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than the Greek 9; to express the soft th, the soft breathing (spiritus lenis) is prefixed ('9); and the same prefix to x ('x) denotes the soft Danish g. Our space will not allow us to transcribe, in detail, the ingenious reasons by which every one of the above conclusions is supported; we can only commend them to the attention of our readers (pp. 28-34). The following is the complete tabular view of European consonantal sounds (p. 34):

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Our author next discusses the sounds of Oriental languages. We shall not attempt to follow him, much less to carry our readers through his elaborate survey of faucals, gutturals, palatals, cerebrals, linguals, dentals, and labials, his patient adaptation of signs for each, and the valuable table of examples by which, in conclusion, the whole series, both of vowels and consonants, is illustrated (p. 34–43). Neither shall we attempt to fathom the mysteries of Sanskrit and Hindustani aspirates, for the former of which he adopts the Greek breathing ('), for the latter, the letter h following the consonant to which it is applied. For consonantal diphthongs (of which the Slavonian languages furnish such choice specimens), no special signs are required, and double consonants are to be employed only when they materially vary the pronunciation, as in Arabic and Italian, or on etymological grounds, or in expressing foreign words in which they exist (p. 44).

Some valuable practical remarks follow (p. 45—48), on the application of the universal alphabet to those of individual languages, pointing out how some of the auxiliary signs can be occasionally dispensed with, and the use of others still further extended, as future need may require. A large portion of this concluding section is devoted to the clicking sounds (Schnalzlaute) of the Hottentot and other South Af

rican dialects, which the Dr. proposes to denote by single and double strokes ( ́"), aided by minor auxiliary signs and the guttural consonants with which they are combined in pronunciation. A few interesting remarks on the practical difficulties offered by the older alphabets, Sanskrit, Arabic (in which the services of Drs. Smith and Robinson are honorably mentioned), and especially Hebrew, close the work. An appendix, exhibiting a series of more than fifty alphabets, Asiatic, African, American, and Polynesian, with their equivalents in Dr. Lepsius's alphabet, offers abundant facilities to the linguist and the missionary for testing the capabilities of the new instrument thus put into their hands.

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We need hardly assure our readers that the idea of seding any of the existing orthographies of European literature, was never entertained by Dr. Lepsius. "Such isolated attempts," he remarks in this connection (p. 4), " as have been made, for instance, in England" (he might have added, in America), "belong to those empty fancies which can neither lead to any practical result, nor advance the cause of science."

In a note on page 22, the author informs us of his intention to follow up the present work by a larger one, in which the physiological part of the question will also be treated in detail. We doubt not that its reception will be worthy of the importance of the subject and of the reputation of its distinguished author. But enough is already before us to enable our missionary societies to take up the question. The writer of this Article was present at a meeting of French pastors and friends of missions, convoked last summer in Paris at the house of M. Grandpierre (so well known and so highly respected among us), for the purpose of hearing from Dr. Lepsius, in person, a general account of his system. After an interesting exposition, followed by some discussion, in which the distinguished pastor Monod took a prominent part, it was unanimously resolved to bring the "universal alphabet" under the immediate consideration of the French Evangelical missionaries, with a view to its general adoption by them. We are happy to learn that similar steps have

been taken by missionary societies in Germany, Switzerland, and, we believe, in other countries. The adhesion of the London Church Missionary society has already been noticed. But until the other great societies of England and America follow this example, the work is not half done. And we cannot doubt that, in a question so important to the present and future generations of a multitude of people, nations, and tongues, all petty jealousies, all personal and national predilections, will be laid aside; and we venture to hope that this alphabet, the fruit of such lengthened labors and such extensive researches, may be enabled to effect all the benefit desired and intended by its philanthropic author.

ARTICLE II.

THE SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY AND OBLIGATION OF THE SABBATH EXAMINED.

By Rev. W. M. O'Hanlon, Burnley, Lancashire. [Continued from page 551.]

The Primeval Sabbath.

OUR last paper was devoted to an examination of the views of Paley and Hengstenberg on the question of a Primeval Sabbath. This led to a consideration of the subject of septenary institutions, and of some of the modes in which writers have attempted to account for these institutions, while they have denied that original appointment of a periodic time (six days' labor, followed by one day of rest), which seems to us the only satisfactory explanation of the prevalent, if not absolutely universal, extension and establishment of this hebdomadal arrangement.

The topic of the Primeval Sabbath, however, is by no means exhausted, as all must be aware who have made themselves at all acquainted with the literature of the question.

One method by which the force of any argument derived from the first pages of Genesis on behalf of a primitive Sabbath is sought to be weakened, if not annihilated, is, that the account given by the Writer is to be considered simply in the light of a poetical cosmogony, and not at all as a real and veritable history of the work and process of creation. This is the position maintained by Professor Powell of Oxford, as seen in his elaborate Article upon "Creation" in Kitto's Cyc. of Biblical Literature. He alleges that the principle of accommodation or adaptation to the "apprehensions, the prejudices, and the previous belief of the Jewish people," pervades the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and is to be found largely in this opening portion of the Bible. "In the present instance," he observes, "the adaptation to the people of Israel was manifestly of the greatest importance, in order to secure their attention to points of vital moment in connection with the worship of the one true God, and their renunciation of idolatrous superstition. With this end, the first great truth with which they were to be impressed was the unity, omnipotence, and beneficence of the Creator." And then he represents these doctrines as taught by means of "a narrative proceeding step by step, in a minute detail, to assert in each individual instance the power and goodness which they were thus led to recognize in every familiar detail of the natural world, and which could thus alone be effectually impressed upon their minds.” After stating what he conceived to have been a second great object of the author of the Book of Genesis (the subversion of the worship of animals) in this, as he deems it, poetic and popular style of narration, he proceeds thus: "These remarks refer yet more directly to what doubtless was the third and chief object in this representation of the creation,— the institution of the Sabbath. This remarkable observance, the peculiar badge of the chosen people to distinguish them from all other nations, was appointed them before the delivery of the rest of the law; and as the work of creation with reference to the different classes of beings was associated in their minds with each of the six days, so the

seventh was identified, in the order of the narrative, with the entire completion of the work, the Divine rest and cessation from it, and the solemn sanctification of it pronounced to consist in a precise abstinence from any kind of labor by themselves, their household, and even cattle. They were thus led to adhere to this duty by reflections connected with the highest truths impressed under the most awful sanctions; and the wisdom of the injunction, not less than the means thus taken to promote and secure its fulfilment, cannot but the more fully appear, the more we examine the character and genius of this singular people for whom it was ordained, and to whose peculiar condition it was in every way so remarkably adapted. The narrative, then, of six periods of creation, followed by a seventh similar period of rest and blessing was clearly designed, by adaptation to their conceptions, to enforce upon the Israelites the institution of the Sabbath; and in whatever way its details may be interpreted, it clearly cannot be regarded as an historical statement of a primeval institution of a Sabbath,-a supposition which is indeed, on other grounds, sufficiently improbable, though often adopted." And subsequently this writer says: "As to the particular form in which the descriptive narrative is conveyed, we merely affirm that it cannot be history,— it may be poetry." The italics in these quotations are in the Article, and must be presumed to be the author's own.

Now, it is in this manner learned critics venture to deal with the Sacred Scriptures, a mode in which the most hardy of them would be slow to treat any other ancient document. The reconciliation of the narrative in the commencement of Genesis with the conclusions and facts of modern science, has engaged many pens in recent times; and it may be freely conceded that none of the solutions proposed entirely obviates all the difficulties of the subject. But the labors of the Rev. Baden Powell are directed not to the solution of the difficulties in question, but to something far easier - their evasion. He finds it more expeditious and facile to cut the Gordian knot than to unloose it. Certainly, if we are to regard the opening chapter of the Divine Revelation as a

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