Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Title
- Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Author
- Morais, Sabato
- Date Created
- 1888
- Format
- 9 pages on 4 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 10, Folder 8
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3r49gt9h/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3r49gt9h
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx10FF8_7.xml
- content
-
133
About the attempt to make
the government recognize Sunday as Sabbath
88
Brethren. Spasmodic efforts are made, every now and then, to chain the State to the clogging wheels of the church. All whom a study of history has taught what a drawback will inevitably the success of that perilous untoward scheme must will inevitably be be, should try, with might and main, to prevent so great a check on human liberty. But the citizens, whose interests would suffer most by the consummation of the attempt, are the Jews of America, and they ought, in as quiet and digni--fied manner, as compatible with the object, exercise their influence to defeat it. Fortunately they are not alone in their just antagonism; others will determinedly protest. Now, none will deny the wisdom of suspending temporal pursuits one day in the week, in order to relieve the tension of body and mind. Least of all, Israelites could oppose it on moral ground, for if the Decalogue at Sinai gives as a reason for hallowing the Sabbath the necessity of commemorating the completion of God's creation, Moses in his repetition of the ten commandments in Deuteronomy, clearly alleges the other cogent reason, which was only indirect--ly expressed in Exodus, namely, that laborers as well as their employers might enjoy rest. [Hebrew]
True, to apply to Sunday the name of Sabbath, is a to distortion of facts, or to perpetuate a pious fraud, if the phrase be less objectionable, and one can scarcely suppress a smile on seeing ministers of the gospels floundering floundering on from blunder to blunder, finally to stand at some huge absurdity. Specimens of such tactics were received this month in the city of Washington at reception room of the Senate in the session before "the committee on education and labor." It was there and then tat a Reverend Doctor Byron Sunderland spoke on his pet project to christianize the constitution of the United States. Like some a number of his clerical colleagues he had urged the setting of the seal of national authority on the observance of the first day of the week. But he capped the climax of illogical talk, when undaunted by the testimony of 35 centuries frowning down upon him, he concluded with a mirabile dictum. "On Sunday Nothing" Our Sunday is the seventh day of the Decalogue." A new Alexander he cut the Gordian Knot. Till the Reverend Doctor Byron Sunder--land arose, none could master the Hebrew passage [Hebrew] "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." How grateful pro--phets and Sages must be to the Pastor of the Presbyterian Church!
Still, notwithstanding, the persistent inconsistency of the Nazarenes, are affor humanitarians must be glad, when sentient beings have are afforded a time to think, that, as Moses puts it, "Man lives not on bread alone, but on whatsoever proceeds from the will of the Lord;" that we live by the satisfaction of other and higher needs than the mere seeking of material substance. Would that the awakening of such thoughts were in all instances the result of one day's general relaxation, would that while physical strength recuperates, spiritual powers widen also. We should not have peremptorily to coerce people into obedience to the law of sobriety--a law broken unfortunately even on Sundays by subterfuge, and never perhaps more openly and shamelessly than during these church-festivities, when intemperance runs riot, and at its heel are heart-stabbing and profanity abroad, wife-beating and misery at home. Who would not rejoice, if what our neighbors please to call "the lord's day," partook everywhere in Christendom of the sanctity of the Eternal Lord's chosen day, glowingly described by Isaiah, as a restorative to the body and a delight to the soul; the day which was to be typical of a covenant between heaven and earth [Hebrew]
Yet, under the most favorable circumstances, Israelites would deplore a compulsory observance of that day by the arms of civil authorities. Encroachments upon the right of conscience have already been gradually increasing in numerous departments. Thus, by way of illus--tration, on the plea that the majority rule, our children are forced to labor under certain disabilities. They must keep non-biblical holidays, and often sustain losses in their standing at schools and colleges, for holding sacred Scriptur--ral festivals. They must hear readings that do violence to their feelings, and prayers to which they cannot con--scientiously respond. Only a few days ago, I was asked by some youths, whether they could, within the line of Jewish consistency, sing join in hymns in which the birth of the founder of Christianity is declared miraculous divine, and his advent, as salvation from perdition. To do so was distasteful to my young fellow-believers, but then the idea of being pointed at by teachers and school--mates as separatists, was also disagreeable. I could but advise to bear with the unpleasantness of being considered exclusive, rather than prove false contradict, even by a word semblance of singing, the teaching of Hosea "[Hebrew]"
"Thou shalt know no god but Me, for there is no Saviour besides Me." But the petty annoyances to which our children are subjected, and others of greater weight ordinarily felt by us, would be designedly made thorns to in our eyes, and stings in our sides, as soon as the federal government should set the signet of approval on the demand of the sabbatarians. Christianity, virtually become the dominant religion, would look askanse on all other creeds. Held at sufferance, they must then submit to inquisitorial searchings, and who can tell, once that Congress legislates on matters of faith, what persecutions may attend disputers? For, the rules contemplated are stringently severe. Let me quote a few: "No person or corporation shall perform any secular labor, nor shall any person engage in any play, game, amuse--ment or recreation on that day, in any territory, district, vessel or place subject to the executive jurisdiction of the United States......and any person who shall break the law will be subject to a fine of not less than ten dollars, nor more than a thousand...All assemblies, except for the due and orderly observance of religious worship are forbidden"
And who shall define the species of "secular labor" in all its branchings the character of "a recreation," the nature of "an assembly"? Why, a theocracy set up where liberty had stood watching on the ramparts. The Palladium of human rights converted into a soul-tormentor! They who condemn have a fling at Pharisaism, should ponder on the law of which the Reverend Doctor Byron Sunderland is an exponent. Not Pharisaism, but early Caratism itself, so inconsiderately slavish to the letter, that would rather let its followers shiver than have a let a fire be kindled by some Israelites on the Sabbath-day, might not suffer in comparison with this American Christanism which claims "to promote the ob--servance of the first day of the week as a day of religious worship." But it would not promote it, for religious sentiment is the growth of persuasive argument and of a manifestation of disin--terested love for man; never the offspring of coercion. It might breed hypocrisy, which fears the penalty im--osed, but not sterling piety and cease then from importuning at the portals of human legislation, ye unwise leaders. In the language of the son of Amoz, I say to the memorialists [Hebrew] [Hebrew]. "Behold! ye are as nothing, and your work is naught." The Constitution, whose centennial celebration, only last year, created three monumental days
in Philadelphia--the birth-place of Freedom--is not to be tampered with by fanaticism, while a day of human's wisdom, illumined by the flambeau of history, can peer into the future. The constitution will cover beneath her ample folds all that seek protection from the abuse of power, but never will she dictate tyrannical terms to those whom she has pro--mised shelter. Spasmodic efforts will may be made every now and then, to chain the state to the clogging wheels of the Church, but to no purpose, if we the coheirs of glorious invaluable communities keep on the alert; for, eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. To my brethren in faith, I say: your dearest interests lie in the continued and ever more remoter separation between the civil powers and the ecclesiastical. Too terribly you have suffer--ed by t reason of their illicit alliance. Fraternize therefore with the broad-minded, who will guard against a usurpation of any of the franchises guaranteed by by the American Magna Charter, but take good heed that your liberality does not transcend the limits of honor and propriety. Your religion bids you hold the seventh day sacred, but when that God-appointed day
and the following also find you defiantly deliberately engaged in worldly pursuits, you offend your fellow [?] citizens, and compromise the character of all the Jewish population. Beware of scandal and of the sin of greed which creates it. is a soul-devouring monster. Thank-ful to Providence, that has cast your lines in hap--py regions, prove your gratitude by a demeanour above censure, full of dignity and nobly consistent. You will thus benefit the cause of freedom at large, promote the welfare of your fell coreligionists in particular, and sanctify Him, who inspired His servant to write [Hebrew] [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "As the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I made the of all the the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cleave unto me, saith the Lord, that they might be unto me for a people and for a name, and for a praise and for a glory." And so may it be. Amen. - Identifier
- p3r49gt9h
- identifier
- SMBx10FF8_7
Part of Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
Morais, Sabato, “Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed September 19, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/83164