The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-03
A VOICE FROM THE PULPIT.
DR.. Ollie breaches Sermon on
Sunday Dissertation, and Re.
ferS to BiCYCIa- RacIno

DR.. Ollie breaches Sermon on
Sunday Dissertation, and Re.
fers to Bicycle Racing.
Last evening DR.. Ollie of the Central
M. E. Church preached on the subject,
The Sabbath Holy Day or Hon-
day2" and in his sermon he took occasion
to refer to the action of the California
Association in seeding from the League
of American Wheelmen and in adding
more to the influences which are robbine
Sunday OF much of its religious character.
In reference to Sunday dissertation. he
said:
After all the kind of dissertation we have
most to fear is not Sunday labor, but Sunday
revels-the Sunday of Continental Europe
the gay and goddess Partisan Sunday with its
sports and dlssolutenesS and vice.
am not pleading for the Puritan Sabbath.
The conditions are different now. and we sim
oily could not have such Sabbath as theirs.
Their life was simpler; the feverish hurry and
grind OF our industrial life was unknown. But
in our day, and especially in our large cities,
Sunday is about the only day many wage
workers have chance to breathe the fresh
air OF heaven. We must remem Der that the
Sabbath was made for man, for the whole
man-body, soul and spirit.
Let no workingman who is confined every
working day in close hot foundry OF factory
or mill or stuffy store or office say that l OBJ
Ject TO his taking the air with wife and family
on the Sabbath so long his outing does not
lead HIM to join the throng of Sabbath break
ers, who turn the day OF rest into a day of
reVeling, and SO long as it does not lead him
to neglect the house OF God and the proper in
struction OF his children. Let one look
upon the Sabbath yoke, but as a delight,
joy, benediction-the best and brigh test
day of the week. But with how many is the
Sunday ms teao of the best day the worst day?
L know 1t is said tnat the civilization OF the
nine tenth century requires that Sunday OBJ
servance should be relaxed.
For reply l point TO Toronto which has
grown faster in the last twenty years than any
other American city, save Chicago, and there
are no Sunday mails, Sunday saloons Sunday
cars, sunday sports or Sunday papers there.
The fact is the Sunday bicycle, the Sunday
boat and train and Sunday amusements are
the index and the source of a corruption OF
morals, deprsved taste and an irreverence
for sacred things that N ust fill every thought
full mind with alarm and with fore boding
Reverence for Gods day. and by the same
token for all things sacred and holy, is drop
ping out of our young California life, and if the
present tendency continues the Native Sons
and Daugh tiers who hear me will live to see
the fine gold or the Golden West become dim
and her luster fade.
AS to the bicycle believe in II and believe
in 1t on Sunday. think every church ought
to have its bicycle STALL for IL is better to ride
afoot," as the Indian characterized wheeling,
than to walk aioot But all Sunday pleasure
riding comes under the ban OF Gods word
against seeking our pleasure on his holy day.
1t is the shame of California that our wheel
men in their associated capacity have seeded
from the National League of Wheelmen be.
cause that noble body forbids Sunday racing.