351 Answers to Queries. tween kindred spirits, in time, will be perpetuated in eternity, between the same individuals?—In answer to which, I beg leave to make the following remarks. 352 love as shall please and gratify the whole. Thus then, by the distraction of the husband, or the jealousy of the wives, that happiness, which on the earth was comparatively perfect, in such a case would be blasted and destroyed. But these are terms inapplicable to the regions of bliss; and therefore I should infer, that affection will not be transferred to eternity, without undergoing a considerable change from the state in which it at present exists. Reply by J. M. of Torquay to a Query, Mutual affection, and the kindred affinity of spirits, are mere relative modes of the human kind, in their finite state; and are consistent only with our confined views of time; consequently, they will cease to be, when the finite term shall have expired, and the creature shall have entered on that which is infinite: that affection, therefore, which subsisted in time, will not be perpetuated in eteron Witches, inserted col. 100. nity, between individuals; for (as I have dared to think) the spirits of the THOUGH I am not prepared to assert that Witchcraft has not had an Good, will, at the dissolution of time, existence, I would answer the first be bound in an infinitely enlarged system of reciprocal love:-than which, part of P. J.'s question by asking him, what can more increase the joys of Whether within his own knowledge he heaven? whilst, on the other hand, can point out one well-authenticated the spirits of the Wicked will be fact of actual witchcraft? But favourbound in the chains of an inconceiving the opinion that this power is only able malignity, to be exercised indis-imaginary, I should be inclined to criminately on each other:-than suppose that it found its rise amid which, what can render more intole- the priestly agents of idolatry. We rable the tortures of hell?-I shall know they dealt forth their miracles by be happy in making any further comwholesale; and superstition believed munication, should the above be them to be the genuine work of a sudeemed unsatisfactory. pernatural power; nor does it require any very great stretch of imagination to believe, that when any of these were in disgrace with their brotherhood, their fancied superiority might operate through another channel. Hence, it progressively took a wider course; and, finally, numbers who were at all distinguished by singularity of appearance, obtained a share in the ghostly authority. Such appears to me to be the most probable account of the rise and progress of witchcraft. And am, Sir, With the greatest respect, Preistgate-street, Peterborough. T. R. Another Answer to the same Question, of the Sabbath. MR. EDITOR. by J. M. of Torquay, Devon. Ir is admitted by most of those who have ever given their opinion on future Rewards and Punishments, that they will bear some similarity to our capabilities of pain or pleasure in the present life. Taking this principle then for the basis of our inquiries, it seems, Answer to a Query on the Observance although a paradox, to be incompatible with that felicity in store for the spirits of the blest, that the same species of affection which they have cherished and enjoyed, in time, should accompany them in their transit to eternity. To illustrate this, I would simply produce the fact, of a man who has had several wives, or a woman who has had a plurality of husbands. He who has been a paragon of affection to each wife, taken separately, cannot, when each shall claim him as her entire right, bestow on them individually such a portion of SIR,-One of your correspondents asks, (No. 16. col. 485.) "Is it sinful for public Bakers to bake dinners on the Lord's day?" On this subject the scriptures are so clear, that it is strange any person who admits their authority should attempt to justify a line of conduct so contrary to their explicit prohibitions, as is the practice of dressing food for common uses on the Sabbath-day. The fourth commandment not only forbids heads of families doing any 353 Public Baking on the Sabbath. work on the seventh day, but it forbids also all their dependents. And though works of piety, works of mercy, and works of necessity, are not included in this prohibition, yet with none of these exceptions can we rank cooking for epicurean purposes. That it is not giving to this commandment a greater latitude than God intended, by extending it to the unnecessary dressing of food, is evident, I think, from Exodus xvi. 5. and xxxv. 3. From the former of these passages we learn, that the Israelites were commanded to gather a double portion of manna on the sixth day, that they might keep holy the seventh. And in the latter, that fires were forbidden to be kindled in their habitations on the Sabbathday; consequently, cooking in all its modes was prohibited. The general plea urged in defence of dressing food on Sundays is," that it is very hard if we may not be allowed a good hot dinner on that day;" and because it is deemed a great hardship to be without one, it is concluded that there is no harm in preparing one. It was, no doubt, a similar mode of reasoning that led the Sabbath-breaker, mentioned in Numbers xv. 32, 33, 34, 35. to gather sticks on the Lord's day; and his awful fate should induce others to submit to the authority of God, instead of regulating their actions by their own notions of fitness. 354 for housekeepers to take their meat to the bakers, as in the warmer seasons of the year; and hence in those places where the number of articles is not enough to pay for fire and trouble, it is customary to suspend public baking, until the heat of the weather renders it inconvenient for people to cook at home. When this is the case, the baker is informed of it, and he generally resumes his pious work of sending his customers to church or chapel, according as their judgments may incline them. And should he, as is sometimes the case, hint to them, that it is his intention to decline Sunday baking altogether, these religious gentry tell him very plainly, that they who bake for them on the Sunday, shall do it during the week. This intimation generally removes all his scruples, and away he goes to his work, and they to their worship. As dressing food on the Sabbathday for common uses is unnecessary work, and as all unnecessary work is a direct violation of the express command of God; every person who acts in this manner has reason to expect a curse from God on his exertions, rather than a blessing. See Nehemiah xiii. 15, 16, 17, 18. and Isaiah Iviii. 13, 14. This practice has, however, its advocates; and what indeed has not? A learned commentator, who, no doubt, was a man of taste, reasons thus on the subject. "The lawfulIf it be unlawful for families to ness of dressing meat may be collectdress their food on the Sabbath, it ed from the Scripture, inasmuch as follows, that it is so for bakers to our Saviour was present at a feast do it for them. Bakers indeed never on the Sabbath-day, Luke xiv. 1. pretend that heating and cleaning where, no doubt, meat was dressed for the oven, setting in, turning, and so many guests as were there bidden; drawing dinners, is not work; but then and when we are allowed to provide they have a very religious excuse for food for our cattle on the Sabbaththeir conduct. They tell us, that in day, surely we may lawfully dress consequence of their baking, fifty or meat for ourselves." This gentlesixty persons are enabled to attend man's appetite, I suspect, had blinded a place of worship, who would other- his judgment. It is a well-known wise be obliged to stop at home to fact, that the Jews were very rigid in cook; and hence they infer that their their adherence to the letter of their conduct is not only right, but meri- law, and especially to that part torious. Now, if this were the mo- which related to the Sabbath-day; it tive that influenced them, it would be is not, therefore, probable that any no justification, as we are not to do evil thing would be prepared for that that good may come. This, however, feast, which might have been preis not the case; interest is their ob-pared the day preceding. And if it ject, and when this end is not answered, the practice is discontinued. During winter, it is not so common had, it is nearly certain that our Lord would not have countenanced such conduct by his presence. And though 355 Poetry: The Resurrection-Edwin's Grave. we are allowed to feed our cattle on | the Sabbath, we are not allowed to provide food which might be as well procured- the day before. The same observation may be applied to food for ourselves. There are some pious families, who conscientiously abstain from all unnecessary labour on the Sabbath; and as they know cooking to be unnecessary, all food is prepared on the Saturday. By this arrangement their dependents are able to attend the house of God, without distraction or confusion. This, however, is by no means common with the professors of religion; the servants in some families are almost broiling, while their master and mistress are praying. And if after dinner they should all attend a place of worship, they generally sleep the greater part of the time; the servants from heat and fatigue, and their employers from an overloaded stomach. It would be easy to expatiate on this evil. It is presumed, however, that enough has been written to satisfy those who wish to be convinced of its impropriety, if it be wrong. I will, however, add, that I have been eighteen years an attentive hearer of the Gospel, and during this time I have never heard a sermon on the proper observance of the Sabbath. And until Sabbath-breaking in all its modes is exposed from the pulpit, little reformation in Sunday manners is to be expected. I am, Sir, CENSOR. Poetry. THE RESURRECTION. Matt. xxviii. 2-4. THE silent noon of night was past, In which the murder'd Jesus lay, Were bursting with impetuous shock. 356 Th' affrighted soldiers rais'd their eyes Re-animates the Crucified! With radiant glory compass'd round, Forth walks the Conqueror girt with might; How chang'd the scene!-of late, the mirth Is troubled with his wailing cries. J. M. G. EDWIN'S GRAVE.-A MONODY. BE hush'd, thou wint'ry wind! Thou canst not wake The dull cold ear of that forsaken clay; grave Thy wailing blast may utter sounds of woe- Oh, he is blest indeed! He hath escap'd Munition in that Rock, which lifts on high tower. 357 Hymn for a poor Widow.-Stanzas. Edwin! I would not weep for thee: I know Of JUDAH'S LION. Thou hast bow'd to meet "Not unto me the glory-THINE the blow O Edwin! thou didst war with mighty foes- CANZONET. 358 WHEN Autumn's last rays have been tranquilly beaming, I have seen the light web which the gossamer spreads, While the dew-drop of morning resplendently gleaming, Has hung like a gem on the tremulous threads. But how fragile that film!-that dew-drop how fleeting! The breeze as it past swept the light gauze away Thy pray'r prevail'd--and now thy soul is And, ah! like the joys that scarce stay our free: Thou art Heav'n's denizen! How shall I weep for thee? Yet, there are moments-sights and sounds there are, At which my spirit starts, and claims a tear My heart is not so strong,-I weep as other men. Yet not like them, who when such musings seize The heart, resistless, dwell with thought dis- In the drear sepulchre; and in the shade To higher hopes. But when my soul hath mus'd On the dead friend awhile, sudden it wakes From this life's clam'rous cares-and then I cease From all desire but this-for virtue and for peace. Farewell! henceforth the fragrant wind shall wave Myrtle, and pleasant shrubs of evergreen, Affliction's bleakest gale, and will be seen E. W-G. HYMN, WRITTEN FOR A POOR WIDOW. Be THOU, O Lord! my Saviour still- I know that perfect is THY will, I know the soul that trusts in THEE And tho' a bruised reed I be, That reed thou wilt not break. Tho' worn with poverty and woe, To give my weakness strength, O God! And tho' thou chasten with thy rod, STANZAS, E. W- G. On seeing the Rev. Charles Simeon of Cambridge, A SIMEON once to wond'ring Jews, Now in her temple Commerce views Here too we see, as one of old, The sacred word fulfill'd,* And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour.-Psalm xlv. 12. 359 On the Substratum of Matter. SIR,-I embrace the present opportunity to acknowledge my obligations to "A Constant Reader," who, on looking over the first vol. of your instructive miscellany, (col. 980) fell upon some "observations" of mine "on the substratum of matter," and, conceiving I was in an error, forthwith endeavoured to put me right. But having discharged my 'bounden duty' to him, I crave your leave, sir, to make some additional observations on this subject, and to submit a few remarks on some important points which he has connected with it. I have carefully examined what your correspondent has advanced, col. 845, without its effecting a conviction in my mind, that the substratum of matter has any other than a verbal or mental existence. I admit the truth of many of his remarks; and will not undertake to vindicate every expression used in the article on which he has animadverted. I cannot, however, help thinking, that, after what the Bishop of Cloyne has advanced against the existence of an insentient substance, if we can but prove to our satisfaction the being of matter itself, we need not trouble ourselves much about "an unknown substratum." However just our views of things may be, if we do not constantly annex a definite and a settled meaning to the terms we employ, misapprehension and confusion are the inevitable result. From the manner in which my instructor uses the words matter and substratum, I cannot help suspecting that he does not always keep the notions distinct, which he associates with these terms. He appears to me, at least, to use the term substratum to denote matter itself; and if he does, though between our opinions on this subject, apparently wide yawns the gulf," the difference in reality is more in language than in thought. Mr. Locke has some remarks that relate to disputes on the nature of matter, which I take the liberty to 360 transcribe, judging them to be relevant to the point in hand. He observes, "How much names taken for things are apt to mislead the understanding, the attentive reading of philosophical writers would abundantly discover; and that, perhaps, in words little suspected of any such misuse. I shall instance in one only, and that a very familiar one. How many intricate disputes have there been about matter, as if there were some such thing reallyin nature distinct from body; as 'tis evident the word matter stands for an idea distinct from the idea of body? But if the ideas these two terms stood for were precisely the same, they might indifferently in all places be put one for another. But we see, that though it be proper to say, there is one matter of all bodies, one cannot say, there is one body of all maliers. We familiarly say, one body is bigger than another; but it sounds harsh (and I think is never used) to say, one matter is bigger than another. Whence came this then? From hence, that though matter and body be not really distinct, but wherever there is the one, there is the other; yet matter and body stand for two different conceptions, whereof the one is incomplete, and but a part of the other. For body stands for a solid extended figured substance, whereof matter is but a partial and more confused conception; it seeming to me to be used for the substance and solidity of body, without taking in its extension and figure. And therefore it is, that speaking of matter, we speak of it always as one, because in truth expressly contains nothing but the idea of a solid substance, which is every where the same, every where uniform. This being our idea of matter, we no more conceive or speak of different matters in the world, than we do of different solidities; though we both conceive and speak of different bodies, because extension and figure are capable of variation. But since solidity cannot exist without extension and figure, the taking matter to be the name of something really existing under that precision, has no doubt produced those obscure and unintelligible discourses and disputes, which have filled the heads and books of philosophers concerning materia prima; which imperfection or abuse, how far it may concern a great many other general |