New, newness (Hastings' Dictionary)

In | Divine Presence. As the new rite of Passover the East many tendencies converge towards the veneration of use and wont. Of these the follow- ing are the most noteworthy :—(1) The ney 8 with which a certain kind of weather preva’ through a certain season of the year, Gn 8%, 1S 1216-18; (2) the conservative influence of the patriarchal form of government; (3) the trans- mission of the same handicraft, such as masonry, weaving, etc.

, from father to son; (4) the fact that when lands are sold, the agricultural labourers continue to occupy the small houses of the village included in the property, and thus become practi- cally serfs upon the estate ; (5) the religious con- eae that whatever exists, exists by the will of od. By such influences Orientals come to regard Custom as a regulative power of high authority.

One of their Arabic proverbs says, ‘ Everything follows Custom—even religion,’ and another, ‘ The world is composed of earth, air, fire, water—and Custom.’ Hence anything departing from the usual routine affects Orientals with profound surprise, and finds them unprepared to account for it or deal with it. The Indian Mutiny was quelled by quick initiative. In every unexpected situation Orientals have one exclamation, ‘ What shall I do?

’ In the presence of anything novel they give themselves up to the simple pleasure of surprise, without much attempt to find the ex- pleistion of what is strange in the action of amiliar forces.

Every phenomenon in nature is referred at once to the First Cause with the exclamation, ‘Praise to the Creator’; and on seeing any pa acta mechanism or hearing of any incident of conspicuous veracity or unselfish- ness, it is enough to say as an expression of the general Sao ‘This is new, we have never seen anything like this!

’ The mental habit that passes over secondary causes leads Orientals to set a slight value on the patience and precision of thought and statement required for the discovery and application of such causes. The moral forces which adorn conduct and character are also re- garded as given rather than cultivated. The prevalence of routine, and the mystery con- nected with anything unusual, coupled with the excitable nature of the people, cause everything new to be attractive.

Throughout the Bible there are many instances of the astonishment, attractiveness, and authority connected with strange occurrences and new be- ginnings. With regard to natural and religious seasons, each day has its light and darkness, week is separated from week. The appearance of the new moon announcing the commencement of the month was also a day of religious festival, 1S 2053, The Feasts ὁ of the year. New Year’s Day was reckoned for different purposes five times in the year.

The year of Tabiles was a time of recovery and re- newal for those who had been crushed by adversity. Passover, Pentecost, and | Tabernacles were connected with the new produce | announced the creation of Israel as a chosen people, so the new testament in Christ’s blood (Mt 26%) created the nationality of world-wide sainthood. The Christian is a new creature 2 Co 57, Col 3%, endued with a new spirit Ro 8%, in order to be maintained in perpetual newness of life Ro 6*. See, further, art.

REGENERATION. G. M. Mackie.