The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-08
SABBATH DISSERTATION AND
ITS EFFECT ON MORALS.
The Reverend Josephus Stephan
Declares That the Continental
Plan Is Full of Danger.

Mount Auburn ii. E Church a South
Holy Day; Which?' taking his his text d in is q.
lviii, b. "A: III thou turn away thy foot
from the Sabbath. from doing thy pleasure
delight. the holy Of the Lord, Honorable;
and shalt honor him, not doing thine own
ways, nor finding thine own pleasure. nor
psakS,nE f, thine own words then shalt thou
Thee to ride upon the high places of the
earth. and feed thee with the heritage of
a ora thy 1athsr for the mouth Of the
No one need doubt the increase of a
secularization and dissertation of the Lords
DAY; Every agency is earnestly at work
What was once but an innocent rivulet.
augmented from time to time by diabolicai
and human forces. has now become dam
foundations of our moral. social and ma
tional life. Besides secular work, pleasures
OF all sorts are INDUCED in by the multi
ball and athletic parks. race courses. excur-
sions by rail and boat. open saloons and
theaters. streets filled with vehicles of all
wild current into which our rising genera
ton is being plunged to its certain destruc-
ton:
Many reasons may be ascribed for this.
trine OF the Sabbath itself has become I'M
certain in the minds of the people. With the
nann ssu tSsr there is fndlference and with
Of truth no institution OF value eyer has
existed. nor can 1t exist. Our continental
Sabbath Is but the result Of erroneous doc.
tr1ne both Catholic and Protestant, traced
to the past and perpetuated In the present
We cannot be any better than our creed.
We need to examine our foundations.
The Word Of God gives no shadow of
evidence that the obligation Of the Sabbath
law is lessened. The decalogue has an as
eendeney over the other enactments Of the
w nr11 u
peal by Christ in his own person and
through his apostles. To annul the law. God
would have to change the very constitution
sanctions and conditions Of the moral law
Christ came. he says. to fulfill. not to de-
etroy the law In announcing himself Lord
ne had or was about to destroy. Why should
this one of the precepts of the moral law
De temporary. while every other one of
able? NeN ''' eAss d. "'''i'a'se
by Jewish traditions the Sabbath had be-
come an fntolerabie burden by hundreds of
the most foolish and Inconsistent. Christ
simply, abolished these, but did not touch!
the original law. only so far as its right
interpretation went.
Word Of God. When Christ said The Sab
bath was made for man. he stated what
mas been discovered to be a deep-seated
law IN the physical nature of man. which
ABSOLUTELY requires a weekly rest day. sup
p pn,sa by multitude Of indisputable facts.
Sesades; ana IS oa, NEED It Is written in our
the declarations of the Bible. and assures
us that the Sabbath is fundsmen in the
moral order Of the world: The obligation
to observe 1t. therefore. does not rest on
AWNING temporary or accidental. but goes
back to the Very purpose of God concern
ing Inc world in which We live.
The Sabbath converted into holiday In
steao OF molly day means only looseness
OF morals and general social degradation.
W we r nave Just aEain passed through anoth-
justly proud of our great nation, but IL
facts are the fingers of God. they point us
to o-,a fearful and certain doom awaiting US.
WITHOUT the righteousness which exalteth
3 nation an our financial, commercial. mil
ftary. educational. and even moral, strength
cannot ss.t save us The highest interest Of the
state are made Of the highest interests of
the individuals comprising the state. A
COMMUNICATING ,,I1r population is a .harbinser
ample for all time to come in the corrup-
ton of morals and the general disorder
winch followed In the wake of an attempt
reason themselves are ready to give over
whelming evidence.
;, :, The Sabbath pleasure-seeker's logic in
while not denying the authority OF the COM
mama. try to justify themselves on the
g e;o hos, q hayins NO other time for recrea
answer that this Is absolutely the only day
we nave for the pre-emnent duty of look
ins aIeer our souls and the use of all the
gracious privileges and means afforded us in
the sanctuary OF our homes and the church
OF COD. and In which rest and recreation
are also afforded US; 80 =
But Is 4 a fact that this is the only time
We nave Tor recreation In this age of shorter
worKinE hours and halliday holidays? And
I'LL " no5 tact that those most guilty are
nose who have more and better oppoftuni-
ties ZOE rest and recreation in the week
oayS1 Besides. 1t is a facttthat the so-called
recreGSton y usually harder on the body
and the mind than the daily work. The
more hoitdsys some people have the worse
they are on. Nearly every method Of spend
20B e0o DAY. aida sfruaiAs that al. raaS And :