MR. brown' S SECOND REPLY. 69 



The Decaloc^ue recognizcd : and Sabbatli-breakers ændemned. 



ed. The force of this conclusion is heightened by a more exact 

 translation of tlie first words, thus, " The law does not lie 

 against a righteous man, but against the lawless and disobedi- 

 ent, the ungodly ^iwå profane, &c. Against all such (including 

 Sabbath-breakers) the law of God is levelled." A thought 

 more pregnant with grave and solemn meaning can hardly be 

 conceived. My friend in his haste must have overlooked the 

 real force and bearing of this passage on the argument, or he 

 could not have treated it lightly, This is my excuse for Mm, 

 for only "fools make a mock at sin." {Prov. xiv. 9.) 



I regret that I cannot take up the two reraaining Proposi- 

 tions this week. They are defended by W. B. T. with an ability, 

 an earnestness, an extent of reading and research, a force of 

 personal conviction, and mingled feelings of triumph and ten- 

 derness towards me, beyond anything he has before dis- 

 played • and really worthy of a hetter cause. Though still 

 compelied to diifer from him in his main conclusion, I am 

 happy to see some common ground where I can embrace him 

 with sen timen ts of estoem as well as of admiration and affec- 

 tion. I look forward to the encounter with him where we 

 disagree, with something (though not unkindly) of 



"That stern joy -wliich ^yarrioI•s feel 

 In foemen wortliy of their steel." 



I shall aim to do full justice to his arguments, but I promise 

 in my Reply not to exceed the length of his own defeuce. In 

 the mean time may the " Lord of the Sabbath" throw around 

 my friend the pure radiance of " the perfect law of liberty," 

 that he may " see things as they are." 



J. N. B. 



