The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1891-10-07

I
chief offenders in destroying the
sacredness of the day. The rail
roads are giving special excursion
rates on Sunday. In some parts of
the country, not content with
wholesale Sabbath d desecrationI
themselves, they bribe others to be-
come participants with them in this
sin, and in their Sunday excursion
trains at half fare they practically
say to the public: "If you will
leave the church and desert the
Sabbath-school and Join in with us
in profaning the Sabbath day we
will make you a present of one-half
the price Of the ticket" Must not
the anger of the Lord who is pecu-
liarly jealous of His day be kindled
and burn against all such? And
the newspapers are making the
Sunday edition their chief effort,
and so multiplying the pages of
reading matter as to occupy q large
portion of the day. If all these en-
croachments go on it is hard to tell
what is to become of the Christian
Sabbath and how much of it will
be left to its divine author who
claims the whole day as his own.
1t is high time all friends of the
Sabbath and of the country should
come to the defence of this, one of
the nOblest of our institutions. The
wise men who laid the foundations
Of this great nation understood the
value of this day Of rest, and made
provision for its observanoes, pro-
lection and perpetuity. The first
thing to be done will be for all
Christian people to set the example
of Sabbath observance. This part
of the reform ought not to be need
ed but its need we must confess.
Many laymen and some ministers
defend Sunday trains, Sunday
mails, Sunday newspapers and ad-
vertising. 1t is a shame tnat it,
should be so. This bulwark of the
Christian religion and citadel Of
the American Sabbath can never be
successfully stormed from without,
but if its defenders betray it from
/ within then its fall is certain In
our country the opposition 10 the
religious observance of the day
/ comes mainly from five classes of
people and their sympathizers.
/ These are: /. The foreign element;
2. Railroad stockholders and opera
tors; 3. Newspaper men; 4. Liquor
dealers, and 5th, Seventh day ad-
ventists. In sympathy with these.
even when not sustaining to them
any business relations, are the
merely pleasure lovers and the skep-
tical portion of our population.
And when all this is backed by the
native promptiugs of the depraved
human heart, always rebellious and
self-idolizing, we see at a glance the
magnitude Of the opposition.
But the question is, What can we
do? for the time to act has come.
/ First: We can arouse the Christian
/ public. The trouble all along has
been that Christian people have
been sleeping while their enemies
have been at work night and dav.
Even now with this burning, living
. question before us, Christian people
Of our State and land are not
. thoroughly awake tothe danger that
is threatening our day of rest and
worship There is no power i'm this
nation that can compare innumbers
and influence with the Christian
/ power. Let it once be thoroughly
aroused and united and nothing can
. possibly stand before it. 1T is for
every minister, elder, deacon and
member to- do what in him lies to
stir up this latent power Every
man must have convictions formed
under the teaching of Gods word
and the standards OF our Church
Every man must have the courage
Of those convictions Indeed no
/ Christian who lis worthy of the
name can possibly be neutral or in
different. We must remember that
whore the enemies of the Sabbath
are victorious, there viii they be-
striking q fatal blow at the religion
of Jesus Christ.
These two resolutions are offered
lst That Presbytery enioins upon its
ministers and church sessions to rive
special attention to- thc instruction of our
| people i'm relation To- the sacred character
/ of the Sabbath as divine Institution, the
/ religious observance of which is of bind ne
moral obligation
2nd That Presbytery earnestly exhOrts
o.I those under its care not only to- avoid
personal violations of One CD ristian Sab
bath by iudulging iu worldly recreadous
such as are lawful ON other day. and alb
staining from Sunday travel SUNDAY mails