The National Register. — London, England, 1816-03-25 00:00:00

4s i i .4,411; No. 429.—V01.. IX. THE OBSERVATION OF 7'IIE SABBATH. ABSTINENCE from secular employment is the first part of the duty enjoined on the Sabhath,—attention to 1 the exercises of religion, and to the moral cultivation of the I 1 mind is the second ; obedience to the former is necessary to the due performance of the latter, and when they go hand in hand, this sacred institution fulfils all i:e objects. Salutary refiees:enent from bodily toil, and rapid progress in mental improvement would thus become the beneficial I fruits of the same pelitie and benevoicet armngeme nt. I The allotment of so large a Renton us' our time as the seventh to rest, and the app: iutment of regular iiistrue- ; ton at proper distances, to expound to the assembled people their duties, to open the ;r understandings, or to lead their de oeions, leave nothing either to be devised or desired fe ameliorating the physical condi tions of the labouring classes, or exalting their ietelleee. tual capacities. Accordingly, where tile observation of the Sabbath approximates most to the injunctions of Scripture, and the practice of' the first christians, the people are always found the most regular in their habits, • the most improved in their unierstanaings, and the most • prudent in their conduct. An appeal on this subject need only be made to the inhabitants of Scotland, of Switzerland, and Holland. A Beale exhibiting the gradations of intelligence, of moral cultivation, and of religious attainment, discoverable among the lower orders of different countries, might almost, with tolerable accu racy, be drawn up from an attentive observation of the mode in which they respectively fulfil the duties of Sunday. The eeperiment etiay be tried very successfully, we are eeevinced, with respect to our own empire, the nations of the continent, and the States of America. It is almost unnecessary to add, that the rule cannot be ex pected to apply universally, excepting to the lower orders of society. The upper classes who receive a liberal edu cation in their youth, and who have access to books or other sources of knowledge during almost every day of their lives, are not so dependent upon this institution; but the labouring and less affluent orders, who have. almost no leisure excepting on the Sahleith for acquiring moral instruction, and no teachers but the clergy, if they impiously contemn the provision made for their benefit in this apppointment of their religion, or negligently fail to take advantage of it, arc lively to remein in hope less ignorance, or to advance in unchecked depravity. The breach of the Sabbath is with them not a solitary crime. Its forgetfulness is with them not an omission of duty, the effects of which can be soon repaired—the con sequences of which can be easily limited. Sabbath breaking in their situation, is both a test of the commence ment of certain irreligious and criminal habits, and a prognoetic of others; it filth iteliestes that they have made advances into the regions of vice, and that they have cut off the best founded hopes of their return. In short, it is equivalent to the extinetien of the best guard of the morals and religion of humble life,—it is a renunciation of the antidote when the prim iples of action arc poiscued. Accordingly, we find that those unworthy members of society who have been led on from one degree of wicked nee! to another, till they have rendered themselves the victims of criminal justice, lenient, in their confessions, their contempt of the duties and employments of Sunday as the first end moat heinous of tbrir o4i'enee .most Ail re ligieus obligation, all serious reflection, all moral amend ir.ent, all progress in piety and virtue ameng the lower orders, are in this country identified with the punctual ob servance of the fourth conumuulment. When we see it, therefore, neglected IT them, we may consider the in lcct as a sympton of general corruplion ; and may infer that those who abuse the rest which the law allows them for strengthening their principles, for improving their hearts, and acquiring the knowledge of the truths of christianity, are not likely to secure any other less favourable opportunities for eceuraplishing these great purposes. While we show the importance of attending to the duties of the Sabbath, we do not mean to represent it as a reason of unrelaxed seriousness, nor to reconintend its ob servances as a eystein of gloomy restraint. Nothing can be snore varied titan the manner in which it has been hallowed by different nations end in different ages; but the true medium between licentious 'free-dem, and ex cessive striceiess, has, we believe, seldom been found. To work on the seventh day, was with the Jews a capi- gatitinat PRICE 9 !,d. the hopes of man,—and of gratifying our imagination with the prospect of the mighty changes and revolutions which we, and the system in which we are placed, have yet to undergo. Out of each, or all of these, many im portant questions arise; and by each of them many re searches are suggested, which exercise the understand ing both of the teacher and the taught. The minds of the poor, the illiterate, the labouring classes,—of the young, the thtlightless, and the inconsiderate, if they 'follow the reasonings and speculations of their instructor in a range like that above stated, must be insensibly en l•arged ; by the exhortations and persuasions that he mixes in his discourse, their hearts must be ameliorated, and their aims exalted. Neither Plato nor Cicero could have imagined, that the time would ever arrive, when, by the simple institution of the Sabbath, and a Christian ministry, the lowest of our people could gain access to the knowledge of truths, or the conduct of researches, which, in their time, were confined within the breast or the schools of the learned. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, MONDAY MARCH /R. Conine' were heard in the case of Sir W. 'Awes v. Morgan. Further proceedings on Wednesday next. Petitioes againxt the Property-Tax generally wee presented front Berkshire and other places. TUESIIA%, MARCH The Earl of Sliaftesbur:. bronght up the Report of the Select Committee on East India Judicature. The Earl of Lauderdale presented a petition from Romford against the Property.tax.—Ordercd to be laid on the table. Wl!Mint/AV, MARCH 20. Counsel were finally heard in the appeal of Sir W. Lewes v. Moizan---,lntlgnwnt postponed. The Marquis Chohnondeley took the oaths and his seat. The Mutiny Bill went through a C,:iiiinittee. THUR.IDIV, MARCH 21. Mr. CREWE presented several accounts from the Ordnance (Mice. The Mutiny RAI, and the Marine Mutiny Bill, were read a third time and paimed.--Adjourned. FRIDAY, MARCH 22. The Royal Assent was given by Commisqon to the two Mutiny Bills. the 11 Millions Eselicquer Baia Bill, the Clergy Residence Bill, tbe Foreign Packets, and ( :71 pe of Good Hope Trade Bill. Lord DERBY prr'ented a petition from the Hope and others of the town of Lancaster, against the insolvent Debtors Bill. rAitittr+ Our laitto, Cou6titution anb itat34. MONDAY, AfARCI-I a t. 1816. tal offence, because, according to the conjecture of Gm tins, this abuse of it was supposed to imply a disbelief of creation, for celebrating the conclusion of whi..l? the Sab bath was instituted. Instances have occerred in the history of this people, where being attacked on the Sab bath day, they made no defer.~•c, choosing rather to submit to certain destruction, than to transgress a posi tive commandment !,), offering resistenx ; and we learn from the questions they put to oar Saviour, with what reverence they viewed it even at that late period. The followoes of Christ and his Apostles, though they chain e eed the (ley, contiened the institution, sod laid down the true principles of its observance, whir!' they strictly ad hered to in their own practice. Whets he corruptions of Christianity begun to prevail, the Sabbath, depending only on positive appointment, was the first institu te it that suffered ::tom ignorance and perversity. It was no longer a day set apart fur receiviuu• instruction, and forwarding the interests of enlightened piety, but : became a season devoted to the exhibition of unmean ing pageantry, or the licentiousness of dissolute pleasures. Ttie Reformation restored this divine institution to its former objects, and converted it into the most effictive ittetruments of human improvements; but the first Re formers, in renouncing the abuses to which topery had subjected it, passed to the other extreme, of formality and restraint. The severest laws were enacted n;etanst Sab bath breakers; the most innocent enjoyments were pro scribed ; no person was allowed to appear on the streets or the high roads, during divine aefyice : in some places the windows of private houses were ordered to be shut up : and, in short, every method was taken to associate reli gious improvemeuts with penanc4, mortification and gloom. The Puritans, in the time of Charles I. and of the Commonwealth, had proceeded so far in this literal inter pretation of the command, in this unnecessary and morose strictness, that, according to the sayilag of a learned judge, they were disposed to prevent even fhe workivg of small beer upon the Sunday, if they could have accomplished it. Our ideas and character are now changed, and it is to be feared, that there is at present too little distinction made between the day appropriated for divine worship, and the other days of the week. When we walk within and around this metropolis,—when we see every vehicle and animal that can be found engaged to carry its population from their homes and their dutics,—when we observe the haunts of pleasure full, and the places of worship almost deserted,—when we hear the noise of riot from the nu merous houses of low dissipation,—and consider the insig ni;lcant proportion of the poor, and the labouring classes of the community that tale the benefit of religious in struction, or devote their leisure to the concerns of their spiritual nature, we may see reason to dread that this country is hastening to the situation of the Catholic na tions of the continent, where the Christian Sabbath is only considered as a festival, or day of atauecment, and honoured only with bull-fights, with horse-races, with fire-works, with reviews, with concerts, and dramatic ex hibitions. If the people of England should ever arrive at this state of dissipation, farewell to our national gran deur, our public virtue, our constitutional liberties. The foundation of them was laid by our revered ancestors in religion; upon this foundation they have stood, amid the tempests ofrevolution ; and, by its removal, they will be shaken and overturned. Let, then, every facility he granted to the lowerorders foe attendiug divine service ; let every inducement be held out to them to enter the temples of their Maker. Sunday is peculiarly allotted fin• them,—they stand most in need of its instructions, and if its advantages be pne. perly improved, they must rise in the scale of virtue and intelligence. The field in which the ministers of the Gospel are allowed to expatiate is so extensive,—the topics they are called to discuss are so numerous, both in his tory, government and philosophy,—the moral and divine truths which they are required to expound and enforce are so important, and so universally interesting, that in the discourses from the pulpit, a great portion of human knowledge may be communicated to those, who, under other systems, would have remained in hopeless igno rance. The Christian religion, from its professed rove ! lations, its prophetic and historical character, furnishes t an opportunity of going buck to the origin of the world, • of tracing the migrations and political condition of the i first inhabitants of the earth.—of following the fortunes t of a particular people through a long sueeeseivn of ages, --of surveying the progress of morai improvement, under • the influence of new circumstances,—of observing the in . tentions of God in his great dispensations of judgesent • and wercy,—of explaining the mature, the relations, and FINANCE. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE rose to deprecate any endea- vour that his Majesty's Government might make for the exten sion of loans. He contended that Parliament ought to watch and take care that the system of raising supplies by loan did not involve the country in distresses more set ions, if possible, than it laboured under at present. The Earl 1.1 I.ll' r R POOL said, there was no disposition on the part of Go‘ , -rnment to raise supplies by any means beyond the establishment IA quire.] the the country. The Earl of I..ALiLRDALe took the opportuni:; to intim ss on the House the necessity of an early investigation respecting the state of the currency. He considered the Government end Parliament bound to meet the question fairly, and to give the public all possible information upon that important subject. STATE OF IRELAND. The Marquis of LaivsnowNE gave notice of the intention of the Marquis of Buckingham to make a motion on 7rjJuy next on the State of Ireland. EAST INDIA ACCOUNTS AN') SLAVE /MADE. Lord Grtnevit.t.e, previous to making his motion on the Slave Trade, which stood on order, gave notice of his intention to submit a proposition on a !more day t , .-.pecting time confu sion which Itittl long occurred its the account kept of the poll - it • cal and commercial affairs in the East Indies. Ilk Lordship then adverted to the state of the Slaves in the West India Colo. nits, and observed that it was necessary the House should be put in possession of intirrnrdb>•m respecting time operation of the Abolition Bill. The Noble Baron intimated his intention td introduce such a measure, and concluded by moving for copies of laws and regulations in force in the West Indies for the go vernment of Shim es ; also for all documents respecting time effect produced by the Abolition Bill un time Block population of the Colonies. The motion, after a few , observations fil' Lord Holland ang Earl Bathurst, was agreed to - 'rite Douse adjuar•actl. . _ norsr. OF COM NIP 70 , , aim 1:41", MARCH 11. Petitions a,zuilist the Property-Tax mere prm seined from Abermlem n, oice,ter, &e. The Marine :Mutiny Bill was reed a third timeand passed. Sir W. 1.1. m oil in presenting a petition against the Prol.ermy- Tax from tallington, stated his sentiments to be in unison with the petitioners. Mr. Bunton su asked whether any A ssistant Surgeens had been a ypointm ml, since the peace, in the Ards r Sir RRFN Mill replied, that IL le bad been three ap pointed, tile expenee of wuielm app,mitateuts would be faummd .a the Estimates. A petition was presented from Southampton against the P:so perty•Tax. Lord Fot.aEsTosi said, in Consequence of what had pie • ...1, respecting time senthamptoti 12 lug lost, t ing was talk sAturtia., una a. f gr,ny Lu deeds hod signed it. A Bt. Hen. Gentle that. haul called time pcgseas siguing the prtitiun Tool:cgs. Now, %Owlet they.