tenary division, and the note at each seventh day, as if they occurred in the Intercalary Elul only. And for this reason. Supposing that hereafter any more discoveries should be made which indicate knowledge on the subject of the Sabbath to have prevailed in Babylon, it is important to set forth the only possible way in which such knowledge could have been gained.

The moral of the whole matter is this: it is a perilous thing to argue on a slight resemblance of description of a certain day, to an identity of an institution among Babylonians with an institution among the Hebrews. And this peril may be illustrated by the facts that the 28th day is a "day of repose" of Nergal; the 29th "a day of repose" of Sin, (the Moon). The phrases, at first sight, seem to suggest to us "the rest" of the Hebrew Sabbath. But they have obviously nothing to do with it.

One remark only shall be made in conclusion. The writer would tender his sincere acknowledgments to Mr. Ball, without whose learned communications the necessary premises of the arguments maintained in this "Excursus" could not have been at all confidently laid down. This will have been evident throughout. At the same time, however, it is due to that gentleman to say that he is responsible only for the AssyrioBabylonian data, not for the mode in which the writer has discussed their bearing upon the institution of the Sabbath.

Easter, 1889.

PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION.

SINCE the issue of the Third Edition of these Lectures, in 1866, the Sunday Question has become yearly more interesting, and, it may be added, as it has been blended with other questions of importance, yearly more complicated.

On the one hand, the establishment of Statute holidays, and the very general adoption of a Saturday half-holiday, have rendered the physical temptation, so to speak, to devote Sunday to mere bodily recreation, or what is supposed to be such, less. trying. It might have been hoped that they would have produced an attention to religious duties more marked and decided.

But, on the other hand, the pressure of worldly business, now become more intense than ever, and the rapid increase of the areas of great cities, have brought about in the artisan classes a desire for even more animal rest than before. In the lower middle class, Sunday excursions to a greater or less distance, in search of fresh air, have shaped themselves almost into a necessity.

Hence, as besides this, it would appear that it is very difficult to win a large portion of the labouring population from degrading habits of intemperance, or to bring them out of their squalid homes into the parks which have been liberally provided for their recreation, or to induce them to shop on Saturday, various remedial expedients have been thought of.

Act of 1874.

Contemporaneously with these, persons who care little for Sunday, except as a rest-day, have been attempting to secularise it altogether.

And a third phenomenon has presented itself—-a virtual combination of certain Churchmen with men of an avowedly different stamp, to open Exhibitions and the like, and to promote the delivery of Lectures on non-religious subjects, on Sunday. The professed object of this combination is a beneficent and humane one-that of diverting persons from what is positively wrong and injurious by attractions which, in themselves, are of a harmless character.

Societies, some of older, some quite of recent, formation, have at various times pressed their various plans in regard to Sunday upon public notice and upon the legislature.

So far as direct legislation is concerned, the three Acts which relate to the enforcement of additional stringency on the subject, are the "Intoxicating Liquors Acts," of 1872 and 1874, and the "Crystal Palace Company's Act," of 1877.

Those in the opposite direction are the "Sunday Prosecutions Act," of 1871, and the "Remission of Penalties Act," of 1875. Here is a brief analysis of them :—

The only provisions of the Acts of 1872 and 1874 which are material to the popular statement of the law, are contained in the following sections of the Acts:

Sec. 3.-All premises in which intoxicating liquors are sold by retail are to be closed as follows:

1. If within the Metropolitan District—

(a) From Saturday midnight to Sunday 1 p.m.
(b) From Sunday 11 p.m. to Monday 5 a.m.
(c) On all other days from 12.30 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Same
Act.

2. If beyond the Metropolitan District, but within the Metropolitan Police District, or a "populous place"

(a) From Saturday 11 p.m. to Sunday 12.30 p.m. (6) From Sunday 10 p.m. to Monday 6 a.m.

(c) On all other days from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. 3. Elsewhere

(a) From Saturday 10 p.m. to Sunday 12.30 p.m. (6) From Sunday 10 p.m. to Monday 6 a.m.

(c) On other days from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Such premises, wherever situate, are (subject to a power of varying the hours so as to suit public worship contained in the 6th Section) to be closed between 2.30 and 6 p.m. or 3 and 6 p.m. on Sunday, according as they are respectively opened at 12.30 or 1 p.m. under the above rules.

Good Friday and Christmas Day are treated as Sundays.

Sec. 10. The Act is not to apply to a bonâ fide traveller;

and a person, to be a bona fide traveller, must have lodged on the preceding night at least three miles from the place at which he demands refreshment.

And the Act is not to apply to travellers at a railwaystation, and arriving or departing by the trains.

By Sec. 26 of the Act of 1872, as varied by Sec. 4 of the Act of 1874, certain police authorities may extend the hours of opening to suit any public market or the persons following any trade or calling (e.g., printers), so that no house is open between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.

By the "

Crystal Palace Company's Act," of 1877, it is provided, Sec. 5, "Nothing in this Act contained shall authorise

the Company to admit persons to the buildings and grounds of the Company on the Lord's Day in consideration of money payments, whether made directly or indirectly, so long as such admission shall be contrary to law."

On the other hand, "The Sunday Prosecutions Act," of 1871, limits the right of prosecution under the Caroline Acts to the Police Authorities, and to private prosecutors with the consent of two Justices.

"The Remission of Penalties Act," of 1875, removes doubts as to the power of the Crown to remit forfeitures and penalties under the "Sunday Act," 21 George III., c. 49.

One other Act may be mentioned. It permits, under certain limitations, work by Jews in places within the range of the Factory and Workshop Acts.

After all, these are no great achievements in the way of legislation, and such provisions as have been made have, in many cases, been more or less successfully evaded.

Happier efforts have been made in what the writer thinks the more true direction. Moral suasion has been brought to bear extensively. Traders have been induced to close their shops on Sunday. Protests have been made against Sunday traffic on canals, against gigantic Sunday excursions, against work in gas factories, and on board ships. The establishment of coffee taverns, though yet in its infancy, is likely to act beneficially on the hallowing of Sunday. The opening of reading-rooms for the working classes in the evening-endeavours on the part of the clergy, of which more will be said bye and bye-the utilisation of cathedrals for the benefit of the people-improvements in the style of Sunday School teaching-disclaimers of any intention to make Sunday a day