William Feilden Craies ; Note: Craies wrote only the section Law Relating to Sunday.The original article omitted the footer initials W. F. C.

“ The social condition of the early Christians naturally forbade any general suspension of work. Irenaeus (c. 140-202) is the first of the early fathers to refer to a tendency to make Sunday a day of rest in his mention that harvesting was forbidden by the Church on the day. Tertullian, writing in 202, says “On the Lord's day we ought abstain from all habit and labour of anxiety, putting off even our business.” But the whole matter was placed on a new footing when the civil power, by the constitution of Constantine mentioned below, began to legislate as to the Sunday rest. ”

“ On the other side, the Sunday League and other like organizations have been active to organize lectures and concerts and excursions on Sundays, and to promote so far as possible every variety of recreation other than attendance at the exercises of any religious body. Travelling and boating on Sunday are now freely resorted to, regardless of any restrictions in the old acts, and railway companies run their trains at all hours, the power to run them being given by their special acts. ”

“ He describes (Apol. i. 67) how “on the day called Sunday” town and country Christians alike gathered together in one place for instruction and prayer and charitable offerings and the distribution of bread and wine; they thus meet together on that day, he says, because it is the first day in which God made the world, and because Jesus Christ on the same day rose from the dead.
As long as the Jewish Christian element continued to have any influence in the Church, a tendency to observe Sabbath as well as Sunday naturally persisted. ”

“ In the case of six-day licences, no sale of liquor may be made except to persons lodging in the house. Attempts have often been made to induce the legislature to adopt the principle of complete Sunday closing in England as a whole, or in particular counties. [6] In the session of 1886 a bill for Sunday closing in Durham was passed by the Commons but rejected by the Lords. The advocates of Sunday closing in Wales have been more successful. The Sunday Closing (Wales) Act 1881 contains no exceptions of towns and the only exemption is the sale of intoxicating liquors at railway stations. ”

“ The lessees of certain places of public resort in London have in some cases obtained their licences from the London County Council on condition that they do not hold Sunday concerts, but the recent policy of the Council has been not to interfere with or restrict the giving of Sunday concerts unless they are given for private gain or by way of trade. The Council has no legal authority to dispense with the Sunday Observance Act 1781, which enforces penalties on giving entertainments to which persons are admitted by payment of money or by tickets sold for money. ”

“ There is no law in England against fishing on Sunday except as to salmon. Fishing for salmon on Sunday by any means other than a rod and line is prohibited by the Salmon Fishery Act 1861, and free passage for salmon through all cribs, &c., used for fishery is to be left during the whole of Sunday. ”

“ Most have been directed to the closing of public-houses on that day; but the Shop Hours Bill introduced in 1907 contained clauses for closing shops on Sundays, with the exception of certain specified trades. The result of the act of 1871 in London has been in substance to make the Lord's Day acts a dead letter as to Sunday trading. The commissioner of police rarely if ever allows a prosecution for Sunday trading. Sunday markets are usual in all the poorer districts, and shopkeepers and hawkers are allowed freely to ply their trades for the sale of eatables, temperance drinks and tobacco. ”

“ Sunday work is permitted in certain industries. As to buying and selling, Sunday trading is permitted for not more than four hours, local authorities being the power for arranging the time; they may also forbid Sunday trading altogether, if they think it necessary. Traders who do not employ workmen may not work for themselves unless the doors by which the public may enter are closed. On feast-days, employees must, according to their respective religious beliefs, be allowed the necessary time for attendance at morning service. Offences are punishable by fine ”

“ But a woman or young person of the Jewish religion may be employed on Sunday by a Jewish manufacturer if he keeps his factory or workshop closed throughout Saturday, and does not open it for traffic on Sunday, and does not avail himself of the exceptions authorizing employment of women or young persons on Saturday evening or for an additional hour on other weekdays (ss. 47, 48) . There are a few other legislative provisions of less importance which may be noticed. Carrying on the business of a pawnbroker on Sunday is an offence within the Pawnbrokers Act 1872. ”

“ Horses, carriages, boats and yachts may be let for hire. All games and entertainments, except licensed sacred concerts, are prohibited. In Connecticut Sunday recreation is still prohibited, but electric and steam cars are allowed to run. Sunday is a close time for game and birds (1899) . In many of the Western states base-ball, games and various entertainments for pay are permitted, and in some saloons are open. In many but not all the states such persons as by their religion are accustomed to observe Saturday are allowed to pursue their ordinary business on Sunday. ”

“ By the Church Building Act 1818, the bishop may direct a third service, morning or evening, where necessary, in any church built under the act (s. 65) . By the Church Building Act 1838, he may order the performance of two full services, each if he so direct to include a sermon (s. 8) . The Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880, which authorizes burial sin churchyards of the Church of England without the use of the funeral
office of that church, does not allow such burials to take place on Sunday, Good Friday or Christmas Day if the parson of the church objects. ”

“ Belgium.—Laws of 1905 and 1907 forbid work on Sunday to persons engaged in industrial and commercial enterprises, with certain exceptions, such for example, as industries which exist only at certain periods of the year, or which have a press of work at certain times, or open-air industries which depend on the weather. ”

“ Hungary.—By a law of 1891 and others of 1903 and 1908 all industrial work is prohibited on Sundays and St Stephen's Day (the patron saint of Hungary) . Certain categories of industries are exempted on account of necessity or the needs of the consuming public; independent small craftsmen who work at home without assistants are also exempted. ”

“ In these acts the word Sabbath is generally used as in the Commonwealth ordinances. The Sabbath Observance Acts were frequently confirmed, the last time by the Scots parliament in 1696. The Scottish Episcopalians Act 1711 (10 Anne, c. 10) contains a proviso that all the laws made for the frequenting of divine service on the Lord's day commonly called Sunday shall be still in force and executed against all persons who shall not resort either to some church or to some congregation or assembly of religious worship allowed and permitted by this act. ”

“ Nor in trading businesses may assistants, apprentices or workmen be employed at all on Christmas Day, Easter Sunday and Whitsunday, or on other Sundays and holidays more than five hours. The regulations do not apply to hotels, cafes, &c., or to theatres or other places of amusement, or to means of communication. Infringement of the regulations is punishable by a fine, not exceeding 600 marks or by imprisonment. ”

“ In Massachusetts, which may be fairly taken as representing the Eastern states, public service corporations, such as railway, street railway, steamboat, telegraph, telephone, electric lighting, water and gas companies, are permitted to serve the public in the usual manner. Public parks and baths are open. Tobacco may be sold by licensed inn holders, common victuallers, druggists and newsdealers. Bake shops may be open during certain hours. All other shops must be closed. Saloons are closed, and liquor can be served only to the guests of licensed inn holders. ”