Untitled article by L. A. HOOPES.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · June 2, 1892

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 7, No. 22

The Sabbath Union at Omaha.

By L. A. HOOPES.

THE mass meeting of the American Sabbath Union held under the auspices of the Methodist Conference, at Omaha, May 15, was an assembly of mark. Any one would have been struck with the assumption of ecclesiastical and civic dignity which characterized the gathering. There were present on the platform three bishops, nine doctors of divinity, Judge Lawrence of Ohio, and Elliott F. Shepard. Bishop Newman presided, Chaplain McCabe and Rev. Manley Hand, of New York, led the singing. Nearly 4,000 people were present. The speakers were limited to ten minutes each, and those who spoke were, Bishop Newman, Rev. J. H. Knowles, Col. Shepard, Bishop Warren, Judge Lawrence, State Senator J. T. Edwards, of New York; Rev. Dr. Carman, of Canada; Rev. G. S. Chadbourne, Bishop Ninde, and Rev. J. W. Hamilton.

Dr. Knowles gave the history and statistics of the Sunday observance movement. He said the American Sabbath Union, had nineteen secretaries who devoted all their time to the work of the Union and fifty-two others who gave a portion of their time. When he told what had been done to secure the Sunday closing of the World's Fair he was warmly applauded.

Bishop Warren declared “the Sabbath an imperishable commandment,” quoting the miracle of the double portion of manna in the wilderness to prove it, and then argued for enforced Sunday observance upon those premises.

Judge Lawrence held that the law had no right to legalize shows and expositions that kept people out of reach of the churches. In neither his presentation of the law nor the gospel did it appear that another Daniel had come to judgment.

Dr. Carman gave some facts as to the progress of the Sunday movement in Canada.

Rev. G. S. Chadbourne attempted to show that wherever there were lax Sunday laws there was also freedom of divorce, and crimes against the home were more prevalent. The court records of some European countries would hardly bear him out in this, but he avoided that class of evidence.

Dr. Hamilton was of the opinion that the State should observe the “American Lord’s day.”

It certainly must be very apparent that the trend of the whole affair was directly and strongly toward a union of Church and State. The meeting was held as part of the Methodist Episcopal General Conference, and one would judge from the tumult of cheers and applause which came from the delegates to that body, that they were captivated by the speaking, and that they hailed with delight the day when their hopes will be realized, when the Church will have power to enter the precincts of the State and dictate laws, and enforce the dogmas of the Church. It is Rome with her bishops over again.

L. A. HOOPES.