New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-25
HUMANE VIEW OF THE SUNDAY QUESTION.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FROM DIR. II. j. VAN
nm. c.rt,pu,y uATE.untIDAY


DYKE, JR.-THE SATURDAY HALF-HoLIDAf.
In the Brick Presbyterian Church the Rev.
Dr. H. j. Van Dyke. j, preached from the text: THE
Sabbath made FOR man, and not man for the sab
bath" He said IN substance:
THIS text both orthodox and liberal IL proves thai
there is golden between .he false cXtcnes on
the sunday question 1t invites Carl. tan- to spend ne
DAY Deher at SINAI nor III SEDai'. hGi'her MIN va"
l:iarisees with the PLg'ns. but with Christ VINO
wor,hipped God aud went about dong good The spirit
OF the text Will help us to answer Two inquiries winch
press upon us very ciosely . ,
ins Institution OF the Christian holy day we as
that exists Tor the fa:ts prove IL recos
also that the great majority OF the peope believe IN H.
Any open and ayOwed movement TO reduce SUNDAY 70
Shout OF Indignation from mine and factory from heid
and forest IN which the thin voce OF few io AZ
tatOrs dicitanc utheS'S would be swallowed ike
the chirp Of crickcts IN the roar OF the storm:
establish sabbath but now that have one. how and
wig shall defend III Honesty REQUIRES me 70 say
plainly that do believe this can be safely and sue
cessfny done by arguments based upon the supposed
trdnserrenoe by the Apostles OF the obligations % the
Mosaic Sabbath FROM the seventh to The nrst day 81 mo
week. A chain IL stronger than It's weakest linz.
This defence breaks down at Its most important point
Tie words OF Jesus Christ teach MS how the new dhy 10
10 be used and defended The SABBATH is divine inst
tuition with humane purpose. The ground on which
We arc to stand Tor tho maintenance OF sacred day
rest Tor AL ani OF worship for all who WILL is the broad,
solid, generous ground OF the necessity OF usn.
great end OF the gospel the redemption and up
hing OF humanity body. soul and spirit. The Christian
without II; said one of Eugland's greatest mem: -
knew work seven day Wees who did not
sdJs Bushnell, Is Indispensable for Christians IL may
be 50 in the millennium. but the millennium has not
yet. and II want to postpone II indefinitely,
give up the Cnri-tian Sabbath.
Second. In what direction shall We move TO make sun
Day useful and beuefCenti We shall have time
only to make three points.
l. We do not need and ought not TO de-
maud the enactment OF more stringent ana par
tcular laws by the State or tho enforcement OF
rigid ana personal discipline By the Church That
Is the road which Pharisees travelled IL Is mar
rowgauge, single track and leads nowhere Inc creation
OF laws which are moi supported by the sentiment OF the
community and cannot be consistently executed Is no
gain, but serious loss IL demOraIZcs the public con
science. what need Is to stimulate and strengthen
the publc conscience The best tonic Is education The
same thing l. trne the Church II would do no GOOD
eVen wore poss bic for the Church TO tell her members
eAacty what they must do ana what they must leave
uhiOhe what books they must read and what means OF
conveyance thcy must aud what kind OF food they
must eal on sunday, snd then to discipline all rccalc
tians IL would only promote strife self-righeOus
ness or hypocrisy. IL would not anybody. IL
would not make the Sabbath adeligbt-mOre Of misery
The movement that we need Is legal and negative
but positive ana spiritual.
We ought 10 b. heartily and generously in favor Of
any movement 70 tighten the burden OF and toll
ard thus 10 bring the whole week into closer harmony
with the needs Of humanity, and make the Sabbath more
nseiul ana more acceptable to all. Aud here the saur
DAY halflOiday movement comes In. OF we.
individuals have no authority to force such
upon anybody OF To regulate The complicated questions
OF WORK and wages which arise In connection with
IL Bat is not this movement huDdDOi Is IL not Chris
tlan Ia " not In the ERt CiFcC':Gii Cant stOp
growing ana play ittel Surely thor "a hcteruse
70 which We put great aaYro" ~ he conquest
VI pSlsFe, than to Increase lhS iv.salc aad thus