Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-10-06
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

The most popular religion in the
world today. or seemingly destined to
be the most popular, is the one with
the least religion in it. These relig-
ions. or new revelations, as they
might be termed, are the outgrowth
of modernized spirituality which the
old orthodox churches knew little
about Self-sacrifices have been re-
linquished and set aside. Those por
tions of church dogmas that irritate
and bind have been cut out. The
question now is not, What shall we
do to be saved !" but "How can we be
saved with the least embarrassment and
abnegation to self" 1t is the fruits
of these liberal and so called broad.
minded views, the conception of
which is in the line Of advanced
thought, that Sunday observance is be-
coming less restricted than in the
past. Remember the Sabbath day
and keep it holy" is, under this new
authoritative religious dispensation.
too exacting and obligatory to har-
NOR ize with the ethics of modern
ideas. The bars must be let down
for all fallacious Puritanized doc
trines to pass out, in order that the
"new revelations with their lack Of
conventionality or constraint may be
allowed to pass in. To find excuses
in support of this nineteenth century
doctrinal belief the Scriptures have
been searched from fly leaf to termi-
nal page. Pagan history has fur.
nished it's quota of ideas on the sub
ject. The Mosaic law and Christ's
Interpretation of it has been worked
over and amended until the original
conception of it is lost. What is the
result? Sunday is fast drifting from
its former identity, it's place of holi-
ness and sacred influences, into lie.
gal holiday tinged with amusements
and authorized harmless sports only
excusable in pagan land. The first
of these imported Sunday sports to be
introduced, in New England at least,
is baseball. The open theatre will
follow next, then the race-course, re-
gattas, and various excursions to diff
ferent points. In the midst of all this
futter and excitement o; authorized
harmless Sunday sports-manna for
the poor over-worked tired nerves (O
what will become of the church?
Excuses may be framed. arguments
advanced, all manner of theories
INDUCED which the imagination can
conceive; but Gods Sunday and these
newly imported Sunday sports can
never go hand in hand. One must de-
teriorate to the advancement of the
other, and when Worldliness is al
lowed to infringe upon holy grounds,
rest assured the one to deteriorate
will be the church. This is newt
able. Place a dove on an eagles back
and its flight will be-not to seQues.
tered hooks where sweet scented flow
ers bloom but down where carrion is
with the stencil of it in the air. And
in the end the dove will add to the
feast. So will the church under the
guidance of Sunday amusements be
led downward in like manner and even
tually swallowed up. These are incon'
trovertible facts, whitewash then
over as you will. The Bible is not
wholly necessary to convince US that
Sunday, or at least one day in the
week. should be set asidefor observance
or reverence for holier things. Our
inner consciousness convinces us of
this fact Worldly minded men are
aware of it even though they smothe
! the belief. Common sense teaches it
and the one supreme law by which al
! things are controlled, dictates i
must be so. When we attempt to cas-
smirch upon it, OR lessen it's record
or combine it with the idle frivolitie
of the day, we have done that which
will destroy its sanctity, lessen the
purposes for which it was designed
and place it on the level with commo
things. Under these conditions
which the increasing Sunday desecra
ton will bring about the church mus
gradually sink into decline. -Newpor
Express and Standard.