The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1859-12-15
Sunday in Former Times.

The Puritan Sabbath in the villages
Of New England commenced on Sat
urday afternoon. No labor was por-
formed on the evening which proceed
ed the Lords Day Early on Sunday
morning the blowing of horn in some
places announced that the hour of Wor-
ship was at hand. Tn other villages O
flag was hung out Of the rude building
occupied by the church At Cambridge,
a drum was beat in military style; at
Salem a bell indicated the opulence Of
that city.
The public religious Services usually
commenced at nine in the morning and
occupied from six to eight hours, divi-
ded by an intermission of'ono hour for
dinner, The people collected quite
punctually, as the law compelled their
attendance, and there was a heavy fine
for any one that rode too fast to meet
ing. The sexton called upon the min
lister and escorted him to church in the
same fashion that the Sheriff now con-
ducts the Judge into our State Courts.
There we're no pews in the church, and
the congregation had places assigned
them upon the rude benches, at the an
nual town meeting according TO their
.Oge, importance and social standing.
a person was fined If he occupied the
seat of another. Our local histories re-
veal that pride, envy and jealousy, we're
active passions among the men of olden
times, and it was a delicate and difficult
business to "seat the meeting house,
as it was quantity called.
Many of the early churches of New
England had two 'clergymen-oae, who
was called the pastor; the other, the
teacher The Sabbath services were as
follows: The congregation assembled
at an early hour-nover later than nine
o'clock, After prayer a chapter from
the Bible was read by one of the minis
ters, Cxpoundod at length. In many Of
the churches, however, the Bible was
not read at all, and it took years Of ag-
itation to carry out that innovation A
psalm metre was sung, which was die
tated line by line to the congregation;
this service was usually performed by
one Of the deacons. The preacher did
not take part in the Introductory seryi-
ces.
The baptisms, cases Of church dis
cipIine and collections, always took
place in the afternoon. The "long"
prayer usually occupied from an hour
to an hour and a half, and many of the
sermons of this period make from a
hundred to a hundred and fifty pages.
There was a contribution every Sunday,
preceded by an appeal from one of the
deacous. The boxes were not carried
round, but the congregation rose and
proceeded to the deacons seat, and de-
posted their offerings. The magistrates
and "briof gentlemen" walked up first,
the elders next, and then followed the
common people
The trials of ecclesiastical offenders,
at the close of the services, often affOr-
dod much excitement and amusement;
for some offences a particular dress was
worn, and the "cOnfessiOn" of the often
der was listened to with much interest.
Oftentimes the public services were con-
tinued until after sunset, After the
bencdiction, the ministers passed out
of the church, bowling to the people on
both sides of the asle, as they all sat in
silence until the clergymen and their
families had gone out. Few persons,
we imagine, would be willing to 60 back
to those Sunday ceremonies of the Pu-
ritan Sabbath.