The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-12-17
THE PUPIL NOT A UNIT FOR a
PURITAN SABBATH

The following extracts from the ser
mons of two eminent divines, one Dr.
William It. Manning, rector of Trinity
church, New York city; the other
from DIR. Arthur c. Baldwin, a leading
Baptist minister of Philadelphia, show
that the pulpit is not unit in favor
of the return to the Puritan Sabbath.
DIR. Manning says:
81 am far indeed from supporting
or indorsing the campaign for stricter
Sunday laws and return to the Puri-
tan observance of the day. That cam
paign. if the announcements are cor
rect, is one of those well meant efforts
which do harm to the cause they mean
to support. The movement is narrow
and impractical. Such a method
would do more to drive religion out CT
the hearts of the people than into
them. The Lords Day is one of the
foundations of religion and Christian
life, but wes have no right to try to
compel it's religious observance by law.
The law should restrain unnecessary
business on that day and secure to all,
as far as possible, freedom from the
unusual employments, to facilitate OBJ
servance of religious worship. No fur
Their should the law go. Any return by
law or otherwise to the Puritan Sun
day is the very thing we want to get
away from. The present laxity on the
day is the reaction from that exagger-
alton The Puritans were a great peo-
ple The world owes much to them,
but they made some mistakes, like the
rest of us. One of their most serious
mistakes was the taking CT too gloomy
view of religion and life and basing
observance of Sunday on the Fourth
Commandment of the old law"
Dr. Baldwin says:
"Times have changed since the ear
ly laws were made. Their literal en-
forcement is impossible. But it is a
dangerous thing to engage in a selec-
tive process, to choose some parts fer
literal application and neglect others.
Either the laws must be enforced in
their entirety or there must be an in
depreciation of their spirit, as the
mayor is attempting, according to the
changed conditions of modern life.
favor the latter method until wiser
laws can be framed. Religious obser-
vances should not be enforced by laws.
If we Christians can do this, we should
not deny that the Jews may do it with
Saturday, or Mohammedans, If there
were enough of them, with Friday. But
that would soon be persecution for.
somebody. There should rather be a
separation of church and state We
would appeal to the law only when
our own definite rights are attacked
Let us have laws that protect us and
gives to each a day of rest from secu-
lar toll; laws, therefore,, that reduce
business affairs to minimum. Then
let each one use the day according to
ais conscience and with liberty, sc
long as he does not interfere with
another's rights. The present attacks
are negative. They merely aim to pro-
hibit. The Puritan day was great be-
cause of its positives. 1t was not their
denlals but their devotion, not their
prohibitions but ehir faith. The old
uay VIII not be restored by striking
something out. Give us movement
within the churches to put more into
the day; more faith, love and devo.
ton. We shall not redeem it by MAX.
ing 1t vacuum. Net laws. but chr;s
tlan conscience, is the remedy onIv
as the day means more to ne vii, =
mean more to the world"