New-York tribune., 1901-03-31
POPULAR OBSERVA ATIONS.
SABBATH OBSERVANCE.
RABBI DRACHMAN POINTS OUT THAT SUN
DAY is NOT THE SABBATH DAY.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In your issue of to-day certain W. l.
c. Samson protests warmly against the proposed
opening of the Buffalo Exposition on Sunday
Against his idea itself the undersigned has moth
ing say He, too. believes that every human
being has a sacred and invioable right TO weekly
day OF rest. although the question may wei De
asked How shall workingmen, and. in fact all
persons employed six days in the week have an
opportunity visit the exposition If it be closed
on the only day when they are at leisure?" But
l would ask Mr. Samson, in all seriousness, by
what of logic fairness he can apply large
number of Biblical passages enjoinng the OBJ
servance OF the Sabbath to Sunday when they
have not the slightest reference thereto.
Sunday is not the Sabbath never and never
will be. When amid sinars thunders' the Lord
said. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy
work. but the seventh day is the Sabbath day of
the Lord thy God. on it thou shalt do no work.
He meant what He said the seventh day, not the
first. Sunday is the first day of the week, Satur-
day is the seventh. SATURDAY,. therefore. is the
Sabbath. not Sunday. All the other passages
which Mr.. Samson cites, Isaiah. lviii. 13, IA; Eze
kie 1924; jeremiah xvii. 1927. etc, refer
the seventh day. which alone is can be
the Sabbath, and state most emphatically its OBJ
ligatory character and invioable sacredness. Not
a word in any of the passages which Mr.. Samson
quotes can, by hook crook. he construed
terring TO Sunday.
All Chrstendom with its hundreds of millions
of adherents. with the exception of the handful
of Seventh Day Baptists and Seventh Day Ad-
ventists and the Church of Abyssinia, which
stands upon the platform of primitive Christianity
when the Sabbath was still observed. is habitualy
engaged in desecrating the Sabbath with every
manner of occupation forbidden by the law OF
God. Why. then, grow excited about the Sun
day, when the Sabbath itself is constantly and
fagrantly desecrated? It has always been mat
ter Of amazement TO me how Christianity based
as It admittedly is. upon the law of God revealed
through the Hebrew people, should utterly dis
regard the day assigned by that law as the Sab
path while acknowledging the propriety and
cessity OF the Sabbath principle If the principle
or the Sabbath, that of weekly day of rest be
right and proper-and who would deny that propo-
sition-why utterly ignore the day appointed by
divine wisdom for that purpose and attempt TO
invest another unauthorized day with its sanctity?
l believe that this inconsistency is largely re-
sPonsible for the constant tendency disregard
the Sabbath. and do not care to observe it such
Mr.. samson may answer that the Sabbath has
oeen transferred to Sunday by properly COnsti-
tuted church authorities. but though not Chris
believer, in a perfect, all wise ana all powerful
600, , ASK SIX How How can men presume TO change that
In conclusion. l would, say. hope. without Of
Fence that II is time that Christianity returned
TO the observance of the Sabbath proclaimed from
sinafs height The Sabbath was only given up
unctlon between Jews and Christians. l do not
think that enlightened present day Christian
fcient reason The Lord alone Knows what
troubles and trials this Sabbath question has
forced by the struggle for bread TO surrender their
historic sabbath, and with II much OF their re-
nGious fidelity and peace OF mind. Many have re-
NAMED faithful to the pledge sworn by their an
SSeStors And The children OF Israel shall keep the
Sdopatn 10 observe the sabbath throughout their
generations, perpetual covenant" EXODUS XXI
loD, but at the cost of tremendous sacrifices and
SUBJECT 10 constant WOrrimcnt and annoyanca =
they DO a stroke of work o sell shoe lace or a
pair or suspenderS the Sunday. 1t would be
grand thing II the believers I'm the two great re-
lslonS which shape the spiritual thought oT the
bulk Of civilized mankind could unite in the oh
Seryance Of the sabbath: on the one possible basis
or the recognition as such Of the day proclaimed In
the Decalogue. and re-enjoined in countless pa
sages of the Bible Such union would bring about
the harmony or views necessary for resting lecfs-
laton and would render it possible secure for
every working man and woman his and her in
allenable right, that Of weekly day of rest
But as long that glorious though rerota
Idea remains unattained let at Least perfoct
llDerty or conscience prevail. Let every man 10
free TO observe the day OF rest which apnaaIs ~
MS religious convictions and pursue his ordi-
nary vocation without annoyance or Interference
on the other days OF the week. Above ali a, tbero
he no misappcation OF Biblical Iniunctions con-
corning the sabbath to a day to which tbe,, lac
no reference If Sunday observance must he mn
held. let il he on some other ground Than ,ha ~,
the law OF God. BERNARD DRAC,tI,r ~ -
Rabbi of the CONGREGATION Zichron Enhrain,
Newly ork March %. 1901.