Another important point involved in this question is, What becomes of the Christian Sabbath, in a school thus established?  I do not mean to say that this stands exactly on the same authority as the Christian religion, but I mean to say that the observance of the Sabbath is a part of Christianity in all its forms.  All Christians admit the observance of the Sabbath.  All admit that there is a Lord’s day, although there may be a difference in the belief as to which is the right day to be observed.  Now, I say that in this institution, under Mr. Girard’s scheme, the ordinary observance of the Sabbath could not take place, because the ordinary means of observing it are excluded.  I know that I shall be told here, also, that lay teachers would come in again; and I say again, in reply, that, where the ordinary means of attaining an end are excluded, the intention is to exclude the end itself.  There can be no Sabbath in this college, there can be no religious observance of the Lord’s day; for there are no means for attaining that end.  It will be said, that the children would be permitted to go out.  There is nothing seen of this permission in Mr. Girard’s will.  And I say again, that it would be just as much opposed to Mr. Girard’s whole scheme to allow these children to go out and attend places of public worship on the Sabbath day, as it would be to have ministers of religion to preach to them within the walls; because, if they go out to hear preaching, they will hear just as much about religious controversies, and clashing doctrines, and more, than if appointed preachers officiated in the college.  His object, as he states, was to keep their minds free from all religious doctrines and sects, and he would just as much defeat his ends by sending them out as by having religious instruction within.  Where, then, are these little children to go?  Where can they go to learn the truth, to reverence the Sabbath?  They are far from their friends, they have no one to accompany them to any place of worship, no one to show them the right from the wrong course; their minds must be kept clear from all bias on the subject, and they are just as far from the ordinary observance of the Sabbath as if there were no Sabbath day at all.  And where there is no observance of the Christian Sabbath there will of course be no public worship of God.

In connection with this subject I will observe, that there has been recently held a large convention of clergymen and laymen in Columbus, Ohio, to lead the minds of the Christian public to the importance of a more particular observance of the Christian Sabbath; and I will read, as part of my argument, an extract from their address, which bears with peculiar force upon this case.