shape of these instruments cannot be determined; what, therefore, I have been able to ascertain respecting them, I have thought it better to subjoin in a note than to introduce into the body of the page. But we must not pass over an objection which some have made against the genuineness of the book of Daniel; because some of the names of the musical instruments used at the dedication of the image are similar to Greek names of musical instruments. Because these names are similar, they infer that the book of Daniel must have been written much later than it is said to have been written; and that Daniel could not be its author, because the Greek language was unknown to the Chaldees till many years after the captivity.

Now this objection can be made only from ignorance, or wilful opposition to the scriptures; for the Greeks derived their very origin from the Chaldean and Eastern nations, and not the Chaldees from them. The Greeks themselves were descended from Javan the fourth son of Japheth, who migrated from the very country of the Chaldees into Greece. Hence in (Dan. x. 20. xi. 2. Joel iii. 6. and Zech. ix. 13.) the name of Javan is in the original, which we translate Grecia. So far from the Greeks conveying science to the Eastern nations, they were indebted to them for their very letters, the first elements of learning. Before the times of Cadmus the Phoenician, Herodotus tells us " that letters were unknown to the Greeks; And that their first letters were those which the Phoenicians used:

all such as handle the Harp and Organ: " What but ignorance, then could attribute the instruments in question to the invention of the Greeks, in order to lessen the authority of the Book of Daniel.

u Herod. lib. 5. C. 58, and 59.

but that they afterwards changed their sound and modulation. Now the Hebrew, the Chaldee, and the Phoenician languages differed little from each other; they were but mere dialects of the same tongue; and as the Greeks were descended from Javan and derived letters from the Phoenicians, many of their words must necessarily be similar to theirs, and consequently to the Chaldee and Hebrew. Whoever supposed, that because the English word lyre is from the Latin lyra and the Greek lura, that therefore Horace and Anacreon borrowed the word from the English? And just as wise is it to suppose, that the Chaldees borrowed the names of their instruments of Music from the Greeks. But let it be granted, a thing not to be granted, that the Chaldees had the words in dispute from the Greeks, yet this concession will not avail the objector; for there were several migrations of Greeks into Asia very long before the times of Nebuchadnezzar: the Greeks also had much intercourse with Tyre by means of trade, and hence might convey certain technical words of music into Chaldea. Admitting, then, the objector's position that the Chaldees had the words in question from the Greeks, it serves him no purpose; and still less can he maintain his ground, when it is evident they had not. w

Music has in all ages formed a leading part of worship; and the use of it is sanctioned, by the example of our Lord, and by the descriptions which are given in the scriptures of the employment of the blessed in heaven. Our Lord (Mat. xxvi. 30) sung an hymn with his disciples a little before he was betrayed and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles; and (Rev. xiv. 2, 3.) we find the blessed in heaven are repre

W

Bp. Chandler. Vind. of Def. and Sam. Chandler's vind. of the prophecy of Daniel.

sented as singing a new song; and St. John says he heard "the voice of harpers harping with their harps." It were very easy to produce many passages in confirmation of the propriety of using music in divine worship; but the examples of Christ, and of the blessed in heaven must be decisive. And hence we may see how defective is the Quaker mode of worship. They do not admit music; but can they have any just reason for its rejection? We need not be afraid of imitating our Lord's conduct; nor of singing with a good courage unto the Lord. In this particular, the bulk of those who attend public worship in the Church of England are very defective. There are very few congregations which sing. Perhaps they have few to whom they either give, or who monopolize all this part of divine worship to themselves; and the rest sit and listen as if they had only to hear. Would congregations sing, I have no doubt it would have a powerful tendency to encrease greatly the number of those who attend the church. It would give an interest to the worship, which it too often wants. The voices of five hundred or a thousand people all united in a psalm of praise would arouse men's feeling of devotion, and would tend to fill our churches more than is generally imagined. It is good to have a few leading voices united, to direct the congregation. But all should sing, and that loudly; not as if they feared or were ashamed of what they did, but as if it were their pleasure and delight. The tunes should be plain and strong; such as are easily learnt by the ear, and which would give an elevation and grandeur to the mind.

But to leave this digression, and return to the dedication of Nebuchadnezzar's image. It is probable he expected opposition to his mandate; and that all

would not worship the statue; or else, why should he (v. 6.) make an edict, that "whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace"? This edict, no doubt, was made with a particular reference to the Jews: of whom, the pious would not worship any thing but the true God. Perhaps some of the king's courtiers might advise the decree, that they might have an opportunity of accusing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; whom they knew to be firm in their attachment to the law of their God, and whom they envied because of the rank they held in the province of Babylon. But on whatever ground the edict was made, It is certain that false religions have ever been intolerant. False religions never admit liberty of conscience in true worship. And hence it was that the Pagans persecuted the first Christians with such long and relentless rage and fury; that Antiochus Epiphanes subjected the Jews to the most cruel tortures; that Mahomet propagated his creed by the sword; and that the church of Rome hath been drunk with the blood of the saints, whom she has tortured and slain. False zeal has ever been cruel. But true religion discards every degree of persecution; and hence our Lord told James and John (Luke ix. 55) that they knew not what manner of spirit they were of, when they wanted fire to be brought from heaven to consume those who did not receive him; for he came, and his religion is like himself, not to destroy but to save men's lives.

Burning alive seems to have been a frequent punishment among Eastern nations, and for different crimes. Among the Jews it was ordained to be the punishment, if a man should commit incest by taking a wife and her mother (Lev. xx. 14); or if the

daughter of any priest should profane herself by playing the whore (Lev. xxi. 9). Simple whoredom in some cases was doomed to the same punishment; for (Gen. xxxviii. 24) Judah said, when he found his daughter in law, Tamar, was with child by whoredom after her husband's death, "bring her forth and let her be burnt." And Jeremiah says ( xxix. 22); "the Lord make thee like Zedekiah, and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire." And Shaw informs us, that burning alive is still inflicted at Algiers upon Jews and Christians for capital crimes. * But however others may differ from a truly pious man upon points in religion, and however great may be the power of a Prince; yet he will never violate the sacred rights of conscience: He will secure to all his people the free exercise of their worship; nor will he let any party disturb the peace and quiet of another. If he endeavours to convince others of error, it will be by the force of reason and truth; not by the sword, the rack, or the furnace.

It is well known that the passions of envy and jealousy, rage in no place more than in a court. Those who are in places of great trust and power are continually exposed to the shaft of detraction when they act right; and still more so when in any respect they err. A prince is often surrounded by those, who only wish to eject others from their places that they may fill them. Their ambition or their wants continually prompt them to lessen the esteem and character of those who are in power. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, could not, for conscience sake, worship the image which the king had set up; but this afforded their enemies an opportunity of accusing them. Wherefore (v. 8.) "certain Chaldeans came near and ac