and relief may be tantamount to arbitrary restriction. If, for instance, we so contrive it that a tailor a shoemaker, a clerk or any other person engaged in a sedentary occupation, shall conpulsorily exchange his seat at home for, perhaps, a less comfortable one at church or chapel, and that as often as three times a day, we ask, in all seriousness, to what extent and in what manner do we confer a benefit on that man? We believe it is one of the maxims of the Lords Day Observance Society that the more rest a man allows himself on Sunday, the more labour he will be capable of during the other days of the week. We are willing to endorse this idea, but let us understand what it is that constitutes an actual day of rest. To all such as are engaged in muscular occupations, and exercise in the open air during the six working days, it is undeniably a rest to abstain therefrom every seventh day; and equally is it a recreation both to mind and body for them to spend the day in a quiet and devout manner; but to the hundreds of
thousands whose lot it is to live and labour in dark and dreary hives, where nought but health-destroying gases are inhaled, it is, undoubtedly, the best rest we can give them when we allow them an opportunity of exercising and expanding alike their corporeal and mental powers in the blessed light of heaver and in the pure air of God's creation.
Sorry should we be to say a single word or do a singe deed with a view to frustrate the good intentions of the Lords say observance Society, for we think there is a fair field open to them in which their labour of love may be usefully performed+ but, as we happen to know as already hinted at that some of our townspeople are watching with a suspicious and jealous eye this new movement as applied to Hastings, we feel that we should not be performing our duty a duty for which we are accountable to God - if we neglect to give an affectionate word of caution to those advocates of Sabbath Observance whose opportunities for examining this important question in its entirety have been probably less than our own. We may indeed say with truth that we have closely studied the Sunday question for many years, and have come to the conclusion that all systematic coertion and restriction in religious matters is fraught with evil. It is a trite but true saying that mankind cannot be made religious perforce.
Correspondence Thereon. Of the letters to the Editor of the Gazette, the following, as being the most apposite, as well as the most temperate, is the only one extracted: - Sir.- I was much pleased with the sensible and temperate remarks in the Gazette of last week in reference to the -
