The Washington critic., 1890-02-26
HOW 70 SPEND SUNDAY.

hose reasons suggest, there is happily no
question about the fact that Sunday Is an
Institution which exercises most blessed
influence on the community. Here at any |
rate we are all agreed. No proposal would |
be more universally condemned and even |
eXecrated than proposal to abolish SUI !
day as an institution, to let every day be |
alike, with no interruption Of business and |
no pause in the restless struggle of com |
petition. The Secularist who limits his
point OF view TO the life that now is would !
be as earnest in his opposition to such
as the Christian who views this
life as the preparation for greater life be-
yond.
There is. then, general consensus OF
opinion that Sunday, viewed simply us n
day Of rest from ordinary occupation, Is
great blessing. Instituted, as II was pri-
marily no doubt, for the good of mans
soul, 1t has proved the greatest boon to his
whole nature. Even those who do not
realize that they have soul would be
among the first to exclaim, awe cannot do
without it, That observance which the
religious instinct wrestcd from the world
by long and painful struggles that rest
from the dull grind of competition which
nothing less strong than the religious mo-
tive would ever have succeeded In securing,
is now universally recognized to be a great
boon to mankind at large. But when we
pass on to consider the question how Sun
day is to be observed, we pass from the
calm waters of universal assent, or, at any
rate, Of acquescence, into seething ocean
of dispute and controversy.
1t is to attempt to vindicate the real
greatness and honor of Sunday, to vindicate
II against mischievous attempts to identify
IL with the Jewish Sabbath ON the one hand
and against turning 1t into day of nothing
but amusement on the other, that we mead
strong and enlightened public opinion.
II is of great importance in the formation
of such an opinion not only to be quite
clear that Sunday is not the Jewish Sab
bath, but also to know why 1t is not. For
a man will never get the full blessing out
of his enlightened Sunday observance till
he has rot rid Of a false conscience on the
subject Of the fourth commandment. The
Christian is as free from the law of the
Jewish Sabbath as lie is from the law that
prescribed circumcision. 4 very little
thought will enable us to see that Christian
instinct from st. Paul's day has refused to
identify Sunday with the Sabbath. For
what was the rule OF Sabbath observance ?
A jew might not do any work, he might
not sweep his room, or light his fire, or
cook his food. He might not even go out
side the camp TO gather mama A man
was found collecting sticks for iirewood on
the Sabbath day and the whole congrega-
Has anything like this ever been advocated
as the law of Sunday Did any one ever
keep Sunday in this way? And yet those
who maintain that Sunday is only a con
tinuation of the Sabbath, ought, If they are
consistent, 10 keep Sunday in this way.
To what obvious absurdities 1t would lead
moments reflection will tell u.s.
And we are strengthened in this convic-
tion by observing Christ's attitude toward
ba oh hot nft tp1a ia Ian
more remarkable because He was generally
SO careful to observe all Jewish practices.
But lie seems 10 make ap exception in His
protest against the rigidity of the Sabbath,
''Ife healed those who were sick on the
Sabbath day." when there was apparently
noreason why Heshould not have put It of
till the next day. lie did not bid those
who were healed to rest where they were
till tomorrow, as the law would have bid
den them, but lie said, "Rise take up thy
bed and walk His obvious intention was
TO show that he was superior 10 the Jewish
Sabbath, that it was made for mau, and
that its temporary and limited purpose was
now fulfilled. And as regards Sunday lit
is needless to say that he said no word that
could imply that there should he any con
tinuation of the Jewish Sabbath under
another name and on another day.
The Christian Sunday, then, is not con
tinuation of the Jewish Sabbath; it rests
upon no Divine commandment. God gave
His people laws in the olden time that they
might be trained to give laws to themselves.
He gave commandments which imposed
prohibitions that His people might learn to
rest ain themselves. He claimed portion
of their time. He said, THAT portion
must be wholly Mine it must be observed
in special fashion," such as was laid
down. This was necessary step in the
training of mankind. One can easily see
how without it a commercial nation like
the Jews would have sunk into a state of
money-makiDg godlessness. They were
pulled up sharply by finding every seventh
day fenced round with obseryances which
were meant to remind them of their rela-
tionship to God.
But the spiritual reality which underlay
| this observance of the Sabbath is the sancti
| fcation of the whole life by the consecra.
ton of stated portions of it to the direct
worship OF God. The Christian Church
seized hold of this underlying reality from
the first and connected it with that Resur
! rection Day which was to be a new spiritual
| departure for mankind. But she never
! dreamt of transferring to this the old rules
and prohibitions which had served theii
| time and done their work. That the iirs
day of the week was day on which tht
early Christians met for worship is abun
dainty clear from the Acts of the Apostles
but there is no hint there of any othel
l. Kind Of observance, nor was any suct
possible. The shops did their business
| and the law courts were open on the first
day as well as on any other day, and it wai
not till the time of Constantine that tn,
religious forces were able to gain Sunday
from the eXigences of worldly business
Even then there is no trace anywhere o
any attempt to demand for Sunday obser
vance the sanction Of the fourth command
ment.
Sunday was considered to be Gods FREE
gift to His people in this toiins world,
day of resurrection, day of worship,
day of elevation above earthly things
Such is still the true idea of Sunday. Th
man who keeps it in the spirit of that ide
| will want no rules for its observance-h
has entered into the spirit of the day. II
has got hold of a great living principle, an,
so long as he is true to the one and tn
other he may very well be trusted as b
their applications.
There is saying of the great Saint Au
gustine which seems just to meet the case
'AmG Ct fac q,t0id ris.--l.ove and then d.
what you like" just SO n man who ha
grasped the true idea of Sunday, who
alive to the great privilege of Sunday, ma
'stand fast in the liberty wherewith Chris
has made him free" He will not want an
rules for Sunday observance he will IT
member that, inasmuch as he is a followe
of Christ, he has not rules to keep, but
character to initiate. He will mainta
his freedom, and the only question that h
will ask is how Christ would have him oil
serve Sunday, and in the answer to tina
question, honestly faced, he viii find tn
ideal of his life.
In the light of a great principle like thi
we may venture on few details. Th
general interests of society obviously an
clearly demand not only weekly day q
rest for physical reasons Though that
by no means an unimportant considers
tion), but day of elevation for moral an