The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-23
breaches
FROM ST. MARK
The Sociological Necessity for
Sunday Observance
SABBATH MADE FOR MAN
Most Law Has Its Root, Not In
Legislative Enactment But in
the Heart of
Humanity.
SABBATH MADE FOR MAN

st. Mary sson-the-Hig yesterday on
THE Sociological Necessity for Sunday
Observance" taking his text from the
second chapter of St. Mark. the twenty
seventh verse, in part. 1.-THE Sabbath was
made for man."
He spoke in part as follows:
Most men feel a certain reverence for
any custom that is widely observed among
men; and this reverence develops in us
independently OF any recognized authority
for such CUSTOM Most law has its root,
not in legislative enactment but In the
heart of humanity All our sincere eff
forts at law making and law declaring
amount only to the crystillzatlon of work.
ing principles of the human family. Let
us make use of this principle In our con-
slderation of the sociological necessity for
Sunday observance.
First, we will notice the social develop
ment of the one day rest in seven. 1t is
natural inclination among men that has
brought TO pass a division of time into
seven days. Such was the case among
the Egyptians, the ancient Peruvians, and
the Chaldeans. These last originally call
ed the seventh day "a day OF completion
of labors," and later Sabbath" "a day of
rest for the heart" Before the giving of
the law on Mt. Sinai there was in Israel
a seven day division of time, but this was
not observed sacredly Subsequent to
Sinai the human family has been remind
ed repeatedly of the natural origin of set
ting apart one day at stated intervals for
the acknowledged advantage to the mass
of mankind. The division has not always
been one in seven, other intervals have
been experimental with. The Greek
abandoned his one day in ten, and the
Roman, the one day In. eight. In modern
times, the French revolution brought
about the one day cessation In ten, and
Not An Arbitrary Flat of God.
This enables us to know that at Sinai
there was but the declaration In form and
In the present purity and simplicity of
statement of the one day rest in seven.
In no sense could 1t have been an arbi-
trary fiat of God. We have no revelation
of Gods character that suggests arbi-
trary law We should know that Just as
honoring father and mother, and revul-
sion against stealing and lying are com
mands though unexpressed, so should we
apply the same reasoning to the fourth
Commandment: Remember that thou
keep roly the Sabbath day" We do not
mean that we could have done without the
equalization that Sinai gave, but that
we have mbeded in our human nature the
Sabbath law In any study OF the Christ
ians sundya this principle is of the great
est Importance. The Christian did not
mean positively to preserve the Sabbath
as a Jewish institution, but the church
was loyal to natures demand for one
days rest in seven, and interpreted God
dealing with nature in this respect as the
opportunity that God was offording man
| TO know Him.
This declaration, 1.-THE Sabbath was
made for man. and not man for the Sab
| bath" is assurance at one aud the same
time. that God does not make laws arbi-
trarlly, and that. in this particular law
of the Sabbath, the divine will is to pro-
tect the liberties of man and in no way
to hamper him.
Man is Responsible.
Secondly It Is well worth our notice that
man himself has been the instrument
that has added to the requirements of
Sunday observance demanding more than
God has expected, and thus seriously linn
itlng its advantage to society The severe
and puritanlcal type of Sabbath rest is al
ways to be found In the imagination or
men and not In the desire OF God. Man
is responsible for adding to the law; for
making burdens that are too grievous to
be borne An old Assyrian tablet gives
this curious human purltanism for Sunday
observance: "A Sabbath. The prince OF
many nations, the flesh OF animals and
cooked food may not eat. The garments
Of his body he may not change White
robes he may not put on. Sacrifice he
NAV not offer. The king may not ride in
his chariot. In royal fashion he may not
leglslate A review Of the army he may
not hold Medicine for the sickness or
his body he may not apply We cannot
hut feel the intensely human character OF
these minute directions. But such was
the state of affairs in the history of Jew
sh Sabbath observance.
Only one kind Of knot might be tied on
the Sabbath one that one hand could
unite. No greater quantity of food than
a dried fig could be carried on the Sab
ba It'll day With some Pharlsees broken
hone could not be set; a fire could not be
made. and other such details. And on our
own shores, in Puritan days. scenes, In
the desire for Sunday observance have
been enacted that would shame our hui
man senslbilities in these latter times,
oueer blue laws were used to drive men
to religion.
Alongside of this, place the Sinaitic law
as 1t stands in it's grand simplicity, Re
member the Sabbath day to keep 1t holy.
SIX DAYS shalt thou labor, and do all thy
work: but the seventh day Is Sabbath
unto the Lord thy God: in 1t thou shalt
not do any work. thou, nor thy son, nor
thy daughter. thy manservant, nor thy
maidservant, nsr thy cattle. nor the
stranger that is within thy gates; for in
sIx days the Lord made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that in them u.s. and rest
ed the seventh day: wherefore the LORD
blessed the Sabbath day, and haliowed IT,
Observance Of Sunday Attacked.
Thirdly. in two directions In our own
day is helpful observance of Sunday at
tackled; first by all Ill use OF one i'm
portant advantage Of the social benefit OF
Sunday. the recreative element; and sec
ondly by denial Of the institution OF
af,&a