If Sunday Were the Sabbath
By Editor
“If.”—The editor of the Christian Advocate, in an article against unnecessary Sunday bicycling, taking for his text an expression from a cycling paper, says: “Look closely at it: ‘Whatever is wicked on one day, . . . is also wicked on any other day.’ Because there are certain things, such as lying or stealing, equally wicked on every day, it is claimed that this is true of all things; and because some things are confessedly wicked on one day of the week, it is affirmed that these must be wicked on any other day. But neither of these statements is true. It is wicked for a workman, paid for his time, to neglect his work; but it would not be wicked for him not to work on a day for which he is not paid. It is not wicked for a man to carry on any ordinary business from morning till night on Tuesday; but if Sunday be a day set apart by God for the promotion of spiritual and moral life and culture, it would be wicked for him to carry on that same business on that day.” The italic “if” is ours. The word is well put in; for nowhere has God “set apart” Sunday “for the promotion of spiritual and moral life and culture.” The remainder of the article proceeds on the assumption that God has done this; but He has not, and every one who knows the Word knows that He has not. We have no defense to make for the demoralizing influence of demoralizing bicycle riding; but we do protest against the setting forth of Sunday as the Sabbath of the Lord.