THE OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 14 March 1927, Page 4

THE OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY.

The questxon of the proper ODservanice of Sunday is now a hardy perennial, its discussion watered by argmnents on either side of^ ihe fence on the line dividing those of the old traditions from those favouring the personal liherty of everyone to decide for himself. In New Zealand, we we have in large part abandoned the teaching and practice of mid-Victorian days, we. are a long way from what those who fear its arrival term the "Continental Sunday," a phrase which includes geographically the still strong austere tradition of Calvin's town of Geneva. Scotland was, and Iargely remains, a stronghold of the old tea)ching ,that anything savouring of the secular must be abandoned on the Sabbath. Any older Scotsman, brought up at Home, will tell of the enforced piety, or gloom, of the day. Frequent attendance at the Kirk; only good books, if any, might be read; be was a fortunate lad who discovered a hook named "The Bible in Spain," obviously 3 good hook, and revelled in George BorroW's lively acicounts of his adventures, his vivid desci'iptions of horses and gipsies and other fasi cinating things. And now thex'e is a rift in the lute in Scotland. The Presbytery of Glasgow recently decided to issue a pastoral letter to its memhers, setting out a condition of Sunday not in accordance with ecclesiastical tradition. The Presbytery holds that the true spirit of the Lord's Day is one of joyousness which the Scottish Calvinistic Sabbath has icertainly not emphasised. The continual harping upon the sinfulness of those who seek recreation onthat day is, it 'holds, alienating many people from the Church. The Fourth Commandment is revered more than the true spirit of Sunday, as a day set apart, not for reSt, but for worship and joy. The Presbytery agreed with its special committee that Church memhers should aittend service on Sunday morning as a matter of obligation, a practice it may be observed often enjoined on the Continent and elsewhere on Gatholic peoples, and other occupations of the day should not be incompatible with such worship and the Christian. reason for observing Sunday.