The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-08-04
Letter from Rev. DR.. r. L. Dabney.
Prprr> T,,1xy 1O+b 1900

DERDlN, July lOCn, lOOO.
MesSrs. Edstors,-Your visits to Ger
many have made you as familiar as
am with the way the German Protes-
tants keep, or rather fail to keep the
Lords day. As you know, it is, except
the early morning service in church, the
holiday, and not the holy day. Theatres
and concert-rooms are then gayest and
fullest. The soldiery at all barracks
have "a special inspection and dress
parade. The bands play the loudest in
the evenings. The beer gardens are the
fullest. The shooting matches take place
when there are rifle companies. The
horses and hacks are all hired for pleas
ure-excursions. And in all this, there
is little difference between religious peo-
pie and preachers, and the world. But
still we must not Judge good people here,
as we, with our theory of the Sabbath
would deserve to be Judged, were we to
do the like. The Lutheran (and to a
degree the SWISS Reformers expressly
taught that the Sabbath was only iu-
daical and ceremonial institution, and
1OGs abolished by Christ. This great
error still stands in their creeds, and is
firmly held and taught by their divines
Hence, when they thus commit what
our creed makes dissertations of the Sab
bath, they are acting consistently with
their creed. The thing of which they
are guilty before God is, not that sin of
inconsistency with known duty, which
SO many Americans, orthodox in pro-
fession, perpetrate: it is. the sin of neglect
ing and studying amiss the testimony of
God In making up their creed Hence a
German Christian here can do these
things, to us so very wrong, without its
implying deadness of conscience and
rebellion against duty such as the same
acts would imply in us. Even the
sanity Neander, when explaining the
practice cf a theological professor in
going to the Sunday night plays in the
theatre, said: He also condemned it,
but only because the theatre was not the
right place for a Christian on any night
but that he should feel free to use any
amusement on Sunday, which he could
use on Monday
But none the less do believe that this
false doctrine of Luther and Melancthon,
with its consequent loose usage of Christ 5
holy day, is the grand error of their re-
form, and the grand blight and curse of
European Professionalism [ do not ex-
pect to see the chill of spiritual death
broken, which practically reigns over the
most of this land, nor the gospel bearing
its proper fruits: until this heresy is re-
futed, confessed, forsaken. expunged from
their venerable confessions of faith, and
amended in practice. Our view is, that
God s omniscience saw, that, for moral
creature such as man, stated day, con-
secrated by divine authority to religious
duties, is absolutely essential to man s
continuing religious being; and that for
this reason God did .consecrate one sew
enth part of our time for all ages and
dispensations, even including the sinless
one Of paradise. Compliance with this
command is a vital part of the efficiency
of all means of grace. So that, in true
sense, it may be said, where there is no
Sabbath, there are no adequate means of
grace. The gospel cannot reign without
It's Sabbath.
This is terribly verified here. One
natural consequence is, that there is very
little family religion. l cannot hear of
any such institution as family worship.
| doubt if there is parent in Germany
outside the pastorship, who ever cate
chizes his family. 1t is left to the official
routine of the state schoolmaster and
"Rfarver." What else can one expect
AS the world goes, the six days allowed
by God for worldly duties, will offer nc
opportunity for religious, parental duties
These days, with the poor, must be occu-
pied with continuous labor parents and
children must be separated by their i'm.
perious tasks. With the rich, the equally
imperious demands of mammon, pleasure
and society make the same separation
Now, if the consecrated afternoons anC
evenings of the Sabbath may be properly
given to the rural excursion, picture pal
lery, concert, and beer garden; parents
and children never come together reli
giously at ALL There is no family-reli
gion. But where there is no family reli
gion there is no spiritual prosperity
Burns inimitable poem, the Cotter Sa
turday Night, sets forth deep philoso
ply here. The poet places the sacred
rites on the evening of Saturday; but il
was because the Scotch Presbyterians haC
the Sabbath, that they had such Satur
day night | do not make the sweeping
charge, that there is no family religion il
Germany. Doubtless in small minority