Sunday Closing Agitation in Jacksonville, Fla.
By W. A. C.
QUITE an agitation is going on in Jacksonville, Fla., over the question of Sunday closing, particularly the closing of places of amusement. The question is being freely discussed in a department of the Sunday Times-Union of that city, called the “People’s Forum.” Elder E. W. Webster has already contributed one or two articles to the discussion. In an article appearing under date of December 26, he presents, though somewhat condensed in form, the following clear-cut argument:— “Editor Times-Union: I have read carefully the pros and cons of this Sunday-closing question, but there is an element in it which I have not seen discussed yet, that of religious legislation, or the forcing upon some by civil enactments the religious ideas of others. There is in this an inconsistent mixing of sacred and profane things, of civil and religious interests, to which I would like to call the attention of your many readers. “No one probably has less use for, or less to do with, these questionable amusements than the writer, but I wish to ask a few questions in order to get at the real root of this Sunday crusade. I believe the whole effort is for the purpose of trying to uphold and enforce upon all classes the supposed sanctity of Sunday. Were it not for the supposed holiness of that day, these efforts would not be made. “I do not at all question the very evil character of many of these entertainments; but the question arises, Why stop an evil thing on Sunday only? Are these questionable amusements worse on Sunday than on all other days put together? Are they more harmful to morals on Sunday than on all the rest of the days of the week? Why not oppose and fight wrongs on all days alike?” “Every one knows that God did not rest on and sanctify Sunday at creation, nor command it to be kept in the decalogue; that Christ never kept Sunday, nor the apostles, nor the early apostolic church. But if it were the day commanded in the fourth commandment, or if it had been kept by Christ and the apostles, even then there would be no civil or God-given right to enforce its observance upon unbelieving and irreligious people, or upon other believers in Christ. “Are people who are compelled to rest from business or recreation on Sunday made better thereby? Is it wise to give non-Christians the idea that because we have a monopoly of religion, therefore we are the lords of the earth in the21matter of rights of conscience, and they must therefore knuckle to us; and that because they are not so religious as ourselves, they have no claim to religious liberty? Why not rather try to win them by love and Christian persuasion to obey the law of God and keep his holy Sabbath from love? In God’s sight love is the only meritorious motive in man’s obedience. To obey from compulsion or fear of civil pains and penalties will make no man a Christian, neither will it make Christians better Christians, but stultify the manhood of both. “If any church considers Sunday a sacred day, and holds either honest work or questionable shows to be wrong on that day, let it set the world the good example by disciplining its own members for any and all supposed desecrations of the day. It does not impart very much grace to unbelievers to punish them for the very things they see church-members do. “In closing, let me say that if we wish others to recognize our rights, we must recognize theirs also. How would we like it if the tables were turned and the non-believers in Christ should all combine and frame and enforce laws that would deprive us of our rights as Christians? Let us heed the golden rule, and do to others as we would have them do to us. Let us try in every Christian way to win sinners from wrong, but leave off trying to compel them to act as we wish them to act when it is not in their hearts to do so.” This is quite a model article of its kind. It is brief, the arguments are clear, consistent, and concisely put, and the ground well covered. Such articles appearing in the public newspapers where agitations of this kind are on can not fail to accomplish good.