The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-19
CHURCHMEk'S CLUB.
Sunday Question Discussed at The
Seventeenth Dinner.
Able Speakers Present From Canada
and Massachusetts,.

Members OF the Churchman's Club and
their friends who have been so fortu nate
ss TO be guests OF that organization at its
dinners had good cause for regret last
evening when President Rathbone
Gardner announced that they had met for
the last time this year and that a series
of most profitable and enjoyable dis
cussions would be discontinued until
another season.
1t was the seventeenth dinner OF the
club that was given at the Trocadero last
evening. The gentlemen at the head OF
the table with the president were Rev. j.
Phillip Du Moulin, canon of the cathedral
1t Toronto; Rev. w. b. Frisby, rector OF
the Church OF the Advent, Boston; Rev.
T.. s. Rousmaniere OF New Bedford; Mr..
Richard II. Dana of Cambridge; +. A.
Chace, Charles III. Childs, A. l.. Kelly, j.
A. Greene, j. b. Anthony ID. i. ID.
Granger, John Vernon, j. III. Stiness, w.
p. Tucker, j. 8. Read, #. p. Comstock, ii.
NJ. Rice and III. @. Miller.
The first four of these were the'speakers
and they gave a.most able discussion Of
"The Sunday Question" which the clubs
council had chosen for the topic OF the
evening. Not one OF the quartet ofspeak-
ers was at any time dull, and wit and
sincerity characterized the remarks of the
three clergymen and one layman.
The after dinner speaking was opened
by President Gardner who announced the
subject and limited at the various reasons
why the question of Sunday observance
had become particularly important In this
city. He then introduced Canon Du
Moulin, an abstract Of whose remarks is
as follows:
81 take my definition OF the Holy Sabbath
from the authoritative words OF the Great
Master himself that Sabbath was made
for man. do not limit it TO any section
or any country but must give 1t breadth
commensurate with humanity.
"The week was the standard OF time
from the creation onward and is obvious
that the day of rest was given TO men to-
gether with the work that they should do
on the other six days. And men never
asked the question why can We not labor
on the seventh day.
"There is not one command of the deca-
logue thar does not apply to our lives to-
day. How can anyone take from this
series the fourth and say that the same
principle which applies to the other nine
does not apply to that.
'As we 60 onward into history we see
how reasonable it is to still believe in this
fourth commandment. II it was neces-
sary to the Jews, what parody of reason
Is there that would say that it Is not
necessary for all peoples.
"The observance may be traced through
the Old Testament until we come down
to Christ himself, and it was he who so
distinctly said that the Sabbath was made
for man.
"Then we come to the crucial period,
that of passing over from the seventh to
the first day of the week.
"The Lord arose on the first day of the
week and appeared to his disciples. On that
day week he appeared again, and II was
on the first day of the week that the
disciples came together to break bread.
When we remember the tenacity of the
Jews in clinging to the old custom and
see that they gave up without question
their old seventh day Sabbat and adopted
the Lords day it is very clear
that the transfer came then. And from
that day to this the first day has been
universally recognized by Christian peo-
pie as the Lords day.
"This Is the first position that / want
to make clear.
As 90 the methods OF the observance
of this day. How are We to obey the
fourth commandment and preserve the
0uuCtlty Ok tue Qdy.
"A great many people say that the
fourth commandment Is too rigid. The
Jews were able to observe it to the very
letter and yet keep a happy and a holy
Sabbath. 1t was not hard, bitter day of
bondage, not q Puritan Sabbath as we have
had in our own history. II was
how did our Great Master in
terpret the Sabbath law for us? First,
he always worshiped. During all his
life he had been accustomed to going to
the.Jewish synagogue or temple and read
the law. And what did he do as well?
We learn that he walked in the corn field,
we learn that he performed some of his
greatest cures, and we learn, also, that he
even accepted the invitation to dine from
one of the greatest Pharisees, and that he
met great throng there. On the day OF
the first resurrection, as you know, he
spent his time in many interviews with
lthose whom he loved, and then he took a
ong walk in the country. He said time
and again that the day was for man and
not man for the day.
sThe fourth command is not impractical,
for Christ would not have asked for
obedience to law that would be hard to
fulfill.
What are we to dot There are three
things to be considered in this question.
First there is the State. The State has to
deal with vast variety of people of all
beliefs.
"The State has to hold the balance be-
tween them all and conserve the peace
and sanctity OF this day. 1t is a most
difficult matter and we should be most
co nsiderate with legislators who attempt
to solve this problem.
'Tn my own city there is n most strict
observance OF the day but the law is one
sided. II is all for the rich and none for
the poor. The wealthy parishioners go TO
church in their carriages and afterward
sit down at their magnificent dinners and
have their wine, but the poor who cannot
have the carriages are not allowed the
nse OF the street cars on that day and the
hard-workiug Door man can not even
have his beer. And there are but two OF
the classes hat he leqislators have IN deas