Considerations on the Foundation, Ends and Duties of the Christian Sabbath, and the Late Measures for Enforcing Its Observance (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Considerations on the Foundation, Ends and Duties of the Christian Sabbath, and the Late Measures for Enforcing Its Observance

In some of these measures there is evidently, as to the parties engaged in them, so incongruous a mixture of religious - though misguided zeal - with the hope and calculation of worldly gain, that it is difficult to determine whether, in the end, zeal is to be the tool of worldiiness, er worldliness the tool of zeal. The probability is that each will 111 its turn be both the instrument and the dupe of the other. And as to their practical effect no considerate and observ ing man, it is believed, from the developements which have already° been exhibited, can doubt what is to be their ultimate results. What progress has been made within the last year in effecting their pra f'essed object of diminishing the number of those who occasional] travel on the Sabbath, or putting down such lines of stages or boats as run on that day, let the well known increase of both dur ing that period answer. It is unnecessary to allude to those obsti nate and embittered rivalships which this question has been themeans of getting up, or to these disreputable controversies and dis orders to the annoyance of the peaceful traveller, which have too often grown out of them. Equally painful is it to reflect upon the obvious and perceptible effect which is already discernable and daily increasing, of separating our whole community into two classes distinct from each other in most of their social and business rela tions of life - each of which we suppose must seen, not only ride m separate stages and boats, but with equally good reason, must take lodging in separate taverns, worship in separate churches °and, if they value domestic peace, intermarry each with its separate caste. Then will again be built up that wall of partition which forbade the J ew to have any dealings with the Samaritan, but which we had been taught to believe had been long since happily broken down by the more liberal and enlightened views of the christian dis pensation. If the church be indeed the salt of the earth, by whose savor the world is to be seasoned, how shall this be effected un less the members of each are brought into frequent, amicable and familiar contact with each other. But if the church elect to with draw themselves within their own exclusive circle, the world must c'en be content, we fear, to sit down with the loss of their society - each standing upon the strength of their own resources sustaining their own charities, and carrying on their own enterprizes with their own means, in the best manner that they may. Is it then wished that every tub should be left to stand on its own bottom, and be filled too from its own cistern?

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