Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-09
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The Sabbath Question.

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The Sabbath Question.
Editor Courier:
On November 10 noticed an artlcle
in your columns from Mr.. E. F.
Samuelson, pleading for a more strict
observance of Sunday as the Sabbath
and as great men will differ IN
opinion, | wish to state through your
paper some points on which honestly
differ on with Mr.. Samuelson.
/ take it from his article that ho
wants to enforce Sabbath observance
on all people. This | oppose because
like some other religious questions II
is an individual question between
each person and his God. Read
Romans 14-6. Men need Sabbath IL
is true, but they need Gods Saba, II.
They ought to keep 1t holy. OTHERWISE
it will prove a curse rather IMAM
blessing. To my mind the Sabbath Is
no more civil institution than pap
tism or the Lords supper, ana any
ATTEMPT to enforce a weekly rest day
is inconsistent and insincere, as
would be an attempt to ENFORCE
Christian baptism as sanitary meas
ure, Sor the Lords supper as physlcai
necessity There Is no such thing as
weekly civil Sabbath and no one wouin
ever think of calling any. Sabbath
civil were it not that some who desire
the civil power to enforce its obserV-
ance: power, il you please, to compel
those to keep it who have no religious
| regard for it. am willing any one
| may keep it, but I am not willing 70
| enforce its observance on others. ~
| will he lust as wrong to enforce the
seventh day as the first day on any
one The first amendment to the con-
stitution declares that congress SHAH
make no law respecting any establish
ment of religion or prohibiting the tree
exercise thereof. Some would make
q MONOPOLY OF religion and 1t would
| he the most dangerous and most uii,
reasonable and most oppressive Oh al
monopolies. -
Note the words of great men: WASH
ington said: Every man IS account
able alone to God for his relglous
faith and should be protected IN "or.
! shipping God according to the dicta1es
of his own conscience. Genera
Grant said in an address at Des
MONIES. Leave the matter OF re
liaion to the family altar-tne
churches support entirely to private
contributions Benjamin FrankiI
! said. when religion is good II VII
take care of itself, and when 1t is no,
able 70 take care of itself, and COO
does not see fit to take care OF 1t sc
that it has to appeal to civil power TO-
support, it is evident that its cause ID
/ bad one" ,,
DR.. Lyman Abbott said: "The cur
rent notion that Christ and his apostles
authoritatiyely substituted the first das
of the week for the seventh day II
absolutely without any authority IN the
NAV Testament Cardinal Gibbons
:, said: "You may read the Bible IRON
Genesis to Revelation and will not NM
single line authorizing the santinca
tion of Sunday" The late priest
rather Kreckle of Ottumwa, wrote M
under date of September 19, 1899 II
answer to my question-Who gave U
) the Christian world the observance
the first day of the week., as follows
..Tbose who hold the scriptures to D.
their sole rule of faith and reject tn
Catholic tradition. have no autloi ~
! whatever for the change. AS TOT w
authority OF the change, you nave non
in the sacred scriptures. me aoi
Catholic church transferred the oar
!. bath from the last to the first DAY .
l the week because on that ia! gu
: blessed Lord rose from death 10 IRE.
Now nv friend, Mr.. Samuelson, re
Q fers MS to Isaiah 5S-13, which nope n
! will read again and ponder 1T well i
I leening any day but his day that n
$ made holy. Then please read lsala
56 from the first to the seventh verse
and also ponder it well, and then m
! friend SAYS "God gave to man Sal
g bath of rest and set it about as
p sacred day. True he did, but whcr
J did he set about or make the hrs
t rl.v sacred or holy? Give me I'll
x l,hanter and verse Please do | al
e 1hirsting for the truth. And then h
refers us to Christ's words the Sal
hath was made for man and says ths
a Il is a sacred institution needed b
q q man. needed in every age, IN ever
u country by every son of Adams rae
All true if you would only amply to tn
Iday that God made holy. Then ne r.
II fers ne to the French republic that
J sassinated the Sababth in order To e
rid of the sacred seven that POM
straight to, heaven Now what point
. straight to heaven. Is 1T any part
> time or just any day or does he moa
- the seventh day.
= And then he roasts his govenmel
= and the railroad corporations and cal
!. it a sin and robbery for destroying II
\ sacredness Of the day. Then he plead
y TO stand with the Bible on the Sa
=, bath and protests against the desecr
q q ton of the day. Now why not do
the disciples did after His crueifixior
They kept the Sabbath according
the commandment. How is accordir
y to the commandment? Read Exod'
- 20. 8 to IL. Now in Luke 1884, So ar
~ Sc verses, and then chaper PAL yer'
and you have three days spoken
The day before the Sabbath and Il
~ Sabbath, and the first day of the wee
y What the scriptures say about the fir
!. day of the week is very brief. 1t
only mentioned eight times in the Ne
Testament, as follows: Mathew 26-
y Mark 1919; Luke 1886 and 24-1; Jol
d 2O-1-19; Acts 20-7; First Corinthial
1912. Here is every text in Il
testament that the first day is me