Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-02-02
From the New York Evangelist.
THE SABBATH.

MEssRs. EDIToRs:-In your paper OF the 4.h
inst. the testimony Of John Richard Fare, NJ.
D. is referred 20. in which he maintains that if
it is the duty Of laboring men to preserve their
lives, and not TO commit suicide, or bring them.
selves to a premature grave, then 1t is their du.
ty to obse rye the Sabbath" The reason which
he gives for it is as follows, viz:
"1he ordinary ~excrtions of nan run doCn The
circulation every day Of his life and the first
general law Of nature by which God prevents
man from destroying himself is, the alienation
Of day and night, that reposc may succeed ac.
tion. But although the night apparently equal.
ICES the circulation, yet it does not sufficiently
restore its balance for the attainment of a long
life. Hence one day in seven, by the bounty of
Providence, is thrown in as "A day Of compensa.
ton TO porfe'f by it's rcpose The animal e,"'."
You may easily determine this question, as a
matter of fact, by trying it Oh beast Of b%ur'len
Take that fine animal, the horse, and work him
to the full extent Of his powers every day in The
week, and give him rest one day in seven, and
you will soon perceive, 10y the superior order
with which he performs his functions on the
other six days, that this rest is necessary TO his
we'll being. Man. possessing a superior nature,
is borne along by the vigor of his mind, so that
the Injury Of continued diurnal e~xcr,ion aud cx.
element on his animal system, is not so imme.
diately apparent, as in the case of the brute A.:
but in the long run he breaks down more sud,
denly. 1t a%bridges The length Of his life"
DR.. Gilbert Smith, late President OF the Med.
;,,1 Cr1laoo IN Nou, No,l. ,hor ro,J,- a..
statement of Dr.. Fare, says, 81 unhcsi,a,ing'y
subscribe to his views"
Dr.. John c. Warren, Of Boston. remarks, 81
concur entirely with the opinion expressed by
Dr.. Fare, whom | personally know as a physi-
clan o! the highest responsibility. The utility
Of observing the Sabbath as a day of rest, con.
sidered in a secular point of view, rests upon
one Of the most general Of the laws of nature"
DR.. Thomas Sewall, Of Washington, D.. c.,
says, "For a number of years | have been in
close intimacy and intercourse with men in pub.
lie life, officers Of the Government, Representa-.
tives in the National Legislature, and eminent
Jurists, whose labors are generally great, and
duties arduous and pressing. Some of them
~ thClI piINiiCHc DIS NcIl rs uu-
ty, to suspend their public functions while 9th.
ers have continued them to the gong down Of
the Sabbath sun. Upon the commencement O
the secular week, the one class arise with al
their powers invigorated and refreshed while
the other come to their duties with body ant
ton, therefore, in declaring it tt" as nv nv o nani,n
that if the Sabbath was universally observed n.
= day Of devotion and of rest from secular occu
patton, far more work of body and mind woul,
be accomplished and be better done-more
health would be %enioved, with more # wealtI
and independence, and tla, ire Should hare ia,
less Of crime, poverty, and suGering.'
In proof that we should have far less of crime
l will mention a few facts. OF 1853 convic,s
that had been admitted into one State prison
$50 were from a class Of men that had been
kept at work on the Sabbath. And of 2O3
brought to the prison in one year, 81 were from
the same class of men. A gentleman who has
been conversant with prisons for more than &c
years, remarks, both with regard to those who
had been c~apitally convicted and those who had
not, that they ordinarily referre! ,o,Ee violation
Of the Sabbath as the chief cause Of their c,imes
Another gentleman, who had the care of moro
than 100000, and has taken special pains 10 as.
certain the cause of their crimes, remarked tina,
he did not %recollect a single case of capital Of
Tense where the party had not been a Sabbath
breaker.
Here we cannot but ask, whether the men
who are keeping others at work seven DAYS in a
week are not injuring ,hem' Are they not les.
scn'ns their health, corrupting their morals
and debasing their whole character? Do thew
not multiply the crimes. increase the danger
and augment the burdens of community, La.
boring men need a weekly day of rest. They
have a right to it, This right, like the right ia
life, comes not from men, but from God. And
men must be permitted to enjoy it, or they mus,