Sunday Observance and the "Four Hundred"
By Editor
THE Episcopalians of Newport, and Middletown, Connecticut, issued a "round robin" against the Sunday revels of the Newport four hundred. The reason for this is that these "activities have insensibly grown to such an extent as to encroach upon the hours of divine service, and detract from the sacredness of the day and of the home, and, furthermore, set an unworthy example before the young." All of which is doubtless true, with the exception of the "sacredness" of the day. Only God can make a day sacred, and He has never given us any word that Sunday is a sacred day. However, the clergy say: "Following the authority of Holy Scripture, the church has formulated the following canon, the obedience of which is incumbent upon every one of us: "Canon 43, of the Due Celebration of Sunday.—All persons within this church shall celebrate and keep the Lord's day, commonly called Sunday, by regular participation in the public worship of the church, by hearing of the Word of God read and taught, and by other acts of devotion and works of charity, using all godly and sober conversation." Of course the true Biblical student will admit, as have many Episcopal clergymen, that the sanctification of Sunday is not "following the authority of Holy Scripture." But, on the other hand, they have the right to make the protest to all their church-members; and those who have joined that church ought to follow the canons of that church, and be consistent to the vows which they have made, unless conscience demands otherwise; and then they ought frankly, honestly, to say that they could not be bound by its restrictions longer. One of the great difficulties, we anticipate, in the enforcement of such discipline within the church, would be that many of the clergy themselves are too liberal minded. But high life in Newport society is probably not the best example to set before the young. Some of the clergymen declared that a certain Saturday night ball became an orgy, and ended in an "almost unbelievable disregard for the Lord's day." They say again, that there was a time when Newport, with all her fashion and gaiety, had some apparent outward respect for God's law. The institution of marriage was regarded as sacred, and there was not the gambling for high stakes at bridge which is now universal. As for bridge and the attendant gambling, it is only necessary to call attention to the fact that the laws of the State and God's laws are being broken. So general has the habit become that no one can expect to have a very good time unless able to play the game. All of which is true, and all of which indicates the deterioration and degradation of what may be called "high society," and all of which ought to call every sincere, honest soul back to the one standard of the Word and law of God, and the remedy for sin, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.