San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-05-14
FREE THOUGHT


John T. Remsberg, the great Kansas free
thinker, lectured ut Turner hail Wednesday
night on the subject of sabbath Breaking
you might as well commit murder rs 10 viO-
late the Fourth Commandment" he said.
These words voice a sentiment that has ex-
isted foragcs and ages. Three thousand years
ago man was cruclfpd in Palestine, and one
Of his crimes was Sabbath breaking. The day
He WIS executed, those who cried Cruelty
Him. who had put him to death, demanded
and obtained the release of murderer. FIJI
teen hundred years ago the Christian sabbath
was established. The Cdict for its institution
WIS sent forth by a royal murderer. Three
hundred years ago the Puritan sabbath, its
dungeons and chains, appeared in England
Its founder taught that murder was less vile
than Sunday recreation, and that 10 make II
feast on Sunday-tO entertain your friends
to make your fellow-beings happy ON this day,
was greater crime than 10 cut me throat Oh
your child"
The lecturer spoke at some length upon the
origin OF the sabbath idea ana the origin. or
the Christian Sabbath. Not the God of the
Christians, rot the Christ nor his apostles, in
stitutcd the sabbath, but il was instituted by
that royal butcher Constantine, who muir
dcTed his fathCT-in-aW, his brOthcr-ln-law, MS
wife his nephew and his son after having en-
braced Christianity He read the Cdict of
Constantine, which was broad in its scope. On
the abTogatiOn of Sunday laws he said:
THE Orthodox Christian and his family go
to church on Sunday, where, in n sitting at
mOspherc, they sing and pray, and listen to a
prOsy sermon, and pCrChanCe sleep. They be-
ieVe this to be u religious duty, and the privil-
eye of performing this duty Is not denied
them. And If the Liberal Christian or Ration
Rlist, on summers Sunday desires to take his
wire and children from the heat and dust of
the city to the seaside, or to the grove, where
they may watch the wild waves play, or listen
to the music of the birds, where they may
breathe the pure, sweet air, where they may
feast on natures beauties, may drink the
owe riff wing cup Of Joy and I'LL their hearts
with sunshine-when by Il day thus spent they
are made happier and bctter-wmt right
have you, religious bigOt, what right have
YOU, political dcmBgOguC, to say that this is
not a religious duty and must not he allOwedy
desperate aud persistent are the efforts
made by the evangelical clergy to retain and
enforce these laws. They know full well that
with their abrOgatiOn the strongest pillar of
prrstcrHr falls. But they are cOntendng
against thhe inevitable. Their efforts must
fail in the end, and the political party that
champions them will find deeper grave than
the old Wing party found; for the intelligent
and libCrty-lO. ing portion Of our people are
determined that the declaration Of freedom
and cqu0litr promulgated by the fathers of
-, and the hulwark of constitutional liberty
reared 10y the fathers of 81, shall bc our equity
and law. and they will not compromise their
rights by wearing the collar ola slave 'OreVen
one day in seven.
Let those who wish to make Sunday the
Saddpst dreariest day Of all the Seven enjoy
the "hlcssCd privilege hut let them keep
would make ii the brightest, sweetest, hap
picst day -
The speaker was frequently applaudcd dur
ing his lecture, and Crea ed an excellent inn
preston us an able, thoughtful man.
He lectures again tonight.