The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-09-22
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE

To the Editor Ocala Banner:
In behalf of the Christian and God
fearing men and women who read
your paper, | would like to say few
words in regard to an article appear
ing in a recent issue headed Sunday
observance" and signed az. W."
In the opening paragraph of this
article the writer introduces us to his
impelling motive in writing-public
sentiment. He says: 1T is strange
how some few special pleaders for
sectarian tenets fail utterly to ap-
preciate the trend of public senti-
ment." From which statement he
would argue that because public SEN
timent favors an open Sabbath and
is opposed to a holy observance of
that day; therefore, some few spe-
cial pleaders for sectarian tenets fail
utterly to appreciate its trend" and
it is useless to try to breast it. The
very fact that protest is made is ev-
idence enough that the trend of public
sentiment is appreciated by those
who are striving for the right. Fur
thermore, it is not the strong, intel
lectual man who is governed by pub
lie sentiment, but the weak, wishy-
washy, who hasn't brains enough to
do his own thinking. / ask the read
ers of this paper, does public senti-
ment determine what is right or
wrong?
81. W." goes on to say that ito
rest or recreate one day in seven, or
six or eight, may or may not be an
innate human necessity" The set
ting apart of one day in seven for
rest and worship is a human neces-
sity.
Some years ago two parliaments
were held, one in Paris and one in
Boston, for the purpose of examining
this very question by gathering in
formation from the heads of large
labor-employing corporations, and
beth parliaments arrived at this con-
clusion: That the men who work six
days and rest one accomplish great
er amount and higher quality of
work than those who work seven
days in the week. This is the result
of experience. If we would desire a
worthy opinion on the subject, listen
to Blackstone: THE keeping of one
day in seven holy, as time of relax
alton and refreshment, as well as for
public worship, is of admirable ser
vice to a state, considered merely as
a civil institution. 1t humanizes, by
the help of conversation and society
the manners of the lower classes
which would otherwise degenerate
. into a sordid ferocity and savage sci
fishness of spirit; it enables the in
dustrious workman to pursue his oc
cupation in the ensuing week with
health and cheerfulness; it imprints
on the minds of the people that sense
of their duty to God, so necessary to
make them good citizens; but which
yet would be worn out and defaced
by an unremitted continuance of la
Dor, without any stated times of re
calling them to the workshop of theil
Maker"
The experience of history has beer
that man needs one day out of sever
in which to rest and worship God.
The next statement of our frienC
is rash indeed. He says: THAT Sun
day observance is moral because o
the fiat of omnipotence is no longe
believed by any thinking man VIII,
has reputation to lose for accurat,
mental processes" The gentleman
cannot be blamed for subscribing t,
such statement with merely his in
itials, IL. W." instead of his name
He would thus by one remark bran,
all Christians and spiritual scholars
of our day among lawyers, doctors
ministers, literary and educationa
men as unthinking men. For ever,
recognized scholar whom our frienC
can prove to hold his view we viii
name two whom We can prove to hole
the contrary.
Our friend places himself in a yer,
embarrassing position. He must eth
er admit that the fiat of omnipotenc,
is binding or else take his plac,
among the infidels. for if he believe.
in God he must believe that he is ON
nipotent and his fiat therefore bind
ing. else he believes in a god who /:
not God.
In his next paragraph the gentle
man says: That Mosaic cosmogony
that predicted the age of the earth al
some 5000 years has long ago beer
exploded, and has absolutely nc
standing at all wherever modern sci
ence is in possession of the field" A
bold statement, truly. Will Mr.. IL
w" please refer US to just one pass