The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-07
NATIONAL DANGER
Rev. Dr.. stoddard's Earnest
Plea for the Observance
of Sunday.
COMPROMISE INJURIOUS
Too Many Recreations-stereop-
ticon Attractions Denounced
as Degrading Religious
Motive.
COMPROMISE INJURIOUS

The following Sunday pastoral for the
members of ST. Johns P. E. Church mas
been issued by the rector
"It is an old story that within ten
years the observance of Sunday mas
undergone a great change. Ten years
ago a congregation went to ehurch
twice. The first change was a faliihg
off of evening attendance. Then the lase
half of the day became more and more
given I'D to social recreation. Then our
ing the summer the whole of sunday De
gan to be given over to excursions,
visiting or leisure. Then the bicycle
came, n this with growing habits Oh
late rising, interfered with the morning
at the House of God.
at IS true that during a large part OF
each year churches are well attended
in the morning, but Sunday as a day de-
voted to holy worship, a day OF spiritual
rather than secular employment, mas III
large part gone. Even the children OF
parents who went twice to church them
selves. and kept the day with quiet de-
;corum, waik, ride and play on Sunday
without rebuke.
Are we, my friends, satisfied with this
state of things? Are we ready to turn
our Sunday into a secular day, to
which it is rapidly tending?
hssAre we ready to. Withdraw from our
children the sacred restraints which we
Know were so Wnoiesome TO uSI
| tsiAre MOI ever the working classes OF
New York ha-iing with reaef the re-
straints which are now put upon the
violation OF the naa law?
do we not know that a man canno.
,p-l1A = 1a-,.o --.,,a;n = = C1I ~
Keep mis- spirIluai lie AT par.
"Do We not learn from experience
that to a man tired with a week OF
work.. the worship of God is the pesL
mental and bodily r"eIresnment? Because
n Gods House, ne nears new words,
thinks new thoughts, engages in a new
employment. ana all this IS restful
because If ne does not go TO church
ne spends the DAY with no spiritual pur-
pose. and TINS Is depressing.
Because he is taken by his Sunday
paper back into the very world which
God gave nm SUNDAY to escape from.
Because ne loses the stimulus which
comes from a sense of DUTY done, d
good example set, and from the use of
mis- spiritual faculties.
so let d ma try church going, and
ne will say as scores of business men
nave often said, II cannot afford not
to go, / get too tired at nome
D we not believe that a true Amer
lean must be true to the Lords day?
Because this land was founded by
religious men upon religious principles.
Because our fathers came here that
they might be free, not to lose God, but
a MENAcf1 TO THE COUNTRY.
because FOR this they established
Sunday as one of the institutions of the
be an American and does not regard
Sunday and its purpose, is destroying
that American int tutioE-nay is he not
undermining. the foundations of the
aar = for frfa-rY Crr- ~ I'll, %LN -
nation is lost whose religious customs
have been destroyed by it's own people.
1.-THE true American then must do more
than wear a veteran button. or carry a
flag, or ~belongato the A. P. A. He must
sustain religion n America.
1sfDe I'VE not then my friends, owe it to
ourselves to our children, to our coun-
not a Puritan Sabbath, but a day of
reverent rest and holy worship.
But L want to, plead not only for
Sunday as a whole, but for an evening
service. This has everywhere suffered.
"As a result we find that many
churches advertise special attractions on
Sunday night. The attraction may be a
concert, vocal or Instrumental. a start
ling sermon. a stereopticon or q praise
rally. The fact that these attractions
are thought necessary. ought to con-
COMPROMISES INJURIOUS.
In st. Johns we have never resorted
to any Of these compromises with the
world, and I trust that we never shall.
We believe that it Injuries true worship
church must not, because of it's very di-
vine character, compete with the world.
"But it is not necessary that she
should.
Twin not you of the congregation who
cannot attend church unless at night
regularly come then.
Twill not you who have been in the
morning. make it as easy as possible for
others to come at night, and certainly
offer 10 snducement for them to remain
away. .
.Will not every commitment make if
a religious duty to be in the House of
His Father once on Sunday.
This alone wou1s fill the chlEAa twice
over,
who only lately ave begun to stay at
home at night, return before the habit
fixed.
part each week In sustaining the instf-
tuition of the Lords day?
'sAnd all these with the strangers who
prefer a noble. dignifed service to semi
religious attractions. will give us a good
"Sor certain reasons the rector has de-
cided this winter to preach at the even
ing ss1NBJEcT OF SERMONS.
A course of will be begun by
hin, on October 6 upon the architec-
ture. furniture and other characteristic
of the church, with q treatment OF tHe
uses of such. and their relation to art
ssTbis Will last till Advent. when Rev.
Mr. Forbes will preach a course of Ad-
vent evening sermons.
.sThe rector will then take another
| course lasting till Lent
"And now. not for his sake. but be-
ea11se of the princ'p pies laid down, prin-
cipies in which he is sure you all inter-
ested. he asks if this great congrega-
tion of st. Joints viii not make this
winter one Of devout and regular wor-
shin. sustaining as It has not for many
years an evening service.
ssYoI1r directorate friend and rector.
.EDWARD L. STODDARD."
DoINas AT THE PEOPLES PALACE
owing to the Ned Murphy meetings
in the Tabernacle, this week, all the fol-
low,iny classes of the Peoples Palace