INION of the late LORD PRESIDENT BLAIR as to the PROFANATION of the SAbbath. THE statutes now in force, with respect to the observe of the Sabbath day, appear to me to be sufficient for cking the evil complained of. The statutes which I an are the following:-Act 1661, c. 18; 1672, c. 22; 93, c. 40; 1695, c. 13; and act 1701, c. 11. By these statutes, every person guilty of profaning the bbath day in any manner whatever, is made liable in a cuniary penalty, toties quoties, to be recovered by secution before sheriffs, justices of peace, or any other ge ordinary. And the minister of every parish, the k-session, or the presbytery, or a person named by em, is entitled to prosecute. There appears, therefore, to be no defect in the law as stands, if duly executed; and the power of enforcing ecution is lodged with the church judicatories themves. Perhaps it might be proper to cause print the ove statutes, and transmit copies thereof to the differt presbyteries, so that due notification may be given to concerned. (Signed) ROBERT BLAIR. Edinburgh, 24th May 1794. The following are the acts of parliament, and parts of ets, referred to in the above opinion. 1. Act for the due Observation of the Sabbath Day. Anno 1661, c. 18. The king's majesty, considering how much it concerns ga a the honour of God, that the Sabbath day be duly obserwi and all abuses thereof restrained: And that, not C standing of several acts of parliament made in that half, particularly the third act of the sixth parliame de King James the Sixth, of blessed memory, the said of hath been much profaned by salmond-fishing, go th salt-pans, milns and killes, hiring of shearers, and co of merchandise on that day, and otherwayes: There ΟΙ our sovereign lord, with the advice and consent of estates of parliament, ratifies and approves all for t acts of parliament, made for observation of the Sable day, and against the breakers thereof and by these i sents, inhibits and discharges all salmond-fishing, going t salt-pans, milns or killes; all hiring of shearers, carry 1 of loads, keeping of mercats, or using any sorts of chandise on the said day, and all other profanation the whatsoever, under the pains and penalties following, the sum of twenty pounds Scots for the going of ilk s pan, miln or kiln, on the said day, to be paid by heritors and possessors thereof; and the sum of ten pour for ilk shearer and fisher of salmond on the said day, one-half thereof to be paid by the hirers and conduce and the other half by the persons hired; and the s sum of ten pounds for every other profanation of the s day: And which fines and penalties are to be uplifta and disposed of, in manner contained in the act and i structions anent the justices of peace. 2. Act against Profaneness. Anno 1672, c. 22. gre Our sovereign lord, considering the many and violations of the law of God, and of the laws of thi kingdom, established by his majesty and his royal prede cessors, against cursing, swearing, &c., profanation of the Lord's day, mocking or reproaching of religion, and the exercises thereof;-it is hereby statute and ordained, that besides the exercise of church discipline, according to the laws and practice used in this church, in every paroc a hin royal burgh, or wherein any of his Majesty's Privy uncil or Lords of Session, sheriff, lord, or bailiff of reity, or their deputes, or commissaries, have their resice, or keep courts, that the saids councillors, or Lords Session, magistrates of such burghs, the sheriffs, and e lords, and bailiffs of regalities, or their deputes, the mmissaries, or any justice of peace, they, or any one more of them, execute, or cause execute, the said laws, ainst such delinquents in the several paroches where ey reside, as shall be delated to them by the kirk-sessions, other church judicatories. Providing always, likeas it hereby provided, that the minister and kirk-session, with he heritors of each parish, or such of them as upon pubc intimation by the minister from the pulpit, upon eight ays' warning, shall meet with the minister and his assistnts, in discipline, have the nomination of a collector, vho is to receive and count for the fines so imposed; excepting to the royal burghs the nomination of their colectors, who have been accustomed so to nominate, they always being accountable, as other collectors, for the uses after specified; and where there be any paroches in which there is none of the saids above named persons in authority resident, the minister and kirk-session, and heritors of the parish, or major part of them, who shall convene upon public intimation by the minister, upon eight days' warning, shall nominate, so often as they see cause, a person resident within the paroch, whom they find most fit for executing of the saids statutes, and shall, under their hand, offer the person so chosen to the sheriffs, lords, and bailiffs of regalities, stewarts, commissaries, having the ordinary jurisdiction of that place, who are hereby authorised to give commission and deputation to the persons so chosen for convening the persons transgressors of the foresaid statutes, and to judge them according to law: And it is hereby declared, that all execution shall pass upon the decreets and sentences of the saids judges and commissioners, as do or may pass upon the decreets or sentences of sheriffs, bailiffs of royalty or regality, for executing of the saids statutes, conform to the tenor thereof in all points; with power to the said minister, kirk-session, and in t t t. t heritors of each paroch, conveened in manner afores to modifie and appoint such part and portion of the st arising by the saids decreets, to the collectors nome by them for their services, as they shall find just, ac P ing to their pains and diligence. And it is hereby clared that the remainder of the said sums shall belt to, and be made use of for, the poor of each paroch spective, in manner following:-The one-half thereoft the use of the poor of each paroch to be sent to the rection-houses, for being bred to lawful trades, conf to an act of parliament made in this session of par ment; and for which the collector shall be comptable the heritors of each paroch, and shall deliver to them ceipts from the masters of the correction-houses of one-half of the saids sums, toward the allowance of said poor people appointed to be paid out of each pand by the said act; and the other half of the said fines sh belong to the poor of each paroch respective, who, byt said act, by reason of their age or infirmity, are appoi ed to be entertained within each paroch by the contrib tions at the paroch kirk, and for which the said collect are to be comptable to the minister and kirk-session each paroch, or to the elders during the vacancy; and be applied by them for the use of the poor, as they sha see cause. 3. Act against Profaneness. Anno 1693, c. 40. Our sovereign lord and lady, taking to their seriou consideration the profanity and immoralities that so much at present abound, and how much it concerns the glor of God, the honour of the Protestant religion, and th good and peace of the kingdom, that they be represse and restrained; do, therefore, with advice and consen of the estates of parliament, hereby ratify and revive al acts of parliament formerly made against sabbath-break ing, profane and idle swearing, drunkenness, or othe |