sonal possessions of Aristotle and Cicero. Too exquisitely benevolent for the selfishness, and the pride, and the indolence of man, the passions of mankind would revolt against this code of philanthropy, adapted to a small community; it was an Agrarian Law without its violence, and an Ostracism without its malignity. While Israel possessed their Holy Land, all the Sabbatical institutions were religiously observed, till the destruction of the first Temple by the Assyrians. When the captive Jews, returning from Babylon, sought their fatherland, they beheld their tribes confused together, and many of their brethren were wanderers in far-distant regions. The glory of their Temple had for ever passed away, the feelings of patriotism were cold in a desolated country,-the magic had dissolved-and the Seven Sabbaths of Years for ever vanished!

Such is the history of the Sabbatic institutions of Moses. The seventh day, consecrated to the universal repose of all nature, may be said to have entirely disappeared, except among this ancient people, who still preserve it with all its rigours. Even Mahomet in perpetuating it among his Moslems, changed it to a weekly feast-day, and " the most excellent day on which the sun rises" as it is described, is

the sixth of the week. The Mohammedans esteem it a peculiar honour to Islam, that Friday has been appointed for them, and that they alone enjoy the blessing of having first observed it.*

The observance of the Sabbath-day became a subject of controversy, only among the religious of the Protestants of our country; a subject which requires our investigation.

* Sale's Preliminary Discourse to the Koran, 197.

CHAPTER XVI.

OF THE OBSERVATION OF THE SABBATH
UPON SUNDAYS.

THE superstitious discipline of the Jewish sabbath, as practised by the tyrannical Pharisees, was one of those burthens of the old law which the new removed.

The founder of the Christian Religion in the severe reprimands to his rabbinical persecutors, by his words and by his actions, testified that with the abrogation of the Mosaic ritual, the ceremonial performance of the Sabbath was dissolved. Jesus announced himself to be "Lord of the Sabbath," and declared that "the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath," doubtless alluding to its arbitrary superstitions. "This man is not God, because he keepeth not the sabbath-day," said the haughty Pharisees of Jesus; and when Jesus was accused of a breach of the sabbath, according to the pha

risaical strictness, by healing a sick man on that day, Jesus replied, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I also work."* The Apostles comprehended the intention of their Lord, otherwise they would have preferred enduring the keenest hunger rather than have plucked the ears of corn in passing through a field on the sabbath. This was the point of time, at which the ceremonial of the sabbath was manifestly dissolved-or as Lightfoot, deep in Hebraic lore, that "Christian Rabbi" as Gibbon happily designates this prodigy of erudition, quaintly expressed it, this was "the shaking of the sabbath."

Christianity was not established at once, this miracle was denied the world; and the children of the Gospel required the indulgence of tender converts whose consciences, and customs and imaginations could not be weaned on the sudden from those Mosaic rites which for so many ages they had held as imprescriptible.

A strong light is thrown on this expression of Jesus, as well as on our present subject, by Justin Martyr in his eccentric dialogue with Trypho the Jew-"You see that the Heavens are not idle nor do they observe the Sabbaths. If before Abraham there was no need of circumcision, nor the Sabbaths, &c. so now in like manner there is no need of them since Jesus Christ." Sect. xxiii.

The habits of these innovators, known in ecclesiastical history as Judaising Christians, were still clinging to the ancient faith, while their convictions had embraced the new. These Jewish proselytes, who are described as "certain of the sects of Pharisees which believe," * were indulged for the first half century, in Levitical ceremonies. To these Judaising Christians the antiquated sabbath and even the rite of circumcision were still allowed. St. Paul attended Synagogues on the Sabbath, and joined in the ceremonial part, with a view to obtain proselytes, and this great assertor of the Christian Faith, who had inculcated "the circumcision made without hands," himself circumcised Timothy to humour the rooted prejudices of these wavering Jews.† There was a moment even when the Judaising Christians attempted to reconcile the Code of Moses with the Gospel of Christ. These held a conference

* Acts xv. 5.

+ The intolerant Knox was so greatly confounded at the compliance of St. Paul with the advice of St. James in conforming with the Jewish customs that he might not offend the converts of that nation-that Knox inveighs against what he calls "a worldly-wise council" of both the Apostles, and hardily doubts whether the command of the one and the obedience of the other proceeded from the Holy Ghost.