The Washington herald., 1912-01-18
RELIGIOUS LEGISLATION
FOR DISTRICT OPPOSED
Mr.. AIonzo 7. Jones Shows Why Bill Before
Congress Should Not Be Enacted Into Law.

4 papacy, as a matter of course all this
legislation was inherently of that sys-
tenn. Indeed, by a council held at Or
leans in the year 5ss. IL was declared
that what should be lawful or unlaw-
| full on Sunday was exclusively of ec-
clesiastieal Jurisdiction"
That was the character of Sunday
| legislation in all Europe, before Henry
VIII severed England from the Pope.
When Henry severed England from the
| authority of the Pope, that was still
the character of all the sunday laws
| Of England; because these were pre-
cisely the same laws as before. And
after Henry had done that, all was of
the same character as before, the only
difference being that Henry, in place
| of the Pope, was head of the same
system as existent in England. And so
1t continued in Henry's successors.
And when James I came from Scot
land to be- King Of England and saw
the people restricted to narrow and
listless limits by the Sunday laws
pressed upon them by the narrower
clergy, II was as supreme head on
earth Of the Church OF England that.
with the advice Of his prelates. he is
sued the Book of Sports for Sunday"
The provisions of the book" were
drawn up by Bishop Morton" not by
by James as head OF the church.
When In the reign OF Charles I the
lord chief justice and another Judge
made an order" ''at tho request OF
the justices of the peace" for the sup
preston of excesses in indulgence of
the sports" they were reproved by
the archbishop, sustained by the King.
and were required to revoke their or
der, not for invasion OF the preroga-
tive OF Parliament. but for invading
and usurping the episcopal jurisdic-
tion."
And the Sunday law of Charles II.
that is confessedly the model Of the
Sunday legislation proposed to Con-
gress for the District of Columbia, was
the expression and extension of that
same episcopal jurisdiction. For by
the act Of uniformity. 1861. the conven-
ticle act, 1864. and the Oxford fve-mile
act. 1866. intensified in 1870, all reli-
gious preaching. teaching. worship,
and assembly for worship was confined
only to that allowed by the liturgy
and practice of the Church OF Eng
land" that every person within this
realm may certainly know the rule to
which he is TO conform in public wor-
ship"
The effect of this was to turn loose
all dissenters in the realm without
any places or assemblies of worship.
But that was not what the acts were
for. The purpose in all was to make
the worship OF the Church OF England
the one only worship in the realm.
Then and therefore. in 1876, came
this Sunday law of Charles II, enacting
that "all and every person and per-
sons whatsoever shall upon every
Lords Day apply themselves to the OBJ
servation of the same, by exercising
themselves thereon in duties of piety
and true religion. publicly and pri-
vately," and repairing TO the church.
And that true religion, publicly and
privately" in which all and every"
must exercise himself. was the re-
ligion of the Church Of England. only,
and that church to which all and
every" must repair, on every Sunday.
was only the Church-of England; for
to just that the preceding acts had
shut up every person within this
realm"
And that is the model after which |
the American statutes have been
passed" and after which the proposed |
Sunday laws for the District of Co.
lumbia are expected to be passed. For
the Sunday rest committee of the Dis |
trict OF Columbia" has Issued to Con- |
gress a printed brief on the Johnston |
Sunday bill for the District in which, /
because II is the model" this statute |
OI SndTies II Is quoted IN Iull.
And a Sunday law after that mod |
ell is proposed to the Congress of the |
United States for enactment into law |
under the Constitution. and under their |
oath to support the Constitution, which |
declares that they shall make no law
an establishment OF religion |
or prohibiting the free exercise there
OFF,
And those proposing that a law after
H,1 ha
gress actually have the gall to plead
that such a law would not be religiousi
1t is true that these are not propos-
ing the enactment here of the whole
statute of Charles II. They take It
only as the model" and leave out the
drastic clauses as to repairing to the
church" and exercising in the duties
Of piety and true religion" on Sunday.
But when a set OF people are capable
Of convincing themselves that their
model Sunday law OF Charles II, IN
any single provision or purpose of Il, |
Is not religious, It is not impossible
that they should also be capable, very
soon, and with equal ease, of convinc-
Ing themselves that compulsory re
pairing to the church." and compulsory
exercising in the duties Of religion
and piety" are also not religious.
No; there never was a Sunday law in
the world that was not religious. This
IS the straightforward and unanimous
testimony in the whole case through
Dut the 1888 years OF its history. And |,
1y that universal testimony il is Ger
ain that there never can be a Sunday
aw that will not be religious.
This is not a matter of weight Of
derived from comparison or
balancing OF varying or vague testI-
nony. 1t is the simple matter of the
story told by many witnesses whose
is plain and indisputable. and
Ill the testimony of all the witnesses
IS on one and the same side. And by II
the evidence is conclusive and the
proof complete that Sunday legislation
sver has been, ever is. and ever will be
religious, only religious, and that con-
.inually.
Conclusion. Il
Therefore. for anybody to ask Con-
yress to enact a Sunday law Is to ask
Congress to disregard the Constitution.
For anybody to ask any Senator or
representative in Congress to favor
he enactment of Sunday law is to
Isk him to violate his. oath to support I
he Constitution. {
Sunday observance and Sunday laws {
s the universal evidence shows, are :
Wholly of the church. and that the r
hurch of Rome. The enactment of a | I
sunday law Is the embodying in law of {
he will of Rome. The enforcing of r
iunday law is the enforcing of the l
will OF Rome. Obedience TO SUNDAY :
avs is obedience to Rome. Submission 7
o Sunday laws is submission to the 1
upremaey of Rome. \
The whole Sunday law movement is y
alculated only to lead this model ma y
lon, not still onward and upward in J
he high and noble way of liberty and