a
T H E TORCH O F REASON, SIL V E R T O N , OREGON, T H U R SD A Y , OCTOBER 28
1887
ish, and but very little happiness tlds subject.
In order th a t the
is obtained kuowingly at the ex- greatness of Jesus ndght be magni-
pense of an o th er’s. In the princi- lied, the w riters became hypnotized
pie of self-sacrifice lies the source of by th eir own im aginations, and the
our deepest pleasure.
whole story was spun and respun
W e m ust be happy, according to in an endless mass of books, canon-
th e law of our being. H appiness j ical and uucanonical. Some of
is a guide; but, practically, it can- these spurious books had won a
not be the end. I he end is what place in the esteem of the people
we call virtue. This is w hat we and were retained as the A pocrypha,
m ight say is the choice and approv- At the time of the earlv church,
ed felicity of m an. W hat makes d uring the first and second centur­
this is not unconnected actions, but ies, no one thought of m aking the
actions in obedience to a principle, books of the new testam ent inspired.
—a principle not derived from God, Iran aeu s, in 202, A. D.. began to
but from m an. M an, as a univer­ advocate this idea. From now on
sal being, m an, as I u n derstand the interest began to center in
him , is m ade for self-sacrifice. As the new testam ent.
The books
the river is m ade to run to the sea, were collected and discussed. For
or the root to flower, this is his about 150 years this war of tongues
original tendency, as necessary to went on. 1 he synod of Laodicea
“ Keep the Torch of Reason Burning
his happiness, in a large degree, as finally settled the m atter by pub­
breathing.
lishing an official list of the inspired
“ W h at is happiness? It is the hooks. M any m arvelous tales are
perfect exercise of every faculty. To told by th e churchm en in later cen­
*
abnegate, to deny, to surrender for turies of how this list was brought
another, is a positive faculty of m an; about, but tim e will not perm it
and to do these things is a source further m ention of them .
Ptfpe
Innocent I, in 405, over two cen­
{To be Continued.}
Price, Ten cents.
turies later th an the tim e the inspir­
Bohemian E vening, No. 2.
ation idea took hold in the church
m ind, settled the m atter for all
(C o n tin u e d f r o m f ir s t p a g e .)
tim e by decree. Later, Calvin and
thought in mind of meeting the L uther led two opposing schools on
w ants of the common people. The
this subject. L u th er tran slated the
1 he above shown the exact size of the little song hook we
\ ulgate was tin* result, and was bible for the G erm ans, from the
have just com pleted. It contains th irty -tw o pages.
The songs
w ritten in the popular L a'in of the
more liberal standpoint. The work
are set to fam iliar tunes ami should lie in every Freethought
tim e. \\ h at a storm this version of various other tran slato rs is well
home and S unday school. Send us an order. Price, 10 cts.
raised! Explosions of argum ent were known. T hat of Wickliffe, T yn­
on every hand. In spite of all oppo­ dale, who lost his life at the stake
• ▼ -V ■
<Xi<XXXKX)<>WOOOC
sition it was finally made the sacred
at Brussels, and others who found
text of the Latin church. When
courage to risk life, and contend
E. M., 297.
printing was invented so corrupted
over these questions of religious
had the V ulgate become th a t the differences, from the tw elfth cen­
true text was lost it» a chaos of
tury to the King Jam es version.
variants. Some of the churchm en
“ There is another side to all this
proposed to revise it, hut this was
history which is equally as inter- t
SILVERTON, OREGON.
quickly stopped by a decree of Six­ esti' g. Il is the study of the bible’s I
tus V, in 1598. and the V ulgate be­ influence upon the ethics of the v a -'
came the “ holy received te x t” of rious ag< s of its History. It is a |f
the Roman church. 1 cannot b e ­ subject that the church prefers to IF
Enclosed fin d .................................. Dollars to a ssist in the
gin to tell you of num erous “ ver­
b*a ve a lone. I oday • he book stands l
sions” th a t came into exi-tence, in tin* m inds of all scientific men [ Construction of the L i b r a ! U niversity at S ilverton, Oregon.
such as the Peshilo and others, upon its own m erits, and m erit it F
Yours for Progress,
which have been lost in the rolling has in m any ways. I commend
waves of tim e.
the intelligent free study of the
“ D uring all these years the ques­ bible to all young people; not in
C ut th is o u t, or copy It; enclose
tion of inspiration wt s discussed.
w h at you can, and fo rw ard to
the spirit of faith, but in the light
The long struggle to classify the of reason. Next tim e I shall talk
J. E HOSMER, President,
books, and tin* final division of the to you about the idea of the soul or
book into the ( ’anon and Apocrv- spirit in m an .” (After a period o f '
S ilverton, Oregon.
phal book was egtabli-hed. Ibis
con v«*rsatiou, asking and answ eri ng
—-
.-oa^ix <
brings us to the new testam ent. questions, the p ar'v adjourned, to - - *
A A A, A. -A
A. A.
«is new re Igion w htch had oe» n meet again at the agreed time and
taught by Jesus and his followers pb«ce )
_________ ______
lay d-.rn.an. a long tim e after Ins
Dl,' Brow..: (A gain gazing in-
*
How to M a k e ----z
de»th. W hen the teachsrs did tin- t-m ly ini., .ho fire, which he had
ally gam courage -o work for the nm .-w -d:, “ Can it he th at these
htrther propagation ofttH principles, boys, the product <>f uiauv genera-
I he G ov ern m en t nationalized the Postal System , whv not also
a need soon urns.- for the historical ti((nH
big,„ ed . llperftiti(,nj wi)I
th e M qnev System ? A plan is told by C. ELTON B L A N C H A R D
and phtloaophtcal presentation of free then.seives fron, m ental slav -1
in f it s lo o k e n t i t l e d .................................
Us Claims m the form of writings. ery? Let us ho,« so; let ns hot«
*80, m any years after the death of go»
•b'sus, the work of w riting began.
M atthew was supposed to have been
[ E ditor ' s N ote : Anyone wish-
*— ■»-.
Postpaid for 25 Cents.
w ritten in Aram aic, while the re-
to
“ Doctor” questions
Song Book
1.
Liberal U niversity C om pany,
t\4(iood T im es for all Time.
U N C LE S A M ’S
H O M IL IE S ON F IN A N C E .
_ • j
, , .
, ’ ........~
m a i n d e r of th e h o n k s w e re
w r itte n
¡ 'c l^ n t .’ ° i r - f ^ y - V t o ’ , C w o r k
’
r .
.
All profits on th is look will be given to th e Lilieral L T i i v e r s i t v
a t lib e r ty to a d d r e s s h im , in c a re ■* *hould he in th e h an d s of every th in k in g person. A ddress all o rders to
° fCbHrle8 E l"'n Bla.-chsrd, editor _______
T h e TO R C H O F R E A S O N . S ilv e rto n . Oregon.
‘»f the g re a t French scholar, Ernest C urrent T hought, 802 Ansel A ve.,
Renan, for more inform ation on Cleveland, Ohio.]
T ry the Torch for Jobw ork.