of themselves to-
gether. This christian duty has never been
omitted by the church from the time of the
resurrection to this present Easter Sunday,
aad never will be. Here, again, occurs
widespread error. 1t is commonly believed
in English-speaking lands that the Lords
day was always observed as a Sabbath. On
the contrary, that day was kept as Tuesday
or Friday is with US, when there is a morning
or an evening service at church. The early
christians met early in the morning,
as we have Pliny's testimony to the Emperor
Tragan that they did at Rome; or they,
as was more customary, met at night as a
more appropriate time for the celebration of
the Lords supper, which was never omitted
on these weekly occasions. At length. the
church recognized that, although the fourth
commandment was dead as to the letter,
there was q vital principle in it as to the
spirit, and the same fact Is recognized to-day,
even by those who deny the obligations OF
.tha.GhSistian religion. When, therefore, the
has ever acduired-under the Roman emperor
Constantine, rest on the Lords day was
made a legal obligation upon all but ''hus-
bandmen," that is, persons engaged in agri-
culture, but at length the obligation was
made universal, and the horse and the OK
had rest allowed them as well as man. But
that rest was not the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment. 1t was recognized that there
is a rest of relaxation as we'll as a rest of alb
solute repose. While the ordinary tolls and
worldly occupations of life were prescribed,
except works of necessity and mercy, such
amusements for relaxation IS were not
inconsistent with christian life during
the week were considered permissible
on the Lords day, in the intervals
of public worship. That custom has re-
remained unbroken to the present day, ex-
ceptin the modern and partial case Of the
English Puritans and their limitators, and
some others. Among these was not found
that noble and learned christian Martin
Luther. That grand reformer commended
the Lords day to the fidelity of christians
but he said 1t ought not to be sabbahzed
rather than make il Sabbath, he would
run, jump and dance on Sundays. Carrying
the notion of faith to the false extreme Of
''faith alone, " like all extremes that doctrine
passed the verge, and intruded on to its op-
posite, bringing in the "beggarly elements
of the law by ENGRAVING the Jewish Sabbath
on TO the christian observance. 1t will prob
ably be objected to this statement of historic
facts that in all this-beyond apostolic exam
pie and precept-we have nothing more thar
the decisions of the ichristian world three
hundred years after Christ and since ther
to this Easter Sunday. win the objectol
please to remember that our Sunday is diff.
fsfent time to that on which the apostles met fol
worship. It Is not from sunset to sunset, but
from midnight to midnight. The obiectol
obeys the authority which made that change
of time; and what was that authority? Il
was the same authority that prescribed fol
the Lords day observance what we have de.
scrIbed above. But this very authority Is
not all nor the principal-the great authority
is the christian necessity of the institution
and its utility. 1t is necessary because, il
there is to be christian public worship, il
must be held on an appointed day, that all
may come together in their different assem-
blies The day Of public worship requires
sacredness from its occupation and its asso-
Citations, so the traffic and commerce of daily
life are laid aside as inconsistent with the So
lemnity of worship-whIch would be fatally
disturbed by the rush and uproar Of business
going on around the assemblies of worshipers,
and by the intrusion of worldly thoughts and
schemes, and mcuey-making prcpensltes,
the pursuit Of ordinary traffic on that day
would entail. The utility Of the Sunday OBJ
servance lies IN its sanitary value to mind
and body. Both require rest and re-
taxation, as every man who works
with head and hands can and
does testify; and, with universal re-
acknowledgement on that point no more need
be alleged. In view of all these things,
what is the proper conduct for our legisla-
tors and citizens to observe with respect to
the Sunday question: In deciding this point
we must remember that while christians are
decided about observing the Sunday, they
a--AAesNt-d NllGAtuCt Us 70 NOtC IL snail De OBJ
served. The people Of continental Europe
observe it according TO the ancient method
from Constantine down. small section of
the whole christian body have sabbatized,
and apply as much Of the fourth command
ment as it has suited them partially to obey
TO the Sunday. That section, however, is in
the majority here, but we have many Ger
mans, French, Italians and others who
desire to follow the ancient and prevalent
way of keeping Sunday and we have Jews
who keep the Sabbath day, and many
citizens, because they know that the Sunday
is not the institution eDjOined by the COM
niandment in any sense, or from other con-
siderations, are opposed to sabbatizing.
Which Of these shall dictate to the others,
and say: You shall not keep Sunday accord
inIg to your convictions, but in a way suitable |
to miner The new testament says Of the