archbishop Bramhall, and the present archbishop of Dublin, &c.; and he joins with the nonconformist Dr. Owen, who lived in the time of Cromwell; with Jonathan Edwards of New England, who has "defended, the Bishop adds, the change of the sabbath from the last to the first day of the week, in his own lucid and convincing way." "Dr. Dwight, continues the bishop, as well as his illustrious countryman, Edwards, has honored the American school of theology—rapidly rising into importance—with a most convincing and able discussion of the question, in all its branches, both theoretical and practical. This perhaps forms the best of our modern treatises; though it would be unjust to Dr Humphrey of Amherst College, to withold a tribute of praise from his excellent essays."
Dr. Wilson thinks the best single sermons, in a practical point of view, on this important subject, are those of Dean Milner, archdeacon Pott, and Dr. Chalmers "of the Presbyterian church in Scotland; "the last, is in the most powerful and awakening manner of its author, and of itself settles the question." Thus liberal is our author in giving praise where he thinks praise to be due.
The train of argument pursued by the Bishop is, that the Sabbath was appointed by divine command as issued in Paradise; republished in the decalogue or moral law; enforced by the prophets: recognized and vindicated by the Lord of the Sabbath, and his Apostles; and received, and acknowledged in the primitive, and every succeeding age of the church. Thus far Dr. Wilson avoids mentioning the authority of the church of England, in reference to her own members; but in an appendix he states what that is, according to her fixed formularies; and takes occasion to reprove the Rev. Mr. Fellowes, "a clergyman high in station, who notwithstanding the articles, liturgy, and homilies of his church, has attempted, in order to support his non-observance of the Lord's day, to sweep away the ten commandments all together."
In conclusion, we might be asked, how comes it to pass that the Chinese have lost the knowledge of the Sabbath? which we would answer by asking another question, how comes it to pass that the Chinese have lost the knowledge of God himself, and of creation, as well as of the Sabbath? We suppose that an objector would not infer from this fact, that there was no Almighty Creator, though he would have us infer that there was not, originally, any Sabbath.
We sincerely wish the Bishop of Calcutta would reprint his very seasonable book; and let it be circulated widely throughout the East.
* We observe with pleasure, that throughout his work, the Bishop prefers the Old Testament term, Sabbath, and the New Testament one, Lord's day. We have not noticed any where that he uses the word Sunday, except when, by way of reproof, he speaks of "Sunday recreations, the Sunday News papers," &c.
