Press.
The August number of the Recorder opens with the conclusion of Mrs, Timothy Richard's paper on Chinese music, a. paper which is far from being merely technical, but has much interest also from the his: torical information it contains, The Chinese and Mongols are alike very fond of music, and it is largely introduced into their lives. A large number of blind people get their living in China os musicians; and Mrs, Richard recalls how the well known Can-dido, daughter of Paul Sil, of Sicawei, trained blind mou and boys tu sing Christian hymns, and sent them out to sing them in the streets. It must be striking to hear Chinese converts at Taiyuenfu singing hymns to the accompaniment of a harmon num, two Chinese flutes, and a flat drum:
Mr. Murray in Peking is rendering good service to the Christian Church in China now by teaching music as well as other things to blind pupils, He has provided good orats for several Christian Churches already in Peking, here and it churia, During the lust twenty years a Protestant convert has written the whole Bible story ~a sort of Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained—in the usual story-teller style, each chapter given first, in, prose for recitation and then in verse for singing. It has been so much preciated that many, who could not get a Printed copy, transcribed the whole book.
Av already said, we have adapted some airs of Chinese songs, "Buddhist chants and Confucian chants, to be used in Christian worship, vocal and instrumental. In Taiyuenfu, two Sundays in the month, when our evangelists came in for their weeks' study, we had to hel in the praise, besides the Mason and Hamlin organ used every Sunday, two flutes and a flat drum, which last kept us most mercilessly up to time.
So we have different kinds of Chinese music variously used—in worship of heaven and earth, worship of ancestors, worship of Confucius, at funerals, at weddings, at receptions h-days and other great occasions, and music, that given by the blind and strolling musicians, and lastly, that used in Christian worship.
In "Sabb-th Obligations" the Rev. F. j MIN. Price discusses at considerable length the duty of Sunday observance. His first head is "The Teaching +f the Se: iptures on this: subject," and he shows with no! diicuty that the observance of the Sabbath strictly inculcated in the Old Testament. When he comes to the New Testament hi footing: is" ilot so sure; in fact, there is more written in the New Testament against than for Sunday observance; but as to this Mr. Price explains that the Pharisees had loaded the commandment with so many severe exactions, binding burdens upon men grievous to be borne", that it was necessary to clear away this rubbish. As to our Lord's example, Mr. Price concludes—rather weakly for his contention, it seems to us—that "Christ not only did not violate or disregard the Sabbath, but that He endeavoured to show that Hisacts were consistent with the fourth commandment." Christ's words, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath", are thus commented on Do these words annul the Sabbath law? They rather establish it, Was the Sabbath made for man that he might destroy it? Was its observance to be at his own caprice? If so, then it was simply folly to sive him the Sabbath, for it was morally certain that man would destroy it. This ras made for man, as were the other nine commandments, to promote his welfare and to meet his needs, and not that he might use his ingenuity in ming it away, or in burdening it with severe and useless ordinances. So far as these words are concerned, then, they affirm the Sabhatic law.
In the les there is no injunction to observe the Sabbath, and St. Paul distinctly discourages the observance of days. Mr. Price explains that the early churches had been led away by Judaising. teachers, and what St. Paul was warning his corres pondent against was the Pharisaic observance_of We need not tarry over Mr. Price's demonstration that it was perfectly legitimate to change the holy dw from Saturday to Sunday, nor over his assertions of the value of a day of rest, and inability of making Chinese converts observe it. Here we may well agree with him, without sympathizing fully with the error he expresses in the following words:
T have heard of a man who purposely and unnecessarily bought a suit of clothes on Sunday. It seems incredible.
Tt shows the liberality with which the Recorder is conducted that in the September number we find an answer by the Rev. George King to Mr. Price's article. Tt is ifed "Sunday Resting. Is it a law of 1", and its object is to show that there are no grounds in Scripture for the observance of Sunday. In discussing what St. Paul writes as to the observance of day: Mr. King takes the natural sense of St. Paul's words. This is his conclusion, and most people will agree with him the undesirability of manufacturing new I have endeavoured to write fairly and temperately and trust any who takes up the subject will remember that one ounce of impassioned declamation. That Christians rupture proof is worth tone of the most should be taught the blessedness and of freely consecrating a seventh of their rise to God, seems to me as right as that they ould be advised to dedicate a stated part of it income as God has prospered them." But to excommunicate a man because he does not rest all day Sunday is only allowable if the can put his finger on a portion of Sei ipture and say, See, here God commands the first day of the week to be observed asa rest day." If he cannot find such, let him meditate quietly on these solemn canties "Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee and thou be found a liar."
talk deceitfully for Him?" "I have already Will ye speak unrighteously for God, and seen the assertion in a Chinese theological book that **(od altered the Sabbath day," ete. Will the Chinese not some day come to think they have been hoodwinked? God id, © The seventh day," and never retracted they can only be consistently seventh-day and if Christians are "'under the law," Sabbatarians. The apostle, however, emphatically says ' Ye are not under the law," and the whole action of the Jerusalem church regard to Gentile Christians confirms this fact.
Let us not manufacture new sins, for which we have no warrant in the Word of God, nor put a yoke on the neck of the Chinese di ciples, which neither the Jerusalem Christians nor their fathers were able to bear. "God Ioveth a cheerful giver." Teach the pi ciples underlying the " beggarly rudiments the free man, "under law to Christ," will gaily, to commune with his loved Master lly, out of a full heart, let go his worldly
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.