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anti -B ible talk .
f
CBBISTUX MIK8I0NABT.
And now comes Sister Lemert
who stops her Bible Talks and be
gins Anti-Bible Talk. It is wTell
named now if not before. Not-
W’ithstandin^ the editbrhas 'at' the
mast head disavowed responsibility
for opinions and sentiments of con
tributors, and several, scrilies have
' taken in hand the matter of
keeping the writer from inflicting
J hk heresv unon. the jjcod I c , still the
above writer snuffing the danger
from afar is determined that a
quietus shall at once be put upon
the matter. And how ? Why easy
enough! Just affirm that I am
helping Col. Ingersoll.
The sister allows her zeal to run
away with her judgment. He is
the best friend of the Bible who
seeks to use it according to its in
tent, and not he who fears the
people will not reverence it enough
if the truth is known, and there
fore seeks to keep them in dark
ness. I said it is possible these
writings contain some thingsTIUT-
authorized, (and for this I am ac
cused of helping Ingersoll). Now
•all the sister has to do is to take up
• any recent translation or revision
and she w’ill find many things
omitted and many changed. As a
sample of the change take one of
her own quotations from Rev. 22 :
24, “ Blessed are they that do his
commandments,” &c. Revised ver
sion reads, “ Blessed are they that
wash their robes,” &c. She ought
to know that the latter part of the
Ifith chapter of Mark from the 9th
verse to the close is in dispute.
The tw’O oldest Greek manuscripts
and some others omit, and some
others have a different ending.
Verse 37 of chap! 8* of Acts of
Apostles is omitted in the Revision
and by others. Will she now turn
to John 8th chap., and read the
note, “ Most ancient authorities
omit John 7: 53; 8:11, those Which
contain it vary much from each
other.” This, though not a tithe
of what may be said, is sufficient to
justify the very modest statement
that they may contain some things
unauthorized. I said also it is cer
tain the apostles taught much that
Jias never reached us.
Passing by Luke’s statement, in
opening his gospel which I believe
Jias much more weight than is
usually attached to it, I call atten
tion to the fact that the apostle
speaks of a letter whicli he had
written which is not in our canon
-Col. 4; 1C.
evidence that there was another
letter written to Corinth. The
apostle Paul w’as three years and
over at Ephesus and a long time at
each of several other points. It is
not possible we could have all their
Jnhn Said nf Jesus if
all that he said and did were w’rit
ten the books of the world would
not contain it, w*e might with
greater emphasis say of the apostles,
for his ministry was only about
three and one-half years, while
Now the sister either does not
Understand me or she does not
want to. I do not say we are not
authorized to build a meeting house,.
&c., &c. I only say by certain rules
of interpretation it would follow.
I say ill the chapter and verse that
she gets authority to build a meet
ing house, and to have a note-book,
tec., &c., I get authority to use an
organ. For by the same process of
reasoning, when we are exhorted to
praise the Lord we are authorized
to use all means conducive to that
end;
The latter part of the article is
unworthy of notice, that is, accord
ing to my judgment.
Now I want to say just a few
things of the many that ought to
be said with regard to the design
and applicability qf tho Apostolic
Epistles. First let me say that I
many write and speak of the Bible
as though the whole had been writ
ten by God himself and addressed
to each individual, consequently it
all seems to be clothed with just
the same authority and applicabili
ty. Now you know that in your
practical use you do not carry this
out, for when you desire to find a
passage for a special occasion or an
individual case you select ; and
many passages you find no particu
lar use for Now I expect that
last sentence lacks reverence with
some. Let me explain. Take the
first chapter of Matthew. When
you fully examine that genealogy
and find it correct it has answered
its purpose. You have no more
need for it. Take the 23rd Psalm
and it has been the glow ing unction
of the soul through all time and
will do to meditate upon in all
ages. Now I had forgotten that
any one had ever given expression
to the views I hold until I was re
reading the Preface and Hints to
Readers in Living Oracles. Andas
Alexander Campbell is good
to some I call attention to spine
things. Tie says about the New
J think there is good Testament. After showing the
difference in style and matter of the system.” You ask me where then
several biographies because-w’ritten are we to get our teaching ? I an
to or for different people, he goes to swer the apostles were commanded
the Epistles. Allow, however, one to preach the Gospel, and teach all
or tw’O remarks of his abqut the things Jesus commanded. This
Gospels. " Not one of these his- they did faithfully. They com
torians relates all that he knew of mitted the same trust to other
Jesus, noi4 do they all réTâtê hs TaTtLTuTmon. Tfie eh'ureiris eon-
much as any one of them could stituted the pillar and ground of
the truth. By its fidelity or in
have related concerning him.”
Again : “ These historians do not fidelity through the ages the world
always aim at giving the precise has had the true or adulterated
w’ords of those they quote, not even teaching, orally or written. In all
of the Savior himself ; but only the | of this work there has been left us a
full and precise sense of what was much as a staple. What were the
uttered or written.” This he says biographies for ? To convince that
applies to their quotations of the Jesus of Nazareth was God’s
Jewish prophets the words of •anointed apostle and Savior.
Now some might need the old
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angels, and even the Father him
self. Under both these he gives prophets to aid in making this con
many examples. I.n speaking of viction, others might need con
the Epistles he says that some were temporaneous history, one might
called out by those to whom they be convinced by Matthew’ alone,
w’ere addressed having first w’ritten others might remain all together to
to the apostle asking for certain produce conviction.
Christian character is gathered
information, &c., and by the apostle
having heard through others of out of the teaching of Jesus and
condition of affairs. He »makes the apostles and our own good
much of an understanding of who judgment. As the apostle . says
writes, who is written to, and the judge yourselves about certain
reason^ for such- writing. I call things.
But now there must necessarily
particular attention to this sen
tence : “ It is w orthy of notice that arise many local questions in the
the apostle does not attempt to days of the apostles, as now, which
settle such questions merely, or, must be met. The apostles and
indeed at all, by his apostolic others grappled with them then,
authority.” He says the argu we must do the same now. Many
mentative part embraces the whole of their questions do not concern
of the first eleven chapters of us, many of ours were unknown to
Romans and is concerned w’ith the them. They settled them by
questions between Jew’ and Gentile, reason, argument and mutual for
and as alxive stated not settled by bearance, we must do the same.
apostolic dicta but by arg ament. Now what I object to is taking
If this be‘true, and who that care teaching that never was intended
fully reads doubts it, how much is for us and making it a load that
there, only in incidental allusions, neither we nor our fathers could
that is applicable to our present bear.
individual wants ? And yet this is
Now let it be observed the things
the great doctrinal book !
that pertain to life and godliness
In the close of his preface to the are far within the sphere of these
Hebrew letter showing that it was local observances, which the very
for persecuted Hebrew* Christians attempt to imitate, seems with
he says: “ Such is the scope and some to pass for the only vital
design of the letter to the Hebrews. godliness there is.
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Neither it, nor the letter to the
To the candid, and the lover of
Romans, was w’ritten as a treatise truth for truths sake these
of divinity, or as an abstract of the thoughts are submitted by one who
Christian system.”
is a firm believer in Christ and
All the letters written varv the Christianity.
one from the other, that is, they are
The bigot would hot be con«
different, written for different pur vinced for then his bigotry would
poses, and with different instruc be lost.
tion. And I am not sure that any
qf them were intended to be per
There is a monster orange tree
petuated through all ages, and cer near Fort Harley, Fla., that meas
tainly not, as I have said before, as ures nine feet one inch in circum
“ a body of doctrine,” or as Camp ference. It is over fifty years old,
bell says as a “ treatise of divinity and some seasons has over 9,000
or as an abstract of the Christian oranges on it.— Ex.
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