“PHYSICIAN, heal thyself,” is most applicable to the Sunday-enforcement champions. While posing as reformers and attempting to cure the Sunday-breaking malady, it is ever and anon apparent that they themselves are in dire need of a cure for selfishness, private ambition, and carnality in their chronic stages.
The last meeting of the Pennsylvania Sabbath (Sunday) Association, held at Williamsport, Nov. 29, 1894, was marked with a disgraceful contention between leaders over the distribution of territory, the term “wrangling” being applied by each party to the other’s conduct.
However, the latest wrangle among these self-appointed custodians of other people’s morals is between “Rev.” Edward Thompson, “general manager of the Sunday League of America,” and “Rev.” J. H. Knowles, secretary of the American Sabbath (Sunday) Union. Mr. Thompson, who has been operating in the West, recently came East, as it would appear to look for a job, and in order to aid in securing one, commenced distributing Sunday League literature and availing himself of every opportunity to speak and “lift a collection.” Soon after, Mr. Knowles met Mr. Thompson on the streets of New York and challenged his right to invade his territory. Mr. Thompson replied as follows,—if Mr. Knowles’ public statement before the New York Methodist Ministers’ Monday morning meeting (Jan. 7), in the presence of Mr. Thompson, can be believed:—
Oh, this is only a temporary affair. You see I am seeking a pastorate East, and this is one of the ways I have of getting known.
Mr. Thompson was very angry at his brother for thus publicly betraying his confidence, and said:—
I did not know that what I said to him in confidence he would blabber all over the city and injure me in preventing me from getting a hearing before the more important churches.
After much bitter contention Dr. J. M. King, president of the Law and Order League of America,—the inquisitorial annex of the Sabbath Association,—raised applause by declaring, with much warmth, “Dr. Knowles needs no certificate of character from this conference, and any son of a bishop or of Gabriel who comes here to offer attacks on Dr. Knowles has come to the wrong market with his wares.”
All this is very fitting; these builders of the American image of the papacy act their part well. How all this reads like the rows of the Roman Catholic bishops when in the councils of the early centuries they legislated on what men should believe and thereby built the papacy. [21]