, 1883-02-22

show that Paul was not in sympath!
with them. The law of Moses was tol
those who were inclined to keep It, Mr.
Collycr then spoke of the different days
which had been set apart by diiteren'
peoples as Sundays, and quoted from nu
mrrnus writers Of the time Of the Keior'
nation to show that the Sabbath was moi
holy because it was the Sabbath. Martin
Luther himself wrote that il the day was
made holy for the days sake, then h'
couuscled his followers to ride and dance
and make merry on that day. Contrast
these with this month" said Mr.. Collyer
1t was not hard he continued, to find the
cap-ruot Of the Sunday law. 1t lay III
the narrow, bigoted spirit OF CALVIN
NOW pretty well on its last legs thank
Godw 1t was the spirit which made the
parents Of an acquaintance OF Mr. Coll-
yer allow him no diversion on Snnda!
but to walk in a graveyard and read the
epitaphs. 1t was the spirit which had
caused such reaction in Luther's own
city that, with the possible exception OF
Paris, no city had such license on the
Sabbath as Geneva. II was the spirit
which we had to fight 80 hard in Puritan
times. 1t was the spirit which good old
Norman Mcleod fought so perslstently'
1t was the spirit which ordained in 1919
that no dinner should be served in a
tavern on Sunday. II could fill a dozen
lectures with illustrations Of this spirit
said Mr.. Collycr. 1T is this old intoler'
ance we have to meet now, and 1 say
once for all, that SO long rs | occupy this
free pulpit l will fight with all my
might" The Sunday law, he added
tined the poor and kicked the man who
was down. There was no authority in
the Scriptures for such law. 1t was
our habit to point with pride to our free
dom, but when we pointed to London
we learned how far behind we were. New
York could not be contrasted with Lon
don for moment. We could only be
contrasted witt Edinburgh. Mr.. Coll
yer pleaded for one day of rest in seven,
The law should give every man the right
to such day Of rest and leave the ques-
ton Of wages to the employers and the
employed. We wanted for our worship
simply quietness. He pleaded for recre-
alton. He would open all the libraries
and museums on the Sabbath. He
would say to the boys, il you want to
take swim in the river on Sunday, here
are the free baths. If you want to play
ball or go to Sunday school, do so." He
would open the music halls on Sunday.
Clean music never hurt any body-and
there was no unclean music. 1t was only
when welded to unclean words that mu-
sic did harm. He would have lectures
on Sunday, that the masses might learn
from science. Sunday, in itself, MIR. Coll
yer declared, was no better than Satur-
day or Monday. He had no right to in
terfere with Others who did not observe
it as he did, SO long rs they did not in
terfere with him. He had no more right
to prevent one from going to the theater
on the Sabbath than the theater-goer
had to prevent him from going to church
We must not allow ourselves to be put
in such bondage as the Sunday law,
That law must be repealed and a law
enacted that we could cheeriully obey
1t was n meancc to the commonwealth
10 have on the statute book a law which
a man felt more like man for breaking
and which made magistrate feel more
like q man when he WINGED at its infrac'
tons Let the vast majorities in our
cities who were used to n wider interpre.
tation Of the Sabbath than we had beer
accustomed to, once get their blood up
as they were very likely to, and we would
finally see laws passed permitting such
license on Sunday as we would view sith
eyer-growing regret and sorrow.
~ Il