Transcribed from the [1853?] Arthur Hall, Virtue, & Co. edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org using scans from the British Library.

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THE
SABBATH, THE CRYSTAL PALACE,
AND THE PEOPLE.

“GO YE, AND LEARN WHAT THAT MEANETH, I WILL
HAVE MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE.”

BY
JAMES BALDWIN BROWN, A.B.,
MINISTER OF CLAYLANDS CHAPEL, LONDON.

LONDON:
PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY
ARTHUR HALL, VIRTUE, & CO., PATERNOSTER ROW.
MDCCCLIII.

Price Sixpence.

THE SABBATH, THE CRYSTAL PALACE, AND THE PEOPLE.

The relation between the Church of Christ and human society has long been ill-defined and unsettled. The Church has to present to society, in its struggles and sufferings, an aspect in which the kindliness of human sympathy and interest is blent with the severity of truth; and this is always difficult. Between worldly compliances on the one hand, and bigoted formalities on the other, it is hard to strike the mean. Between the two extremes the Church is prone to alternate. This question,—“The opening of the Crystal Palace during a portion of the Lord’s Day,” demands the statement of the feeling and thought of the Church upon this subject at the present time. The spirit of a party is quite as significant as its acts and expressions, for that spirit is a living fountain, out of which other acts and feelings will flow forth; and as the utterance of the mind of the Church upon this great question will probably determine the character of its relation to, and influence on society for some years to come, we should watch most carefully, not over our words and deeds only, but over the spirit in which we address ourselves to this discussion. We must be prepared either to reform or re-affirm our first principles, as to the relation between the Church and the human world—for this is, emphatically, a question of first principles; it has been dealt with too much in detail; we must look to the foundations if we would settle it aright. Nor is it a matter of merely casual and momentary importance to which party we attach ourselves, and what cry we raise. The party will do more work on us personally than we shall do for the party. It is possible (it has been so before, it may be so again) that we may be taking for ourselves and for the Church many backward steps, by joining ourselves unthinkingly to those who, whether right or wrong, certainly are most loud and dogmatic in their tone. It is possible, that by calmly taking our stand on a principle which has but few supporters, we may find ourselves, though we appear to stand alone on earth, in holy fellowship with the clear-eyed watchers of all earth’s transactions, who bend over heaven’s blue cope to regard us, and with the God of truth and love. Therefore let us watch and pray while we thoughtfully consider this question, for it is a solemn matter, and affects the weal of the Church and the world, and our own with them, far more deeply than at first appears.

Before entering on the argument, I may be allowed to state, in a few words, the reasons which have induced me to place my thoughts upon this subject before the public. At the last meeting of the Congregational Union, I took occasion to state my objection to a proposed petition from the meeting against the opening of the Crystal Palace on the Lord’s day. I was, at the time, wholly unsupported, but have since found reason to believe that there was a large amount of hearty and intelligent sympathy with my objections which did not express itself. I wrote to the editor of the British Banner, stating the fact, and developing more fully my views. Since the publication of my letter, I have been subjected, in the pages of religious papers, to misconstructions and misrepresentations, especially from anonymous correspondents. This was, of course, to be expected; but hardly, perhaps, the singular want of comprehension, both of my views and of their own, which some of the letter-writers displayed. Having an intense dislike to a newspaper warfare, I felt it due to myself and many of my brethren to state calmly my views, and to advocate them to the best of my ability. Whence this address to Christian people, which I offer with sincerity and earnestness, trusting to their Christian charity and candour to give a fair consideration to the principles and conclusions which it sets forth. I have thrown my argument into the form of an address, which, for many reasons, I prefer.