The Republican journal., 1901-02-07
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.

Rev. Martin D. Kneeland, D. D., Secre-
tary OF the New England Sabbath Protec-
tive League, spoke in this city twice last
Sunday on the work of the League His
first address was in the North church in the
forenoon. He opened the service by read
ing several Scripture selections on Sunday
| observance and making brief comments,
| after which the usual devotional services
were held. The Sabbath day, he said, was
Gods second best gift to: man; it was de-
signed to develop and lift him up, and is as
operative in the Goth century after Christ as
1t was in the goth century before. The
Sabbath was made for man, but not as day
OF pleasure. 1t is not merely to rest the
body for another six days work, but to
permit him to develop higher thoughts and
ideas. The speaker would not bring back
the ceremonial Jewish Sabbath nor the rig
idlty OF Puritan observance. 1t is day of
rest for body, mind and soul The trend of
the present day is towards the SeculariZing
of the Sabbath. The census shows that
more than three million people in the Unit
ed States labor on the Sabbath, of whom a
| quarter Of million are engaged in selling
Sunday newspapers. The Sunday newspa-
per takes the place of the Bible in many
homes. Every created thing needs rest,
| and the man who works his animals, his
machinery or his farm, without rest destroys
his own property There is in many places
an avalanche of Sunday desecration, and an
| increase of crimes and suicides is the re-
suit. Sabbath keeping is the surest antidote
for moral evils. The Sabbath is the corner
stone of civilization and when it is taken
out the structure is liable to fall. The
workingman needs one day in seven, and he
is demanding it. The railroad and steam
| boat Sunday excursions do great harm, and
efforts are being made to suppress them by
law. Other States have such laws and he
believed Maine will follow, an act for that
purpose being now before the Legislature
| DR.. Kneeland closed with brief reference
to the literature of the League and an ap-
peal for funds and prayers in aid of the
work.
In the evening a union meeting was held
in the Baptist church at which all the city
pastors and Rev. c. E. Owen of Watcryille
were present and took part The music
was by the Baptist chorus. Some of the
thoughts advanced were the same as in the
morning, but the speaker brought out many
others. Christian people, he said, will agree
with him that the most important question
is the advancement of Christ's kingdom,
which includes the great social issue, the
temperance question, and that most vital
subject, Sabbath observance. Correct Sab
bath observance means the correct use of one
day in seven. There are many witnesses
for Sabbath observance. The first is the
Word of God, in which the subject is re-
ferred to ITO times, by men of all the CEN
turies before Christ, and all are agreed.
The ten commandments are in two sections
One relates to our duty to God, the other to
our duty to our fellow men. The fourth
commandment is the keystone that binds
the two together Take out the keystone
and the arch falls. Men who would not be
guilty of breaking any other commandment
break this with impunity. The second wit
ness is nature and science There is no con-
tict between revelation and science. The
third is history. If we take map and
advanced the most in civilization, and one
around the Sabbath keeping countries, the
two lines will be nearly alike. National
existence is dependent upon Sabbath observ-
ance. The fourth is the witness of indus
try. Where man works seven days in the
week he becomes slave. There is much
work necessary now that was not necessary
formerly, but it is not necessary that mills
and factories be run seven days in the week.
Another witness is morals and religion.
You are on dangerous ground when you
make Sunday a pleasure day. Theodore
Parker said he preferred the Puritan Sab
bath to the Continental Sunday. But there
is common-sense middle ground on which
legislation should be based. DR.. kneeland
then briefly defined the League, it's objects
and methods, and renewed his appeal for
funds and prayers. The collections at both
meetings were liberal, and many in the con-
gregaton subscribed to the funds of the
T