, 1840-06-13

iol W great ln1uStlce 10 Inc mass OF ine PEG.
pie, and have formed n ve-y inadequate con-
ception of the dignity and elevation of the
human character, even in its lowest estate.
To all who have reflected on the science of
government, and arrived at just conclusions,
1t is known that religion is the chief element
which consolidates and holds together the
fabric OF society. In a great many countries,
1t is the force ostensibly and formally employ
ed for this purpose: in others. as with US, 1t
operates indirectly: buthow wonld it produce
the effect in either way, if the. mass Of the
people were Indifferent to it! 1t was said by
Gibbon that the introduction of Christianity
was one Of the principal causes OF the decline
Of the Roman empire. This was wholly false
in fact; and soundcr thinkers, reasoning on
a directly opposite view OF the subject, have
agreed that the civilizing and consolidating
influence of Christianity on the rude minds
of the barbarian invaders of that empire,
was the chief cause which formed the new
political creations that grew up out OF ITS ru-
ms. s.The kingdom of France" says Mon
tesquieu, "was the work of the bishops" and
we know that with the People at their head,
they governed Europe for several centuries.
In all this there was much abuse, but the very
extent of the abuse proves the strength OF
the principle. If the mass Of tile people
are Indifferent TO religion, how happened II
that the whole civilized world was thrown
into commissions iora hundred and fifty years
by the religious divisions OF the Reclamation;
convultiuns of which The great political rev.
~olutions Of our own days are among the Iadi-
rect results!
Or, to look more nearly at our own peo-
pie. and the cpmmOn experience OF daily lie,
what are the books that circulate most wide
" through all the classes of the community?
We know that when the popular works on
any other subject are sold by thousands, those
that treat of religion are sold by tens and
hundreds of thousands. Would this be the
case if the people did not feel 4 deep interest
in the subject? 1t will perhaps be said that
this difference is in part the effect OF exer-
ton. There are Bible Societies, Tract
Societies, Missionary Societies, which are
all busy in distributing religious books, and
this is the reason why they circulate so wide
Ily. But why are there no such associations
for the distribution OF books on history, poll
ties, and the other branches of useful knowi-
edge? There is evidently no other reason
excepting that the people take a much deeper
interest in religion than they do in any oil
these subjects, interesting and important as
they certainly are.
1t is said that Pablo devotional exercises
are regarded By the people as gloomy or
tiresome. How happens ii then that IN each
of our large cities forty or fifty churches
are regularly crowded every Sabbath twice
and that often three or four times in the day!
/ had the pleasure, not long since, OF at
tending an evening lecture in one OF the lar--
est churches in Boston where every seat up
to the top Of the pulpit stairs was occupied
and every alley filed with persons standing,
all listening with brcathless interest to a SER
mon 4 full hour long. There were probably
very few of this audience who had not at
tended church twice before on the same day,
and not one who was under any obligation
or compulsion to attend at all. In the less
Tricky settled parts of this country, where
the means Of assisting in the public exercises
Of religion are not supplied in the usual way,
the inhabitants of considerable extent of ter
ritory collect together from time to time,
and hold a permanent assembly OF several
DAYS for this purpose, under the name OF
camp-meeting. Is it probable that crowds of
people would co~ngregate from distances of
thirty, forty, perhaps a hundred miles, and
engage BY the week together in devotional
exercises, if they felt no interest and took
no pleasure in .hem2
Facts ike thrse sufficiently prove thai it
is not considered by the public as a gloomy
and tire some employment of the Sabbath To
devote il TO religious exercises. Where the
attention is deeply without being painfully
engaged, the frame of mind is for the time
agreeable; and ! am far from being certain
that any thing would be gained, even on the
score OF cheeriuIness, by substituting a differ
ent method of observing the Sabbath, from
that which is generally in use in this country.
1t has been my fortune to witness the cele-
bration of this sacred festival in some OF the
capitals of Europe, where the greater part
of it is regularly devoted to public sports,
and where the theatres are open twice as
long as on any other day of the week. ]
have seen the French peasants dancing un'
der the trees on Sunday afternoons, in then
holiday dresses-and | can say with perfect
truth, that / know no place in which the re-
turn of the Sabbath is welcomed with Sc