she rises a little before the sun she is called a morning star, if she sets a little after him an evening star. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are seen at every degree of angular distance from the sun. Sometimes in conjunction, sometimes in opposition, all which agrees with the figure, when these orbits are described as directed in our former papers.

7. With the proper instruments used in an observatory, it is not very difficult to allot and register the places of all the fixed stars, at least very nearly; their exact places require great nicety of observation, and great knowledge of theory. We will mention a few circumstances to illustrate this. Rays of light do not come from a star in a straight line, but are refracted by the atmosphere. This gives rise to a correction

called 'refraction.'

Again, the earth is in motion, while the ray of light comes from the star, which gives birth to a correction called 'aberration;' the earth's axis has a nodding motion (like that of a teetotum when its velocity begins to be spent), hence we must correct for nutation.' The observed places of the fixed stars then require the corrections,' (as they are termed;) however let it be granted that the positions can be noted, and mapped down on the surface of a sphere. Such is the celestial globe.

8. But how shall we determine the place of a planet among the stars at any given time? The work is one of immense difficulty. Its general explanation is somewhat as follows: The astronomer by his own obseryations, compared with former ones, can find the form and dimensions of each planet's ellipse at a given time, the position of its major axis, its line of nodes, its inclination to the ecliptic, its mean (or average) motion, its time of revolution, thereby its actual place in its orbit at any time, hence its place referred to the ecliptic, and hereby its place among the fixed stars.

Now when this last is found, the planets rising and setting can be worked out on a globe roughly, or more accurately by the theorems of spherical trigonometry.

9. The chief difficulty of determining the true place of a planet, arises greatly from the perturbation of universal attraction. If the sun's attractive force keeps the earth in its orbit, the same force disturbs the moon's orbit round us, and the moon disturbs our orbit round the sun. Venus and Jupiter act towards us in like manner, and in fact no planet describes a true ellipse; they are all rendered in a greater or less degree 'exorbitant' by their mutual attractions. The reader (if not informed of it) might hardly conceive that finding the moon's true place, is the grandest triumph of modern astronomy. When it has been determined on her elliptic theory, there are at least twenty-eight different corrections necessary to compensate for errors arising from universal gravitation. Some of them, I grant, are very small, but they are needful for great accuracy.

10. The common almanacks give the right ascension and declination of the sun, moon, and planets. Now right ascension is exactly analagous to longitude, on the terrestrial globe, and declination is identical with latitude; only terrestrial longitude is measured through 180° East and West, whereas right ascension is reckoned always Eastward through the whole circle, or 360°.

11. But right ascension is usually expressed in time. We will explain this. The beavens revolve with uniform motion, and uniform motion may be expressed by the time of describing it; for example, if a coach started from Launceston exactly at twelve o'clock, and went always at the rate of ten miles per hour, then to say the coach was half an hour from the town, would be the same as saying it was five miles off, and similarly for any other portion of distance in time. Now if we

make the vernal equinox our starting point, and conceive a star to be exactly in it, then this star being on the meridian at any moment, it would revolve the 360° (a circle,) and reach it again in twenty-four sidereal hours; this is at the rate of 15° per hour. Thus instead of saying the right ascension of a star is 15o, we say it is one hour, and so for any portion of the circle. And if the vernal equinox, or a star in it, be on the meridian at any moment, another star 15° East of it, will be on the meridian one hour after, and a star of 30o right ascension will be two hours after. Hence the proportion of 15° to one hour, will convert degrees into time, or vice versa. This will explain the data of the

common almanacks.

12. The right ascension and declination of a star being given, the star's place is fixed; just as the longitude and latitude of a place on earth determine that place. These are in fact the intersection of two lines, and can belong only to one point. Any number of places may have the same latitude, and any number may have the same longitude, but only one spot can have a given latitude and longitude, similarly for a star.

(To be continued.)

A CONVERSATION ON THE BAPTISM SERVICE. A. The church requires sponsors at baptism, where do we find the warrant for this in Scripture?

B. No where.

A. Why do we receive it, then, as a lawful christian custom?

B. Because the first Christians received it.

A. How do we know that?

B. From the evidence of a very early christian writer.

A. Who was he?

B. Tertullian; he incidentally lets us know that such was the custom of the church.

A. But perhaps he asserted what was untrue, to suit his purpose ?

B. Not at all, he mentions it quite incidentally, while he is recommending the delay of baptism in their case. A. Quote his words?

B. They are these:-Therefore according to every one's condition, and disposition, and also their age, the delay of baptism is more profitable, especially in the case of little children; for what need is there that their godfathers should be brought into danger, because they may either fail of their promises by death, or may be foiled by the wicked disposition of the child.'

A. Well, but he recommends delay, does he not? B. Evidently, but he proves incidentally (which is the very strongest species of proof) that infant baptism with sponsors, was the custom of the church in his time. More than this he does not condemn the custom as unscriptural, and he would delay in the case of virgins as much as infants, as you will see by reading the entire passage (see Christian Reader March 1842.)

A. Then you mean to say, we are quite sure that infant baptism with sponsors, was the primitive custom?

B. Yes, more sure than we are that the second and third epistles of St. John are part of holy Scripture.

A. What do you think of what you are saying? B. Oh yes, I know the meaning, and the force of my remark.

A. Do explain yourself!

B. I mean these epistles were at one time questioned by some christians, but infant baptism never.

A. Then would you shake our faith in the New Testament as now received?

B. God forbid, I would only shew you that we have

as strong evidence for what we all receive, as for what some reject.

A. Then you rest 'godfathers' on tradition?

B. Yes, the same tradition that I rest the canon of Scripture upon; no other.

A. And you say, we have as clear proof of infant baptism, as we have of the present canon of the New Testament?

B. I mean exactly that.

A. You almost shock me!

B. Try for yourself then, and your alarm will subside. How do you know that any particular epistle was written by the apostle whose name it bears?

A. How? what a strange question! why, how can I know otherwise than by this, that it has come down to me, through my father and generations back, and has been universally received by Christians.

B. Very good, that is precisely what I assert of infant baptism.

A. I must think over what you say, it is new to me; but now of the church service, I cannot go with it all through.

B. State your objections?

A. How can water mystically wash away sin? and what do you mean by 'mystically?'

B. I mean not naturally, for water naturally can only wash the body, not the soul.

A. But did water ever wash away sin in any sense ? B. Ask St. Paul, for it was said to him at his baptism, "arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins."

A. Ah, but St. Paul had faith, that was it which washed away his sins, that was sufficient.

B. Nay, not sufficient, for he was bidden to do something else, to be baptized and wash away his sins.

A. Then do you mean to say it was his baptism, or his faith which washed him?