is profane. But if I designed the remainder for a sin offering they agree that the remainder may be a free gift. If I shall pay any of this money for a sin-offering, they agree that the remainder is profane.

4. R. Simeon said, What is the difference between money designed for the payment of the shekels and that for a sin-offering? For the shekels there is a fixed sum, but for a sin-offering there is not a fixed sum. R. Jehuda said, Even for the shekels there is no fixed sum. Since when the Israelites came up from the captivity, they paid Darconim, and went on to pay * Selaim, and then they paid half a shekel, and afterwards sought to pay only pence. R. Simeon replied, Although the case be so, yet with respect to the shekel, all paid equally; but as to the sinoffering, this person paid for it one sela, and that paid for it two, and another paid three for it.

5. The remainder of the shekels is profane. The remainder of the tenth part of the Ephan, the remainder of the nests offered by men or women for seminal uncleannesses, and of the nests offered by women who have borne children, and of sin-offerings, and of trespass-offerings, of these the remainder may be reckoned as a free gift. This is a general rule. Whatever comes under the name of a sin-offering, or a trespass-offering, the remainder of them is a free gift. The remainder of the money appropriated to the burnt-offering should be expended on the burnt-offering. The remainder of any oblation on that oblation. The remainder of the peace-offerings on the peace-offerings. The remainder of the passover on the peace-offerings. The remainder of the Nazarites on the Nazarites. The remainder of a Nazarite on a free gift. The remainder of the poor reverts to the poor. The remainder of a poor man to the poor man himself. The remainder of captives to the captives. The remainder of a captive to the captive himself. The remainder of the dead to the dead. The remainder of a dead person to his heirs. R. Meir says, The remainder of a dead person should continue as an oblation until Elias come. R. Nathan says, from the remainder of a dead person they erect a monument for him over his grave.

*The Sela was equivalent to half the Darcon or Daric.

CHAP.

CHAP. III.

The Treasure-Chamber emptied thrice every Year.-Ceremonies attending it.-Allotment of the Chests.

§ 1. THREE times in a-year they empty the chamber; a fortnight before the passover, and a fortnight before the feast of weeks, and a fortnight before the feast of tabernacles: and these are the times of collecting the tithe of cattle. The words of R. Akiva. Ben Asai says, On the nine-and-twentieth of Adar, and on the first of Sivan, and on the twenty-ninth of Ab. R. Eliezer and R. Simeon say, On the first of Nisan, on the first of Sivan, and on the twenty-ninth of Elul. For what reason do they say on the twenty-ninth of Elul, and do not say on the first of Tisri? Because that day is a + holy day, and the tithe may not be taken on a holy day: on that account therefore they anticipate it on the twenty-ninth of Elul.

ג

2. They empty the chamber into three coffers, each of which holds three seas, and on these are written & Aleph, Beth, a Gimel. R. Ishmael says, The inscription on them is in Greek, Alpha, Beta, Gamla. He who is to empty the chamber does not go in in a gown with sleeves, nor with shoes, nor with sandals, nor with phylacteries, nor with an amulet, lest if he should become poor, it should be said of him, for his wickedness in the chamber he hath become poor; or lest if he should grow rich, it should be said, from the oblations in the chamber he hath grown rich. Since a man is bound to escape the hands of his neighbours, in the same way as he is bound to escape the hands of God; as it is written, "And ye shall be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel ;" and as it is written §," And find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man."

3. The tradition of the family of Rabban Gamaliel.He who was to empty the chamber went in; and they placed the shekels between his fingers, and scattered

* Adar answers to our February and March: Sivan to May and June: Ab to July and August: Nisan to March and April: Elul to August and September: Tisri to September and October.

The feast called Rosch Kasshanah, or the beginning of the civil year. See Lev. xxiii. 24, 25.

Numbers xxxii, 22. § Proverbs iii. 4.

1

them before him. He paid attention to this, and put them into the coffer. He who was to empty the chamber did not empty it till he had said to them, I will empty it: and they answered him, empty it, empty it, empty it,

three times.

4. He set apart the first coffer when filled, and covered it with a carpet; and the second likewise, and covered that with a carpet: but the third he did not cover, lest he should forget, and should again make a separation from what had been already separated. He set aside the first in the name of the land of Israel, and the second in the name of the.cities adjacent to it: and the third in the -name of Babylon, and in the name of Media, and in the mame of the distant provinces.

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TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

SIR,

WITH

MAGAZINE.

ITH much respect for Mr. Ludlam, I cannot agree with him in opinion, that the words ats aprov (Rom. v. 12.) warrant us to infer, that the actual sinfulness of mankind has any share in subjecting them to, or continuing them under, the sentence of mortality. In the first place it tends, I think, to confound the only rational and consistent scheme of divinity, which is built upon this part of scripture; and in the next place, it is at variance with the apostle's own assertions in the same chapter. In the very same verse he says, " And so death passed upon all men," thereby referring the sentence of mortality to Adam's transgression. At ver. 14. "Death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression." At ver. 15. "Through the offence of one, many (& wor01) became dead" or mortal: from all which it seems to me to be an undeniable conclusion, that, in the apostle's judgment, the present condition of mankind, as far as respects their mortality, is in no degree imputable to their own actual sinfulness. Whatever, therefore, be the meaning of the words ep' w wartes nμaptor, it must be something consistent with this position. I think this must be allowed. I am of opinion, that the cause of difficult in

the

the passage lies in 'not distinguishing between the dif ferent meanings of sin, intended by the words prov and ἁμαρτία : ήμαρτον I think by a familiar mode of expression respects the penal consequences of Adam's transgression, viz. mortality; apapria certainly means sin properly so called. If we enter fully into what may be conceived to have been the workings of the writer's inind, the distinction will not, I think, appear to be unfounded. In this view the 13th verse will be purely parenthetical, and seems designed to obviate the very opinion espoused by Mr. Ludlam. The following paraphrase (waving grammatical nicetis) will, I think, give the apostle's general meaning with sufficient accuracy. "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, for all have in this respect, or so far sinned. (For though until the law sin was in the world, yet sin is not imputed, where there is no law, and consequently death the legal punishment of sin could not be thereby incurred.) Nevertheless, &c.” EQ'ù, in this way of interpretation, would seem as if it respected Javaros preceding. If it can be supposed by any means to respect Adam, as its antecedent, the meaning will be much the same. "In whom all have sinned" can, in strictness, only respect the penul consequences to Adam's posterity.

Woolpit, Sept. 7, 1805.

Your's, &c.

S. C.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

SIR,

MAGAZINE.

PERFECTLY concur with your valuable correspondent Mr. Pearson, in his approbation of Mr. Reeves's recent proposal. It is the best Bible project that has ever been set on foot. Mr. Reeves's observations and arguments are very pertinent, and, I think, unanswerable. I could only have wished he had treated the venerable Society for promoting Christian Knowledge with that respect which is so eminently its due. He certainly has dropped 'some unguarded expressions concerning it, which, I apprehend, will even be injurious to the

success

182

On Mr. Reeves's Plan.

success of his proposal. I do not, however, think he merits all that is said against him by the Critical Reviewers. I was surprized to find them class his proposal in the list of projects," which savour of literary quackery." They rightly condemn the tone and temper of his observations, but I do not see they have confuted one of his arguments.

I also heartily concur with Mr. Pearson in his plan of Scripture Readings, and wish they were general. I am persuaded they would be of incalculable benefit to the community. I should be, however, for extending their utility, by the addition of a few practical annotations by way of application at the end of each reading. Nothing can shew the want of some such voluntary exertion, more than the low ebb of scripture-knowledge among the English vulgar at this period. In Scotland I am told the case is very different. I remember a poor person I visited, asked me if Cæsar was not the devil. I was reading to her (it was Lent) the gospel for Good-Friday, in that part where Pilate asks the Jews, "Shall I crucify your king?" to which they replied, “We have no king but Cæsar." Another, on a different occasion, told me she had heard that a Jew beat our Saviour, for which he had been wandering ever since, and asked me if it was true. The greatest difficulty in setting on foot Mr. Pearson's plan of Scripture Readings will be at the outset. The members of the establishment are, in general, unhappily so estranged from every thing like vital religion, that on the sight of a little more than ordinary seriousness in a minister, they would immediately raise the cry of methodist, and perhaps the injury to religion thence arising would be greater than the benefit proposed. The clergy, I think, are very critically predicamented at this juncture: they have much to do to act up to their duty, and, at the same time, not to alienate their true and proper flock by an over-dose of religion: they are obliged to keep in mind that "milk is for babes," and not to force meat upon the stomach which it will not bear. Perhaps the plan had better be begun in small parishes. There is more of all kinds of opposition to be expected in larger ones; which yet might be induced to follow an example, if they could not be prevailed on to set it. I am, Sir,

Your's, with respect,

CANDIDUS.

ΤΟ