SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1836, 23 August 1913, Page 9

SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.

SERMON BY THE I?EV,. E. INGLIS, "The 'Weekly Day of Rest" was tho subject of a termon preached at Knox Church, Auckland (i'resbylcrian), on Sunday night, August 10, by tho Rev. 11. lnglis, late of \Vellington, who has ;u;-t i>een appointed to tho parish. Ho baid that 1 iu liugland, out of G00,0.00 men cmployed ou Uie railways, 100,000 had no Sabbath rest. In tlio United Stotes of America it was said that 3,000,000 worked on the Sabbath. Recently thero had been an agitation in Ungland to open tlio theatres on Sundays, but happily lie agitation was unsuccessful. Iu New Zi'.i> land 20 per cent. ol' t'lio workers had no Sunday rest. Many of tho Government officials suffered tho loss of their sou. day because of the work they had to do. How many of the polico had a Sunday oft'? We that tho police fuvo cost less than that of any force in Australasia. It was dear work if tho economy meant robbing them of a day of test. Alas! too ol'ten we saw and heard indications of people robbing God and Miemselves by working on tho day of ri-st. As convener of the Assembly's Lord's Diy Observance Committee, ho knew that Ihe ministers were largely silent on ihis important question. Tho timo iwd como to rebuke the scandalous breach of tl.o Lord's Day. Tho preacher told of tl'o advancing desire to secure tho weekly rest day on the Continent of Europe, and the good success they were meeting with. In New Zealand the Labour party had 'd reduced a Weekly Rest Day Bill, and they woro largely fighting- a lone hand; they ought to have the help of tho Christian churches, which stood idly by, and wondered why labour remained aloof. In Canada there had been a splendid rcork done in connection with Lord's Day ooservance, largely led by tho Romm Catholic Church. It would bo well for churchpeople to forget some things ;ii the past, and as churches stand shoulder to shoulder on great principles. In Canada 6(10 active branches were at work throughout • the Dominion, moulding public op'aion. and proving a factor that politicians had to. reckon with. If tho Sports Louiriv could cover tho land with a network of organisation, surely tho cliurcttss <xuld do so for tho preservation of the Lord's Day.

of Rudolf liucken's Philosohpy," by Dr. Tudor Jones, who is veil known in Wellington, having boon for some years in citfJ'Ko of the looal Unitarian Church. 11l his "Lifo of (ho Spirit" Eucken deals with tho struggle which is at present going on in tho endeavour to find "a spiritual centre for our civilisation and a perception of tho meaning and valuo of life." His new idealism, or activism, "sees in man. tho emergence of something superhuman, divine, ond eternal, anil makes this tho suro guiding star of its efforts," and gives to man's life a worthy content. It is needless to say that ha works out his theories with groat ability, and has much that is interesting to say about .tho part which Christianity and other religious ond philosophical system* liavo played in the intellectual and spiritual history of mankind. The book is ona of tho Crown Theological Library scries which has dono so much to bring the writings of some of the foremost. British and foreign scholars within the reach of everyone interested in tho greatest problems of life. The volume of Dr. Tudou Jones aims at explaining tho essential elements of Eucken's teaching, and show-, ing its bearing on modern science, philosophy and religion. Eucken's views regard, ing the meaning and value of tho lifo of tin Founder of Christianity is summed lip as followsTho personality of Jesus will l remain in Christianity, and tho world in its darkness will turn again and again to that palpatio proof of the Divine seeiu on such si summit, and endeavour to i-ejlo the same evcrlastinz hill of God l . "E<r» wo find a human life of Ibe ;nost homely and simple kind, passed in a remoto cor-, nor of tho world, little heeded by his contemporaries, and, after a short blossoming lite, cruelly put to death. Ajhli yet, this lifo had a*, energy of spirit which filled it to tho brim; it had a standard which has transformed human existence to its very root; it lias made inadequate what hitherto seemed to bring entire happiness; it has stamped ns frivolity, not! only all absorption in tho mere pleasures of life, but has also reduced tho wholo prior circle of man. to the iners world of sense. Such a valuation holds us fust and refuses to bo weakened by us when all the dogmas and usag<s of tho Cliuroh aro detected as merely human organisations. That life of Jesus establishes overman 1 a tribunal over the world; and the majesty of such an effective bar of judgment supersedes all tin development of external power."