The Sabbath in Deadly Peril
The Christian Intelligencer calls attention in a recent issue to the increasing desecration of Sunday in this country, and affirms that the Sabbath is thereby placed in deadly peril. Its utterance is typical of many that are being made by the religious press touching this point. It says:— “He must be blind who does not perceive that now the Sabbath is undergoing a serious assault; that troops of influences destructive of its sanctity and prejudicial to its integrity are widespread, swift and defiant. The deadly peril with which the Sabbath is threatened is being recognized with deep concern by all lovers of God and righteousness. The present aspect of affairs is appalling. The Lord’s-day prostituted to bacchanalian revelry; Sunday papers hawked about everywhere, even at the doors of Christian churches; games of ball and golf more numerous on Sunday than on week days; excursions and amusements of every kind; all show what this nation is coming to, except the people of God rise up in their might and come to the rescue. Christianity must be recognized as our governing principle; the Sabbath and our Christian institutions must be maintained in their integrity and sanctity; the people must do with the seventh day what the Commandment requires—379Remember it, sanctify it, keep it holy—or, as sure as God is the God of truth and righteousness, this nation is doomed.” That Sunday desecration is on the increase, is plainly true; but what is the cause of this increase, and of the general alarming state of affairs touching religion which is so evident at this time? Is it not largely due to the fact that the people have ceased to look to the Bible as the infallible word of God—as the guide of moral conduct and a standard of righteousness by which they will be judged at the last day? And must not this result naturally follow from the course taken by the clergy themselves when they interpret the Bible contrary to its plain meaning, as for example in saying that the command to sanctify the seventh day means that the first day is the Christian Sabbath? There is abundant food for reflection in this thought. The people are not fools, or blind; and there is every reason to conclude that Christian clergymen themselves, by teaching and practicing contrary to the plain word of God on this very point of Sabbath observance, have done much to lower that word in the view of the people, and thus to bring about those very conditions which they now note with sorrow and alarm.