^, Air IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^ .^4k. 1.0 I.I 11.25 2.5 2.2 ^ 1^ 12.0 1.4 6" 1.6 PhotDgraphic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 V NJ \\ V Q> '4S. ^ ^4 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical IVIicroreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes tachniques et bibliographiquas Th«( to th The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. □ Coloured covers/ Couverture da coulaur I I Covers damaged/ D n D D D D D Couverture endommagie Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurie et/ou peliicul^e □ Cover title missmg/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes gAographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre da couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relii avec d'autres documents Tight binding may causa shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serree peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge intirieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutAes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte. mais, lorsque cela itait possible, ces pages n'ont pas iti film^es. L'Institut a microfilma le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a ete possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-itre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent bxiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiquAs ci-dessous. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommagies □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaur^es et/ou pellicul^es I — ~l^Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ L_! Pages ddcolor^es, tacheties ou piquees Thei posa of th filmi Origl begii the I aion, othe ffirat sion, or ill r~l Pages detached/ D Pages ditachees Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Qualiti inigale de I'impression Includes supplementary materii Comprend du materiel supplementaire Only edition available/ Seuie Edition disponible r~n Showthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ |~~1 Includes supplementary material/ r~n Only edition available/ The shall TINl whic Map diffa entir begi right requ metl Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partieilement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure. etc.. cnt it6 filmdes d nouveau de facon a obtenir la meiileure image possible. Fyp Additional comments:/ L_J Commentaires supplimentaires: [Printed Ephemera] 1 sheet [4] pp. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmA au taux de reduction indiqui ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X v/ 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X lis u lifter ne age The copy filmed here het been reproduced thenks to the generosity off: Metropolitan Toronto Library Canadian History Department The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. L'exempiaire fiimi fut reproduit grAce A la g6n6rosi;A de: Metropolitan Toronto Library Canadian History Department Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetA de I'exempleire film6, at en conformity avec les conditions du contrat da filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprim6e sont fiim6s en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniire page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par ie second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmAs en commenpant par la premiAre page nui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symboie — ► signifie "A SUIVRE ". le symbole V signifie "FIN ". Maps, plates, charts, etc.. may be filmed at diffferent reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film^s d des taux de reduction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film^ A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 ! ■■ t 2 3 4 5 6 The Low Birthrate. Its Causes and Results. A SERMON BY THE REV. JAMES SIMPSON, M. A. IN ST. PETER'S CATHEDRAL, CHAKLOTTETOWN, NOV. 13, 1898. At the recent seneion of our Provinc'al Synod, a i^Boluiion was pasHed rxprritKinn Atop MDziety at the abnormally I jw birtb- rale iu the Province of Ontario; and a commiiterwao appointed to con«ider tbe whole lAibject of vital ttAtielicR for the Bccllaiaftical Proviooe. This ni«tlf r ha* produced a good deal of coiDinent in tbe necularprrsii, and of ne ceBiily auNi, in toe near future, demand the very eerioux atteution of the commun- ity at large. Fur not only ie Ontario suffer- ing in IhiH respect, but many other parts of Canada as well; and I am certain that if we had any means of obtaining eiatistics for this Province, we should make almost as poor a showing as the more western ones. Nor does it apply to our Dominion alone , At the Church Congresx held at Bradford Eniilatid, last month, tbe Dean of Ripon raised the note of a!ariii, and naid : "If this state of thillg^ went on, it was a case ib which tbe nation must go down. Ii would be a case of national suicide, which was all tl.e more terrible to them as Chris- tians, btroause it meant tbe forsaking of tbe natural law of Ood. For the naka of what? For tbe nake of a wretched caU eolation and childlesf^ homes where luxury and ease should dwell." '' Tae question it, also, becoming a very live one in the United ijtates, and not be- fore its tipie; while Francr is actually at a standstill with regard to its populution, tbe annual excess of birlbe over deaths being only one per thousand inhabitants throughout the whole country; and deaths are in excess of the births in nearly half of the eighty-seven departments, or counties. Tou will gain a better idea of the varia" tion of tbe birth-rate in different places if t I give you a few statistics. In the year 1896 the birth-rate in the Province of,Que- bec was nbout 38 for every lOUO inhabit- •nis; in £..g]a4id i, tbe low marriage rate; and 2od, the unwillingness of women to become mothers, and tbe consequent extensive use of artificial checks to prevent conception taking place; or worse still, the wilful murder of unborn children by the practice of abortion. These are not pleasant subjects to deal with. A congregation is apt 10 be shocked* at any reference to such matters from the pulpit, while it listens without a blush to Si Paul's ver' plain language about tbe sins or impuriiv, in bis various epistlev. There is a peculiar kind of morality abroad which allows the perusal of tbe most prurient sort of literature, so long as a person in married; the witneHsing of moHt lewd play at tbe theatre, and the perform- anie of most qiie«tionahle acts between husband and wife, -but is too modest to listen to any condemnation of such things from those whose duty it is to speak about them. Tbe clergy mjy preach about intemper- ance as n ucb as they like; they may de- nounce gambling- and its kindred evilv; they raav refer to any other sin in the decalogue in the plainest terms; but any mention of the sin of lust or impurity (es- pecially ill a mixed congregation) miist be eo veiled, or merely hinted ai, that no one can be quite certain what is meant and those who are guilty flatter themselves that it cannot be very wrong or it would be dealt With or ore vigorously and definitely. Such mock modesty is surely born of Satan for the furtherance of hie own vile ends. Are we to see the morals of the commun- ity d'praved, the holy estate of matrimony degraded to a state of monogamous pro«< titution, and the slaughter of the innocents a thousand times more awful than that of Berod indulged in, without raising a warning voice— without denouncing the iniquity in the name of God ? If those whose office and duty it is to teach the people the law of OoJ hold their peace and keep sileao*-, how shall the world be convinced of sin? It is conxtantly said by medical and other writers up(m this subject, "This is I matter for the Church 'o deal witb," and thank God, the Church is, at last, awakening to bersenseof dutr,and intends to deal witb it. Synods and Conferences are taking it up; some vigorous leading articles have lately appeared in the Church papers or< bblh sides of the Atlantic, and the clergy must face the situation, lay aside their rcruclesand tpeak out with no untjertain sound. We are in a little corner of the world here. We may be— I trust, we are, freer Jrom ' these evils, than they in the larger cities of the main-land; but I know we are not al- together free from them, and therefore I must do my part, at tbe risk of giving offence, and of shocking tbesusoeptibilities KS*:^v- of iboM wbo preftr thM the woaoda of tio ■honld putrify in ibuir ooDOCslmcul rMher tb»D tbey tbonld b« nocovered tbol they mar be besled. Fint, l*t ui deal witb the low maniac* rata, AoA immediately tbe que*tioo eoK* geata iiaelf loyou, doubtlaaa. What baa the Cborob to eay againat a low marriage rateT There ia aurely no lin in abaiaining from matrimony if aoe deairta so to do. That iaperfeotly true. But what are tbe eauaea of tbe deoreaae in tbe number of marriagea of lata yearn T Is it beoaune men are getting more continent, that arnnual deairaa are not as atrong nowaa forroarly T Alas I tbe enormous number of proaiitutrs givna tbe lie to such • snggestion. The oalaulations, ol thr moat competent inveatigatora gave the estimated number of Eublio|.^-oetiluie»in "nglaid, in 1891 (the tat oensaa year) aa 316,000, in Franc* aa 4C7,00U. And neither Canada nor the United Statea can oaai atonea at Europe in tbia matter. (Ussher.) lathe decrtaaa because tbe poorer people, tbe laboring classea are becoming more provident ana unwilling to enter upon tbe Holy E«iate of Matrim*oT until they are better prorided with thia world'a goods 7 No. I believe I am ricbt in earing that there is little percept- ible deoreaae in marriage amons 'bis portion of the community. It ia the middle and upper olasses who offend in thia, and the reaaon ia the growing aelf-in" Jalgenoe of the age. iTonng man «nd wom> an are not willing to make that aelf>aaori> floe required to aiart married life in an bumble wa;^. They muat begin their bouee'< keeping with aa much atrle aa they have been used to in their own hamea, Lns< uries which their parents never dreamed of in tbe early days of Ibeir married life, they consider necessities. They must keep their place in society and entertain as well «c their neighbors, and until all this can be done they will not undertake (he reeponai- bilitiea of matrimony. Tbe consequence ia "that tbe country ia full of oelibala woman, to whom their condition ia rightlv and naturally a wrong and a grievance," while the men too often gratify their paa- aiona in unlawful ways( for those wbo know declare that aa the marriage rata deoreasea prostitution proportionately inoreaae*. And it must be burns in mind that proetitution for the sake of livelihood ia an outcome of ro-called civilisation. It ia not a relic of primitive man. When wanta were few and ibere were no eomplrz aosial problems, men could marry aa early as they liked, fbr there was always a liv- ing to be obtained. Later, over>popo]ation monopoliae, competition and the demands of society have placed a succession of barriers around matrimony, and tbe pro- fessional harlot is tbe consequence. Has not the Church a right to raise her voice against suon a slate of affairs aa this? Dare she remain silent under such circum-* stances f We have no desire to advocate improvident marriages( there are two manv of them already, and matrimony, aa our ezhor(atk>a bath it, — ^It is not by any to be enterprisad, nor taken in band, un- advisedly, lightly, or wantonly, to satisfy men's camariusta and appstitea, like brute beasts that have no understanding, but revsrently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the lear cfOod, duly considering the oanaea for which matrimony waa or- dained." Bat when two paopla have that God- given lova, one tot the oUtar, it ought to insitbra them both with a spirit of atiin denial and a readineea to forego many thinga they hara hitherto been vaadto, iflhat will enable them to become kas> bftndkidwift. Theia it ao disgiaotin beginning married life in a modest way and the saoriflces each has to make in turn for tbe other, ibould but cherish that love which (wr are too apt to forget) is an image of the love that ie betwixt Christ and Hi* Cburob. Chrlatgave HimHrIf for Hi* Church, and we ouyht surely lo be ready to give up Romethmg for our wives." ''Love if it i* worthy of the name mu*t be conoeoraled by tbe idea of duty, which frequently iinplieH self saorifloei and, so conaecrat^, ii is at once tbe source and «tay of whatever is highest and noblest iu life " The second oau«e ol the prevalent low birth rale !r tbe inareascd use of artificial check* to fecundity. And here again the luxury and H'l'-indiilgenoe of the age are to blame, U is not among the poor that these practices obtain . It i« not those who have the ezouee of poverty, — but the mercantile, tbe professional and the leisur- ed olasnes who are the culprits, because, forsooth, ohildbearing Interferes with their perttonal comfort— with tbeir poHi„ tion in sooietv — tbeir pleasures — their self '.indulgenov, and everything must be sacrifined to the**. ^'Formerly it waa considered the wholesome duty of the educated and well to do, lo set an example of high morality and Christian practice to to their poorer brethren ; now-a days the position is reversed. TboH* in high plaoea have acquired the knowlrdge which enablee them tog-«tifv their pasak>na without becoming parents, and tbey have not only unhesitatingly adopted the prac« tioe, but blame the poor for not following their example." The Psalmist snid, "Lo children and the fruit of the womb, are an heritage and gift Ibat cometK of the Lord." Tbe verdict of tbe nineteentb century Christianity" froclaims them to be "encumbrances." low often do we see advertisements for married people with no "encumbrances." When Israel forsook Ood and became idolatrous, the prophet Hosea (9 14) in announcing tbe nation's downfall cried "Oive them,0 Lordt what will Thou give? Qive them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts." A most signal punishment for thoaa who, if faithful to Jehovah, were to be aa the sands of tbe sea for multitude. TSom such a coniition is considered by many, no punishment at all, hut is self ^.nflicted and rrjoicad in. "Tbe joyful mother of children" was, in Bible limeH, tbe highest type of b'essednessi now she is spoken of by her superior and criminal- ly ohildlesa sisters as a " propagating cirudge," and is despised aooordingly. Those who adopt some of tbe various unnatural ni'thods in vogue to save them« s;lres the u-ipleosantness of child-bearing, frequently cUim that there is no harm in what they ilo, aliliough thev acknowledge that other methods are sinful. But I am not afra'd to assert that every artificial check is immoral, and that one differs from the other only in deeree, not In kind, and the desire of the will la the «ame in all ca**«. To be quite plai'i, the oheok must either prevent ooooeption, or it must kill the embryo after conception. If the latter it ia absolute murder— infanticide. For if it is murder to kill a child a moment after it is born, it is murder to kill it a moment before it is born, or a week, or a month, or nine months before it ia born. The very instont conception takaa place there ia the Gtod-giveu life, and the ain i* the aame whether that life is atraagled at iu very aouroe, or a few weeka, or months, or veara afterwards. Even the lawa of the land treat this matter aa criminal and panitb it •ooordiogly whan loand out. On Ibtolbrr htod, while lh« prevention of ooDOtption doee not intieMl dettroy lif*, it doe* ilMtroy tbe pcientulitjr of life, <»hioh ia mo»»l murder i for every fraud is ■ oboked gerii' rendered uopro- duclive, — no indirect 'afnn:icide. In olber wordr, kltbouKh (hei xmei uccMiioDH oao-> not be epecifled, for they e.re known oniv to Gnd, there must m »acb occaeione in tbe natural couree 1 1 tfvaolii, when lb* check prevent* a life from ooming into existenc* Qod aay* "let there be life ;'* J man eay* ''there shall not be lile for I wiil \^ \ thwart (be purpoee of tbe Almighty;" and can this be dona without grievoun HinT " That yon may not think that I exagger- ate the prevalence of these p'a<:iicei>, that J I have set up a man of Mraw for the pleasure of knocking him down, I will here quote a siatement recently made in an AtiiericMo Church Magazine. It says "That tbe dectruction of chddlife be' ' tween conception Hnd birth i« a common malpractice among American women, es- pecially of the middle and upper claeses, 18 too notorious to admit of denial, but ■* that this terrible abuse is far more general than most people suppose we have good ' ; reason to believe. Abortion is a crime *^ < ; so inhuman, unchristian and damnable .,,,^ that one would oatura'lv suppoee that every woman in Christendom would look .^ upon euob • criminal operation with tbe most utter loathing, detentation and horror. With ahkme and humiliation we are , compelled to confess that among tbe older women of tbe Christian congregation, , , . who oommnne at the Lord's Table ^nd shine as leader* in Church guilds and societies, there are those who aciuslly ad- vise and urge tbe younger women to lesort to an expedient so unrighteous to escape tbe burdens uf motherhood, poob>poohiog ' the idea of its being a sin, and with tbe Bbrugoi tbe shoulder saying "Oh, our best people do it, and so it can't be wrong." (Pulpit of tbe Cross) Again Dr. F. Napbeya, an American physician write* "Tbe detestable crime of abortion is appallingly rife in our dayi it is abroad in our land to an extent which would have shocked the dissolute women of pa|*D Rome. The crime is common it is fearfully prevalent. Hundreds of; persons are devoted to its perpetration ; it is their trade, (o nearly eiery village its ministers stretch out tueir bloody bands to lead the weak women to suffering, re morse and death. Those who submit to the treatment are not generally unmar* ried women who have lost their virtue, but the mctbera of families, respectable Chris tian matrons, members of ohurcbes, and walking iu tbe better classes of society. Testimony from all quarters, especially from New England, ha* accnmulated with' in tbe last (ew years to sap our faith iu tbe morality and religion of American women " And one more piece of evidence, I could give doeens such, but these will suffice. Some years ago a paragraph went tbe rounds of tbe American papers, stating that a practitioner in Chicago acknow- ledged on his death bed that he had assist- ed at not less than 1600 abortions. Amid ths wailing of mothers who refused to be comforted, King Herod murdered, a few dozen of children in the village of Bethle- hem, and we proclaim him a moet in human monster. Today, not in one village alone, but in score* and *oores of places in America and else- where, numbers ot men out- Herod Herod ia bis vile deed, while tbe laothers abed never a tear, and we must not de- noanoe them for ttar of sboeking the modeaivof our hearers. If this abulnta murder Is so common an ooeareoee amonp educated Christian people, bow shall wr estimaie the frequency of that moral murder whioli is itommitted by thoosan'*'' who would shrink nih horror Irom doing anything wrong after conception has taken place. I said educated Christian people for to our shame be it said, that it is not only the sin of the better classes, but it i* also tbe sin of tbe Uhristian. Heathens and Ma- hometans, so far a> 1 can learn, know it it not ; and a recent writer (Ussher) says : "I have taken some trouble to ascertain, ani I And that the artificial check system is looked upon silh horror by every Jew, both by distinctly immoral, and also wholly ruinous to any natiun that might be so toolish as to alopt it. " Does it not seem strange that the profess- ed followers of Jesus Christ— of Him who "was conceived by tbe Holy ObosI and born of the Virgin Mary" — should be the very onei of all others to war so relentless- ly Hgtinst ibeobild-life of today. But, further, it is not only the sin of tb* Christian, but it is the sin of the Pro- testant Christian, — the Christian that does not believe in sacramental confession. Bussia, which is under the sway of tbe Eastern Church has the highest birth-rate rate of any nation in Europe. The Boiaan Catholic Church absolutely denies all use of her Sacraments to those who frustrate the end* of matrimony! so in that community amongst families faithful to their religious duties, such evils cannot exist. And if France with ilie lowest birth-rate in Bur- rope be brought forw%rd to refute this, we contend that France has fallen from the Faith, and to a great extent in sonsequence of this very sin, which leads to infldeMty as it is encouraged by infidelity. The census of 1891 gave the population of France a> thirty-eight and one-half million*, and out of that number seven and two-third million men were returned as of no religion. This would mean con- siderably more than half the total number of men, and do'ibtless many of tbe remain- der wereonly nominal Christian*. On* ia not surprised at atheists encouraging this sin. They believe that there is no Qod, — no future life, and they therefore feel at liberty, to lefuse to call life into existence, or to end it by suicide when and how they please. But no Christian, nay I no one who believes in a God can possibly defend tb* practice; for it certainly presupposes that there is no such thing as any Oivi ne interposition or guidance, either in the world or in the individual. This is clearly exemplified by the case of Mrs. Besant, whose writing* perhaps more than thoee of any other author taught and encouraged this plan of controlling this birth>>rate. About the year 1878, Cbas. BradUngh and Mrs. Besant, two well known atheists, gave tbe first impetus to tbe movement in England by publishing the "Fruits of Philosophy," an American book which dealt openly with that which hitherto had only been known to a few, and for which they were prosecuted a* tb* vendors of obscene literatare, bat were eventually acquitted. The case, however, created a great deal of attention; and much unfor- tunate publicity was given to the book itaelf, which consequently bad a very large sale; and from that time the birth- rate in England has steadily decreased. Shortly after this Mrs Bcaant pablished her own book "The Law of Pt^lation" which al*o had an immenae *a]e, aa it was translated into every Isnguageand read bf millions of penoo*. fn 1891, Mra Besant renooooed Atheism and became a Tbeo- i9'fS C/HPC!"^'- noDfaiiti thr tbmforr baliercd ih • Ool •nd immortality. IromMliktaly nba with-i draw ber ook from ciriulation, kitbuugh fhe WM offered a larer Rum for the copy- right. BDil noDrasted her error in writing. She decUred that wbrn advooaliug the nyiilem the cooiiidrred man to be hat an organiHm which wa< produced on tlie earth and perinbed upon it, tut thai a* (oon a» ahe realized that man waa iraiuorlal ahe became convincei! that the practice WM not only immoral in itaalf, but alM> only put one evil in the place of another. How, then, can any one who namea the Name of the Lord Jeaua Ohriat— anyone who profeesra to believe in the Reeurrec- tion o( the Dead, a;:d the life of the wirld to come, for an inatant advocate or defend tbia ain T Time will n6t permit me to dwtU at any lengthen the evil cflfecta of these pracliuea upon t.'e individual, upon aociety and up- on the nation. Medical opinion ia over'* wbelmi'ngly against tbem. French phy- eicians who have large experience are expecially figoroua in Jencuncing their dangers to both sexes. In women tber produce bvsteria, congeationa, inflamma- tions, morbidneaa and all aorta of nervou<« diceasea, they ahorten life and t-xcite a oravmg for morphine, ether and other druga. In society these praotioss must tend to increase prenuptial nnohastity ) for can our women maintain their high ■•tandar'i of virtue — can the marked difference between the chastity of women and that of men continue, if there is no fear of ex - poaure and disgrace by becoming mothers. Then, too, they greatly encourage divorce. For, undoabtedly, the presence of children over Mid over again avert* the aeparatioD of husband and wife. Qnarrels •re made up aod differences are borne with for the sake of the children, and from the unwllingness of either parent to be parted trom tbem. In the case of the childless marriages there is no euoh restraining ini fluanoe,and divorce is conseqaenlly sought upon the slightest provocation. And if this system ia morally and pbvsi- eally wrong in the individual; "if it under- minea the sanctity o< family life, the very foandations of well ordered aociety, it is also disastrous to the nation. The decay of the Roman Empire is a striking instance ofthis. The poet Juvenal describing the piany cause i which were briuging about the downfall of that Empire, in his sixth satire freely mentions this one, "The wealthy dame is seldom brought to bed." St. Paul in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, also refers to the awful lust of the age. When the Roman women anxious about their own self indulgence, only, refused to nurse their children and came to look upon infanticide without any shame or horror, the glory of the n'ation soon departed And who can fail to see that France of today is rapidly losing her preaeat place among tbe nations of Europe from the same cause, and a like fa:e must sooner or later await every nation ihatyieids itself up to licentiousness. Ood grant that the British Empire may realize her danger in time and return to Ilb paths of matrimonial virtue. Tbe defenders of these practices plead in excuse that there is danger of over- populationi that too frequent ohild- bearing rains m woman's health, tbkt people cannot afford large families, that parents in tempormry sickness or having chronio diteaaeought not to beget children, and aoon. All wEiob is perfectly true. But human beings diffitr from the lower animals iq that they are . able to control their sensaal dasires, and in tnch cases those de* irei inn>i be oontmlled, except, at leaat, at thoi«! regular times, when God, who kuoweth alluiir nerds, hat providea that conurption will not take place. T 'in- ptranre in conjugal insttera la aa imprrative as temperance in eating and drinking) and excssa in any of there brings ItH o >n pnniahmrnl. Srlf control ia the Brat oon< dition of all morali'y. To command tbe paaaiona, not to br a xiave to them ia man's proper maie, and the man who does not command them 'a every whit as bad an tbe drunkard, although his rxcrof-eii are bidden from tbe ayes i.f his fellows, as tbe drunkardk are not. The present state of Hocietv, the difilonltj' in providing for large families, or the ill brallh of a bus* baud or h wife may demand a greater exercise of sslf-oontrcl, but it can never condone a sin, let alone sacli a ain as infanticide. My dear hrfibren, T haie felt constrain-) ed to apeak to you thus plainly tonight, because of the pressing need of checking the insidious vice which is evrryjrbere tsking possfHsion ol our homes. A few years ago ibia auhjrot bad been better left to some special occasion I but so rapidly has tbe knowledge of the evil increased of late, that now thtre is little (ear of tracb- iog that which is not already knuwn, and even if this danger did exist, there ih tbe still greater danger of allowing the prac- tices to pass unchallenged for tbe sake of a warning word. I am <>ure that many offenders have no idea uf the iiniulnessof tbem. They may feel that they are not altogether right and honest ; but they know so little of phyriology that tbe enor- mity of tbe sin does not manifest itself to tbem, and bow are they to learn it unless the clergy speak out. loan assure you it has been no easy task tor me thus to speak, and if it has given you pain in listening, I am certain mv paip in speaking has twen tenfold greater than yours. But if my speaking, through Qod's meicy, be tbe means of checking this sin in the least degree, if it be tbe means of winning tbe light of day and the crowt af life for one babe yet ujborn, if it be tbe means of making huabaods and vrives realize that married life is for soma thing more than tbe selfish gratifloationa of the lusts of tbe flesh, then I am willing to bear tbe pain, aye, and the censure thai is likely to follow from some quarters, knowing that if I kept silence any longer I should be guilty before Ood of my bro- ther's blood. One word of wsrning in conclusion. This is far too solemn a subject to jest ahout. If yon have to talk of it at all, do it with the full realization of its sinfulness. And judge no one. There are, thank Ood, many married people, who, although childless, or wiih one or two children, are living purr, cha^te, continent livej. There are others who from some phy- sical cause are t«roporarily or permanent- ly unfruitful. That such lie under a certain suspicion, in 'ome minds, is un- fortunately unavoidable in tbe present state of society. But I beg of yoa, in Ood's name, to Judge no one. Exercise your Cbridtian chtrity; - never say even to yourself, that you suspect any person. Leave the matter in Ood's bands, where it belongs t and pray ever Hod earnestly that tbia stone of reproaob may be rolled away, and that once more "marriage mar be honorable to all, and the bed uodefiled." Price 60 eaOh, or 40o per doaen, post fk«e. Address, Box 937, Chulottetown, P. E. I. N.B. — For an exhaustive treatise op this subject see "New Halthusianism," by R. Usther. Published by Gibbings & Co., 18 Bury St., London, Eiig. Price (a.