New Britain herald., 1917-03-26


 shell or shuck 1t which was type of work forbidden on the Jewish Sab- both. In His reply Jesus reminded them of how David and his followers had eaten the show bread from the altar of the temple which was lawful only for the priests to eat, and then added, "The Sabboth was made for man and not man for the Sabboth." It would seem that Jesus used this illustration of David eating the sacred bread to substantiate the idea In his statement that a thing Is not and cannot be made sacred just by law or by custom. A thing in the mind of, Jesus was made sacred, and ever remained sacred by the use that could and should be made of it. If 8 man needed to be healed upon the Sabboth day 1t was right that he should so be. healed whether 1t was against the Jewish Sabboth law or not. The observance of certain rights and customs upon the Sabboth day did not bulk very large in the mind of Jesus. Religion to Him was far bigger thing than forms and customs, 1t was not matter of proper observ- ance upon a day set aside as sacred. To Jesus religion was full and album dant life lived every day and under all conditions according to the stand ards of God. It was superior thing, in the mind of Jesus, for a man to be absolutely just in his dealings with his neighbor, especially with widows and such as might easily be misled and cheated: or to be gracious and full of compassion toward those in need: or to take 8 stand for a great cause even at ones own personal loss-these were nearer the desire of the Father than the ob- servance of day.
 Religion to Him was not small compartment of life but all of life; it was not just the perfecting and final saving of the soul but the saving of life, 1. the whole man and in the light of this principle he replied to his accusers that the Sabboth was not made just to be a sacred day which men should keep and observe, but that men should do upon the Sab both day that, which would minister to be highest development of all of life. Of course men will disagree upon what is for the high interest of men on Sunday, but there can not be any doubt but that 'this' was the principal of Jesus and is the gtrue Christian standard for the obeerv- ance of the day."
 for more liberal Sunday laws and said that this demand came from several sources One demand comes from thoes who have been reared under the con- tinental idea of Sunday, which is far more liberal than our New England ideal Another source of demand is from an element which sees an op- portunity of large commercial gain from the crowds which seek amuse- ment and receation on Sunday. An other demand comes from those who believe that the present attitude of disregard and violation is a bad in- fuence which creates a constant dis respect for law. They believe that it is better to have laws which may not be so ideal but which can be enforced than laws which are ever so ideal which are disregarded and disrepected.
 
 new emphasis which has been put upon play and the need of outdoor recreation. We are beginning to see that play is not just 8 thing to be indulged in as 8 pastime and when there is nothing else to do. Play and recreation are part of the normal demands in the development of man. There Is still another class of peaple h ~ah1 not that we may have more license on Sunday but that we may be able to censor and control what we do have and thus have . better Sunday. They believe that we never can enforce the present law, and that we do not want to enforce 1t in it's minute restrictions. and that we should therefore change the law so that a proper control may be exercised over whatever is allowed on Sunday.
 Continuing, he said. "Now as 8 minister am very much interested in this question. I believe in Sunday and in the church, or I would not be standing here. I sat through the dis cussion at the capitol last Wednesday and heard such demands for a more liberal Sunday as are stated in the above paragraph. What should be my attitude as a christian minister? Nat urally I favor the more strict ob- servance of Sunday. It would be my way of observing it. But realize that we are living in a very different age from that of our fathers and that from the standpoint of fairness and justice and finally the ultimate good of all things cannot be just as I or some others might desire. Our age is an industrial age, and . very busy one at that, which brings its pscultax