The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-02-08
Montpelier, Ind, Feb. 3.
SUNDAY AND THE FAIR.
clone Tramp" Discusses the Matter from
Various StandpOints.

clone Tramp" Discusses the Matter from
Various StandpOints.
To THE CLUB-Should the worlds fair be
open on Sunday? If the Sunday Sabbath
is of divine authority, no. But think
the advocates Of Sunday closing beg the
question by assn ming that they are right
in the very point at issue.
1t is not, necessarily. "A question between
Christianity and infdelitv or paganism.
AsJ. III. Walters SAYS in "The Conception
of Christ" TO build upon the rock We
must first dig down TO the rock" Let us
seek for the origin OF the Sunday Sabbath.
We can trace il back to the edict OF Con-
stantine. but | think no farther. Cham
Ders' Encyclopedia saws:
by none of the iathsrs before the fourth cen
fury ~ Is Identified with the sabbath, nor II
the duty OF Observing IL grounded by them
either on the fourth commandment or the pre-
cept or example of Christ or his apostles. or on
an cate Mosaic sabbath law.
Smith, in his Bible dictionary, saws:
No rules for its observation are ever given
By the apostles; its vic alton is never de-
nouuoed by them. We have never found a
passage previous 20 the conversion OF COnstau-
tine prOhibitOry OF any work or oocu patton
on the first day OF the week.
Both OF these authorities are conserVa-
tive. Accepted by the most orthodox as
sound. Then having dug down 10 the
rock, to the scripture OF the New Testa-
ment. let Us examine its teaching IN re-
gard to the Sabbath and see II there is
any authority in il for our Sunday laws.
The sabbath was made for man." they
tell MS therefore il ia for mans we'll
being 20 keep it, but Christ adds, not man
for the Sabbath. Ii man WAS not made
for tbe Sabbath ne was not 40 constituted
AZ 10 require one day in seven for rest.
There IL no sabbath in nature. Christ
adds also; The son of man ia master of
the Sabbath" Yet ne WIS subject 10 the
law. He held that it was lawful 10 do
GOOD on tho sabbath. II the worlds fair
is not intended to do good Christians
should not countenance T. But lot us re-
turn TO the first day OF the week Begin
ming with the last clause OF tho 23d chap
ter OF Luke; speaking OF certain women.
says they rested on the Sabbath. accord
INK 10 the Commandment, and on the first
day Of the week, very cary in the mora
ing, came TO the tomb Now the Greek Is
the one from the Sabbath. or as | under
-tand it, one period from Sabbath TO Sab
bath, the six week DAVIS. The cardinal
number occurs nearly 800 times
in the New Testament, but
ia no other connection is the ordiual used
IN the English translation. Nor do
know that in the case of any other num-
Der is the substitution 0f the ordnal for
the cardinal number or course, in this
case il was the first day Of the week. But
IN acts Xxx and the 10th chapter OF First
| Cor. the expression ls held to imply a GUS
tom OF meeting on Sunday In acts XXX.
6-' we find that Paul tarried at Troas
seven days, and in ''one from the Sab
| bath"-in the week they met to break
| bread. / think the historian recorded
| the fact that it was in the
week lest some assuming that it was on
the Sabbath should suppose that Paul
| journeyed there on n Sabbath day seven
| DAYS before. With the same motive the
stunning Of the appearance of evil Paul
| recommended the Corinthians to each
one of them lay by itself treasurine up OF
that in which God had prospered him, a
| donation for the saints in the week, not
/ on Sabbath. And out OF respect for the
| feelings OF the Jewish members Of their
assembly who were jealous OF the law.
In John XXX, ?. I'VE read that after
| eight days they were within
| again. but after eight days from
| Sunday would be Monday. as certainly
az after one day would be- Neither is il
probable, much less certain, that the
| event OF Acts ii occurred on the first day OF
the week The liberal rendering of the
| first clause is taken the day of Pentecost
was fu ly filled up. Now as il was not
| later than 8 O'clock in the morning
that day could not be said 10 be fully
| fiji ed up. SO that sssemblags was on
| Monday. and there is a fitness in this.
! The Pentscost was the anniversary of the
4 frftr ~ rho Ia ID ali "a HaIf
erance from Egypt so the giving
| of the holy spirit might well
be fifty days after the de iverance OF
/ Christ from Hades. Nor is the refer
ence to the Lords day any more an argu-
ment for the separating OF the first day
| from the other Ave. The Sabbath of the
Jews is the only day that is ever in the
| bible cal ed peculiarly the Lords day, but
the passage is very difficult, and may be
variously rendered. Neither Christ nor
his apostles ever adopted the fourth COM
mandment as part OF the Christian sys-
TEN. Though Christ repeated every COM
mandnent he did not peat this. In the
| first council called at Jerusalem 10 con-
slider the relation OF the gentle
converts il was emphatically declared
that they should not be required to obey
| the Mosaic law. And those who were
demanding that the gentiles should obey
it were declared to be subverting the souls
of those coverts But now our orthodox
churches make the keeping of part OF that
] law a test OF Christianity. But Peter
/ characterizes 1t a tempting God by lay
ing burden on the genties which neither
we nor our fai hers we able TO bear.
Bat Paul goes further. He declares that
the Jews who accepted Christ at least were
not under the law. "The law was our
child conductor to lead us TO Christ. but
the faith having come We are no longer
undera child conductor" --Gsl. Iii. "a, 20.
! But Christ said one jot should not pass
! from the law until oil was fulfilled. Then
all must have been fulfilled when the faith
came.
Will the advocates OF the Sunday laws
point out single verse in the scripture
that sustains their position-the right to
judge me in regard to the Sabbath day.