SUNDAY TRAINS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1156, 24 January 1874, Page 1

SUNDAY TRAINS.

The debate upon Sabbath desecration in the Presbyterian Synod will be read with considerable interest by the public. On the main issue we must entirely disagree with them, but we aienot insensible to the improvement which has taken place in their method of handling the subject since the Synods of 1869 and 1870. We do not now hear of a multitude of things joined together, for the mere purpose, as it might seem, of condemning everybody that could be condemned. The Synod bends all its energies towards stopping the trains from running upon Sunday, and though ■we may and do entirely differ from them, and sincerely hope the trains will not, be stopped, we recognise the serious import mcc of the matter as bemng upon the seven days' work without rest of the railway employes. Four and five years ago, when the subject of what is called Sabbath desecration was discussed,such items were namedas sinful upon Sunday, as "strolling aboutthe streets," "private work in gardeos," &c. The proposed amended Sabbath Ordinance prohibited the driving of a horse harneased for ordinary labour except for the purpose of going to Church. In the report and discussion upon the state of religion, the Synod wa3 occupied in discussing " promiscuous dancing," " theatre going," and the like. We have got past all this. One eminent minister of the Kirk does not think it unbecoming — why should he I—to1 — to be present in a ballroom. The remainder are at least approximating; to a feeling of greater freedom in such, matters. The discussion on Thursday week bore plain evidence to the change. The arguments were those of men earnestly endeavouring to obtain the reverence for the Sabbath they deem essential without unnecessarily treading on other people's toes. If the Key. Mr Ryley may seem an exception, it must be allowed that there was considerable reason for his wrath. Courtesy, it would seem, demanded from the ministers of the Church of England some answer at least to the communication sent them. A sister Church sent to them a formal message through an authorised representative, and however much they may have differed upon the subject treated of, an answer should have been returned. Had they replied that the Sabbath was not a Divine institution at all, but purely Jewish in its origin and obligation, and that the rest day of Christianity was to be governed by diffei-ent laws, they would have done their part in vindicating what they held true, and might have stopped there. To return no reply was to act a boorish part unbecoming their profession. We therefore hold that Mr Ryley was justified in a good deal of what he said, and we trust that his words will not be forgotten. If anything is to he done to afford the railway officials rest, the Churches should act in unison, and we conceive that few positions would become them better than to urge the imperious claims of human nature for one day's holiday in seven upon the authorities. We must warn our Pres- ] byterian friends that the assumption in their petition that the fourth commandment is of binding obligation still, will of necessity prove fatal to its general acceptance. Too many excellent men and sound divines of every Christian body have held that the Sabbath ceased to be binding on the world some nineteen hundred year's ago for them to hope to have anything like unison on their aide, even among determined churchmen. Let them bend their energies, not to stop a co-called desecration upon a day which has no existence save among Jews ; let them call things by their right names, and argue their case upon grounds whioh almost all oan admit ; Tefc them claim for each servant of the Go*on>mept the free ri^hfc of

not ; let them urge the well-established fact that human nature requires rest, and claim from the State a practical acknowledgment of the right of their employes to a holyday. If they will do that without attempting to urge the acceptance of the Sabbatarian theory upon all, they will meet with a unity and support among all classes which can be obtained in no other way. To put the matter in another form. The obligation of the fourth commandment is at least a disputed point among Christians of each Church, probably among; Episcopalians as well as Presbyterians. There are many who hold it to be binding — many who think it entirely abrogated. Jl is impossible to expect anything like agreement ujion this vexata qnaestio. Are the guards, porters, ticket collectors, engineers, stokers, «fee, to wait for their weekly rest until this* abstruse point in divinity is settled? Surely not. Would it not be well, then, to declare what we all admit — that each servant of the State, the corporation in which we are all shareholder's, sha.'l have a seventh day rest, and to leave the more especial reasons for such rest being given to be decided upon afterwards 1 With any inteiference upon the part of the State with individual habits and customs, we have no sympathy. We will go farther, and declare that the stoppage of Sunday excursion trains would be a serious mistake. But the Presbyterian Synod rests upon very strong grounds when it urges the claims of the public servants to consideration. 'Tis nothing less than inhuman to demand from the workmen on the line a continuity of labour which is required from hardly any other section of the community. There must be plenty of men who are quite well jjrble to undertake the more" technics! part «, railway management upon the first day of the week, so as to give an off day to the regular officials. A petition to this effect would win support from all sections, ecclesiastical and civil, and surely half a loaf would be better than no bread.