ARE WE JEWS? 267 



affected, save only as they are related to man in those 

 countries where the seventh day's rest is observed. 

 There is sound logic in the story of the manna and 

 quails in the desert. How long refuse ye to keep the 

 Lord's commandments ? See, for that the Lord hath 

 given you the Sabbath, therefore He giveth you on the 

 sixth day the bread of two days.' This was soundly 

 reasoned by Moses, who, being learned in all the wisdom 

 of the Egyptians, probably understood something of 

 logic. We cannot wonder that in the sequel the 

 people recognised the justice of his reasoning. ' So,' 

 says the story, ' the people rested on the seventh day.' 

 Now, if our nineteenth-century storms would only 

 observe the seventh day as carefully as did the manna 

 and quails in the wilderness, the change recently made 

 by our Meteorological Office would be reasonable and 

 proper. Unfortunately they do not, as we have had 

 reason to know ever since the change was made. If 

 we must in such matters follow the example of the 

 Jews of old, our meteorologists should not hesitate to 

 revert to their winter rules. The Sabbatarians of the 

 days of Antiochus Epiphanes were strict enough in all 

 conscience, yet, when they had waited in vain for a 

 Sabbath miracle to save them, they very sensibly gave 

 up a too rigid adherence to the law of Moses. The 

 story is a sad one, but instructive ; and if it were per- 

 mitted to question any of the arrangements of our 

 Church by law established, one would be tempted to 

 suggest that the story might be read once a year, 

 instead, let us say, of the history of Bel and the Dragon, 



