persons against the inferences of geology, was formerly raised against his discoveries in astronomy; that the same hostile results to religion were then anticipated, and the same inflexible adherence to the letter of the Scripture was inculcated. Indeed, the doctrines now in question cannot be more contradictory to the literal account of creation, in the first chapter of Genesis, than the doctrine of the constant motion of the earth, and of the fixed station of the sun, is to the following passages, in the Book of Psalms, and the Book of Joshua. "He laid the foundations of the earth, that it never should move at any time," Psalm civ. 5. "So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day," Josh. x. 13. And we have surely less excuse than the persecutors of Galileo, if we walk in their footsteps, without deriving any instruction from their example.

It may perhaps be conceded, that the geologists of the present day have been hasty in their generalizations, and that we hardly yet know enough upon the subject to enable us to establish a complete theory. But until some evidence is brought forward to confute the facts which are ascertained, and we are taught, by some other means, to account for the appearances which everywhere surround us, we must, I think, be permitted to believe that the Mosaic account is not intended to be received in its literal acceptation, without being told that we are "unchristianlike," or that we assert that "the Bible is not to be believed." I would remind your correspondent, that when he assumes "that the surface of the earth, which man now inhabits, was, before the flood, for the most part, the bottom of the former seas," he is, as far as Scripture informs us on the subject, not only unsupported by it, but opposed to it. Witness the description of the rivers of Paradise and Mount Ararat. Further, that death had not existed in the animal kingdom before the fall of man, is by no means an uncommon opinion; and though probably an erroneous one, still hardly deserving to be stigmatized as "too absurd an idea for a child to entertain." And, in regard to its being contrary to our notions of Divine justice, that animals should ever suffer for the guilt of man, your correspondent may, perhaps, remember, that, in the destruction of Jericho, "they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass;' that the orders given to Saul were to "go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass."+ And that in the last and most fearful of the plagues of Egypt, "the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh, that sat on his throne, unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle." Indeed, his position is so far from being borne out by Scripture, that from these, and many similar instances, we may fairly assert the contrary to it, and say, that though we do not see, and may not presume to question the justice of the dispensation, animals are most frequently, if not always, involved in the judicial punishments of a general nature inflicted upon mankind. Another statement is, that

Josh. vi. 21.

+ 1 Sam. xv. 3.

Exodus xii. 29.

the Mosaic account "clearly and determinately limits the work of creation to six natural days." Can this reasonably be maintained, when three of these days were before the creation of the sun? Again, that God caused the earth to bring forth briars and thorns, " in mercy to man," and "to find him employment," is not exactly the sense in which one would understand the words, "Cursed is the ground for thy sake. In sorrow shalt thou eat of it. Thorns also, and thistles, shall it bring forth to thee." Lastly, it is with some surprise that I find your correspondent, after enjoining the most rigid adherence to Scripture in matters of natural philosophy, summing up his statement by telling us, (he is speaking of animated nature,) "that he firmly believes all the links of this beautiful chain to have been perfect from the very first day of creation."

These few passages, sir, are picked out almost at random, and are noticed only to shew your correspondent that, even in his letter, there are some passages not strictly in accordance with the letter of the Bible. With regard to the geological views which he entertains, they are scarcely sufficiently defined to afford grounds for criticism or remark. He will, I hope, take these observations in good part, and may feel assured that they are only written as a protest, in reply to the charges which he has brought forward against the advocates of the received geological theory. And he will in future, I trust, believe that people may be opposed to his notions of philosophy, and yet cordially agree with him in belief of the Holy Scriptures, and in anxiety to promote the cause of Christianity.

H. B.

BIBLE, PRAYER-BOOK, AND HOMILY SOCIETY.

SIR,-To aid, to the extent of his ability, in the widest possible dispersion of the Holy Scriptures and the formularies of the church, is, unquestionably, the duty of every member of the church of England. To the existing channels for the accomplishment of this work many persons entertain different objections. Some, questioning the lawfulness, and others the expediency, of co-operating with those who have separated from the church, are unwilling to attach themselves to the British and Foreign Bible Society, or to its offset, the Trinitarian Bible Society; and many who have hitherto supported the former would, it is believed, withdraw their support, if there were any existing institution having a similar object in view, to which they might attach themselves without any scruples of conscience. The Society for promoting Christian Knowledge has, indeed, turned its attention to the translation of the Scriptures into foreign languages; but this is only of very recent occurrence;-and the character and tendency of many of the tracts which have long been on the list of that society are such as to deter many persons from becoming members of it.

Alterations in this respect are going on; but these, if carried to any great extent, may have the effect, it is intimated, of driving many of the old members from it; so that neither of the parties in the church is likely to be fully satisfied with this society. The Prayer-Book and

Homily Society, of course, confines its operations to but one of the objects mentioned above.

The funds of this society, it appears, are now completely exhausted. Is there not, then, an opening made for the formation of a new society, which shall have for its object the distribution of the bible, prayerbook, homilies, and other formularies of the church, such as the thirty-nine articles, the canons, and ordination services, both at home and abroad, in the various languages of the world; and the management and membership of which shall be restricted to members of the church of England.

To such a society as this there can surely be no objection in the minds of churchmen. The object of it being so clearly defined, the circulation of books to which they (the clergy at least) have frequently declared their unfeigned assent and consent, they may in such a society merge all their differences, and act with a harmony which it is vain to look for in any association for the distribution of tracts. Of course it is not supposed that the establishment of such an institution will have the effect of dissolving any existing institution which has other objects. While the members of it will be at liberty to attach themselves, according to their theological predilections, to societies which distribute tracts, there will be one in which all members of the church may unite, and strengthen her hands by their combined efforts. Here will be one where churchmen may meet without collision, and where personal intercourse, for the prosecution of an object which has their unqualified approbation, may greatly promote Christian unity. I am, Sir, IRENEUS.

March 29, 1836.

ON THE ANTIQUITY OF WRITING.

SIR,-The oldest authentic notice of writing occurs in the history of the Israelites after their departure from Egypt, and before the giving of the law at Mount Sinai; but the art at that time was already in a high state of perfection. Besides the costly and laborious process of engraving letters on metal, stone, and jewels, they possessed the cheaper and more commodious method of writing in a book. Indeed, the very first incidental allusion shews that the latter practice was already in common use; and. the attention is drawn, not to instructions concerning the fundamental principle of alphabetic characters, but solely to the subject of the communication, " And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." (Exod. xvii. 14.) This occurred at Rephidim, in the second month after the Exodus, and before entering the wilderness of Sinai. In the third month, whilst the children of Israel were encamped before Mount Sinai, it is related that "Moses wrote all the words of the Lord; and he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people," (xxiv. 4-7.) It was subsequently to all these transactions that "the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me in the mount, and I will give thee tables of stone

which I have written," (xxiv. 12.) "And he gave unto Moses tables of stone written with the finger of God," (xxxi. 18.) These tables were afterwards replaced by others, of human workmanship, (xxxiv. 1 & 27.) As Moses, before the delivery of the two tables at Mount Sinai, was simply directed to write in a book, without receiving any elementary instructions, we are led to suppose that the use of letters was known long before, and that written books were already in existence. Neither is it probable that Moses took the census of "six hundred thousand that were men beside children,” (Exod. xii. 37,) by their tribes, families, households, and polls, without the assistance of ancient and written genealogical tables: "Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls." (Num. i. 2 & 18.)

The use of genealogical tables had given rise to figurative expressions, which was to be expected, if writing had been long and generally practised:" Yet, now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” (Exod. xxxii. 32.) Signets, also, which had the name or cipher of the owner engraved on them, were of such ancient origin and general use, that other engraved works are referred to the engravings of a signet, as to a general standard : "With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two onyx stones with the names of the children of Israel." (Exod. xxviii. 11.) "Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holiness to the Lord." (xxviii, 36.) I have no doubt that the Egyptians in Moses' time were acquainted with alphabetic characters, and practised the art of engraving them on signets; the ring which Pharaoh put on Joseph's hand was probably a signet of state (Gen. xl. 42); yet it by no means follows that the Israelites first became acquainted with letters during their sojourn in that country. In more ancient times, the patriarch Judah, for the fulfilment of a promise, had pledged his signet, which probably bore his name or cipher after the usual manner of the engravings of a signet. (Gen. xxxviii. 18.)

Having now pointed out the state of the art of writing in the time of Moses, I shall next shew that, before his time, it was the office of certain public functionaries to preserve and add to the existing writteu books. These functionaries were called shoterim, scribes, or genealogists.* W. B. WINNING.

Bedford.

The above remarks, and those which are to follow, were already put together, when I observed your notice (Vol. IX. p. 64) of Dr. Wall's work on the Ancient Orthography of the Jews, and the Origin of Alphabetical Writing. As that author, from the very same premises, has come to a directly opposite conclusion, I have given my remarks without any alteration, and add those of Dr. W. for the satisfaction of your readers, who may think differently from myself:

"If from the history of Job we proceed to the Pentateuch, we shall find that no stress can be laid on the arguments which are thence deduced in proof of alphabetic characters being older than the writing on the tables of testimony. An earlier date is not made out for the employment of them by the circumstance of Moses relating

SPONSORS.

SIR,-The correspondent in a former Number, on the subject of Sponsors at Baptism, does not address himself to what seems to me an important part of the subject-viz., against what particular case is the latter part of the 29th canon directed? The title of the canon shews plainly that its animus is, the non-admission of children too young to communicate to the responsible office of sponsor. Of course I do not mean that the framers of this canon did not both desire and intend that sponsors should be communicants; but I maintain, that, in this particular provision, they had in view another object-viz., that children should not be sponsors, and that therefore it is hardly allowable to quote the canon as prescribing what shall or shall not be our conduct in a case which is not the case contemplated by the framers of this canon, when they drew it up.

The question may be argued on the ground of what is in itself expedient and advisable; or it may be argued on the ground of the obedience which is due to the canons. If it be argued on the former ground, I would contend that, " until our superiors shall judge it expedient to recommend uniformity of discipline," more harm than good is done by individual presbyters in departing from the practice pursued by the great body of the clergy, and sanctioned, at least tacitly, by the heads of the church. Although the object should be in itself an expedient or desirable one, I conceive it to be in a far greater degree inexpedient for individual presbyters to introduce a practice different from that of their brethren, upon any important point, on which the bishops of the church have not thought it advisable to interfere.

If the question be argued on the ground of obedience to the canons, then, first, I would deny, that the 29th canon speaks expressly to the point; next, (admitting, what is clear, that the canon does take it for granted that all sponsors would be communicants, or rather, that all God's command to him to "write for a memorial in a book," (Exod. xvii. 14,) before he describes the delivery to him of the tables-viz., on occasion of the victory over the Amalekites; for the very next event related in the history of the Israelites is their arrival at Mount Sinai, and the command may not have been given till after that arrival, though the historian, in the order of his narrative, records it before, in immediate connexion with the transaction which gave rise to it. The same observation may be applied with still more force to the directions to grave on the plate of pure gold "Holiness to the Lord," (Exod. xxviii. 36;) and on the two onyx stones the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, (Ex. xxviii. 9;) for these directions were not given till after Moses had actually ascended the mountain; and there is no necessity for assuming, that the events which took place on its summit are related by him in the exact order of their occurrence. However, even if it were conceded that the above directions were given to Moses before he received the tables, all that could be thence inferred would be, that he had a previous knowledge of some kind of writing, but not necessarily of such as was alphabetic. This writing might have been only hieroglyphic, learned by him from the Egyptians, and he would at first understand the commands in reference to the graphic system with which he was already acquainted; though, as soon as he was taught an immeasurably superior method of recording words, he would, of course, avail himself of that method in obeying the divine injunctions." (p. 340.)

[The editor has reason to hope for a communication on this curious and interesting subject from another valuable correspondent, whose perfect knowledge of Hebrew will make his remarks peculiarly valuable.]

VOL. IX.-June, 1836.

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