SUNDAY OBSERVANCE by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 17, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 24.

SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.

By Editor

ON a recent Sunday evening the assistant pastor of the First Congregational Church of this city delivered a lecture on Sunday observance. The published report shows about as many incongruous things as could well be packed into a discourse. We give a few specimens:—

Mr. Rader dwelt upon the origin of the Jewish Sabbath, which meant rest, and the Christian Sunday, which meant worship.

As the "Jewish Sabbath" and the "Christian Sunday" are both creatures of the imagination, having no place in the Scriptures, he has a right to apply any explanation he chooses. But neither institution ever had any existence in fact. The Sabbath is not and never was "Jewish," and Sunday is not and never was "Christian." As to "the Sabbath of the Lord thy God" (see fourth commandment), which was "made for man," not merely for the Jews, and which Mr. Rader is pleased to call Jewish, it was under the Mosaic economy decidedly a day of worship, as anyone may know by reading the directions for its observance. It was always to be observed by a "holy convocation" and extraordinary sacrificial offerings. As to Sunday, it would be hard to tell, by the example of its votaries, especially in the church that claims its authorship, whether it is a day of worship or a day of pleasure. They are generally more concerned about compelling other people to observe the day than they are about their own observance of it.

Mr. Rader also explained why the Christian Sunday was changed from the seventh to the first day of the week.

This will be news to most people, as it is not generally known that "the Christian Sunday" ever occurred on the seventh day of the week. Such a claim certainly needs explanation.

After deploring the fact that California has no Sunday law, we are told by some who were present that he said he did not know for certain whether the last Legislature passed a Sunday law or not. When a man undertakes to preach on such a subject, he surely ought to post himself on so essential a point as that. The last Legislature did not pass a Sunday law; such a bill was not even introduced, although there were some petitions presented for such action.

Among the remedies suggested for the "malady" of Sunday nonobservance we notice this:—

Have a civil Sabbath, which shall have a religious motive.

On this erudite proposition, comment is unnecessary. We simply add that all civil Sabbath suggestions have a religious motive, although there is generally a disposition to hide the motive, trusting that a future public sentiment will permit the dropping of the civil feature. Our last Legislature passed a law forbidding the compulsory working of employees for more than six consecutive days, but the particular rest day is not designated. The advocates of a Sunday law express the hope that this law may some day be amended.