Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-20
S|jI6I BI5[ BIl
Vigorously Denounced 81 : Sermon BY
Rev. DR.. ]. 1. Sooy


AT THE FOURTH STREET METH
ODIST CHURCH LAST NIGHT.
THE LAW WILL BE INVOKED
TO PREVENT ALLEGED Desc
GRAFTON OF THE SABBATH
CITIZENS WHO ATTEND MAY
ALSO BE SUBJECTED TO AR
REST-oTHER CHURCH NEWS.
The Rev. DR.. J. L. Sooy, pastor OF
the Fourth Street M. E. church, is I'M
alterably opposed to Sunday base ball
games. He preached a strong sermon
on the subject last night, and served
notice that he and his associates will
see that every law on the statute
books pertaining to the subject is en-
forced to the letter. DR.. Sooy stated
that he knew a great deal about the
national game, and has taken part in
crusades against it before, notably in
Gloucester N. j., where the running
races and Sunday ball games were
broken up. In that instance, it was
found effective to arrest prominent cit
liens who aided and abetted the viola
ton Of the law" by their presence, and
he strongly intimated that the same
tactics will be resorted to here.
In effect, Dr. Sooy's declarations
mean that he will not content himself
with preaching against Sunday base
ball. but will take an active part in
the prevention of what he regards as
dissertation of the Sabbath. In that
event he may also proceed against the
amateurs who play on every commons
in the outskirts of the city, and who
have hitherto been unmolested. 1t will
be seen that DR.. Sooy will have an I'M
dertaking of considerable magnitude.
In his opening remarks, DR.. Sooy
referred to the law bearing on the sub
ject and the
SPIRIT OF THE LAW
in its application to Sunday base ball
games. He said the State closes her
legislative halls on Sunday, and while
not requiring attendance upon religious
services. enjoins her citizens from sec
ular employment upon that day, ex-
cent such as is absolutely necessary.
He said that large number OF CIT
zens. many of them atheists and in
fdels, openly dispute the right OF the
Commonwealth or the nation to enact
any Sunday law. He characterized
their reasons as specious and plausible
to the unthinking. Their argument is
based upon the independence OF church
and State, and the religious freedom
which is guaranteed by the Constltu-
ton. They allege that men of no re-
ligion at all should enjoy equal rights
and privileges with those who believe
in various creeds, and that 1t is illegal
for the State to frame a law favoring
or establishing any religious ordinance.
From these premises, he said, they
argue that the Christian Sabbath Is
religious institution; that it Is an IN
fringement of civil rights, and an
arbridgement of the privileges OF clt1-
zen under the Constitution. Ihe
speaker concluded that he had fairly
stated the position of the opposition
and he proceeded to answer the argu-
ments.
DIR. Sooy held that the doctrine OF
theism, or the existence of God, is es-
sential to the well-being and perpetulty
of the State. 1t is the atheistic doc
trine, that there is no obligation or
feauy to the State He found an IL
lustration in the recent history or
France. Theism, he said, is necessary
to the existence of the State; and the
Christian Sabbath is essential to the
ism. Sabbath is an ordinance OF the
ism, and it was given before religions
or creeds were known. Upon the
REVERENCE OF GOD
all our American institutions are
founded-the church, the State, the
home, the government itself.
The State is necessarily theistic, be-
cause if atheistic it has no province
of safety or security. Courts, in en-
forcing the Sabbath law, do not neces-
sarily recognize church or religion, but
uphold the secular need of day Of
rest The speaker read a decision by
the Supreme Court of New York, peril
nent to the subject, and stated that
he had a volume at his home which
contained a compilation of legal rul-
ings on the subject.
To those who would put God out
of the State, DR.. Sooy said he would
ask-'Whose country is this?" 1t was
settled by Protestant theists. They
developed the country, and built the
towns. The others came in afterwards,
and were accorded the same rights and
privileges. Our forefathers ON the first
Sabbath on this continent recognized
Gods holy name, and then and there
said to all future generations-"W