A few weeks since, a meeting of the citizens was called, to devise some efficient means to suppress the violation of the Sabbath. A committee was appointed to report a plan for that purpose. I wish to inquire what that committee have done, and when another meeting is to be called to receive their report.—The evil still remains, and is certainly accumulating under the most aggravated forms.—Our churches are nearly deserted on the Sabbath, while every place of amusement and pleasurable retreat is thronged. Good authority states the numbers that frequent Brooklyn every Sabbath, at from ten to twenty thousand, and a proportionable number may be computed to visit every other island and place of resort in the vicinity. We have forty-five churches, and a population of one hundred and twenty thousand; admitting one thousand to attend each church, it follows that seventy-five thousand violate that command of the Apostle which requires Christians "not to forsake the assembling of themselves together." Let the citizens organize societies to suppress the violation of the Sabbath and all other vice and immorality.
"Sabbath-breakers" had multiplied to such an extent in 1815 that conventions were held in many of the counties in Massachusetts to see what could be done in reference to the evil. We have a report of the Essex convention at Topsfield, Oct. 4, 1815. The Committee say, among other things,—
Although moſt men, even if they have no regard for the Divine Being or the welfare of ſociety, when they know that Sabbath-breaking is offenſive to the great body of the community, will, from regard to themſelves, refrain from it, yet there are ſome abandoned individuals, who are ſo loſt to all proper regard even for themſelves, as well as their Maker, and their fellow-men, that in violation of laws, human and Divine, and in direct oppoſition to the wiſhes of the community, they ſtill continue to travel and labour upon the Sabbath.
Such perſons ought ſurely to be proſecuted, and made to feel that they cannot violate the laws of the Commonwealth, and profane the Sabbath with impunity.
If their conduct is ſuffered to continue, others will be emboldened to follow their example; the evil will again increaſe, and eventually become as great as before.
But if they find that they cannot profane the Sabbath without being ſubjected to the trouble, ſhame and expenſe of a penal proſecution, this enormous evil, which has ſo long been undermining the beſt intereſts of the community, and drawing down upon us Divine judgments, will be prevented. For paſt experience has fully demonſtrated, that wherever the laws are prudently, and at the ſame time promptly and faithfully executed, the evil will ceaſe.
And among the Resolves passed by the Convention we find these,—
III. Reſolved, that we earneſtly recommend to Tythingmen, Civil Officers and the friends of the Sabbath in every town, to proſecute, or cauſe to be proſecuted, without diſtinction and without delay, all, who are travelling without ſufficient reaſon, or in any way wilfully violating the laws reſpecting the Lord's Day.
V. Reſolved, that we recommend to all the friends of order, to circulate as extenſively as poſſible, ſuch tracts and pamphlets as are calculated to promote the due obſervance of the Lord's Day.