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rusing the pious lives and experiences of those who have gone before them. But we avoid prescribing any precise line of conduct,. believing that if the attention be sincerely turned unto the Heavenly Shepherd, his preserving help and guidance will not be withheld." (London Epistle, 1817.)

The following extract of a Letter of advice, from a meeting of the representatives of the Society, held in London, in the year 1751, will explain our reasons for giving the months and days of the week their proper, numerical names, instead of those by which they are commonly called.

"A brief account of the origin of the names of some months of the year, and of all the days of the week, now customarily and commonly used."

"I. January was so called from Janus, an ancient king of Italy, whom heathenish superstition had deified, to whom a temple was built, and this month dedicated.

II. February was so called from Februa, a word denoting purgation by sacrifices; it being usual, in this month for the priests of the heathen god Pan, to offer sacrifices, and perform certain rites; conducing, as was supposed, to the cleansing or purgation of the people.

III. March was so denominated from Mars, feigned to be the god of war, whom Romulus, founder of the Roman empire, pretended to be his father.

IV. April is generally supposed to derive its name from the Greek appellation of Venus, an imaginary goddess, worshipped by the Romans.

V. May is said to have been so called from Maia the mother of Mercury, another of their pretended ethnic deities, to whom, in this month, they aid their devotions.

VI. June is said to take its name from Juno, one of the supposed goddesses of the heathen.

VII. July, so called from Julius Cæsar, one of the Roman emperors, who gave his own name to this month, which before was called Quintilis, or the Fifth.

VIII. August, so named in honor of Augustus Cæsar, another of the Roman emperors. This month was before called Sextilis, or the Sixth.*

The other four months, namely, September, October, November, & December, still retain their numerical Latin names: which, according to the late regulation of the calender, will, for the future, be improperly applied. However, from the continued use of them hitherto, as well as from the practice of the Jews before the Babylonish captivityf, it seemeth highly probable, that the method of distinguishing the months by their numerical order only, was the most ancient, as it is the most plain, simple and rational.

As the idolatrous Romans thus gave names to several of the months, in honor of their pretended deities; so the like idolatry prevailing among our Saxon ancestors, induced them to call the days of the week by the name of the idol, which, on that day, they peculiarly worshipped. Hence

The First day of the week was by them called Sunday, from their customary adoration of the Sun, upon that day.

The Second day of the week they called Monday, from their usual custom of worshipping the Moon on that day.

The Third day of the week they named Tuesday, in honor of one of their idols called Tuisco.

The Fourth day of the week was called Wednes

Macrob. Saturn. lib. I. cap. 12. +See the Scriptures to the time of Ezra. L*

day, from the appellation of Woden, another of their idols.

The Fifth day of the week was called Thursday, from the name of an idol called Thor, to whom they paid their devotions upon that day.

The Sixth day of the week was termed Friday, from the name of Friga, an imaginary goddess by them worshipped.

The Seventh day they styled Saturday, as is supposed from Saturn, or Seater, by them then worshipped.*

In the ages of popish superstition, not only the use of such heathenish names and customs was indulged, but also other unsound & unscriptural practices in religion, were invented and introduced. For when the profession of the christian religion became national, multitudes of the heathen priests, whose interest lay in the performance of rites, ceremonies, and sacrifices, embraced prevailing Christianity with selfish views; and labored early, with too much success, to find employment for themselves, by imposing on the people a new set of ceremonies and sacrifices, bearing some resemblance to those,which, in their former state of heathenism, they had been accustomed to. From this corrupt source sprang the popish sacrifice of the mass, the celebration of which, at particular times, and on particular occasions, gave rise to the vulgar names of Michaelmas, Martinmas, Christmas, and the like.

Seeing therefore that these appellations and names of days, months, and times, are of an idolatrous or superstitious original, contrary to the divine command, the practice of good and holy men in former ages, and repugnant to the Christian testimony borne by our faithful friends and predecessors

*See Verstegan, and Sheringham.

in the truth, for the sake of which they patientlyendured many revilings; let neither the reproach of singularity, nor the specious reasonings of such as would evade the cross of Christ, turn you aside from the simplicity of the gospel; nor discourage you from keeping to the language of truth, in denominating the months and days according to the plain and scriptural way of expression: thereby following the example of our worthy elders, and coming up in a noble and honorable testimony against these, and all other remains of idolatry and superstition.

From the Meeting for Sufferings in London, the
sixth day of the Seventh Month 1751.”

CHAPTER XIV.

of Salutations and Recreations.

FROM the first rise of the society to the present time, one uniform sentiment has prevailed in relation to salutations and recreations. About the commencement of the Christian era, pride and presumption, seemed to have attained their very summit at Rome, then the mistress of the world, & the pattern of what the world denominated fashionable, elegant or great: sunk too in the depth of pagan darkness, they did not hesitate to ascribe divine honors to those individuals who attained to the pinnacle of power-inferior orders imitated the example, and followed behind,as near as they could venture to approach the highest characters. Only a few centuries passed over the christian church, before Constantine adopted the profession of christianity, when, of course, the profession became fashionable among the higher orders of society. As many embraced it for the sake of fashion, as well as for other motives even worse. so fashion pervaded the manners of professed christians.

The injunction of the apostle was now but little regarded: "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds." On the contrary, that great empire with all its grandeur power and policy, now asked admission into the visible church-which, cheated by the smiles of power, stooped to the low degradation of admitting the applicant. A degradation indeed it was: for she ceased to be "the Bride, the Lamb's wife,"

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