The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-10-19
Synod's Annual Meeting
Ended Yesterday and the
Members Hastened Home
OBSERV ANoE
REV. SAMUEL DOBBINs PRICE
FOR THE COMMITTEE REPORTS
on THE STATE CONDITIONS
AND OFFERS RESOLUTIONS.
Especial to ~The Jersey city News..D

day morning the Presbyterian Synod
opened with considerable shrinkage in
the attendance, as many delegates living
at a distance were compelled to take
the early trains, only one permanent COM
| mittee remained to report-that of Sab
bath observance. Rev. Samuel Dobbins
Price, of Shrewsbury, chairman.
Several addresses and the usual rou-
tine work in addition were lying before
the delegates, and adjournment was
taken early in the afternoon to allow of
the departure on the afternoon trains.
The synod has been evangelistic in
tone and there is every evidence that
great interset in the hoped-for revival
has been aroused. This is apparent in
the expressions of the delegates on all
occasions.
The report of the committee on Sab
bath observance was made by the chair
man, Rev. Samuel Dobbins Price. OF
Shrewsbury. 1t was in part as follows:
AT the last meeting OF synod this
committee was enlarged 50 that the
chairman of the committee on Sabbath
observance in each presbytery should be
a member of the synod's committee.
This enlarged committee held a meet
ing in the Y NJ G. A. rooms. Newark,
on March 49, After discussing the gen.
| eral condition of the Sabbath desecra-
| tion in our state, the committee decided
that it would be wise to ask the pastor
of each church to state accurately the
| condition in his own field and then to
| invite suggestions as TO what might be
done with advantage by this committee.
| Accordingly circular letter was printed
and answers were asked to the following
questiOnS:-
To what extent is there Sabbath
| lesecration in your conl-isun.ty. Io
what extent do the members of your
church fail in keeping the Lords day
| holy? What effort is your chul or
| your community making to have the
laws enforced? How long since you
preached sermon on the subject 90
| Sal,batI observance? Will you follow
| the recommendation Of the last general
| assembly and preach a sermon on the
| subject during the month of April,
1 1905? Win you further follow the same
recommendation by placing the Amerl
| York city. on the list of the benevolences
| of your church? Kindly mention any
work. which in your judgment presby-
| tery's committee of syaod's committee
can proftably undertake.
After these names had been received
and digested by the committee in each
presbytery, the substance was TO be pre-,
| sented to that body, and also forwarded
| to synoJ's chairman. Replies have come
| from all but two of the presbyteries.
| Elizabeth and West Jersey must still be
| waiting for slow pastors to forward the
| information. Presuming that the condi-
/ ton in these two presbyteries Is about
/ the same as elsewhere. we note the fol-
| lowing as the present condition of Sab
/ hath observance or of Sabbath deseera-
/ tion in this State:
! All over the State the condition is
/ the same Just as much violation of the
flaws and descration of the Lords day
l as the better element of the community
| viii permit. From the rural churches
! the report is that the Sabbath is fairy
we'll observed. except that the Sunday
newspaper is taken in many homes even
/ of the members OF the church, and that
social visiting is on the increase on the
| day of days.
THE opinion varies about the extent
| to which members of the church keep
| the day holy. Surely there ought TO be a
4 bright side to the q uestion, and We
| should find pastors Office bearers nd
4 church members who are eager to do
only what is positively right on this day
/ that the Lord hath made But we GER
tainly do find that the pledged follow
eys of Jesus Christ desecrate the day
| continuously.
1 effort made By the churches to have
! the sabbath laws enforced. The concur
sion is evident that each church ought
| either alone. or with other churches in
| that community, to always be seeking
/ to have at least one SABBATH law enforc-
ed Then from that victory on to the
| next.
The following resolutions are sub
| nlitted for your considerations
First That synod urges all churches
4 within its bounds to patronize only such
/ places for their Sunday school picnics
as are closed on the Sabbath day.
ssecdnd-That since the Sunday
| newspaper. Sunday travelling and Sum
1 day social functions are inconsistent
4 with Gods intention in giving the Sab
| bath to man, we earnestly urge that
4 these things and all else that does not
keep the day holy be given up by pastors,
i elders and Communicates.
"Third-That We most heartily COM
\ mend and warmly endorse the work of
! tile American Sabbath union and the
/ Woman's National Alliance in the r
! faithful efforts to preserve in its purity
the Christian Sabbath.
i 'sFourth-That we call the attention
of our ministers to resolution No. 8 of
the general asseTnbly's. committee (min-
| uteS 19D5), recommending that during
the month Of April sermon be preach
/ ed on the subject of Sabbath observ-
ance. and thar if the way is clear, an
4 Offering be made for the work of the
American Sabbath union, to be sent to
/ Colonel a. s. Bacon. treasurer, Z Lib
erty street New York city
.Fifth-That committeefbe appoint
ed. or this committee be instructed. to
print the most important Sabbath laws
THAT are being violated. stating the
4 means Of redress that can be taken. and
that the same be mailed to each minis
ter in the synod not later than Janu-
4 ark it was stated that an evangelical
c0dified in time to become a part Of the
annual printed record of the synod of
New Jersey.
The condition in Bloomfield is worthy
Il Of our most careful consideration. At
4 the meeting of this committee In New
ark 1t was tated that an evangelical
union had been formed some years ago
as the outcome of revival movement
4 Ia that town. This union, among other
u things. gave attention to the Sunday
4 closing Of bars and to the granting OF
il saloon licenses. The result is that no
q saloons are open on Sunday, and the
Il people will see to It that none are opened
ID the town.