The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-15 00:00:00

TO. THE .EDITOR AF THE NORTHERN TIMES

than a week has passed since I. last wrote
in your columns, accusing the Evangelical clergy of gross
perversions ot Scripture, and proving, by quotations from
the `Christian 'fathers, that the Jewish Sabbath is not
binding on Christian disciples

Is my letter

.Mr. Barnsley has vouchsafed no answer
unanswerable ? or is it merely that he is better engaged in
the compilation of the matrimonial statistics of his Irish

colleagues ?
Meanwhile the matter rests thus :—A. charge of the
most serious nature is brought against a body o clergy-
men. They are accused of saying what is false and un-
scriptural, and saying it with full knowlede.e that it is so.
Under this accusation they are content to remain. They
make no apology—they offer no explanation. Be it so.
The public can judge of the facts, and will readily under-
stand the me ming of this strange silence.
But not only does Mr. Bardsley abstain:from vindicat-
ing himself from a very grave charge, but he declines to
answer a very strong argument.
Surely,_ of all, men, the first Christians must have
known whether their Master enjoined upon them the
observance of the Jewish. Sabbath;, and when we find
Justin Martyr, Ignatius, Tertullian, and Clemens Alexan-
drinus, denying the obligation of the Sabbath, we may
feel tolerably certain that the Sabbath was no ordinance
of Christianity. Quotations from these authors to this
effect, were the main point in my last letter.
But this subject is one of such importance that I must
request that you will find space for a few further remarks
illustrative of the teaching, and the practice, of the early
Fathers.
The testimony of St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles,
and of St. Paul in several of his Epistles, make it evident
that the first disciples, instead of keeping the Sabbath,
were accustomed to meet together on the first day of the
week, in order to commemorate the Lord's resurrection.
This reunion on the Sunday was to them uo cold, dull,
observance, but a joyous festival. In the morning they
met to read of, and meditate on, Him who was their spiritual
Head, their personal Friend, their risen Master. It was
kept so strictly as a day of rejoicing that fasting was for-
bidden. (Tertullian de Corona militis, cap. 3.)
The same author—whose own temperament was so
gloomy and severe, that his testimony is doubly valu-
able—also remarks (Apology, cap. xvi.), "In like manner,
if we do, observe Sunday as a day of festivity, we are in
that custom closely allied to such of youiitnagsmsaienntyatoiplbeasreetravtrhelyed
Chl Saturday Church
eshh oa
rgftao
against
thereas t dayPu rwoi easetafasn
so
iasceticismandstr o
nfeasting.
a f
tehe
c
the Jewish Sabbath as a festival, in addition to their own
Sunday. The " Apostolical Constitutions," which, in some
ddweehlngorowe eus
ihnl,
loc
eunr
leosdpewnrf eatcessonetnncoctelnuodstf hea:etuusrrpeCdgeahnuyuse risooct
nirhn
asggouafnivi
idntrahs.
Sunday
ufourthf
thcee n
clergyt ury
other Evangelical minister, not to allow th.BeasredsstiaetYeno)erntasnoyf
mine, if untrue, to remain unanswered. For my own sake,
should I be wrong, I would wish to know where and how
I have fallen into error. Should I be right I hope Mr.
Bardsley will have the candour to acknowledge. it. B.

THE LATE EMBEZZLEMENT.—BROCKLEBANIS. v. WILSON.
---In the Rolls Court on Thursday, Mr. Palmer moved for
aft injunction to restrain the sale of certain property belong-
ing to the defendant, and for a receiver. The plaintiffs, he
said, were merchants at Liverpool, defendant was for a
a number of years their confidential clerk, and he had been
committed for trial for embezzling sums to a large amount
—£6,ooo—belonging to his employers. They had made
inquiries, and found that defendant, without having any
means which would otherwise account for the acquisition of
property, had purchased a house and five acres of land at
Thornton, in Cheshire, and several other dwelling-houses ;
and plaintiffs allege-1 that he had made these purchases out
rof their money, which he had embezzled. Since the corn-
mit'al of the defendant the property had been advertised for
sale. The court made the order as prayed.
ORMSKIRK UNION..--On Thursday, the usual weekly
meeting of the board of guardians for the Ormskirk union
was held, Mr. R. Mawdsley in the chair. On the question
that the minutes of the last board be confirmed, Mr. Stoner
drew attention to the omission, on the part of the clerk of
the board, to enter certain resolutions he (Mr. Stoner), bad
proposed with reference to the publication of an advertise-
ment in the NORTHERN DAILY TDiES for a ohaplain to the
workhouse, and, after narrating his interviews with the
Rev. Mr. Tatlock en the subject of his election to that
offico, he pointed out the omsssions in the minutes, and
moved that " they be not confirmed." The motion, having
been seconded by Mr. Ambrose, was put to the vote, when
there appoared :—For the motion, Messrs. Stoner and
Ambrose ; against it, Messrs. Tilsley, Hunt, Linacre, Jen-
-1 kinson, Bromley, Mercer, Mawdsley, and Sutton. Mr. Parr
declined to vote. The minutes were then confirmed, and,
after the 'routine business had been disposed of, the board
adintrrnati.