of the Roman Catholic church, were derived from the ancient Saturnalia or Feasts of Saturn.*

The wakes, so popular a means of amusement among the people of this country, are generally supposed to have much similarity to the Agapæ, or love-feasts of the primitive Christians, and to have been founded on religious principles. It appears more probable, however, that they originated in some of the pagan rites of the heathens, a supposition which is confirmed by Pope Gregory, in a letter which he addressed to Melitus, a British abbot.†

The wakes, in primitive times, were held on the days of church dedications, or on the birthdays of the saints, to whose honour these sacred edifices were dedicated. Like other similar occasions, they were at first conducted with solemnity and decorum. The people, according to an old author, on the vigil of the saint, proceeded "to churche with candellys burning, and would wake, and come toward night to the church in their devocion;" a practice in agreement with a canon established by King

* A good example of the origin, together with some of the customs connected with these festive occasions, is found in the following description of St. Martin's-day, generally called, Martinmass or Martilmass. "This day is a great festival on the continent; new wines then begin to be tasted, and the hours are spent in carousing. An old author says, that the great doings on this occasion almost throughout Europe in his time, are derived from an ancient Athenian festival observed in honour of Bacchus, upon the 11th, 12th, and 13th days of the month Anthesterion, corresponding with our November. Another says, that the 11th month had a name from the ceremony of "tapping their barrels on it," when it was customary to make merry. It is likewise imagined by Dr. Stukely, in his 'Itinerary,' concerning Martinsalhill, thus: 'I take the name of this hill to come from the merriments among the northern people, called Martinalia, or drinking healths to the memory of St. Martin, as practised by our Saxon and Danish ancestors,""&c. &c.Hone's Every Day Book, vol. i. p. 1471.

In some of the old church calendars the celebration of this day is thus made mention of: "The Martinalia, a genial feast, wines are tasted of, and drawn from the lees; Bacchus in the figure of Martin."-Brady's Clavis Calendaria.

"It is the day of Martilmassee,

Cuppes of ale should freelie passe."-Ballad, entitled, “Martilmassee day. Times' Telescope, 1814."

These popular occasions originally established as solemn observances, degenerated into scenes of drunkenness and debauchery. The one called Midsummer Vigils, or Vigil of St. John, comes under this description. At these times bonfires were universally made; a practice supposed by many to have been a relic of heathen superstition. A creditable writer thus de scribes the excesses which were common at this period: "This vigil ought to be held with cheerfulness and piety, but not with such merriment as is shown by the profane lovers of this world, who make great fires in the streets, and indulge themselves with filthy and unlawful games, to which they added gluttony and drunkenness, and the commission of many other shameful indecencies."-MSS. Harl. 2354 and 2391.

† Bede. Eccl. Hist. lib. i. cap. 30.

Edgar, whereby those persons who came to the church were ordered to pray devoutly, and not to betake themselves to drunkenness and debauchery, an enactment which strongly indicates the necessity for legal restriction. The author before quoted, proceeds to state as follows:-" Afterwards the pepul fell to letcherie; and songs and daunces, with harping and piping, and also to glotony and sinne; and so tourned the holyness to cursydness; wherefore holy faders ordeyned the pepul to leve that waking and to fast the eveyn, but it is called vigilia, that is waking, in English, and eveyn, for of eveyn they were wont to come to churche." These festivals in course of time became so popular, and the riot and debaucheries which they occasioned were so common, that they were eventually sup pressed, and secular fairs, into which they had more or less degenerated, were established in their place. Most of the fairs now held in the kingdom are celebrated on saint days, and in many parts still retain the name of wakes. Philip Stubbs, the writer before alluded to, affords additional proof of the excesses committed at wakes. In speaking of "the manner of keeping of wakesses in England," he says, they were "the sources of gluttonie and drunkenness," and adds that " many spend more at these wakesses than in all the whole year besides."

The eighteenth century may very appropriately be termed the dark age of Protestantism. Much of this lamentable decline may be traced to the enervating influence of strong drink. Intemperance was a vice, to which many of the clergy were openly addicted. It need therefore excite little surprise, if the same vice was common among their parishioners.

A principal cause of this ministerial laxity, may be recognized in the gross habits which many of them acquired during their residence at the Universities. It was no uncommon circumstance to witness the students at these academies of learning, devoting that time to Bacchanalian excesses, which ought to have been employed in attention to study and religious ordinances. Educated in such a manner, it can excite little astonishment, that habits of a similar character, were followed by many of the clergymen in their parishes-and thus was an example introduced, more lamentably injurious from the nature of the support by which it was countenanced. These transactions are so recent in their occurrence, and so amply referred to in works relating to the period in question, that it is unne

cessary here to enter into any further detail respecting their progress and effects.

These sketches of intemperance, it is presumed, ful'y justify the following conclusions:

1st. That Intemperance has in most ages of the world, been intimately associated with the profession of religion; and,

2ndly. That the most disastrous effects have resulted from this association; among which may be includedlaxity of church discipline, deterioration of vital and personal piety; and, as a consequence, general declension of religious welfare.

An examination and comparison of the prevalence or declension of religious welfare, at various periods of the world, exhibit a cheering or depressing aspect, in proportion to the extension or curtailment of luxurious practices. Religion has ever been at war with the appetites of mankind; and the ascendancy of sensual indulgence has invariably preceded the decline of spiritual prosperity. The attacks of infidelity and the evils of scepticism, have been harmless in their effects, compared with the insinuating and soul-destroying influence of intoxicating liquors. In every age they have been silently, yet destructively undermining the foundations of piety; the curse of intemperance, leaving like the canker worm, fearful marks of its desolating progress.

Having thus in as brief a manner as possible, exhibited the evil effects of strong drink on religious welfare, up to a recent period, it becomes a matter of equal, if not paramount importance, to inquire how far intemperance exists in the present day, in connexion with the profession of religion, and the influence it exercises in retarding the diffusion of Christian principles.

1. The use of intoxicating liquors considered as an obstacle to the introduction of Christianity among Heathen

nations.

The examples of intemperance exhibited in the practices. of those who belong to professedly Christian countries, form a serious hindrance to the reception of Christian principles among heathen nations. Of this obstacle, the respective missionaries of various Christian Societies loudly complain, and yet how natural it is for the heathens to refuse instruction, in a system of religion, of the alleged good effects of which they witness such humiliating examples in the persons of its professors, and that too, from

a country where its principles are universally acknowledged. Under such circumstances, and witnessing such examples, it need not excite surprise, that they prefer an adherence to the profession of a religion in which they have been trained up from the earliest period of their existence, and which, in fact, sanctions no such disgusting practices as the professors of Christianity thus introduce among them.

A missionary from India not long ago, stated, that it was no uncommon thing in Calcutta, and other places, to see a European lie intoxicated in the street, surrounded by several natives, who are very scrupulous in the observance of their religious rites and ceremonies, and to hear them tauntingly exclaim, "here is one of your Europeans, look at him, you never see us get drunken, as you do ; let your missionaries stop at home and preach to their own countrymen."*

The secretary of the Cawnpore Temperance Society, strongly adverts to the same humiliating circumstance. The Mussulman and Hindoo he observes, who are habitually temperate, by witnessing the drunkenness which exists in the British army, and among those who are called Christians, refuse to receive a religion the fruits of which are apparently so evil. Thus to a great extent are the efforts of the pious missionary paralyzed.

This devoted servant of the Most High, labours among the benighted heathens, and unfolds to them the blessings which the Gospel has in store for those who adopt its principles; but strong drink introduced by inhabitants of Christian countries, speedily erases all the good impressions, which his addresses may have produced, and his labours are rendered comparatively ineffectual. The simple Indian cannot forbear to reproach his religious instructer with an inconsistency so glaringly opposed to the principles of humanity; and much more of Christianity. "I am glad," said a missionary to an Indian Chief," that you do not drink whiskey, but it grieves me to find that your people are accustomed to use so much of it." "Ah, yes,' said the red man, as he fixed an eloquent eye upon the preacher, which communicated the reproof before he uttered it "we Indians use a great deal of whiskey: but we do not make it! !"

Scarcely any tribe, among the untutored Indians in

London Temperance Intelligencer, vol. i. p. 207.

Sixth Report of the British and Foreign Temperance Society, p. 55.

North America, has been free from the consequences arising from the introduction and use of alcoholic liquors. The records of missionary labours among those tribes exhibit in the strongest light the obstacles which this demoralizing practice presents to the introduction and diffusion of religious truth.

The same injurious example is found to exist among professing Christians in Mahometan countries, and is productive of corresponding impressions on the followers of the prophet. The remarks of a respected missionary in Persia are to the point. "What kind of Christianity do the Mahometans of this country behold? None that has life— none that is productive of a morality, even equal to their own;" intemperance, for instance, is so common among the Christians of Persia, and the few Europeans who stroll hither for the sake of lucre, that where Mahometans see one of their own sect intoxicated, which has now become rather common, they at once say, "That man has left Mahomet, and has gone over to Jesus."* The same observations may be applied to China. The Chinese view with great jealousy the introduction of foreign customs into their country, and in particular the attempts made to convert them to Christianity. These strong prejudices have no doubt, been greatly strengthened by the intemperate conduct of the inhabitants of Christian countries, occasionally resident among them. In the year 1831, the Chinese authorities at Canton, had occasion to issue a proclamation forbidding the sale of wine and spirits to foreign seamen. This measure originated in the intemperate conduct of European and American seamen, who, in their fits of intoxication, frequently disturbed the public peace, and this to so serious an extent, as to cause a suspension of commercial intercourse between China and European nations.† Lamentable indeed must be that state of things, by which the Government of a heathen territory is compelled to restrain the immorality of natives of a Christian land.

The inconsistent conduct of professing Christians, exhibits a similar result in regard to the exertions now being made for the conversion of the posterity of Abraham. It can, therefore, excite little surprise, that these efforts have, hitherto, in a great measure been ineffectual. These re

Extract of a letter of the Rev. Justin Perkins, missionary in Persia.American Christian Intelligencer.

† Journal of Humanity, May 3d 1832