To such children of Sabbath-keepers as make the change of their parents from Sunday to the Sabbath, a pretext for turning Sunday into a day of carousal, although they do not themselves keep the Sabbath.
DEAR CHILDREN: It is no good report that we hear of you. We learn that you are taking a course, which must be a source of regret to every candid person. We hear that you not only do not keep the Sabbath, but that you turn Sunday into a day of secular employment or amusement, because your parents after having kept the Sabbath, do not also keep that day; and then you turn around and say to them, that if there is anything wrong in such a course, they are responsible, and will have it to answer for. Now what do you mean by such a course as this? Let us tell you that they are not responsible for any such thing; nor will they have anything to answer for so inconsistent a course on your part. Between your case and theirs, there is no parallel whatever. Why do your parents work on Sunday? It is because they keep the Sabbath; and there are six days devoted to labor. But why do you make Sunday a day of amusement? Is it because you keep the Sabbath? No; for you do not keep it. But you say it is because your parents make it a secular day. Yes; but do you not consider that they have a reason for it while you have none?
But perhaps you try to excuse yourselves on the ground that you are following your parents' example. Well, think on this point a moment. To make this excuse effectual you must show that you take the example of your parents for a pattern in everything. There is certainly no consistency in pleading their example for one thing while at the same time you are disregarding it in other things. Then we ask you, Why do you not follow their example and keep the Sabbath? If you make Sunday a secular day because they make it so, why do you not regard the Sabbath as a sacred day, because they regard it so? Your course too plainly shows that you only wish to avail yourselves of your parents' example so far as you can use it to gratify the desires of the carnal heart to do away with all Sabbath. This is not right. Such a course is unfair and dishonest. If persisted in we shall have to look upon you as destitute of all moral principle.
Again: Your parents keep the Sabbath; and it is their desire that you do the same. And do you never read that injunction of the apostle's, "Children obey your parents in the Lord?" We would both exhort and warn you to take such a course as not to be destroyed when the fifth commandment shall whet its glittering sword to execute vengeance upon all those against whom is written, "without natural affection," "disobedient to parents."
But perhaps your condition is something like this: your mother may be a Sabbath-keeper, but your father not; and you say, Father does not require us to keep the Sabbath, therefore we do not. Very well then, we ask, under such circumstances why do you not keep Sunday? Does not your father require you to keep that day? Does he tell you by precept or example that you need not keep any day? Then be it understood that the responsibility rests upon him rather than any one else. At any rate you cannot then look to your mother, as you go on in the reckless disregard of every day, and tell her that she will have it to answer for. She by her practice proclaims the importance of remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy; you by your course say that there is no Sabbath, or at least that you will not keep any. Say not that her example will have yours to answer for.
For our own part, we say frankly, that would rather see a person keep Sunday, than not keep any day. Man's physical constitution requires a day of rest. Body and mind need one day in seven for relaxation. This object is gained by Sunday as well as by any other day. At the same time we would not intimate that by so doing you would be rendering any obedience to God; or that, in the present light that shines upon this question, you would thereby be acquiring in any degree a moral character necessary to fit you to take a stand at last among the number of the saved.
We have thus endeavored to lay this matter before you in its true light and show you the inconsistencies of your course. We hope to hear of a speedy and permanent reform. We would exhort you to keep the Sabbath; but if you will not do this when your parents are not agreed in the matter, we would advise you as a matter of expediency to keep Sunday. Further than this we have nothing now to add, more than to remind you of the coming day when you must give account of your doings to Him whose all-flaming eye penetrates the deepest recesses and reads the slightest motives of all hearts.