Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-19

ing the proceeds. The Panama canal with
ont lock is under construction. aWe must
look before we leap.n
THE wIsDOM OF THE SERPENT.
To be innocent as doves aud wise as serpents
is one of tho wise and pregnant precepts of
the author OF the Christian faith. However
much or little attention may be paid to the
dove clause, the serpent one is certainly
most completely neglected by whole bodies
| of Christians. The most recent inst snce is
New York. AS we have no established ma
| iional religion, of course a Mohammedan
who abstains from business on Friday, which
is his Sabbath, or a Jew who similarly alb
stains of Saturday, or one of the Baptist
| divisions that also keep Saturday as Sab
bath can be1made to observe Sunday only
l by the same sort of unjust law that once
made it crime 70 read sn English transla-
| ton of the Bible. For the protection of the
great body of the American people who keep
Sunday as day of worship, the law may
properly require that no unnecessary noises
| or other dis urbing proceedings shall be per-
mitted in the streets on Sundays. To pass
beyond this line is TO manifest discrimina-
| ton as 10 religious belief inconsistent with
the federation our purely secular sysiem
of government is bound to observe. The re-
| ligious world can make rules for the conduct
of its own people, but when they attempt to
enforce those rules by the power OF the law,
they are usurpiug an authority inconsist-
ent with the system OF our government, and
are requiring an outward conformity which
is without or against personal conviction.
Such enforced conformity is also inconsistent
with the spirit of christianity, for that re-
quires the willing obedience of heartfelt
service, given freely from personal faith and
sincere conviction of duty. The sentiments
of Paul are unmistskable on this point when |
he says: @One man esteemeih one day above |
another; another esteemeth every day alike. |
Let each man be fully assured in his own |
mind. But thou, why dost thou judge thy
brother~ Paul goes further, and requires |
resistance when those who think one wy
endeavor TO impose observances they regard |
as sacred upon ihose who entertain a differ |
ont opinion. He says: "Lst no man there
fore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in
respect of a feast day, or a new moon, or a
Sabbath day; which are a shadow of the
things to come" The New York Times well |
says: THE man who holds the Puritan
theory of Sunday has. no more right to
require other people to adopt his theory,
under penalty Of fine and imprisonment,
than the Roman Catholic, who believes in |
transubstanIiation, has to compel other peo-
pie to accept that dogma or go to jail" Ii
may be the duty of the Puritan 10 reverence
"ihe Sabbath" and it may be the duty OF the
Roman Catholic to kneel down in the street
when the host is carried by him, but neither
the one nor the other can claim the right TO
force other people 10 initiate his example in
a country where there is no State church.
To compel the barber TO shut up his shop on
Sunday because part of the population |
believes that Sunday is the Jewish Sabbath, |
would be to make a sectsrian dogma a part
If the laws of the land" The Cincinnati | ,
Gozeae remarks that imam cannot be made
religious by law. Religion is good and tenn c
'erance is good, but the mission of both is to
operate upon individuals through moral /
uasioD, and in as far as moral sussion ia
abandoned the cause OF religion and temper
Ince SUD rs. To say what a man shall
at or drink, or whether he shall [
e religious or irreligious, whether he \
hall go to church On Sunday or any other ?
ay, is not the province of the State; GER
ainly not in this country. The State recop- 6
ICES Sunday as day of rest, and il pro- b
ibits common labor on that day, not be. "
ause the church pronounces it sinful, but IL
.cause it is esteemed essential 10 society.p \,
et the Christian, rather by what he does ~
ian by what he says, commend religion or
I'D its sweet and beautiful observances to ii
lie esteem and admiration of the world.
30 let your light shine before men that thew " "
az see your good works, and glorify your in
ather who is in heaven" To force Chris liz
an observances upon reluctant minds il 10
eanse the outside of the platter, to arouse tn
e spirit of antsgonism, and to compel the =! Re
3ertion of human liberty, which led the o.
bile Martin Luther to cay that, before he
,uld submit 20 a sabbathisiug of SUNDAY m,
would play on that day, jump on it, dance thu
it. This compulsory mode OF e1actine en-
E Sunday observance is a departure from =,
: mild and persuasive influence tn at Jesus f.,
luired. Eye know not what spirit ye are ria
" he said when some of His disciples in for
Fir excess of unwise zeal would have had Sy
course to harshness. To command and
Iorce compliance with religious duties Il -;
depart from the genius and essence of Te
Instantly. Does the infdelity prevail Ire
, in France and Italy afford the Christian o. o.
to-day no warning of the consequences No,
exaction, dictation and compulsion in I
tiers Of religious duty, or supposed re- cor
ious duty? Such departure from the basis the
nciple OF religion, love, as driving a am
'ther who differs in meat, or drink, or the mo
'pisg OF holy day, supplies the Paines ser
Ingersolls with their keenest weapons,
obiaius for them the greatest number of out
If perverts. The founder of christisn itv De'
w better what was for the welfare of the sm
gdom of heaven than we with our waruest SIS
and our keenest Jealousy for the cause gre
religion, and neither His word, nor the L
-ds of his followers contain a single com. ne ne
nd TO observe Sunday, nor did their con- in /
ls observ. it as Sabbath. To make that to
ervance u stumbling block, and a rock of and
nse. is 10 make a breach in the vsTs - NOR
faith, and needlessly TO provoke denial of pail
truths and opposition TO its influences T
b provocation is complete departure ran
n obedience to the command to be wise at d
erpents, which is a very different thing regu
a "being wise above what lie written" II add
would be tue and earnest servants OF our Their
tier, we must win by love, not force by toge
OF fines, penalties, aad aiI Den
10. T