ing spirit of insubordination in the family, and, of
course, in the State; and it is ascribed to laxity and neglect in the
_Mothers_ as much as in the Fathers. Its existence is even made the
matter of public comment on such occasions as the celebration of the
landing of our Pilgrim Fathers, those bright exemplars of family
religion. And grave divines and theological professors, in their
addresses to the people, deprecate it as a growing evil of the times.

Now, without entering into other specifications here, may it not be that
a chief reason for the _increase_ of family insubordination is to be
found in the DECREASE OF FAMILY RELIGION? By this we mean
Religion in the household; in other words, the inculcation and
observance of the duties of religion in American families, in their
organized capacity as separate religious communities. Family religion,
in this sense, implies the acknowledgment of God in the family circle,
by the assembling of all its members around the domestic altar, morning
and evening, and by united prayer and praise to the God of the families
of all flesh; by the invocation of God's blessing and the giving of
thanks at every social repast; by the strict observance of the Sabbath;
and by the religious instruction and training of children and servants,
and the constant recognition of God's providence and care. This
constitutes, and these are the duties of family religion--duties which
no Christian head of a family, whether father or mother, can be excused
from performing. They are duties which all who take upon themselves the
responsibilities of the family should feel it a privilege to observe.

The duty of family prayer, especially by the one or the other head of
the household, as the leading exercise of the family religion, should be
performed with seriousness, order and punctuality. John Angell James
very properly asks if the dwellings of the righteous ought not to be
filled with the very element of piety, the atmosphere of true religion.
"Yet, how few are the habitations, even of professors, upon entering
which the stranger would be compelled to say, Surely this _is_ the house
of God, this _is_ the gate of heaven! It may be that family prayer is
gone through with, such as it is, though with little seriousness and no
unction. But even this, in many cases, is wholly omitted, and scarcely
anything remains to indicate that God has found a dwelling in that
house. There may be no actual dissipation, no dr