San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-05-05
CONTRIBUTED SCRAPS
SUNDAY CHAT.

Macauley in the first volume of
his history of England, states that
both Martin Luther and John CAL
vim protested and demonstrated
against the actions on the part of
some Of the reformers in convert
ing the Sunday Of the Christians
into the Sabbath Of the ancient
Jews.
They believed, that the saying
Of Christ, that "the Sabbath, was
made for man, not man for the
Sabbath" indicated that the strict.
ness with which the Jews observ-
ed their Sabbath, was neither neces-
sary nor desirable, under the new
dispensation.
The commandment wasior Austen
ton from the customary labor and
work pursued on other days, so as
to make the Sabbath a day Of rest
both for man and beast. But the
Puritans in England and Scotland
went a bow shot beyond the an
cient Jews in the strictness and
rigor with which they observed
Sunday. Not only was all work
and secular business interdicted on
Sunday, but all recreation and
amusement were branded as desc
Grafton Of Sunday.
Children were not allowed to
romp and play, to leap, to run, or
to whistle, on Sunday. They must
pore over the catechism, read
the Bible, and be de1nure, solemn
long-faced and silent.
Puritanism scared to it's high
est flight in the memorable "Blue
Laws" of Connecticut. These
laws forbade a man to kiss his
wife on Sunday and required him
to eat cold victuals. II a man
was absent from church two Sun
days in succession, it was made the
duty OF the eXclsemen or town
authorities, to cite him before
them, and to impose fine on
him, in default of a good excuse
for his absence from church.
If you bend a twig, or sap
ling, in one direction, it will when
1t is loosened, fly just as far in
the opposite direction. That is the
law of Nature. The rebound must
come. 1t is just so with the minds
and spirits of men. Excessive
strictness and rigor are followed
by a rebound in the opposite
direction. AS Hume, said nature
is too strong for principles.
Horace said if you ran Nature
out of the door it would come back
through crevice, or the window,
Bob Ingersoll's father was a
Presbyterian minister and no
doubt the strictness and severe
rigor with which Bob was brought
up in childhood and boyhood,
when play and frolic is the sup
RENE delight, gave him his first
distaste to religion and occasioned
the rebound Of his mind and his
taste as he grew older in years
To "eschew evil and do good
consists practical religion, or as
st. John expressed it "iaith with.
out works is dead" "The Sabbath
was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath" said Christ
Puritanism has reversed this say,
ing Of the Saviour by rendering
Sunday day Of gloom, and long
faces, forced solemnity, pharisaism
and hypocrisy. All recreation
and amusement are prohibited
on Sunday.
The Pharisees were remarkable
for the strictness, and punctilious'
ness and solemnity with which
they kept the Sabbath, yet Christ
denounced them as hypocrites
clean externally but foul in their
hearts. We still have a large
crop of Pharisees among us.
Hirelings, or wage workers need
one day of rest out of every seven
Both body and mind require such
a period Of rest and recreation.
There is a world Of homely wis.
dom in the old adage that call
work and no play, makes Jack a
dull boy" All play and no work
will make Jack pauper and a
loafer and fit him for the poor.
house and the penitentiary.
Wage workers are forced to
work six days in the week, so that
Sunday is their only chance for a
day of rest. Employers pay them
no extra compensations for SUM-
day work, yet many employers
require their hirelings to work on
Sunday and discharge them il
they refuse to do so.
These exactiug employers when
Sunday rolls round will put on
their fine clothes, solemn visages
and pious air and attend church
we'll knowing their hirelings are
at work for them. II such fell
lows be Aot doubled distilled and
doubled rectified Pharisees and
hypocritis then there are no
pharisees and hypocrites in the
world.
Employers should be fined for
forcing those in their employ to
work on Sunday. Wage workers
/ obao1uta1u roouiro a dau 0f rast