The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1891-12-03
rBEs.BBArH QUESTION.

somebody is derelict IN their duty,
and we can account for il in no other
way than to assert that the modern
church il TO blame for IL all. This
may be rather sweeping statement,
but we believe il TO lie none the less
true. 10 the Sabbath is not observed
as Il SHOULD be. or to the liking OF
many OF the Christian teachers OF
the times, we would point them to
their own actions and the dOiugs OF
their predecessors for the past two
or three centuries.
1t il hardly necessary to say we
refer to the multiplicity Of "creeds"
and dOgmas at the expense OF true
Christian culture. Time has been
consumed in exalting non-essentials
while the cardinal principles OF
Christianity have been ignored.
Some have damned the whole world
because the world would not accept
their peculiar notions about baptism.
Others because the world rejected
the mOnstrous idea OF infant dam
nation. Certain ones have burned
others at the stake because they did
not accept certain ideas OF church
government. IL would require more
SPACE than this entire sheet to even
begin to enumerate the frivolous
things that have caused schism and
often bloodshed, in the cause OF
alleged Christianity, while such doc
trines asf"Remember the Sabbath
day 20 keep il holy" Love thy
neighbor as myself" and many
others have been ignored. No won
der the people have repudiated the
church when such q state of things
existed. IL II but natural that the
church is looked upon with distrust,
suspicion or totally disregarded,
when Its leaders do nothing but
hunt for excuses to qnarrel.
The present movement looking
toward Sabbath observance is moth
ing more than an attempted short
cut to an end that can only be at
tanned by backing out Of many tor
turous paths aud starting over again.
All this talk about the Sabbath being
a physical, civil and moral necessity
has long ago been accepted as true,
and is therefore nothing more than
simply thrashing over old straw.
III the Christian teachers Of this age
would see a more general Observance
of the Sabbath day let them 90 at il in
the simplest and only true way. In
other words let them preach Christ,
and the Lord will do the rest. We
don't believe the Almighty cares a
picayune for all the "law aud order
leagues, ""Sabbath associations" and
the like ever organized, but we do
believe that he careth for his church,
which he hath said shall be the
bride of the Lamb.
How often have we sat and heard
some good man preach about the
great "sin OF unbelief," and here
this week have we seen q large
company of good men scheming to
accomplish au end that the Lord
will take care OF himself IL they only
do the one thing they are command
ed 10 do; viz: preach Christ. We
will back the Lords word against
all their associations and resolutions
and laws that could be enacted ftOm
the birth Of Adam to the death of
the devil. The great trouble Is the
church of to-day seems to be afraid
the Lord may forget about some OF
his promises, or else needs little OF
their assistance To make them good I;
but of course there il nothing of un-
belief in that?
We have only tried to show where
in lies the fault IL the Sabbath Is not
properly observed. The fountain
must be cleansed before the stream
is purified, the cause must be re-
moved before the effect can be modi-
fed; and so, a. IL would be unfair to
leave the subject without suggesting
a remedy, we will be pardoued for
saying that when the church is ready
10 bury all its trivial differences,
often called doctrines" and their
petty jealousies, which we know
exist, even i'm our own midst, and all
with one accord begin to love their
neighbors as themselves; when they
know they have passed from death
unto life because they love the breth-
rem, and when they preach Christ
not only In word but in deed also ;
then, but not till then, will they see
such a Sabbath observance rs they
never dreamed OFFS
A.