Tue Intest number of Notes and Queries contains an article, on the Sunday in China, which will be read with a cor tain interest, though its literary merit is small. The Editor of the usefal little Hongkong periodical hints that the paper is not in keeping with the general style of the magazine, but yet it opens a curious question. Some time ago, a query appeared as to the existence of traces of a Sabbath observancy in this country. The writer in Notes and Queries who signs himself Religio Laid," observes with mach force:—It may be only too plainly seen for what these Sabbath questions are intended to clear the way. An attempt is being made by certain sections of the Missionary body, in spite of the manly warnings and' protests of their more liberal brethren, to impose on the Chinese a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear—the Sabbath of the Jews; thatis to say, with all' the added austerity which Paritan times invented, tradition has handed down. of the most marked phe: crowd houses together, without regard; present day, is the desire that is being to ventilation; and the clearance of a manifested, to shake off religious bonds, large open space round the French Hall; and yokes, and trammels of all kinds isn boon to the neighborhood, cheaply and to contemplate Christianity in its purchased at the sacrifice of Tls. 300 aspect of the liberator of mankind! yearly rental, which was derived from The least tendency to drag man back to the Chinese houses that formerly chok- the old system, specially to the rules of edit. And the Hall itself, though it/ the Presbyterian Sabbath, is felt to be may not possess any striking architect in direct violation of the temper of the tural bounty, looks vastly better than in age. Weare certain that the writer its former hal€strangled condition, An in Notes and Queries is not far wrong explanation might have been given of when he says: "The horrors of a the new Commercial tax, to be levied Scotch Sabbath have been so often on Chinese merchants, which appears and well described, that they shall not a perfectly fair one, but about which be dwelt on here; suffice it to say, that people are, as' yet, completely in the men are to be met with in China who dark. The object seems to be, to bring owe their entire repudiation of all reli-under taxation certain large Chinese gion to the loathing engendered in them Hongs, whose house and lighting tax! as children by those dreadful days of bears an inadequate proportion totheva- gloom, when, "ye manna whistle o'the Me of their business, and, consequently, Sawbbath" was only one of the lightest to their interest inthe well-being and prohibitions they*bad to submit to." security of the settlement. It is par-; This being the case, it seems very posed to raise the new tax only from! strange that the Missionaries to the those who pay more than Tls. 50 taxes, ' Chinese should be labouring to repro-already; and the basis of assessment will duce, in a country new to the Gospel, be, roughly, the present taxation, double the blunders and errors that are being ed. Other subjects are, perhaps, lying gradually repudiated in Europe. We hidden in the detailed reports of sittings, ' cannot illustrate what we mean, better or in the hidden consciousness of mem. than by calling attention to the fact that it has been gravely debated when ther, in the case of a Chinese Competitive Examination happening to include a Sabbath Day, a man who might have spent his life in a course of study culminating in this one Examination, should be permitted as a Christian to attend it!" We confess that we cannot for a moment bring ourselves to enter into the state of mind of a man who can contemplate, fora single moment, raising this issue. It appears to us to be positively monstrous and_unreasouable, tosuggest the question. Surely the wisest and best Christians of all communions would neglect the letter ard observe the spirit of the or-finance, in this case. That usefal organ of Missionary enterprize the Foochow Recorder, gives every thinking man offence sometimes, by the introduction of papers that breathe this objectionable spirit. We have read articles on questions that least of all admit of being discussed with a coarse ruinateness, over and over again in its pages." Of course there isa strong party on the other side, and we believe in the ultimate liberality 5 bat vast harm is done toa triumph of good sense and genuine
people like the Chinese, who are now chained by strong prejudices in favour of forms, and rites, and ceremonies, by inducing them to connect the new religion with equally tedious and wearisome observances. We have for years desiderated, and we fear that we shall long be compelled to desidezate, a Missionary who shall approach the Chinese with the advantage of a fail comprehension of their peculiar beliefs, and who shall fairly see what portion of existing systems may be with propriety allowed to remain. Thus we conceive that the absence of a day of restraint is a good point in the Confu-clanist system, but that the absence of a day of rest is a bad point. It would be well for those who have to teach the Chinese the superiority of the Western religion, to show them its inviting and admirable aspect, as well as what is repulsive and distasteful in it. We have, in this and similar difficulties, very plain and direct information laid down for our direction, and if we go to the Fountain Head, and throw aside from our minds the' prejudices. wherewithal tradition has crusted over the subject, our way will be clear enough. 'The writer in Noles and Queries speaks with sense and authority: "The English. Church knows no-' Sabbath.' I question whether, except in the recital of the Ten Commandments, the word occurs in the entire liturgy. Sunday is the day we observe and love, the high day, the Feast day of the Charch, "the day most calm most bright," when we escape from the distractions and fatigues of the week, to rest and pleasant social intercourse, the refreshment of public worship, and the sweets of Ieisure and quiet. It is the day when we find time to open books that have lain all the week, to write letters home or re-read those we have received, to finish off odds and ends of literary work, or to have a romp with the children; the day when poetry and music, too often forgotten all the week, come to win our thoughts away from dollars and cents for a few hours; when we have time
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.