National Republican., 1880-08-09
SUNDAY AND SUNDAY LAW.
A Sermon Launched Against the Sabbath
Decorators.
Rev. DIR. Wilson Explains why the sabbatic
Law Was Left Out OF tho Constitu-
tion--InsoIcnt Dictat!ou by For
ogn Immigrants.

Rev. DR.. David Wilson at the Ninth.streot
Methodist Protestant church last night
preached from the text In thirteenth and four.
teenth verses the fifty eighth chapter oflsaiah
OH "The Sabbath and Sabbath Laws.p The
prophet Isaiah, tho most ETHEREAL and pootical
Of the Jewish prophets was engaged in the al.
most hopeless task of bringing back the chosen
people from the sin into which they
had fallen TO tho habit Of worshipng the
true God both In spirit aud in form.
lie consequently offered rewards and held out
threats to accomplish his purpose. In the
text his promises Of reward were tempting;
hfs threats of woe tremendous. Upon the
words of these threats aud these promises DR..
Wilson built up an interesting, philosophical
and able discourse. ITO ask, said he, "the
origin Of ssbbatarian laws would be as profit
able as to inquire the origin Of all law What
were The questions presenting themselves to
the mind Of Livingston in searching for the
hidden sources Of the Nile1 Were they as
important as tho questions that undoubtedly
presented themselves to him and the others
OF tile relations that exist between God and
man2 Tho sabbatie law is ono whose interest
Is OF daily recurrence 1t is like those
pyramids on the edge of the desert,
forever challenging tho attention OF mankind.
1t was the first law established, and may
stand out as the original Of all the command
ments. That ii antedatcs all other commands
is proven by the prominent manner in which
IL is presented in the decalogue. The
language of the ten commandments shows
that II was not an institution of Moses, but
one far older than tho exodus 1t
is clearly proved IN holy writ that it was in.
tended for all times aud all people, not for one
race and one period. Tho sabbatic law was
not announced for tho first time on Mount
Sinai, but was re'enunciated, No institution
has been ofloncr or more forcibly promulgated
than the sabbath. 1t Is stamped in the very
economy of nature. Rest Is impressed upon
all being as part Of tho constitution of being
Its announcement on Sinai exhibits feSture
different from all tho other commands of the
dccologue. 1t is two.fold in it's form, com.
manding what is done and forbidding what
should not be done. The prophets Of the He
orews, III commenting upon the captivities Of
the Jews, always insisted that their
national troubles came upon them be-
cause OF their violating tho command with
regard 10 the sabbatic law. The preacher,
| therefore, argued that like troubles will come
upon other nations for the like violations Of
the divine command. The sabbatc law is not
an arbitrary one, not q mere ecumenical reg.
ulation, but an exponent OF divine character
| God designed that mans work should be grad
uated after his own. He rested from his work
on the seventh day, therefore should man.
The importance of tho observance of the sab.
bath in n christian nation, and what consti.
1 ~
sabbathless nation is Goddess nation, and ex.
perience has shown that Goddess nation is n
doomed one. The consequences of violation
of the sabbatic law arc total and perfect social
and national ruin. The preacher called atten.
ton TO the assumption that we have not as ma
| ton recognized christianity and henco that sab
battle laws are contrary TO the genius of our
institutions. This assumption rests entirely
| upon tho failure Of the constitution to dis
| tinctly specify these religious laws. But were
| not the people Of this country deeply religious
before the constitution was framed? Were
| they not 20 distinctively aud earnestly re.
\ iigious that IL was matter of supcrerocation
| to announce that fact in the constitution
What is the history of each colony from its
settlement to tho days when the constitution
was promulgated2 Was not each one, as
| shown by tue lives of people aud by the cx-
press terms of their laws, deeply religious
colony?
The question then comes, Is IL the duty of
the christian church 10 see that the religious
laws Oh the country are preserved? The for.
| eigu immigrant finds difference between the
| customs il the country whence he comes and
| in this country. On Sunday in the old world
he can do things not permitted here. He for
gets to tell, however, tho difference between
the laws Of his native country and those of his
adopted country. He comes from country
governed by monarch, where his rights as n
privileges there on Sunday TO hide from him
tho fact that he is not freeman. His
native country is ruled by force. Here,
however, the country is ruled by the force of
public opinion. Will it bo wise to introduce
into q republic based upon the virtue and
honesty of men, the vices aud customs of
monarchy ruled by force and based upon the
idea that man is neither virtuous nor honest
enough TO be free?
In conclusion the preacher said that the
efforts Of the sabbath decorators had had
much effect, aud was seen In the lax obsery-
ance Of the day. What right have foreign
nations, in the persons Of foreign immigrants,
to come here aud iusOlentiy dictate to us the
manner in which we shall hold our institu.
tions The authority Of this nation to preserve
its institutions is undoubted, and it is not our
duty to pull down and destroy those institu-
tons at the dictatOn or the wish of those who
heo TO these shores for shelter aud refuge.
We have the same right to preserve our sab
bath as we have to protect our rights. Let us
see TO it that we yiGiantly and earnestly
preserve those rights.
PROFESSOR of guitar, piapo, etc, 1856 c