SUNDAY DESECRATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 90, 9 January 1908, Page 9

SUNDAY DESECRATION.

!■' WORK AND PLEASURE EXCURSIONS. RUNNING OF TRAINS, TEAMS, AND / - ; i STEAMERS. -.- INTERESTING DISCUSSION BY 'AUCK■I LAND PRESBYTERY. ./ Auckland, January 7. ; The question of Sunday observance .was before the, Auckland Presbytery last night; wtfon,the;Rov. D: D: Scott, convenor of a committee set up: to consider the subjcct, read a report which stated that there was a clamant; need for'definite effort with regard to upholding the spirit and principle ,of tho Fourth ..The decline in religious life was coincident Trith.ihe disregard for-'the Lord-s Day' l .Unless tho Chnfckoould hold this . da.y, her work in tho world was doomed to reach an ignoble close. Tho.principles of the Church were, flagrantly violated, by Sunday''desecration,' as the follovying . instances would prove — ) Fishing Excursions: . People ' left early m the day and- spent-., tho wholo time .ab this sport. ■ shown-,that, scores! of nieiitworo bein'gJost to Christianity by the utter rieglMt.'ofjyorship.'on'account of this:Su'nday pastime.''• ''' '• .'"jy Pleasure Excursions: Companies arranged for numerous trips,to* the usual -resorts, arid, lio excuse offered'could justify theso> against tiio■ religious and humanitarian: principles in tho law-of the Sabbath.,- Tha use. of all boats in the forry scrViqo;On Siinclays 'ougfit to be) , discontinued by/Cftristiansy.v Tho noted with regret "and disapprobation the proposal of, tho Devonport lerry Service to secure, more trips on Sundays. The Runs of Cycling Clubs: These were planned to take placeVdh Sunday, and must have a marked effect-.for evil 'upon.ithe .religious life of tho young men took part therein',week after week. . - ' With regard to travelling steamers, such, for example, as thoso leaving Onehunga in mid-afternoon on Sunday, the committee Would enjoin upon ..Christian people that they should-wait until the following day, and abstain from using the Sunday steamer. .Further, tho ease, witli which tho authorities permitted and sanction train excursions, to the ; detriment lof many employees, was greatly to be deplored. ' _ j Trams: The committee was quite, decided in its affirmation that tho trams should not run on tho Lord's Day, and that Christian people ; should not .'travel- by.'them. While,, the labour and pleasure' aspectsi'of the question blended together,'the committee would like'to see an encl, put ( to all unnecessary Sunday, labour, such, for instance, as keeping up work in factories, mills, and mines for the sako of increased dividends.- Mony people might be seen doing their garden wore .on Sunday, yet cases were not singular 1 . wherdf Chinese had been lined for a; similar; practice, such being an intolerable injustice.', Again,- thero. was, reason to believe that' a.great.amount of-unnecessary, domestio work took/'place/pn Sunda.y, which had the effect of;'depriving'servants of'their day of rest. -,'4'. i - .- ■ ■■■-•■ . /jUGGESnONS. .The committee made tho following suggestions:— ■ . (1) That other , cburches-.be requested to act with, the Presbytery in' thb- matter." i(2) That circulars be "sent to our officebearers, Sunday school teachers, and Bible class loaders, and that sessions be.asked to consider the same and report to us. ! : ■ (3) That special sermons be preached on a day recommonded. ■ In ' conclusion, the committee earnestly urged, all ministers, office-bearers, and members of;', .the Presbyterian' Churches to strengthen the hand of tho Presbytery in this effort to 'defend and maintain the religious and humanitarian significance of the Lord's Day. _ 1

i / THE DISCUSSION. Mr., Scott moved the suggestions of the committee as resolutions. •The Rev. W. Gray Dixon said he was pleased the, matter had been taken .up, though he. thought it would be necessary to modify some of the statements in the first part of the report. He had himself recommended delicate people to take a rido in the trams, on, Sunday. They could not recommend "peoplg;in''n'o. circumstances to ' travel on Sunday." At the same time he was in favour. Of; the main drift of the roport.: Hp. felt sure it' was necessary to speak out boldly on.-.the subject at the present crisis. We were'.hot -so very .far behind them, at Home, because; even in Scotland matters Wcro gofting very, lax. The Lord's Pay should bo rigidly' reserved for spiritual ends, and only ih so \far'.'as_ the'taking of trams, boats, or jbusesVcohtributcd to a spiritual end should it ~ be' encouraged. He himself would not hesitate to take a tram to church. A certain 'rfeiasure of Sunday travelling was necessary, ras country ministers knew, but it opght:;to be for spiritual :onds. : v . The Re'rj A. Miller touched upon tho question; as'it''-was affected by Sunday trams. It might'be consistent that as Presbyterians and

Christians*, they should, whenever they had an opportunity, vote for the restriction of i i trams/on Sunday, or .for'their abolition, yet l £ ;when trams, ivcro there to use them. It had f besji 'stated by tho papers more than once . that .it, was the intention of tho Tramway Company to,, extend Sunday .traffic in' future,.-

anjl ho .understood they intended doing it in nonp I 'Ction''with tho ne;v Mt. Eden and Mt. stanOn. ..-u . services. Christian people should >t) cjieir protest bo heard. HThe! Rev. Ci. P. Roby seconded the resolution, If they were to make their voices kjardfthey should, however,' bo unanimous themselves. He contended that people who wont .to fchurch in cars were keeping' the workers on these cars.from doing so. Every man, ;.woman, and child should have tho Sabbath rest. •The"Rev. G. B. Monro considered that it was inconsistent of. them, as ministers who had preached against tho inauguration of Sunday trams, to use. the trams on Sundays. The, ReV. v Gray Dixohsaid ho had : voted against Sunday trams bccause ho knew tho object,.was. primarily increased dividends and the encouragement of pleasure-going on tho Lord's Day;'Ho-was willing to lose tho benefit of a few cars for church-going people to obviate the greater oriJa, but if the proposal had'been to run cars, for church-goers he did. riot-know-that he could have opposed it. 1 he considered himself consistent. in using the trams as they were • running on Sundays. ■ Mr. L.' J.""Baghall, whilst agreeing generally with the report, thought the, matter should be looked.'at ;iri a 'moderate 'spirit. If they , wont to extremes tho general public would only laugh at theni. Excursions for pleasure on ; Sunday ; ought, to be discountenanceidj; but; a ;ccrtain amount of Sunday travelling was necessary. '. The Rev. R. L. Walker said he ministered to a. scattered congregation, and one which contained members too old to walk. 11l ovory case ho had given these a dispensation: to,;rido to church. (Laughtor.) He could riot toll them not to take a car. Wo were face to face with" the fact that religious sanctions did not appeal to a great many people. It was very sad that people who might not view tho Sabbath as Christians should do should flout their* disregard- in their faces. They had heard of the coming of the Continental Sunday. .Well, both in England and hero it hail almost come. In France there was a movement amongst those who were not distinctly religious people to retain the Sabbath as a day of rest, feeling that'the national physique and morale wero on the down grade'. This movement had considerable support. Those anxious to inoroase their 'dividends would exploit those unablo to protect themselves, and tve should, as a result, see more labour than ever on Sundays.,.-., . . t . After some further discussion the suggestions ''of" tho committee were adopted, and thc-ptpanible of the report., received.,' The committee, which was enlarged, was instructed. .to■ draw up the circular proposed, and submit the. same to the next mooting of' the Presbytery.