The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-25
ANY DAY FOR A SABBATH
No Warrant at This Time for
Keeping the Seventh Day
Holy.
Rev. James Small Somewhat Surprises
His Congregation by His
Admissions.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL,l
90S Broadway, Nav d.

90S Broadway, May 24
Some unusual admissions regarding the
sacred law that is generally supposed to
govern the observance of the Sabbath
were made this morning by Rev. James
Small of the First Christian Church. His
address on "Christianity's Day of Rest'
was listened to by a large audience.
The preacher said in part: 1.-THE old
seventh-day Sabbath was Jewish and had
been abolished for Jew and Gentle. II
was meant only for the Jews, and every
thing Jewish has been done away with.
Truth and absolute right can never
be abolished, and all that there
was in the law of Moses of this ma
ture we have in the gospel. We are under
no obligation to do anything because it
was n the law of Moses. And yet what
ever here was in the law right in itself,
morally right, right even long before the
law OF Moses was given, and not made
right by being put there, is, of course,
obligatory upon Christians, but not be-
cause it was contained in the law of
Moses. Christ is on his throne, and we
should hear him and not Moses. This is
saying only what Paul said, Hebrews Il,
In the last days God has spoken unto US
by his Son.
Taking the whole history of the church
4hbO view III oil pdIIo VI tu6 MOIlu, uuutT
every variety of political rule and every
ecclesiastical arrangement, it may be
safely said that any law that could have
been framed, must have been oftener
broken than kept. 1t was the highest
wisdom, therefore, upon the part of God
to leave it Just as it was left, with the ty pes
and the facts pointing to the day with
divine significance, with every prompting
of redeemed soul, hallowing the day as
divinelv precious with apostolic teaching
and example guiding Christians to keep il
with sacred rejoicing, and yet so IN
trammeleu by statute or enactment that If
circumstances forbid the observance of it,
there is no dishonor paid to divine author
ity by the failure TO keep it. Yet,
If any man in full view of these
considerations, pleads the absence of
positive law, and not only outrages the
public sentiment of Christian communi-
ties, but the best promptings OF gratitude
| in his own heart, and the best yearning of
| his nature for spiritual culture by devoting
this day to secular tolls, he is simply un-
worthy to be the Lords free man. He
| must learn not to use his liberty to his
own injury or to The injury of others. We
have no command to keep the Fourth day
| of July and make it day wherein the
| citizens of the States can shout for old
! glorv and yet their gratitude and patriot
| ism is seen more in the fact in the absence
| OF statute or enactment; so our loyalty to
| our Lord and master is seen in keeping it
| by the early example. Authorized exam
pie is equal to precept or command in
| Christianity. This is the day the Lord has
made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it.
| ITO be fair, however, there is no COM
mand to keep the first day of the week.
| There is no positive enactment upon the
| subject. But this only shows the wisdom
| OF God. And it shows, too, the elastic
and universal element that is in Chris
| tianity that forever adapts it to the great
onward march OF humanity. And the
man who denies this elasticity holds in
his hand the dagger that to-day is piercing
Christianity. The Christian must never
admit that the world can outgrow the
| gospel.
"For, had the first day of the week been
established by positive enactment as a day
of rest and worship and the manner OF its
observance been decreed among the
| winners and busy men generally whC
| have accepted the Christ in this age O.
activity. the law must have been broken
| continually"
Young Opens His Mission.
| OAKLAND, CAL, May 49, - Steward
1 Young of Fruitvale messianic fame opened
! his public meetings to-day at Thona'.
| Hall. There was very small attendance
not over twenty people being In the hall
| MrS. LaSu6T WAS DOb Dung SDen1
a greater portion of his time paying his re
spects TO those who exposed HIM. He de
ciared he has ample grounds for libel case:
that would make him a rich man, but the
satisfaction of knowing that the Lord lee
| him was sufficient.
Chaplain Edmondson breaches.
! OAKLAND, CAL. May 24-Chaplain
| W. E. Edmondson of the United State:
| flagship Philadelphia preached at the AS
bury NJ. E. Church South tonight The
local companies of militia turned out and
attended church in full uniform to hear
| the chaplain. He preached q very inter
esting discourse on the practical possible
| ties of blending patriotism and religion.
Died without a Doctor.
OAKLAND, CAL, May 24.-Mrs. Victor
Sophia Darche was found dead in her bed
last night in Berkeley. The deceased was
81 years old and had been i'll but four
| days. Her friends recommended that she
see doctor, but she persistently refused
and so the Coroner will hold an autopsy
| and inquest.