The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-04

X came 70 De Geseerate6. 10 was broken.
violated bw being turned into IN occasion
fer ssperssiii0as and wearisorne ecciesias-
sEeas ordirances under which thirty-nine
different siads Of employment were for
bstdea on the Sabbath. 20 that mar
cog.3 hardly move ssve under painful.
burden OF sonstrains. Sunday bad its
erirsa Ia the custom o. the cary Chris
tsans Of assembling on the day afse. the
Sabbath. the h-s; day Of the week. This
custom came from the tact that IL vas on
the hrst day OF the week that the resur-
rectson Of Jesus occurred.
These meetings were Informal. partly
social. partly religions. The Christians
met and ate and Dr. nix together in CON-
meraoration OF the last supper Of Jesus
wish bis disciples. Sometimes. as we may
gather from Pau!'s epsstges. these meetings
were far from beng conducted in an or
de rIy manner. They we're altogether too
conyivisL On accoun. of these meetings
held IN cornmsmoratson OF the master on
the frat day, the first Gay came TO be
called the Lords day Or the Masters day.
There is not particle Of evidence that
there was any thought of making Sab
bath Of the first dav. There is no ground
for believing that labor was suspended on
the first dag. Archdeacon Paiey points
out that many Of the Christians were
slaves, and that il is not likely
that their masters would have con-
scented to the suspension of their
f~Er k.xr. - L.A
Gradually. however, the first day took the
place Of the old Jewish Sabbath, and be-
came colored with its ecclesiastical charac~
ter against which Christ In his life had so
repeatedly rebelied. that Archbishop
whatsly admits that Christ was chronic
breaker OF the Jewish Sabbath. There
never Was any formal transfer OF the Sab
bath from the seventh day 20 the
first by divine authority. Neither
Jesus nor his apostles uttered q syllable
authorizing or even suggesting IL. There
was never, indeed, any formal institution
of the first day as day 10 be devoted to
public and social religions services. The
custom of observing this day by meetings,
which were as much social as they were
religious, grew up of itself" The sole au-
thority for the Christian Sunday was
then, rs il is still, usage: il was
not . positive institution: IL was only
custom. The only divine authority for the
observance of any day of the week as q
Sabbath or as the Sabbath Is the authority
of reason and nature. which is expressed
in the words of Jesus that the Sabbath
was made for man, for mans refreshment,
for mans innocent pleasure. But igno-
rance aud superstition soon fell away from
Jesus pure and simple idea of the Sab
bath, and sunday became perverted from
day of necessary rest and innocent recre-
alton into a resurrection of the ecclesas-
teal Jewish Sabbath that Jesus always
violated and habitually denounced. In
stead OF being what Jesus made it, 8 day
of freedom from care and of cheerful re-
taxation, 1t was made a day of seclusion
and gloom. Tins perversion of the day of
rest has no authority in the spirit or letter
of Christianity in reason or in nature. 1t
is wholly destitute of any foundation in
reason or Scripture aud is directly OPP
posed 10 the teachings and example of
Jesus. DIR. Fairness on this point quotes
the immortal saying OF Christ:
The Sabbath is made for man. not
man for the sabbath Not the Sabbath is
the sacred thing, not the mere day; but
man Is sacred. mans belief. mans rest,
mans refreshing enjoyment. This il is
that is holy and haI!owlng. Whatever
interfcres with this. even If 1t be So
called religious service. IS a violation of
the sanetity of the Sabbath"
This. in brief, is the substance of Or.
Furness' argument in exposition OF the
amazing historical ignorance and conf
dence with which divine authority has
been and is still claimed for 10 on the part
OF those who even in this time and coun-
try call for an alteration of the constitu-
ton OF these United States by which "a
strieier observance of the Sabbath may be
enforced" When DR.. FuFness drops his
historical argument concerning the divine
authority aud origin of sunday he iogi-
caily argues that day OF rest does no. and
cannot mean a day devoted 20 unlicensed
sell-induigences. Excess rests no man
intemperance in eating and drinking. riot
ing and debauchery bring refreshments to
no man; they bring exhaustion, ruin the
body and mind and prove 10 be the hard
est kind 81 labor. Vice cannot be lawful
on the day Of rest. bat. says he, what
ever exhiiarates, even &c IL be a different
Kind of work FROM that usually engaged
in, whatever enlivcns the sense of life and
pose- and inspires the social affections,
whatever, in fine. raises the spirit and re
creates men, belongs TO the day and hal
loss IT," A sedentaTy man requires for
rest exercise. riding or walking. a man
separated all the week from family aad
friends must be reoreated by social en- OF.
ments another man engaged in hard
manual labor needs rest ia entire rep Sc
OF body and mind. Others reaaire for
recreation a change Of ideas. reading OF
various Kinds While no man must dictate
20 others We are all bound to abstain from
refrrshins ourselves in say way that inter
iercs With CUR neiShbor ln any way. In
no ms6er Of religious faith or Observance
has any man a right to make his con
science a Law 20 another
( In closing nr Fagness has this 20 say Of
+ the religious observance of the day of rest /,
The things Nth which religion is con-
eegned the Infinite Interchangeable good
ness the incXhaastsbie bounty OF the sd
I pTeuC, the hope Of immortality, thc glorl-
! oas beauty os the life aad spirit Of CHRIST
/ tell rue, 9 hat - there thar can en!ighGen
an& comfort and refresh. What Is there
+ that sap res1 the weary m&nd OF man like
! these highest aud deepest trathse Have
ne fears that these rs-BsD 5Af sH.rtf.rs ,s -