MR. TAYLOR' S THIRD REPLY. 229 



" Eyasion," unnecessary. Paul's evening discourse — on Saturday. 



but if so formerly, — å fortiori how much ought I to be startled 

 nowy at that peculiar system of exposition which supposes vague 

 and reckless assertion will be accepted by the intelligent, as a 

 substitute for Biblical criticism. 



My friend is in error in thinking that I have " attempted to 

 evadé^ his text : it is not at all in my way. And to perform 

 so unnecessary a task, would indeed be "love's labor lost." 

 However J. N. B. may twist the passage, or however he may 

 squeeze it, he can wring from it no proMhition of work on Sun- 

 day. Least of all, can he find any possible connection between 

 it and the fourth commandment ! Still returns the echo " the 

 thing'^ is not here! 



Unnecessary as it may appear, I shall however here endeavor 

 to justify my former suggestive criticism (p. 94, — note) ] and as 

 a superfluous '' labor of love," examine " closely" the passage 

 before us. We are told in it, that Paul preached '^ upon the 

 first of the week, . . . and continued his speech until 

 midnight." It is impossible for any candid mind (unwarped 

 by theoretic prejudices) not to understand that this nocturnal 

 discourse was delivered on the night of the first day of the week; 

 and it is equally impossible for any instructed mind (acquainted 

 with the Jewish religion) not to know that the night of the first 

 day of the week must be Saturday night, and can he nothing 

 else! J. N. B. knows as well as I do, that the first day of the 

 week terminated at the sunset of Sunday. And yet a con- 

 struction — natural — obvious — rendered necessary by the cir- 

 cumstances, he has had the hardihood to stigmatize as " con- 

 trary to the express words of the text I" If he supposes the 

 address was on any other night than Saturday night, I retort 

 the accusation : I charge that the record itself contains nothing 

 to either warrant or favor his guess ! I charge that he is the 

 ene guilty of " supposing, contrary to the express words of the 

 text" — " upon the first day of the week," Paul ^' continued 

 his speech until midnight." '' If any man speak, let him speak 

 as the Oracles of God I" 

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