ences are of necessity; and others appear to be the effect of positive institution. Of the former are all geometrical relations, and the harmony of numbers; as, to give only one example, the harmony which exists between numbers in arithmetical and geometrical progression, from which is derived the whole doctrine of logarithms. Every person present will recollect many instances of correspondence, which seem to be of positive institution, in the art or science with which he is best acquainted. A man who has frequently contemplated with delight these correspondences, may perhaps be ready to expect them where he will look for them in vain; or at least he may wish that they were still more numerous. In particular, he would be not a little pleased if an exact harmony was to be found between the motions of the earth and the moon and the apparent diurnal and annual revolutions of the sun. If he was to give a theoretical account of what he would choose the year and its divisions to be, he would say,―The year consists of an even number of months, and of days, without any fractions. The motions of the moon and earth are so exactly accommodated to each other, that the last day of the last month is the last day of the year. Eight is a number, which can be evenly divided for ever: there are therefore eight months in the year. The moon revolves round the earth, from change to change, precisely in sixty-four days; which are conveniently distributed into eight weeks so that the year consists of eight months, sixty-four weeks, and five hundred and twelve days. For the sake of producing the variety of the seasons, the axis of the earth is inclined to the plane of its orbit; but this orbit is a circle; and consequently the seasons are of equal lengths. Such an arrangement prevents the painful labours of the astronomer; chronology is freed from all its embarrassments; golden numbers and other hard words, which would puzzle the heads of the unlearned, are unknown; every man, without any mathematical skill, can make his own almanack;

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the length of the year is the same in all ages and countries; and there can be no necessity of ever reforming the calendar.

"A theory of this sort is apt to enter the mind of a man, who thinks, but who does not think profoundly. With Alphonzo, king of Castile, who lived at a period when the science of astronomy was imperfectly understood, he may be ready to say, The universe is strangely made; if I had been consulted, I could have arranged the heavenly bodies in a more exact order.

"That the actual state of things differs from this theory; that there is no exact correspondence between the motion of the earth and the moon, no harmony between the day and the year is well known. The year does not comprise a precise number of days, or equal parts of a day; it cannot be measured by any number of moons; nor by any number of weeks, hours, minutes, or even seconds. In consequence of this want of harmony, astronomy is one of the most difficult of all sciences, and chronology is full of perplexities. Many ages elapsed before even the length of the year was ascertained. They who made it consist of twelve moons, found that the commencement of the year was continually moving backward, from winter to autumn and from summer to spring. He, therefore, who first conjectured that it contained three hundred and sixty days, was supposed to possess great sagacity; and still wiser was he thought, who approached nearer, by adding five days more. An illustrious action of a renowned conqueror was the invention of the leap-year. But neither was his year exact; for after the lapse of a number of centuries, the calendar was perceived to have fallen again into confusion; so that it became necessary to reform it once more; which was accordingly done by Pope Gregory XIII. The Gregorian year is that which is now in use; but even this measurement, though it approaches very near to the truth, is not exact; for after many thousand years have passed away, should the world exist so long, another reformation

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of the calendar will be required. In the mean while, the period of a month, though it was first suggested by, is somewhat longer than the revolution of the moon; and it cannot be divided into an equal number of weeks. The months themselves are not of the same length; and the commencement of the year is placed arbitrarily, and not on the days when the sun crosses the equinoctial line, nor on the days when it is either at its greatest or least distance from the earth.

"Thus irregular is the year. Happily, however, in the present state of knowledge, no evils whatever result from this irregularity. We have calendars of time as exact as if astronomy was the easiest of sciences; and though every man cannot calculate his own almanack, yet when it is made for him by the learned, it can be rendered intelligible to a simple capacity. The Being who gives motion to the earth and the heavenly bodies, could undoubtedly have arranged them in a different order, so as that there should have been more points of harmony and coincidence between them; but in the arrangement which exists, his power and wisdom are sufficiently displayed. If the duration of the year could be measured by a precise number of days and moons, men would be ready to overlook the Author of nature, and would no more perceive his hand, than they now perceive it in the harmony of numbers, which is believed to be independent of his will, and to be the result of the necessary relation of things: but when they learn, that to a certain number of days must be added, hours, minutes, seconds, and fractions of seconds, to complete the year, and that this measure continues the same, without the smallest variation, from age to age, they are obliged to confess that it must proceed from the positive institution of a divine agent, and that he holds a balance, which is so exquisitely exact, as to weigh the most ponderous masses of matter, not only to tons, but to scruples and grains."-FREEMAN'S Eighteen Sermons, p. 76.

[Religious Twaddle.]

"MR. EDITOR,

I have seen it more than once recommended, in your valuable miscellany, to the attention of professing individuals and families, who are in the habit of visiting watering places in the season, to retire to those places where they could render themselves useful in assisting some rising interest, while they could command all the advantages of sea air and bathing. At Seaton a congregation has been recently raised, and a church formed, of the Independent denomination; also considerable exertions are making to promote the Redeemer's cause in its populous and dark neighbourhood; but the countenance and assistance of good people are greatly wanted. Those who are attached to the salubrious air of Devonshire and to its beautiful seacoast, will find, at the abovementioned village, commodious bathing, and lodgings good and reasonable, a delightful public walk and an open shore, with an interesting and most healthy neighbourhood, blended with the preaching of the gospel of Christ, and a small society of his true followers. Application on the subject of lodgings, &c. addressed to the Rev. J. Gleed, will meet with prompt attention."-Evangelical Magazine, for July, 1831.

[The proper Claim of our Clergy and Flocks at Home to be looked to-and then we may go and offer our Gift for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.]

"IT has for some time been impressed upon my mind, and, doubtless, the same fact has been obvious to others, that, notwithstanding our exertions for the support of the gospel in distant lands, a criminal indifference is manifested towards the claims of those whose energies and whose lives are spent in labours at home. There are many congregations that give annually a much larger sum to public institutions than they

give for the support of their own ministers. While their names are emblazoned on the pages of a periodical, and the largeness of their contributions acquire for them the character of liberality, in many instances, the man who has called forth, and cherished, and given direction to their zeal, is left to struggle with pecuniary difficulties, and to mourn over embarrassments from which they have abundant means to extricate him.

"I am perfectly aware, that many churches are ignorant of their pastor's perplexities; but is it not a wilful ignorance. Might they not, by a moment's reflection, ascertain that his salary is inadequate to his expenditure? In deciding on what is necessary to place a minister above trials of this nature, we must not calculate the bare amount that will cover his domestic outlay;

but remember that food and raiment form

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a small part only of what is required. He has a library that is constantly calling for additions; on his hospitality there are many claims on his liberality there are morethe stranger is his guest, and the poor are his dependants. From the charge which has been here advanced, numbers will shield themselves, by announcing the fact, that their minister does not complain-that he never seems dissatisfied. But has he no cause for dissatisfaction? and are you sure that he is free from secret anxieties? The dread of being thought greedy of filthy lucre,' and thus of injuring his usefulness, may tie up his tongue, but it cannot fetter his feelings. From motives of delicacy, many never make known their difficulties; but then these are the very men who suffer most keenly under the neglect which they experience. Now I would ask every Christian, and especially every deacon of a Christian church (for many of them are verily guilty before God), whether it is not their duty to inquire if the support of their pastor be sufficient to meet his expenditure? The estimate may be easily made, and where there is ground for concluding that it is not sufficient, then I hesitate not

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to say, their duty is to be just before they are generous; to consider whether they are not, among all their boasted deeds of charity, presenting robbery for a burnt offering."The Evangelical Magazine, p. 381, August, 1827.

[Pretended Miraculous Cure by Prince Hohenlohe.]

"NOTICE d'une Guérison Extraordinaire, obtenue par la vertu de la prière le 3 Juillet 1827, à la verrerie de Semsales au canton de Fribourg en Suisse. Publiée par permission de Monseigneur l'Evêque diocésan, Fribourg en Suisse, chez François-Louis Piller, Imprimeur de l'Evêché. 1827.

"Le nombre et la qualité des témoins, tions et déclarations, ne permettant point dont nos Commissaires ont reçu les déposide révoquer en doute les circonstances principales et extraordinaires de la guérison

dont il s'agit, nous permettons d'en imprimer la présente Notice pour l'édification des fidèles, et la plus grande gloire de Dieu.

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Fribourg, le 22 Août, 1827.

Pierre-Tobie, Evêque de Lausanne et Genève." Prince Hohenlohe is the operator in this cure. Louise, a girl of twelve years old, daughter of M. Bremond, Chevalier de l'Ordre du Christ, Consul Général de Portugal en Suisse, propriétaire et administrateur des mines et verreries de Semsales, the subject.

M. le Docteur Ody, médecin traitant, describes the case thus, "Toute la région du ventre se trouvait plus ou moins atteinte d'une éruption de furoncles, vulgairement cloux, avec fièvre inflammatoire, perte complette d'appétit, insomnie, maux de tête habituels, et maux de cœur très-frequens. Il en est résulté une grande faiblesse. Au bout d'un mois de temps il s'est formé, malgré un traitement convenable, un groupe de furoncles, sorte de cloux, sur le côté droit du bas ventre, qui a dégénéré en abcès,

dont il eût fallu faire l'ouverture avec instrument. Mais la malade montrant une répugnance insurmontable, l'opération fut différée pendant trois jours en attendant son consentement. Sur ces entrefaites, du soir au lendemain la fluctuation purulente disparut, et à la suite de sa rassorption le ventre se gonfla tellement, que la fossette même du cœur était proéminente. Lagrande tension du ventre et de l'estomac, l'augmentation des maux de cœur et de tête, la perte de l'appétit toujours plus sensible, les douleurs continuelles dans le ventre, qui forçaient la malade de rester couchée sur les reins, la continuation et progression de sa fièvre qui ne cédait à aucun remède, réduisirent la malade dans un état dangereux."

The father then wrote to the bishop, requesting he would apply to Prince de Hohenlohe. The bishop promised so to do, but "réfléchissant ensuite sur le danger de la maladie de la Dlle Bremond, sur le temps plus ou moins long qui s'écoulerait avant de recevoir la réponse du Prince, et le jour plus ou moins éloigné qu'il fixerait, selon sa pratique, pour la prière sollicitée, engagea M. Bremond, par une nouvelle lettre du 19 Juin, a recourir, en attendant la réponse au moyen suivant, savoir: à faire une neuvaine de prières de manière à la finir le 3 du mois prochain (juillet) vu que le Prince de Hohenlohe, sur les nombreuses demandes qui lui ont été addressées, et par un effet de son ardente charité, prie, le 3me de chaque mois, pour les personnes de la Suisse, qui s'unissent à lui en esprit pour implorer quelque bienfait de la toute puissance du Seigneur, célébrant pour elles la sainte messe de huit à neuf heures du matin. Ces personnes s'y préparent ordinairement par une neuvaine en l'honneur et sous l'invocation du très-saint nom de Jésus."

Thus then it was arranged, and moreover the child was to receive her first communion on the 3rd, (6 en invoquant le saint nom de Jésus pour en obtenir sa guérison."

The neuvaine was commenced on June 25. The next day the child discovered an invincible repugnance against all medicine, and as strong a belief that the course of prayers was to cure her. No intreaties could prevail upon her to take any thing that was prescribed internally; on the day of her communion it was, she said, that she should be cured,—and she promised to go on with her medicine the day afterwards.

The day before, a Protestant physician, Dr. Coindet visited her. He found her better: the chances for life or death, he said, were even; before this he had thought that the chances were as ninety-five out of a hundred against her recovery.

After the nine days, and the communion, the family were at breakfast: Louise rose, drest herself, and was found in the garden gathering flowers, perfectly well. "Elle se frappait des deux mains sur le ventre, qui précédemment était si sensible et si douloureux, comme le siège de la maladie, et s'écriait, voyez, papa, je suis guérie; comme c'est drôle à-présent, d'être guérie." And this is the miracle. It is not possible from the pamphlet to get at the opinion of the Protestant physicians.

[Parallel of our Own and of Jewish Sins.]

"BUT however these latter Jews, almost from the time of their return from Babylon, did increase the measure of their forefathers' grosser sins, by too nice and rigid reformation of them, and added Pharisaical hypocrisy unto them, as a new disease of the soul scarce heard of before; yet this hypocrisie, though epidemical to this nation, had not the strength to bring forth that monster of uncharitableness, which did portend the ruin of this mighty people, until they were invaded by the Romans. For from the time that this nation was brought into subjection by Pompey the Great, their church-governors did allow and appoint daily sacrifices to be offered for the peace and tranquillity of the Roman