THE Philadelphia authorities recently arrested several persons for manufacturing clothing on Sunday. The accused were all found guilty, and fined under the law of 1794.
THE Christian Statesman complains that “the Government examiner continues his examination of the Commercial Bank of New York through the Sabbath, keeping half a dozen persons at Sunday work.”
THE Advent Review and Sabbath Herald of the 29th ult. states that several Seventh-day Adventists have been banished to Siberia, by the Russian authorities, for their faith. In this country they are only imprisoned and worked in the chain-gang, but the principle is the same.
THE Stein injunction still lives to trouble both the Sunday closers and the Sunday openers. The Sunday Fair does not pay, lent open gates are none the less offensive to the friends of the so-called “American Sabbath.” Mr. Crafts says that “this farce has ceased to be funny, and has become tiresome.”
THE Christian Statesman accounts for the increased attendance at the World’s Fair by saying: “It is evident that most of the Christian people who refused to attend during authorized Sunday opening do not consider the nominal re-opening under the Stein injunction anything more than a technicality, closing having been practically achieved.”
MARKED papers have been sent to us containing statements very damaging to the reputation of the author of one of the Sunday bills recently before Congress. The facts are that the gentleman is charged with seduction and breach of promise by a young lady, who says that he agreed to marry her in the event of his wife’s death. His wife did die, and he subsequently married another lady; hence the suit. The case has not yet been tried, and we are not warranted in assuming the guilt of the defendant and defaming him before the world. But even if guilty that fact could in no way affect the merits of the Sunday bill which he introduced, If a worthy measure, it could be none the less so because of the bad character of its author; while on the other hand, improper legislation does not become proper because of the good character of those who advocate it. The SENTINEL deals with principles not with men.
THAT clerical mountebank, “Father” McGlynn, has at last been permitted to “say” low mass, at which his Protestant (?) admirers are highly elated, forgetting that the sacrifice of the mass is abominable idolatry. McGlynn is and always has been a Romanist, and some of his utterances show him to be a very silly one at that.
THE Union Signal says of the meeting of the World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union to take place in Chicago in October, “May we come up to this city of seven thousand saloons on the 16th of October, trusting as of old in the God of Jacob!” All good people will certainly wish that it might be even so, but the events of the past five years have not been such as to inspire confidence that such will be the case. The trust of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union has for some years been not in the God of Jacob, but in human governments.
THOSE Protestants who have been indulging a hope that Roman Catholics in the United States were about to become hopelessly divided over the school question, and the Corrigan-Satolli imbroglio would better learn to depend on correct principles rather than on factional disputes among their enemies. The monsignor and archbishop have settled their differences, and the worm that was to have eaten the Romish gourd in the United States is dead. Rome is fast sapping the bulwarks of American liberty, and thousands of so-called Protestants, “degenerate sons of noble fathers,” are giving her active aid and sympathy.
THE Ministerial Alliance of Denver recently prepared a memorial to be sent to the President asking that he fix a day for national prayer and fasting. The address refers to the existing financial distress and the great legalized sins of the Nation, and petitions the President to set aside a day when the people shall gather in their accustomed places of worship and pray that the Nation may be rightly guided in its present sore distress. Commenting upon this fact the Catholic Review says:—
That is always the way with the ministers—looking to the State to do the work of the Church. Let them appoint a day themselves for ecclesiastical observance and request all other congregations to do the same. The President has enough to do to fulfill the duties of his secular office without meddling in the religious matters of prayer and fasting by the people.
What the Review says is true enough, but it comes with poor grace from such a source.
FELIX R. BRUNOT, President of the National Reform Association, has issued a call for “a national gathering of the friends of the Christian Sabbath and all other Christian features of our national life, with a view to secure for them abiding and authoritative expression in fundamental law,” to be held in the First United Presbyterian Church, Union Ave., in the City of Allegheny, Pa., November 14, 15 and 16, 1893. The first meeting will be at 7:30 o’clock, P.M., November 14. Mr. Brunot says:—
The whole country has been stirred by the struggle for the S’ bath. And now that the victory has been won, let the fruits be secured. Let the Christian Sabbath sentiment of the United States be crystallized in some appropriate and permanent national and legal form.
It is thus evident that the success of the National Reformers in securing congressional recognition of Sunday only encourages them to demand still greater things. The conflict has only begun.
SPEAKING of the World’s Congress of Religions to be held in Chicago, September 11-27, the New York Observer says: “The discussions will be friendly, not controversial.” But to the Catholics has been assigned the first place. The address of welcome will be delivered by Most Rev. P. A. Feehan, D. D., Archbishop of Chicago, and to this there will be it response by Right Rev. Mgr. Gadd, Vicar General, Manchester, England, and His Eminence Cardinal Moran, Archbishop of Sydney, Australia. These men will laud “the church” to the skies, and as there is to be no controversy, the speakers who come after them must either give silent consent or else lay themselves open to the charge of making an unseemly attack on “brethren.” Rome is certain to get more out of this monstrous humbug parliament than all other denominations combined.