The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-21
AN INTERESTING TOPIC
ON THE CIVIC AND THE CHRIS-
TIAN SUNDAY.

Vernon Preached by the Rev. DIR. Nc
Lane at Plymouth Church Yesterday
morning-Treats the Subject in a
Very Broad and Liberal Manner-The
Man Who, Regards the Sabbath to
Worship, Hear, Learn and obey
Finds Not Only Physical Rest, but
Also Gains an Increase of Faith, Love
and Hope Says DR.. McLane.
At Plymouth church yesterday morn
ing the pastor, Rev. DR.. McLane, had
for his subject the interesting question
of Sunday observance. His theme was
''The Civil and the Christian Sunday"
and he based his remarks on the text,
''The Sabbath was made for man
Mark q and 27. The sermon was a
scholarly one and it showed that Rev.
DR.. McLane had gone to considerable
trouble and research in the preparation
of it. He also treated his subject in a
very liberal and interesting manner,
and brought out numerous points that
bore out his various arguments In
very clear and lucid manner. He be-
gan by referring to the early Christian
Sabbath and how Christ's disciples, as
well as the Jews in general, recognized
the day. Jewish Christians, he said,
observed both the seventh and the first
day Of the week-the Former as the
Sabbath and the latter as the Lords
day. For twelve hundred years, the
preacher said, the governments Of Eu-
rope had regarded the assistance of the
church in maintaining religion as one Of
their functions, and that these govern
ments still regarded this as an essential
point in the proper ordering Of their
several countries regarding the claim
as to whether the church and state
should be entirely distinct He main
tanned that the view as to whether the
governments of Europe vase wrong in
this matter, and that of the United
States entirely right, was very ques-
tionable
After treating fully the subject Of the
early Christian in relation to the Sab
bath, DR.. McLane went on to speak OF
the present-day Sabbath as follows:
AS a matter of fact, the separation of
state and church in this country, so
far, has been not wholly the separation
of our governments, municipal state or
national, from religion So long as
every civil officer is indicted into office
by an oath-nly an oath in which he
confesses his belief In God, his sense of
personal responsibility for his acts and
his accountability to God in future
Judgment; so long as the president and
the several governors issue annual
proclamations calling on all the people
to give thanks to God for their har-
vests; so long as civil rulers appoint
days of fasting and prayer In time of
public calamity to invoke divine deliv-
erance, and so long as every important
political action in elections or legisla-
ton is made the subject Of prayer-we
cannot truthfu1ly say that our govern
ment is divorced from religion. And 1t
may be that the time will come when
we shall find it beneficial to be more
closely welded to religion.
In the matter, however, of the civil
Sunday, which is now under discussion,
we must note the fact that legislation
on behalf of Sunday is designed simply
to secure to men one day of rest in
seven, and not enforce religion. AL
though this day Of rest is originally the
gift of God to men, and although 1t has
come to us first through the Hebrew
religion and thfen through Christianity,
vet the civil legislation in our country
proceeds on the assumption that 1t is
the common consensus Of opinion that
one day of rest in seven is, on the
whole, beneficial directly to the individ-
nal citizen and thereby indirectly bene-
fetal to the state.
Furthermore, it must be noted that
legislation on behalf Of Sunday is main
iv negative-as civil legislation must be
in respect of most things-and simply
Porbids the doing of certain things. The
civil law neither prescrihes the matter
Of any mans religious belief nor enjoins
any form of worship. The civil Sunday
therefore. must be considered apart
from the Christian Sunday. That which
is forbidden in our commonwealth may
he summed up under the two heads
work and sports. There is some work
which in the nature of things is neces-
sarv and therefore exceptional. But
the ordinary labor of the farm, the fac
tory and the store is unnecessary. II
is quite easy, in all these departments
of labor. to decide what is necessary
labor-necessary that property may not
sustain injury or animals suffer- or the
actual wants of men be unsupplied. Ir
permitting certain forms of labor or OF
merchandise the state should seek JUS
4ice and see that men who, under the
nlea OF necessity, carry on some form
Of labor or conduct some form of bust
ness should not do on Sunday What
other men are forbidden to do. The
man who claims that fires must be KEEP
in the furnaces of engines should not
therefore proceed to run his factory
also. The druggist who keeps his store
onen on the plea that drugs are neces'
eitv for the sick should not be permit
led to sell confectionery and drinks
4vbieb his competitors, the grocer anC
+ba confectioner, are forbidden to sell
Tbe Druggist who, under the plea O
settling drugs, takes advantage Of hi
naiehbors ought to be prohibited from
selling anything but drugs during an!