246 THE WHALEMAN'S ADVENTURES. 



of truth till it dies and drops away of itself, 

 than to derive epithets to Christianity from 

 slave-holders or Sabbath breakers, or any other 

 class of sinners that contrive to shelter them- 

 selves under its lee. It is the duty especially 

 of ministers, in the ports where whalers are fitted 

 out, to bring the law of God to bear upon this 

 form of Sabbath breaking; to apply it point- 

 edly and plainly to this sin, and to preach and 

 pray against it till it shall cease to be allowed 

 by owners in their congregations, or committed 

 by persons going forth from their communities. 

 Let them, as the constituted expounders of 

 the law of God, and the guardians of public 

 morals and religion, boldly attack this sin, and 

 show its contrariety to the Divine law and the 

 Gospel of Christ. Let ministerial associations 

 and societies, formed to promote the better ob- 

 servance of the Lord's day, pass resolutions ex- 

 pressing their sense of this sin. Let fathers, 

 whose sons go down upon the sea in ships, pro- 

 test against a practice by which those sons are 

 rendered Sabbath breakers, and the high, home- 

 bred estimate in which they have been taught 



