Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-01

| TO the Editor Of the Eucning Phbltc bcdD.f'
Sir--The important point to realize Is ,nat ma.
| this discussion over Sunday concerts Is ON!
a straw showing how the wind blows IN ',sL re'a,
ton TO a larger question. the whole question
of the modern Sunday as such: what IL 'e' 'e'
what it is for, how it should be observed or,
rather. why it should be observed l am LOT
lenienCy in that observance, but am a9'
intent on the reason for that lenency.
There many things that force thls
ancient institution to q new reNaludtion'
The thinking of yesterday Will not DO toua!'
nor will the codes and catalogues oil former
generations serve the present one More
over, it Ia startling TO provision what grave
havoc the experience of war will work mere )
what 1t has done. and is now doing, TO those
crstwhile practices we once grouped under
the heading, Sabbath Observance. We VIII
all be influenced by the return of those NIL
lions of men who have seen and lived the
continental Sunday.
large and rapidly increasing portion or
the population has ceased to observe the old
kind OF Sunday Almost everybody is glad
of this. But that is not synonymous with
saying that It would he good to see the
breaking down of all conventional restraint
Tho influences are not all benefcent that
are at work 10 make this day merely holi-
day. 7 long to see the day first considered
holy. But then, after being so observed let
1t he used for all rightfu pleasure. This
was the idea in the old Hebrew phrase
Making the Sabbath a delight
The continental Sunday is not modern. ex-
cept in the form Of its occupations The
blue laws are not old except in the specific
things that they prescribe. The principle in
each case is the same that it has been for
centuries. We err if fail to distinguish
between that group of New England Puri-
tans as Il concrete cult and Puritausm as
an abstract mood or temper Of life. The
latter Is not quality in any individual IL
IS state of mind in large groups or sub
DIVISIONS of the race. 1t is the same temper
wherever you find it, the temper Of all those
who think they do God service when they
persecutc somebody else, of all those who are
champions of Il faith or defenders of an or
thodoNy, In so far as they cause some one
else TO suffer by it.
When we read Of Augustine. advocating
persecution; of Calvin. advising Somerset to
punish well with the sword Catholics and
FANATIC gospcllers' even of Fenelon. approv-
ing the DraEonadcs--these all were Puritans
lhere were Puritans left behind in England
ana ihcy stood forth in contrast to another
Grass Of their own day. In Scotland there
We're the "Cnco Gude," but there were also
the Lairds Of Killicranlie. There were the
tovenanters, as opposed to the followers Of
Bonnie Prince Charlie Earlier still there
were those in Italy as we'll who sympathizcd
with the stern, aScetic spirit Of SayouaroIa.
as contraSted with those who shared thar
other mood Of MaChavelli Earlier than all
there were of Greek philosophers the two
opposing schools the Stoics and the Ep,
cureahS While far off. in the Maccabean
nerlod' there was Antiochus Epiphanes, and
.h'Ie were Daniel and the Rechabites. Aye,
even carrier and earlier. Jacob was a Puri-
van "hiIe Esau. poor fellow. was not NV
polht - that neither of these was ri,L.
i6"'h were types, but both We're cNtrene
'' ly"S; lDE;;,,,., DAVID NJ STEELE.
Philadelphia, December 81