made are applicable to them all, and at the same time completely rebut the force of the objection.

"In speaking of the hebdomadal festival under the Christian law, it is not the usual language of the fathers to call it the Sabbath, but the Lord's day, or the first, and sometimes the eighth day of the week. They seem desirous, by the distinction of the names, to preserve the distinction between the two festivals. In numbering the days of the septenary cycle, they call Saturday the Sabbath, and Sunday, generally, the Lord's day, by which they designated the day which was consecrated to his service from the apostolic age. By the Sabbath they signified the Mosaic institution, which, it is acknowledged, is abolished by Christ. Sometimes, indeed, they used the appellation 'Sabbath,' to denote the spiritual and mystical Sabbath, typified by the Levitical Sabbath, and which was most commonly regarded by them as a representation of the heavenly rest of the redeemed; though occasionally they treat it as adumbrative of the spiritual blessings under the reign of the Messiah. But they were careful not to confound the different appellations, which is another strong argument, that, whenever they speak disparagingly of the Sabbath, they did it in reference to the Jewish ordinance of keeping the seventh day holy." pp. 332-334.

"It may be objected to the testimony derived from the concurrence of antiquity, that, in the early ages of Christianity, the last day of the week, or Saturday, was observed as a Sabbath, together with the first day of the week, or Sunday; and by consequence the authority of the primitive church cannot be pleaded in favour of the one more than of the other." pp. 334, 335.

But in answer to this inference the author pleads, that, in the first place,

"The religious observance of the seventh day does not appear to have obtained in the earliest and purest ages of the Christian church. No countenance is given to it by Justin Martyr, Irenæus, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, or in the writings of any of the ante-Nicene fathers; nor do I find any satisfactory evidence of its having prevailed in the second century, or, to any considerable extent, in the third." p. 337.

The

"The ecclesiastical historians, Socrates and Sozomen, supply more important testimonies. The former says, churches throughout the world celebrated the mysteries (i. e. the communion) every week, on the Sabbath-day, except those in Alexandria and Rome, which, following their ancient traditions, did not adopt that custom; and in another place, speaking of the churches of Constantinople in the

time of Chrysostom, he mentions the Sabbath and the Lord's day, as the two weekly festivals, on which they always held religious assemblies. Sozomen, about the same time, says, The Christians assembled on the Sabbath, in like manner as on the first day of the week, in Constantinople, and almost every where, except in Rome and Alexandria.' The Council of Laodicea certainly acknowledges both days as festivals; and Balsamon, as quoted by CurceHaus, says, that by the holy fathers the Sabbaths are almost equalled with the Lord's days.'

"Some other testimonies have been brought forward, but these are the principal; and it is obvious to remark that the authors, in speaking of the consecration of the seventh day, refer solely to the practice of their own times, when, it is confessed, it was in some places kept as a religious festival by the Christians. But this practice was confined within narrow limits, as appears from the citations in the preceding paragraph." pp. 339–341.

"It is also observable, that none of the writers who have adverted to this custom, give us any reason for believing that it had existed for any great length of time. They say not a word as to its antiquity, and the way in which they mention it leads us to suppose that it grew up by degrees. It probably was adopted in the very earliest ages of Christianity, by certain churches in accommodation to the prejudices of the Jews; and the truth seems to be, as stated by Mosheim, that the seventh day of the week was observed as a festival, not by the Christians in general, but by such churches only as were principally composed of Jewish converts, nor did the other Christians censure this conduct as criminal and unlawful.' pp. 341, 342.

"In the second place, those churches which adopted the practice of keeping both days, manifested, by the rites and ceremonies used, a preference of the Lord's day above the Sabbath. For, as the indefatigable Bingham states, first, we find no ecclesiastical laws obliging men to pray standing on the Sabbath. For that was a ceremony peculiar to the Lord's day, in memory of our Saviour's resurrection. Nor, secondly, are there any imperial laws forbidding law-suits and pleadings on this day. Nor, thirdly, any laws prohibiting the public shows and games, as on the Lord's day. Nor, fourthly, any laws obliging men to abstain wholly from bodily labour." p. 344.

"Lastly, The believers who kept the seventh day of the week as a festival, while they did it partly in deference to the Jewish converts, nevertheless observed it, not in a Jewish, but a Christian way. The author of the interpolated Epistles of Ignatius says, that the Sabbath was not to be kept after a Jewish manner: Athanasius declares, that they met on the Sabbath,

not with a view to Judaize, but to worship Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath."

P. 345. "From these remarks it is clear, that

the custom of keeping the seventh day of the week as a festival, though it probably took its rise in the earliest ages of Christianity, was but partially received till some centuries afterwards; that, so far from being universal, it prevailed chiefly in the eastern empire; and that where it was adopted, it was from such motives, and was attended with such rites and ceremonies, as designated it to be, in their estimation, of subordinate authority to the sacredness of the Lord's day." pp. 346,

347.

We have been the more particular and profuse in citations on this head of inquiry, because we consider it the point on which the public mind most requires to be informed; and we think, that few persons can deliberately read the extracts we have made, and weigh them with attention, without being convinced by them, that the Lord's day was indeed substituted for the Sabbath, and consequently, that it must have been identified with it in principle, though altered in time, from the remotest antiquity.

The remaining topic of Mr. Holden's book is devoted to the political as well as religious advantages of the Sabbatical institution; and he gives his own opinion with much minuteness on the way in which the Sabbath may most profitably be observed. In many of his sentiments on these heads we concur; in some we differ; but we have only space left to close our present strictures with a few words on the uses for which we may conceive this Divine appointment to have been originally designed.

The object of the Sabbath may best be collected from the circumstances of its institution. On the seventh day the Lord rested from the work of creation. He allowed the world then to take the course which he had prescribed for it; and he required man, after his example, and by his command, to do no earthly works on the seventh day. He was to rest from these, that he might live more immediately to God. For it is to be observed, that this com

mand was given before the fall. Even in paradise, when Adam's only earthly task was to dress and keep the garden which was given to him, he was yet required to refrain even from that simple and innocent employment one day in seven; of which direction the probable end was, that he might hold direct and intimate communion with God. He was formed of the dust of the ground, and was so far connected with earth; but the Lord God had made him after his own image, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and he was thus related to his Maker. Six days were given him to perform the tasks which belonged to the lower part of his nature. But on the seventh, with the exception of the necessary supply of his animal wants, he was to attend exclusively to the higher. Since the Fall other uses of the Sabbath have developed themselves, such as the opportunity it gives for awakening the torpid, alarming the profligate, reclaiming the backslider. But still, when all other ends are answered, the true Christian will find his highest enjoyment of the Sabbath in the opportunity which it gives him of drawing near to God, with the delightful consciousness, that in so doing he is not neglecting, but performing, his duty; in short, that his privilege and his duty are one. On the best way of enjoying this privilege and of discharging this duty, good men in this imperfect state may partially differ. But it is important to know, that it is a duty, and to form a right estimate of the end for the attainment of which that duty was commanded. And, if any thing we have now said, or quoted, shall help to establish our readers in the right view and conception of these truths, we have only further to add our fervent prayer, that they may be led so to avail themselves of their high privileges below, that they may hereafter attain that eternal rest which remaineth for the people of God.

GREAT BRITAIN.

PREPARING for publication: A translation of the "Mosaic Precepts elucidated and defended " of Maimonides; by the Rev. J. Townly, D.D.

In the press-Hug's Introduction to the New Testament; from the German, with Notes; by the Rev. Dr. Wait; -The History of the Crusades against the Albigenses in the Thirteenth Century; from the French of J. C. Simonde de Sismondi ;-A Geneological Chart, adapted equally to all Modern History for the space of the last eight Centuries.

Oxford. The chancellor's gold medal for the best English poem by a resident undergraduate, is adjudged to Mr. Brockhurst, of St. John's College. Subject, Venice.

Cambridge.-Captain Coe has presented to the university of Cambridge an alabaster statue of a Burmese idol, taken from the sacred grove, near Ava; and two religious books, beautifully executed on the Palmyra leaf, to which none but the Burmese priests are permitted to have access.

At a late meeting of the Society of Antiquaries, Mr. Ellis exhibited a gold medal which the son or grandson of Herne, one of the counsel for Archbishop Laud at his trial, caused to be struck from some gold coin which the Archbishop gave him, with his blessing, just before his decapi tation. Mr. Herne had the medal struck, in order that the remembrance of the way in which the gold came into his family might not be lost, or the money expended.

The first stone of a new church at Upper Holloway (near the foot of Highgate-hill) was lately laid, with the usual solemnities, by the Archbishop of Canterbury. This church is one of three intended to be erected in the parish of Islington; chiefly through the zealous and judicious exertions of the present vicar, the Rev. D. Wilson.

A rain guage has been invented by Mr. Donovan, which registers the number of inches of rain during a given period; the day and hour when they fell; the commencement and cessation of showers, and various other particulars. While it rains, a bell rings, the intervals between the strokes of which are shorter in proportion as the rain is quicker.

A society has been formed under highly respectable patronage for the advancement of zoology. The immediate object of the Society will be the introduction and exhibition of such subjects of the animal kingdom as may be of utility, or a source of interest and gratification. With this view, a collection of living animals will be formed; to which will be attached a museum and library connected with the subject. A site has been obtained for the purpose, in the Regent's Park.

FRANCE,

A machine for digging canals has recently been introduced at Paris, to be worked either by horse, manual, or other motive power. It requires a power of eight horses to work it; with which it will extract and carry out of the canal ninetysix cubic feet per minute.

M. Bory de Saint Vincent has published a new nomenclature of the species of the human race, under fifteen heads, namely, Japetic; Arabic; Hindoo; Scythian; Chinese ; Hyperborean; Neptunian; Australasian; Columbian; American; Patagonian; Ethiopian; Caffre; Black; Hottentot.

GERMANY...

M. Olbers, of Bremen, who has been particularly occupied with the theory of comets, and has been endeavouring to subject to calculation the possibility of the interference of one of these bodies with the destiny of the earth, gives posterity warning that in 83,000 years a comet will approach to within the same distance from the earth as the moon is at present; that in four millions of years it will come within 7,700 geographical miles, and then, if its attraction equal that of the earth, the waters of the Ocean will rise 13,000 feet, that is above the summit of every European mountain, with the exception of Mont Blanc. The inhabitants of the Andes and those of the Himalayah chain alone can escape this deluge; but their safety, it seems, will last only for 216 mil lions of years more.

ITALY.

M. Champollion, jun. edited a catalogue of the Egyptian manuscripts in the Vatican. His work, translated into Italian by M. Angelo Maï, has been printed by order of the pope.

RUSSIA.

The Russian government has ordered that navigable canals shall be commenced, to unite, 1st, the Moskwa and the Volga; 2d, the Scheksma and the Northern Dwina, by which there will be a direct communication between the port of Archangel and that of Petersburg, and a road will be opened to the Baltic for native merchandize; 3, the Niemen and the Weichsel across the kingdom of Poland.

The number of children who die annually in Russia, amounts to about one fourth of the whole number of deaths in the empire. The ceremonies which take place at their baptism are stated to be one chief cause of this mortality. The naked infant is three times plunged into a basin of cold water, from which it emerges shivering, and convulsed with the cold. Among the more enlightened classes, warm water is now introduced; but neither physicians nor philosophers can persuade the lower classes thus to depart from the usage of their ancestors.

PERSIA.

An earthquake was felt at Shirauz last November, by which a great number of buildings were thrown down, and much property was destroyed, though but few lives were lost. The tombs of Hafiz and Saadi, the boast of Shirauz, are heaps of ruins.

INDIA.

A work is passing through the press of Bishop's College, entitled, The Banquet, or the History of Armenia, by Father Chamich; translated from the original Armenian, by Johannes Avdull. This work is an abridgment of the History of Armenia, from the year of the world 1757, according to the Jewish chronology or 2663 by the computation of the Septuagint; to the year of Christ 1780; or to the year 1229 of the Armenian era.

The Calcutta Apprenticing Society has proposed to establish a marine school, on the model of the Marine Society of London, for the reception of India-born youth, in order that they may be educated as seamen.

The fourth public examination of the girls educated by the Ladies' Society for Female Education, was lately held in Calcutta, in the presence of LadyAmherst, the Hon. Miss Amherst, the Bishop of Calcutta. Mrs. Heber, Mrs. Harington, the Archdeacons of Calcutta and Bombay, several of the clergy, and various other European ladies and gentlemen, together with the Rajahs Bidenauth Roy and Shibkishen, and a large body of native gentlemen. The CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 294.

children were examined in suitable schoolbooks, which give an account of the fall of man and his redemption, with the Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. Several of them repeated Bengalee hymns; others read part of the New Testament, and gave the meaning of the passages: afterwards they read and repeated a portion of geography, with which they appeared familiar. The Bishop questioned them in Hindoostanee respecting the different parts of the world, several of which places they could point out to his lordship on the Bengalee map. Afterwards, specimens of their needle-work were exhibited. During the examination, Rajah Bidenauth gave a donation of twenty thousand sicca rupees, to forward the cause of native female education by the erection of a central school.

The Governor in Council at Bombay has notified, that whenever European troops are employed where there is no chaplain, the officers of each brigade or station, are to perform clerical duties when requisite, without any distinct appointment being made for that purpose. THIBET.

An intrepid Hungarian traveller, of the name of De Koros, who has been passing some time in Thibet, has discovered a collection of writings in the language of that country, filling 320 volumes. All these works, he was informed, were translated from the Sanscrit; the titles of the originals, and the names of the authors and of the translators, are carefully marked in them. M. de Koros has copied the tables of contents of all these works; and transcribed the most ample of them, which occupies 154 pages.

JAVA.

As an illustration of the natural proneness of the human mind, when unenlightened by revelation, to idolatry the most absurd, a missionary in Java states, that in the village of Buitenzorg, in the vicinity of Batavia, where there is a colony of 2000 Chinese, he found in one of the houses an European picture of Bonaparte, in a gilt frame, to which the people offer incense, and pay their morning and evening vows.

VAN DIEMAN'S LAND. Letters from Van Dieman's Land state, that the resources of the colony are in a course of hopeful development. The wool is improving; the bark of the mimosa tree, and an extract made from it for tanning, yield large profits, and the bays and adjacent islands furnish supplies of oil and seal-skins.

3 B

UNITED STATES. The following is a list of anniversary meetings of charitable societies, held in New York, during the second week in May. The New-York Sunday-School Union Society;-The American Home Missionary Society; - The American Tract Society;-The United Foreign Missionary Society;-The American Bible Society ;The Presbyterian Education Society ; - The United Domestic Missionary Society;-The American Jews' Society;-The Examination of the Theological Seminary;-The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church; - and the American Sunday-School Union.

-

A plan is in progress for building a church at Baltimore, for those of the Coloured population who may attach

is 150 feet long, and forty feet wide, and has a cabin sixty feet long and thirty Under the large cabin, is a superb wide. ladies' cabin, richly furnished, and the whole equipment of the vessel, the American journals state, is "far more elegant and convenient than that of any other steam boat in the world."

THEOLOGY.

The Unity of the Church the Conversion of the World; a Sermon before the London Missionary Society; by the Rev. T. Mortimer.

Lectures on the Philosophy of the Mosaic Record of Creation ; by the Rev. James Donekau, B. D., &c. 8vo. 8s. 6d.

A Treatise of the Three Evils of the Last Times; 1. the Sword ; 2. the Pestilence; 3. the Famine. Originally published in 1771. 8vo. 8s.

Lectures on Portions of the Psalms; by the Rev. Andrew Thomson, D. D. 8vo. 7s. 6d.

A parting Memorial, consisting of Miscellaneous Discourses preached in China, at the Cape of Good Hope, and in England; by the Rev. Robert Morrison, D. D. 8vo. 10s. 6d.

A Summary of the New Testament; designed to present, in a compact Form, a Sketch of the New-Testament Writings. 18mo. 2s.

Observations on Religious Education, principally with reference to Sunday Schools; by A. H. Davies. 3s.

Sentiments appropriate to the present Crisis; a Sermon; by the Rev. C. Bur

ton.

The Day of Judgment; a Sermon; by the Rev. C. Burton.

Three Discourses adapted to the Signs and Duties of the Times; by the Rev. C. Burton.

A Fourth Volume of Tracts, Religious, Moral, and Miscellaneous; by the Rev. H. G. Watkins.

Sermons; par le Révérend M. C. Scholl, l'un des Pasteurs de l'Eglise Françoise de Londres.

The Cause and Remedy for National Distress; a Sermon in aid of the Distressed Manufacturers; by the Rev. J. H. Stewart. 1s. 6d.

The Cottage Bible and Family Expositor; by T. Williams. 2 vols. 8vo. Containing the Old Testament. Also, Part I. of the New Testament, being Part XXVI. of the whole Work-continued Monthly. Price 1s.; fine paper 1s. 6d.

The Necessity of a Revelation of the Being and Will of God; by the Rev. A. Norman. 1 vol. 8vo. 6s. 6d.

An Attempt to ascertain the Meaning of Luke xxii. 38; by J. F. Gyles.

The Abominations of Babylon, a Sermon for the Continental Society; by the Rev. H. M'Neile. 3d.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Observations on the First Report of the "Commissioners of Irish Education Inquiry."

Rural Pictures; by J W. Slatter. 3s. 6d.

A Second Letter in Defence of the Bible Society.

Travels and Adventures on the Shore of the Caspian Sea; by J. B. Fraser, Esq. 4to. 17. 11s. 6d.

A Summer's Ramble through parts of Flanders, Germany, and Switzerland, in 1825. 12mo. 6d.

A Winter in Lapland and Sweden, with various Observations on Finmark and its inhabitants; by Arthur de Capell Brooke, M. A. 4to. 31. 3s.

Voyages of Discovery, undertaken to complete the Survey of the Western Coast of New Holland, between 1817 and 1822; by Captain Parker King, R. N, 2 vols. 8vo. 36$.