In 1783, few masters would receive apprentices to stay in their houses, and yet from them an important part of succeeding society is to be formed; if they attended their hours of business, masters took no further charge. The rest of the time might be passed (as too frequently happens) in vice and debauchery; hence they become idle, insolent, and dishonest. In 1791, the practice had become still more prevalent.

"In 1763, the question respecting the morality of stage-plays was much agitated. By those who attended the theatre, even without scruple, Saturday night was thought the most improper in the week for going to the play. In 1783, the morality of stageplays, or their effects on society, were not thought of. The most crowded houses were always on Saturday night. The practice of taking a box for the Saturday night, through the season, was much practised by boarding-mistresses, so that there could be no choice of the play; but the young ladies could only take what was set before them by the manager. The galleries never failed to applaud what they formerly would have hissed at as improper in sentiment or decorum.

"In 1763, the revenue arising from the distillery in Scotland amounted to £4,739; in 1783, to £192,000.

"In no respect was the sobriety and decorum of the lower ranks, in 1763, more remarkable than by contrasting them with the riot and licentiousness of 1783, particularly on Sundays and holidays."

I have likewise a letter from the sitting magistrate of the city of Edinburgh at this moment, who states that, while the cases of outrages that come before his court throughout the week are about twenty daily,

on Monday last he had fifty cases, and that the general proportion on the Monday is perhaps nearly double.

One respectable grocer in my parish mentioned to me two or three shopkeepers in the neighborhood, who, besides dealing in spirits, sold all sorts of groceries on Sunday, and had far more business that day than any other. At the same time, it is almost invariably observed that these persons are unprosperous; their habits are never respectable, and they can never possess the confidence of well-disposed people.

The practice of keeping snops open on the Sabbath is manifestly injurious to the community in another point of view, as it leads to many outrages, which add greatly to the burden of keeping up a police establishment, as well as to the expenses connected with the administration of criminal law. There were repeated cases of the murder of wives by their husbands last year in Edinburgh, which were perpetrated, I think, on the Sunday, and which arose out of the practice of Sunday dissipation.

At the quarterly meeting of the Commission of the General Assembly, in the beginning of March last, (1832,) it was unanimously agreed to institute an inquiry, through the several presbyteries, in respect to the non-observance of the Sabbath, and its appropriate remedies. A circular was despatched to each presbytery, requesting information in respect to the "principal forms in which the profanation of the Lord's-day prevails; the influence of Sabbath profanation on the increase of pauperism, disease, and crime; the most prudent and effectual means of

remedying the particular abuses that might be named," &c. &c. To this circular I received fortyseven returns; that is, a return from about fiveeighths of the presbyteries in Scotland. The contents of many of these communications were highly important. On the influence of Sabbath profanation, in leading to the increase of pauperism, disease, and crime, the returns contain many very affecting and impressive representations. The following is among the most moderate and qualified of the answers to this inquiry:-"It were perhaps difficult to trace directly to Sabbath-breaking, any particular cases of pauperism, disease, or crime; but that all of them are often found in connection with the neglect of the Sabbath duties, is well known. The want or weakness of moral principle shown by Sabbath profanation, and the idling habits connected with it, must tend to the diminution of those energies on which health, industry, and virtuous character, depend. The desertion of public worship prevents the most invigorating and rectifying applications of moral sentiment; hence an increased exposure to pauperism, disease, and crime; though it might be difficult to estimate the precise extent to which the augmentation of these evils is referable to Sabbath profanation, that they have increased, is without all doubt." Others of the returns contain irresistible demonstration of the melancholy fact, that poverty, debility of constitution, and various forms of disease, as well as general depravity of character, many guilty excesses and revolting crimes, spring from this source. The following statement is taken from one of the returns on this head:-"Many of our parish paupers are persons who

were not in the regular habit of attending divine ordinances. It has been found by calculation, that the collection made by a common laborer, who regularly attends church daily twenty years, will do more than pay his share of the aliment required by the poor, even allowing double that which is usually granted; so that, supposing all the inhabitants of a parish to be common laborers, but regularly to attend ordinances twenty years, their collection alone would do more than aliment all the paupers of the parish at double the ordinary rate of aliment; and as, in some of our parishes, there are few dissenters, our poor's roll will show how closely connected the neglect of divine ordinances and pauperism are. In many cases, disease is the immediate effect of habits connected with Sabbath profanation; but its influence will be especially found in aggravating the condition of the poor when overtaken with sickness. The criminal calendar abundantly proves the influence of Sabbath profanation in producing crime; and we have it fully in our power to testify that the same influence is at work in leading to crimes which do not usually find a place in such records."

CHAPTER II.

MISCELLANEOUS TESTIMONY.

In the former chapter we have the testimony of various individuals, in various walks of life, presented to a committee of the British parliament, and by them to the world, touching the advantages to be derived to health, life, comfort, morals, and religion, by a due observance of the holy Sabbath. It is the design of the present chapter to group together similar testimony gathered from other sources. I begin with the example of "the father of his country."

GEORGE WASHINGTON. -In the "Anecdotes of Washington" is the following testimony:-"He lent the force of his example and authority to sanction the separation of a Sabbath, for the purpose of sustaining religious principle. Even in camp, no unnecessary duties were required, though it was well known that an enemy who burnt our churches, &c., accounted the nation religious and Sabbath-keeping; and therefore were in the habit, for vexation, of endeavoring, especially on that day, to 'beat up our quarters.' We know well, that, though burdened with the cares of the army, and the extensive correspondence and other official duties of his station, in an inclement season, and though his quarters were several miles distant from the main encampment at New Windsor, he was