Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-27

All clergymen 90 not agree Will Tue
Rev. DR.. J. L. Sooy in his views upon
Sabbath observance, as outlined in his
sermon on Sunday night, 18th inst
One OF these is the Rev. Paul G. w
Metzenthin, pastor of ST. Matthews
lutheran Church, of Benwood, who ex-
presses his opinions very forcibly in
the following card, which the Register
is asked to publish:
Permit me to offer some suggestions
with reference to the sermon on sun
day base ball." delivered Sunday last
by a most prominent divine OF Wheel
ing. | assume, of course, that l snail
find pardon even though l venture tc
take exception to some statements
made.
DR.. Sooy apparently has at last dis
covered in English deism, French
atheism and German irreligionism, the
cause of all Sabbath dissertation.
know something about English delsts
French atheists and have met Germans
who are irreligious. Ii anything Gill
cult of comprehension is therefore pro
found, then DR.. Sooys expression Ger-
man irreligipnism" is very, very pro-
found. I, at least, plead guilty tnat
know not of what he speaks. Wnat
is it? Is it a new, peculiar, hitherto
unknown sort CT irreligionism, diner
ing from all others? / never heard OF
it. Irreligious people seemed
tha same to me all the world over,
no matter whether in the Onlted otates'
England or Germany.
Dare we assume that so learneu
man as DIR. Sooy does not know tna'
the Germans have, if anything, sentl-
ment and are, if anything, ordinarily
religious. True it is, their piety con-
sists in cheerful and hearty Joyousness
TT is not austere or Puritan1cal. IL Is
not narrow or one-sided. 1t enters
with a frank and hearty spirit into all
the ioyousness spread about in the
kingdom of nature. Believing that the
good things of life were meant by the
Creator to be enjoyed, it does not hold
to a theory Of necessary abstinence,
nor to Puritanical conception OF SAD
bath. 1t excels in honesty, kindness,
affection, cheerfulness and that Gem-
uthlichkeit," for which other nations
have not even name.
Is DR.. Sooy not acquainted also with
the practical character OF German pl-
ETY.? Nowhere in the world is greater
systematic religious activity displayed
on practical lines than among the Ger
mans. There is Mr.. Laukman, OF Phil
adelphia. for instance, who for years,
has been contributing about $4,000 an
nually to the support OF the German
the many Christian inns, orphanages'
homes of refuge, hospitals, cnrlstlan
schools, etc., the many churches among
the Germans of Wheeling an lnolca-
ton of irreligionism? l think not; On
the contrary "exempla decent.
What have Germans, French or En-
glish to do with Sunday base ball IN
Wheeling? It's not German game,
I know but few German base pan
cranks.
II would pain me were l to wrong
Mr.. SCoy, but it seems to me as thouSn
he struck the bag and meant the fel-
low inside of it. In other words, ne
meant to strike, not German lrrellg-
ionism," but those whom he conslo-
ers to be irreligious Germans, hrst OF
all. perhaps, the brewers, the members
of the associations and all those who
FREQUENT the parks. DR.. Sooy certainty
does not lack the courage to say Wnal
he means and yet, though he eVldently
intends hitting the parks, he aims al
Sunday base ball.
Methin4s | see the Rev. Mr.. Sooy IN
his study, searching the Scriptures ana
perhaps, his library. Nowhere can ne
find anything on the subject SO dear
to his heart. AS he is deeply wrapped
in thought, it gradually daWns upon
him that prophets and apostles forget
to write upon that one topic OF SUI
preme Importance Though St. Paul
wrote approvingly of races and ath-
letic games and that upon himself the
duty devolves of saving Wheeling and
West Virginia, as he saved New Jersey
of yore. Next Sunday, therefore, ne
tells hungry souls that have a right to
look to him for food, something about