MR VOYSEY ON THE BIBLE.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 89, 22 January 1872, Page 3

MR VOYSEY ON THE BIBLE.

[Continued.'] The passages Avliicli Mr Voysey quoted as contradictory were the different reasons given in Deuteronomy and Exodus for the Fourth Commandment; the ascription of the same act to God and Satan in 2nd Samuel xxiv. 1, and Ist Chronicles xxi. 1-7; the assertion in Genesis that God tempted Abraham, and in James that God tempts no man ; the statement that God said, “ It ropenteth me that I have madcSaul king,” to which was opposed the verse that “ he is not a man that lie should repent.” Mr Yoysey urged, further, that the doctrine of ini mortality was not taught in the Old Testament, and quoted several passages to show that its writers had no faith in a future life, and were in this respect contradicted by the New Testament. In treating of the latter, the lecturer pointed out the discrepancies with regard to Christ’s genealogy, the journey into Egypt, the omission from St.John of the forty days temptation and the different versions as to the date of the crucifixion, which, according to St. John, was Jon a Thursday, and not Friday ; and, lastly, the varying reports of the* resurrection, The second part of the lecture enumerated passages which, in Mr Voysey’s opinion, attributed nnwoAhy feelings or conduct to the Almighty. Of this class were the passages” describing the motive of God for the Deluge, representing him as having made a grievous mistake, and being sorry

for it; the Jtemptation of Abraham to sacrifice Isaac ; the attribute of “ jealousy,” ascribed in the Seeoud Commandment; and the characters, often doubtful, of “ God’s favourites” iu Scripture—“ Abraham and Isaac being ready to sacrifice their wives for their own safety ; Jacob a fraudulent and accomplished liar; Lot a drunkard and worse ; David addicted to bloodshed and lust; and Solomon a notorious and wholesale profligate.” Mr Voysey next cited passages which appear to him to inculcate what is wrong. These referred to such matters as the preference of God for Jacob, a deceiver, over Esau ; the treachery of Jael; the assassinat ion of Ahab’s relatives by Jehu ; the slaughter of the Canaanitcs ; the law of retaliation ; and, lastly, several expressions in the Psalms expressive of hatred and revenge. The closing section of the lecture was intended to show that Jesus Christ was not more than human. Mr Voyscy urged that Christ’s knowledge was defective ; that he evidently believed that dumbness and blindness resulted from being possessed by the devil; and he anticipated a speedy second coming to the world. Further, he used uncharitable language in calling his opponents “serpents” and “ generation of vipers.” He (Mr Voysey) could not be sure that Christ used this language, but the Gospels say ho did, and therefore represesent him as giving way to bad temper. Lastly, he accused Jesus of deliberately disregarding family ties. When at twelve years of age he was lost, and his parents sought him in the Temple sorrowing, he expressed no regret for the pain he caused them. When his mother and brethren were seeking him on another occasion, ho said,“ Who is my mother and my brethren ?” and, stretching forth his hand to his disciples, he said “ Behold my my mother and my brethren!” These passages exhibited Jesus as completely destitute of natural affection, cruel and disrespectful to his mother, and carried away by egotistical vanity. So of the language on the cross, “ Woman behold thy son,” and to the disciple, “ Behold thy mother;” nothing, iu Mr Voysey’s opinion, could be more heartless. If Jesus treated his mother and brethren as described in the Gospels, then he was not the God who commands us to honour our father and mother, and to love each other as brethren. If Jesus did not do so, then the Gospels spoke falsely, and were no longer to be trusted, when they said that Jesus lived before Abraham, or was bom without a human father. It would be well for those who clamoured for the infallibility of the Bible, or for the Godhead of Jesus Christ, to be careful not to omit one very important preliminary before they ventured upon arguing out their views—the advice he gave gratsi, and with a hearty welcome, “ Read your Bibles.”