sunday under three heads-第6章

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employment　of　the　man　himself；　detains　him　at　some　distance　from

his　home　from　morning　till　night。　　Sunday　is　the　only　day　on　which

they　could　all　meet　together；　and　enjoy　a　homely　meal　in　social

comfort；　and　now　they　sit　down　to　a　cold　and　cheerless　dinner：　　the

pious　guardians　of　the　man's　salvation　having；　in　their　regard　for

the　welfare　of　his　precious　soul；　shut　up　the　bakers'　shops。　　The

fire　blazes　high　in　the　kitchen　chimney　of　these　well…fed

hypocrites；　and　the　rich　steams　of　the　savoury　dinner　scent　the

air。　　What　care　they　to　be　told　that　this　class　of　men　have　neither

a　place　to　cook　in　…　nor　means　to　bear　the　expense；　if　they　had？



Look　into　your　churches　…　diminished　congregations；　and　scanty

attendance。　　People　have　grown　sullen　and　obstinate；　and　are

becoming　disgusted　with　the　faith　which　condemns　them　to　such　a　day

as　this；　once　in　every　seven。　　And　as　you　cannot　make　people

religious　by　Act　of　Parliament；　or　force　them　to　church　by

constables；　they　display　their　feeling　by　staying　away。



Turn　into　the　streets；　and　mark　the　rigid　gloom　that　reigns　over

everything　around。　　The　roads　are　empty；　the　fields　are　deserted；

the　houses　of　entertainment　are　closed。　　Groups　of　filthy　and

discontented…looking　men；　are　idling　about　at　the　street　corners；

or　sleeping　in　the　sun；　but　there　are　no　decently…dressed　people　of

the　poorer　class；　passing　to　and　fro。　　Where　should　they　walk　to？

It　would　take　them　an　hour；　at　least；　to　get　into　the　fields；　and

when　they　reached　them；　they　could　procure　neither　bite　nor　sup；

without　the　informer　and　the　penalty。　　Now　and　then；　a　carriage

rolls　smoothly　on；　or　a　well…mounted　horseman；　followed　by　a

liveried　attendant；　canters　by；　but　with　these　exceptions；　all　is

as　melancholy　and　quiet　as　if　a　pestilence　had　fallen　on　the　city。



Bend　your　steps　through　the　narrow　and　thickly…inhabited　streets；

and　observe　the　sallow　faces　of　the　men　and　women　who　are　lounging

at　the　doors；　or　lolling　from　the　windows。　　Regard　well　the

closeness　of　these　crowded　rooms；　and　the　noisome　exhalations　that

rise　from　the　drains　and　kennels；　and　then　laud　the　triumph　of

religion　and　morality；　which　condemns　people　to　drag　their　lives

out　in　such　stews　as　these；　and　makes　it　criminal　for　them　to　eat

or　drink　in　the　fresh　air；　or　under　the　clear　sky。　　Here　and　there；

from　some　half…opened　window；　the　loud　shout　of　drunken　revelry

strikes　upon　the　ear；　and　the　noise　of　oaths　and　quarrelling　…　the

effect　of　the　close　and　heated　atmosphere　…　is　heard　on　all　sides。

See　how　the　men　all　rush　to　join　the　crowd　that　are　making　their

way　down　the　street；　and　how　loud　the　execrations　of　the　mob　become

as　they　draw　nearer。　　They　have　assembled　round　a　little　knot　of

constables；　who　have　seized　the　stock…in…trade；　heinously　exposed

on　Sunday；　of　some　miserable　walking…stick　seller；　who　follows

clamouring　for　his　property。　　The　dispute　grows　warmer　and　fiercer；

until　at　last　some　of　the　more　furious　among　the　crowd；　rush

forward　to　restore　the　goods　to　their　owner。　　A　general　conflict

takes　place；　the　sticks　of　the　constables　are　exercised　in　all

directions；　fresh　assistance　is　procured；　and　half　a　dozen　of　the

assailants　are　conveyed　to　the　station…house；　struggling；　bleeding；

and　cursing。　　The　case　is　taken　to　the　police…office　on　the

following　morning；　and　after　a　frightful　amount　of　perjury　on　both

sides；　the　men　are　sent　to　prison　for　resisting　the　officers；　their

families　to　the　workhouse　to　keep　them　from　starving：　　and　there

they　both　remain　for　a　month　afterwards；　glorious　trophies　of　the

sanctified　enforcement　of　the　Christian　Sabbath。　　Add　to　such

scenes　as　these；　the　profligacy；　idleness；　drunkenness；　and　vice；

that　will　be　committed　to　an　extent　which　no　man　can　foresee；　on

Monday；　as　an　atonement　for　the　restraint　of　the　preceding　day；　and

you　have　a　very　faint　and　imperfect　picture　of　the　religious

effects　of　this　Sunday　legislation；　supposing　it　could　ever　be

forced　upon　the　people。



But　let　those　who　advocate　the　cause　of　fanaticism；　reflect　well

upon　the　probable　issue　of　their　endeavours。　　They　may　by

perseverance；　succeed　with　Parliament。　　Let　them　ponder　on　the

probability　of　succeeding　with　the　people。　　You　may　deny　the

concession　of　a　political　question　for　a　time；　and　a　nation　will

bear　it　patiently。　　Strike　home　to　the　comforts　of　every　man's

fireside　…　tamper　with　every　man's　freedom　and　liberty　…　and　one

month；　one　week；　may　rouse　a　feeling　abroad；　which　a　king　would

gladly　yield　his　crown　to　quell；　and　a　peer　would　resign　his

coronet　to　allay。



It　is　the　custom　to　affect　a　deference　for　the　motives　of　those　who

advocate　these　measures；　and　a　respect　for　the　feelings　by　which

they　are　actuated。　　They　do　not　deserve　it。　　If　they　legislate　in

ignorance；　they　are　criminal　and　dishonest；　if　they　do　so　with

their　eyes　open；　they　commit　wilful　injustice；　in　either　case；　they

bring　religion　into　contempt。　　But　they　do　NOT　legislate　in

ignorance。　　Public　prints；　and　public　men；　have　pointed　out　to　them

again　and　again；　the　consequences　of　their　proceedings。　　If　they

persist　in　thrusting　themselves　forward；　let　those　consequences

rest　upon　their　own　heads；　and　let　them　be　content　to　stand　upon

their　own　merits。



It　may　be　asked；　what　motives　can　actuate　a　man　who　has　so　little

regard　for　the　comfort　of　his　fellow…beings；　so　little　respect　for

their　wants　and　necessities；　and　so　distorted　a　notion　of　the

beneficence　of　his　Creator。　　I　reply；　an　envious；　heartless；　ill…

conditioned　dislike　to　seeing　those　whom　fortune　has　placed　below

him；　cheerful　and　happy　…　an　intolerant　confidence　in　his　own　high

worthiness　before　God；　and　a　lofty　impression　of　the　demerits　of

others　…　pride；　selfish　pride；　as　inconsistent　with　the　spirit　of

Christianity　itself；　as　opposed　to　the　example　of　its　Founder　upon

earth。



To　these　may　be　added　another　class　of　men　…　the　stern　and　gloomy

enthusiasts；　who　would　make　earth　a　hell；　and　religion　a　torment：

men　who；　having　wasted　the　earlier　part　of　their　lives　in

dissipation　and　depravity；　find　themselves　when　scarcely　past　its

meridian；　steeped　to　the　neck　in　vice；　and　shunned　like　a　loathsome

disease。　　Abandoned　by　the　world；　having　nothing　to　fall　back　upon；

nothing　to　remember　but　time　mis…spent；　and　energies　misdirected；

they　turn　their　eyes　and　not　their　thoughts　to　Heaven；　and　delude

themselves　into　the　impious　belief；　that　in　denouncing　the

lightness　of　heart　of　which　they　cannot　partake；　and　the　rational

pleasures　from　which　they　never　derived　enjoyment；　they　are　more

than　remedying　the　sins　of　their　old　career；　and　…　like　the

founders　of　monasteries　and　builders　of　churches；　in　ruder　days　…

establishing　a　good　set　claim　upon　their　Maker。







CHAPTER　III　…　AS　IT　MIGHT　BE　MADE







The　supporters　of　Sabbath　Bills；　and　more　especially　the　extreme

class　of　Dissenters；　lay　great　stress　upon　the　declarations

occasionally　made　by　criminals　from　the　condemned　cell　or　the

scaffold；　that　to　Sabbath…breaking　they　attribute　their　first

deviation　from　the　path　of　rectitude；　and　they　point　to　these

statements；　as　an　incontestable　proof　of　the　evil　consequences

which　await　a　departure　from　that　strict　and　rigid　observance　of

the　Sabbath；　which　they　uphold。　　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　in

this；　as　in　almost　every　other　respect　connected　with　the　subject；

there　is　a　considerable　degree　of　cant；　and　a　very　great　deal　of

wilful　blindness。　　If　a　man　be　viciously　disposed　…　and　with　very

few　exceptions；　not　a　man　dies　by　the　executioner's　hands；　who　has

not　been　in　one　way　or　other　a　most　abandoned　and　profligate

character　for　many　years　…　if　a　man　be　viciously　disposed；　there　is

no　doubt　that　he　will　turn　his　Sunday　to　bad　account；　that　he　will

take　advantage　of　it；　to　dissipate　with　other　bad　characters　as

vile　as　himself；　and　that　in　this　way；　he　may　trace　his　first

yielding　to　temptation；