The question of closing on Sunday the gates of the World's Fair is one
that not only interests our nation but also the nations of the world.
On September 3, eighty members of the National World's Fair
Commission, and one hundred members of the Board of Lady Managers,
listened to the arguments of representatives of the American Sabbath
Union for closing the World's Fair Sundays. The arguments for Sunday
closing were presented by Col. Elliott F. Shepard, President of the
American Sabbath Union; Rev. Dr. S. F. Scoville, President of Wooster
University, Ohio; Rev. T. A. Fenley, Secretary of the Philadelphia
Sabbath Association; Gen. O. O. Howard; Col. Alex. F. Bacon; Hon. L.
S. Coffin; Rev. F. L. Patton, President of Princeton University; Dr.
P. S. Henson of Chicago; and Mrs. T. B. Carse, as the representative
of the W. C. T. U.
On reading the addresses and petitions presented by the above named
persons, I was surprised to see the diversity of names given to the
first day of the week. Some called it "the Sabbath day," others
"Sunday," while another class termed it "the _American_
Sabbath"--_none of them having Bible authority for the names given_.
This inadvertence might be excused if these gentlemen were not poising
as moulders of public thought and teachers of Bible truth, while they
are endeavoring to palm off Sunday upon the National Columbian
Commission as a "holy day," for which they cannot produce Bible
authority.
Nowhere in the Bible can they find any command to keep Sunday as a
"holy day," neither can they there find where the Jewish Sabbath was
ever changed to the first day of the week--Sunday. This change was
made by Constantine's edict, in 321 A.D., which was the first law
either ecclesiastical or civil by which the sabbatical observance of
Sunday was known to have been ordained. Does anyone claim that
Constantine was inspired? The sabbatical observance of Sunday, as
prescribed by Constantine, or of "the American Sabbath," as prescribed
by statutory law, is yielding obedience to the commandments of man and
not of God, and all their advocates are confronted with the Scripture:
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men." Matt. xv. 9.
As Dr. Francis L. Patton, of Princeton University, was the only
speaker who attempted to speak on the Biblical aspect of the Sunday
question, I shall direct my remarks to him. The doctor is quoted as
saying: "The Ten Commandments represent the high water mark of
morality. The Jew had contributed the greatest feature of the
civilization of the nineteenth century. The Sabbath had become the
inheritance of every civilized nation. God had issued His command as
to the observance of the Sabbath, and that command was imperative."
These words would be more appropriate coming from a Pharisee, but when
spoken by a Gentile claiming to be a minister of the New Testament, 2
Cor. iii. 6, they come with bad grace, and are not in harmony with the
Scriptures.
The Ten Commandments made on Sinai were delivered to the Jews alone
and never were intended for the Gentiles, for Paul said: "For when the
Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in
the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves." Rom.
ii. 14. An appeal to the law itself shows that it was always and only
addressed to the house of Israel, "to you and your children, to your
man servants, and maid servants, and to thy stranger that is within
thy gates." It cannot be proven that God ever commanded a Gentile to
keep the Sabbath. "The Ten Commandments," says Luther, "do not apply
to us Gentiles and Christians, but only to the Jews." "A law," says
Grotius, "obliges only those to whom it is given, and to whom the
Mosaic law is given, itself declares: 'hear, O Israel.'"
When the Gentiles first began to accept Jesus Christ, we read in Acts
xv. that the Apostles, elders, and brethren at Jerusalem wrote them
letters as follows: "Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which
went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls,
saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law; to whom we gave no
such commandment.... For it seemeth good to the Holy Ghost, and to us,
to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye
abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication: from which if you keep yourselves, ye
shall do well. Fare ye well." Here is freedom for the Gentiles from
the Ten Commandments and especially the observance of the Jewish
Sabbath, the most valued of the ten.
Romans ii. 14 plainly shows "the Gentiles had not the law," and this
constituted a mark of distinction between Jew and Gentile. But had the
law been also given to the Gentiles, the Jewish nation would not have
been fenced off from the rest of the world by it. The very fact that
they were a separate people under the law proves that their code was
not a universal law. Paul said: "For I testify again to every man that
is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." Gal. v. 3.
This is clear, only the circumcised Jew and proselyte was under the
law.
In favor of the Mosaic law, many advocates say that all municipal
governments are based upon it; but this only proves that it is not of
the Kingdom of Christ, because his kingdom is not of this world.
Christ's law is the "ministration of Spirit" "the law of the spirit of
life written in the heart." The Sinai law was the "ministration of
death" written on stone. Moses' law only gave the knowledge of sin,
Christ's law gives a far more exquisite knowledge of sin, and contains
the remedy for its removal.
We find, in Matt, xxviii. 18-20, and Mark xvi. 15-20, the final
universal commission of Christ, his imperative orders to all teachers
and preachers in the Kingdom of God. Everything else is excluded but
Christ's Gospel, and _his commands_. They stand out against every form
of sin, and they only are to be preached to sinners as a means of
conviction and salvation, and to believers as their present rule of
life; and to show that he is not subjected to, nor in need of any
former code, he announces the fact that "All power is given me in
heaven and earth." Here Christ sets up his supreme authority, removes
all temporary systems, and demands subjection to _his own gospel and
commandments_.
It would have been more appropriate for the members of the American
Sabbath Union, in their petitions to the National Columbian
Commission, to subscribe themselves "many Israelites," for they preach
the law of commandments more than the Spirit of the Lord, which is
life and liberty. Paul describes them, viz.: "But their minds were
blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in
the reading of the Old Testament: which vail is done away in Christ.
But even unto this day when Moses is read, the vail is upon their
hearts. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be
taken away." 2 Cor. iii. 14-16.
Doctor Patton is credited with saying: "If the nation and fair should
yield obedience to the fourth commandment they would be in a fair way
to the other nine." I wish, while the doctor was speaking, that the
Apostle Paul could have stepped in and delivered several of his old
sermons such as he delivered to the Galatians who, as Christians, were
trying to keep the law of Moses. I select a few of his observations,
viz.: "Man is not justified by the works of the law. For as many as
are of the works of the law are under the curse. But that no man is
justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for the just
shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith. Wherefore the law
was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith; but after faith is come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you
are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For all the law is
fulfilled in one word, even in this; thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself. But if ye be led of the Spirit ye are not under the law."
Gal. ii. 16; iii. 10, 11, 12, 24, 25; v. 4, 14, 18.
Paul also tells those "foolish Galatians": "But now, after ye have
known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak
and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? _Ye
observe days, and months, and times, and years._ I am afraid of you,
lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain." Gal. iv. 9-11. I can see
how Paul would be also afraid of these Sunday agitators, as they spend
much of their time in the observance-worship of days, months, times,
and years.
Under the old covenant God's laws were written on tables of stone,
while under the new covenant we receive the promise, viz.: "This is
the covenant I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord;
I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write
them." Heb. x. 16.
All who consider "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy" applies
to them, should keep the day in the exact manner prescribed for the
Israelites. There are seventy-seven positive commands from God to the
children of Israel regarding the keeping of the Sabbath day holy to
Him. Now, I ask what Bible authority has Doctor Patton, or any of the
Sabbath day advocates for ignoring or abridging any of these
seventy-seven commands? To obey _the law_, no wood or water must be
borne; no fire built; no victuals cooked; no domestic animals must be
worked, even to drive to the house of worship. To do any of these were
a violation of the fourth commandment. Is there a member of the
American Sabbath Union who keeps the law for which they are clamoring?
These agitators rush to Chicago, with petitions signed by hundreds of
thousands, and say: "If the fair is opened Sunday it will force tens
of thousands of employees to work Sunday," while their petitioners are
forcing hundreds of thousands of their employees to do even extra work
in getting up their best dinners for the clergy and visiting brethren
on Sunday; this they do though the fourth commandment says: "Thou
shalt have no work done," "that thy man servant and thy maid
servant-may rest as well as thou." Deut. v. 12-14.
No one can deny the necessity and benefit of man resting one day in
seven; but when any set of men attempt to make our legal rest day "a
holy day," and prescribe certain modes and forms of rest by demanding
that the nation discard their newspapers, conveniences, and
amusements--which are means of rest to the majority--because they call
them sins if enjoyed on Sunday, it is in order for us to "speak out"
and ask these reformers to produce their authority.
No man has the right of dictating to another how he shall rest. What
is rest for one man would be an unpleasant strain upon another; to
illustrate: The church people, mostly the wealthy class who are not
bound with labor's chains, can do as they please, enjoy all the
amusements--the ball, theatre, lecture, concert, card-party,
etc.,--throughout the week, so when Sunday comes it is a rest for them
to ride to church, glide up the aisles, listen to the deep, solemn
sounding tones of the organ, glance around at the rich toilets, hear
a pleasing short lecture, greet friends, and return home for a _nice_
dinner. The poor laboring man who has none of these things would feel
out of place among all that culture, wealth, and luxury, so he must
seek other diversions.
The members of the American Sabbath Union remind one of the Scribes
and Pharisees, who brought unto Jesus a woman taken in adultery and
said unto him: "Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be
stoned, but what sayest thou?" Jesus, totally disregarding Mosaic law,
said unto them: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast
a stone at her." So we can apply these words of Jesus to "the Sunday
agitators"--as law breakers--and say unto them, he that is not
breaking any of Moses' laws among you, let him first cast a stone at
the managers of the World's Fair.
When Jesus came bringing the light of the new covenant, he showed how
unimportant was this question, for we cannot find in the New Testament
where he ever recommended anyone to keep the Sabbath day holy. On the
contrary, he and his disciples were accused of breaking the Sabbath by
the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees.
"The poor we have always with us," and to alleviate as much as
possible the misery of the less fortunate is one of the noblest
missions of life. From dark, dust-begrimed habitations of a hot city
comes a cry whose burden is "Fresh Air." So throw wide open the gates
of the World's Fair on Sundays, that the wage worker may find rest and
enjoyment; for the rich can rest when they please--the poor must take
recreation when they can. Sectism is blinding humanity and turning
them from the old pathway to Jesus, the Son of God, who came to save
man from his sins. This "one day worship" is not enough, for God
claims our services each and every day, as every day is given us by
Him. God certainly must be jealous of nations to-day serving Satan six
days in the week and then worshipping Sunday (Constantine's law) or
Saturday (Moses' law) instead of Him. For their Sunday worship is
mostly vain show and pomp, fashioned as a crowd bedecked for a
theatrical performance, all of which is forbidden in the Bible (1 Tim.
ii. 9-11), which they profess to follow.