Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-15

to shame the petty and contemplate
conduct of some officials of religious
bodies in the United States. For the
recent conference upon the Lords
day held in Pittsburg ended in divi-
sion, because of the claims Of rival or
CARNATIONS to the credit of carrying
On whatever campaign may be inaug-
urated. Such miserable jealousies, in
the face of great issues, would be in
comprehensive had we not the exam
pie of contending generals on the eve
of momentous battles. A similar ex-
perience Is reported in Pennsylvania
where, in a committee room in the
state capitol at Harrisburg, the secre-
taries of the Pennsylvania and Phila-
delphia Sabbath associations, respect
lively, once got into disgraceful
squabble as to which should have the
glory for defeating certain anti-Sab-
bath legislation that had been propos
ed. The members of the legislature
present We're rightly Disguised at tho
spectacle. These unpleasant incidents
are related in order to emphasize the
point that the real defense of the
Lords day, as the triumph of any
other moral reform. is not secured by
professional agitators therefor, but by
the active and spontaneous expression
of Christian opinion. The custom of
RELOCATING reform work to hired agents
is reprehensible one. Those who
know intimately the sentiment at law
making centers understand how fire.
quently these men are regarded as
mere conceited meddlers. 1t used TO
be said at Washington that no mat.
ter how good bill might be 1t was
in danger of being defeated if certain
professional reformers publicly advo-
Gated 1t. Good citizens cannot relegate
their civic duties to hired men. Only
the personal vigilance, interest and
activity of thoughtful men can pro-
tect the sacred institutions which are
our Christian heritage.
**%
Much of the perplexity which many
persons feel over the observance of
the Lords day arises from confound-
ing it with the Jewish Sabbath, or
worse, with the Sabbath of the Scotch
and English Puritans. The extra-leg
alists among the old Jews read into
the beneficent Sabbatical provisions
all sorts of irksome restrictions. They
made Sabbath observance matter Of
minute regulations. These burdens,
too grievious to be borne, Jesus sum-
marily threw aside. Therefore he was
regarded as a Sabbath breaker; and it
is curious that whenever Jesus ap-
pears in connection with the Sabbath
question it is usually as a violator of
the existing laws. He taught a lib
eral view of the day. His. conduct aud
words stressed the truth that the let
ter killeth. The Sabbath was never
meant to be a burden to man; much
less the Lords day which has succeed
| ed it.
| Some persons, to be classified with
the hair-splitting legalists of Christ's,
time, insist that Sunday observance to-
day is matter Of detailed rules Thus
they are fond Of making abstinence
from street car riding a test of keep
ing holy the day. AS matter Of fact
the street car is used on Sunday BY
probably more than ninety per cent
of the Christian dwellers in cities. III
some places, as in Toronto, it has pro
NOTED the attendance upon the down
/ town churches. 1t enables many per
sons to do vastly larger amount OF
Christian work on this day than for
lmerly was possible. Yet it is quite
common to hear public speakers
(some Of whom ride themselves) hold
up as sinners the church folk who en-
gage in this practice-thereby indict
ing most Of their hearers. who are
afraid to speak up in self-defense, lest
they appear to condone Sabbath
breaking. Thus multitudes are forced
to dishonest and hypocritical posi-
/ ton by an utterly unscriptural con
domination Of practice which should
properly be left to the conscience OF
the individual. If any man does not
ride in the cars on Sunday, let him be
honored in his scruples. But as we
love the Lords day, and seek for it,
preservation as vital factor in the
better life Of our time, let us abandon
all petty and unreasonable viewpoints
concerning it.
The Lords day is primarily wor
1 ship day. 1t commentaries the res
direction of Jesus. Probably the ear
ly Christians only gradually abandon
ed doing business on that day, ant
Transformed to it the customs an(
SdnC1Ly OIL the JEWISH sabbath. Ever
today in japan many Christians keel
open their shops on the first day o
the week. Doubtless as ChristianitJ
comes to dominate the nation, the jap
anese will have the first day of the
week free from business, and used fol
rest and worship.
The Lords day. like the Jewish
Sabbath, Is memorial day. 1t is ;
reminder Of divine things; it points
above, like the church spires. TaFint
man from the grind Of six days la
Dor, it calls him aside to worship tn,
Risen Christ and the Father who Sc
apart one day in seven as an occasion
to be remembered in his honor.
There was wisdom in the early Jew
ish regulation which, happily, ha
tinged all Christian practice since
that the Sabbath should be kept b.
the serving of the best meals and tn
wearing of the best clothes. On tina
day students were to relax their read
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