Year: 1875

THE IiU INO iUE HIBDIfH.


The report of the work done by the New
York Sabbath Committee during the last two
ycars-;hc ec,entecnth and eighteenth OF its
existence as a corporate body-has Just been
issued. II states that "Wliilo recognizing
" tho religions uses and obligations of the Sab
" bath, the Committee Iiew it chiefly as a civil
institution, aud seek to defend against en-
"croachmcrt the right of all TO enjoy its rest


Whether tho first day Of tie week shall be
used by each man to bring him nearer TO his
God. or. if that be granted, how il shall be
used for this purpose. is question for each
man 60 decide for himself. I he law assnredly
has no right to NEEDLE in this more than in
any other religious Observance OF belief. II
cannot force the atheist OF the jew to worship
in Christian church; but it certainly can
forbid any trading, amusement. OF disturb
ance which would hinder the great ma
iority WHO choose 80 to worship. So far
the Committee find the law and the Church
in unison. But as for the question of what Is
the proper Observance Of the day from n re-
ligious point of view, that is Il matter III which
the Church is divided against itself, and very
probably may require one or two generations
finally to agree upon. The Puritan and
ScOtch-Irsh element in this country has been
80 powerful as largely TO influence the habit, OF
the whole Christian community, even fth0so who
V dely differed with them in creed. Ii was the
Presbyterian Sabbath that the majority OF us
knew in our youth, with most OF the restrictions
and obligations imposed by Moses and all
of those added by Coyenanting dVinos. IL is
this Sabbath which is still 50 dear and necessary
TO many godly people, who look upon any
laxity in its ascetic restraint as direct
assault Of Satan upon the great Christian
bulv ark. II is only within the last thirty
years that protest has been made by an
equally large body Of the Christian Church
against this a>cctc restriction. II is hot, they
contend, the Jewish Sabbath, gloomy and
hat i, that VIC received from The Apostles, but
SUI lay, the Lonl's day, day Of rest and
happiness and joyful devotion.


NOW. neither this Committee nor any other
public body has any right TO manipulate The law
soas 10 force either Of these opinions or practices
upon the public. Each man can go back
10 the practice of the Fathers and compare Justin
and Oriycm and Eusebius at his leisure, and
decide whether he will observe the bare solemn
Scotch Sabbath orthc Tranquil bright Lords Day
OF other churches. But the only fact which
can be legally recognized IL The justice, the
ncxor,be necessity, both with regard to indi-
vduas md the community, of the observance
OF one day tn seven fer rst, and the still
hsher advantage whch results from setting
aside that day as sacred to onr religious
needs, whatever they may be. A. ii mere
matter Of cXpcdicncy it is as obligatory on
the State TO enforce this rule as to limit the
hours of daily labor or lie age at which chil
dren shall be employed, or any otter point
bearing on the actual material w,1l-b,ing Of II
nation.


Ii i. startling TO consider 10 how large ma
jority of the citizens Of this country the idea OF
a rHling Power is suggested only by the public
Observance OF Sunday. To this great major
i'y who do not 90 to church, who
never open the sacred book which tells of
Him, the weekly absolute cessation of trade,
and the roycrcnt public acknowledgment that
there il n God TO be worshiped, is IL steady
and powerful, though silent sermon. The
mere habit of turning on one day from hard
wo.k to the clean house, the better din
ler the good clothes, do much to remind
man that he is man, and not beast of bur-
den. The more free from the encroachments
of trade, or the temptations OF crime and
liquor. the day can be made, the more powerful
of necessity will be its direct moral force.
This the law can do. 1t remains for Christians
to make 1t not only a day of rest for the
laborer, but of eleyating rest to oicn the way
for him, as far as possible, to Nature, with
her eternal teachings, and to religion. The
law by recognizing the sacredness of the day,