SUNDAY IN INDIANA

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 9, 1879

SUNDAY IN INDIANA.

Eighty members in attendance upon the Presbyterian synod of the Crawfordsville, Ft. Wayne, Logansport, and Muncie Presbyteries (Indiana) took the following action upon the Sunday question. Our readers will be interested to mark the progress of the agitation upon this subject. The report says:—

An item of special general interest was passed, and ordered to be inserted in all the papers willing to publish it, as follows:—

“The committee on Sabbath desecration report that they have had under consideration a circular from the ‘International Sabbath Association,’ in response to which, and also as expressing our sentiments in regard to the extensive and growing Sabbath desecration in this country, and especially in Northern Indiana, we recommend for adoption the following preamble and resolutions, which were recently adopted by an Illinois Annual Conference of the M. E. church:—

“ ‘WHEREAS, God has said, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” and we believe that we ought to obey God, therefore

“ ‘Resolved, 1. That as ministers we will oppose, by tongue and pen, and by personal influence and example, the desecration of the Sabbath, such as Sunday excursion trains, whether to camp-meetings or not; the sale of anything on Sunday at camp-meetings; the keeping open on Sunday of baker shops, tobacco or cigar shops, clothing stores, drug stores (except for the sale of needed medicines) and business houses of all kinds.

“ ‘Resolved, 2. That we will discourage the burial on Sunday of any person who could as well be buried on Saturday or Monday, thereby preventing interference with the various regular Sabbath services.

“ ‘Resolved, 3. That as American citizens we will insist on an American Sabbath, and if our foreign element like the foreign Sabbath best, let them go where they can enjoy it without disturbing the rights and privileges of the citizens of this country.

“ ‘Resolved, 4. That as newspaper men and newsboys ought to have a Sabbath as well as other people, we will discourage Sunday newspapers, and will teach our people that it is as sinful to buy newspapers on Sunday as it would be to buy groceries or any kind of merchandise.

“ ‘Resolved, 5. That we mean what we say, and that we will defend the fourth commandment, even if it renders us unpopular.’”