THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3683, 14 October 1880, Page 3

THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

" The people are desirous of being deceived. Wa cannot act otherwise with them. For ruy own part, to myself, I shall ulways he a philosopher, but in dealing with the musses of the people I shall be a priest."

" O, Lord, I never spake a true word in my life, but I have always lived in dissimulation and affirmed a lie for truth to all men, and no man contradicted me, but nil gave credit to my words."

"As the He is up now, pou had letter keep it tip, as in time it will come to he believed, and it will aitsioer as well as truth.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sib, —I think I see the countenances of your compositors as they set up the foregoiDg quotations, and although they have pretty strong constitutions for the marvelous in literature, turn pale with indignation that human nature can be thought, eTen by a sceptic, to have fallen so low as to require to be deceived by lying, fraud, ■nd blasphemy. Your owu special devil himself will turn-blue at such an un45£owed exhibition, and your readers, gefetle and simple, will throw down your pßper fearful of contamination by aoT.fricarnate fiend. But Sceptic cries »f$M: These words, these maxims, that di?g-i*st ; and frighten you so much are not mirie^ifi? they are verily and truly the wordsr,&f--angelic men and angels themselves*. The choice morsel of morality of the fif'p; first quotation comes from the BisbOpjjfof; Ptolemais—Synesius—about the sth£Sejntury. This truthful gentleman is regarded as a great authority in support of Bjblical authenticity. The second quotation is from a bosom friend of St. Paul himself— Hennas is his name—called an " Apostolic father," greeted in the New Testament as a fellow labourer with St. Paul. His utterances are quoted as being especially of divine origin, and at the present time great expectations are entertained of some re7elations that modern discoveries have made concerning him and his writings. This lover of truth also is greatly relied upon; perhaps the reason advanced in the last quotation will furnish the motive. The 3rd quotation contains the words of the Holy Angel himself, whom Hennas was addressing, and speak loudly for his love of truth, candour, and godly attributes. The opinion of the universal church seems to have been that it .was necessary and right to deceive the ignorant and vulgar. This was certainly the characteristic teaching of the early fathers. Eusebius, greatly relied upon as a celebrated evidence producer in favour of authenticity, says in his 31st chapter of the 12th book of his Evangelical Preparation, "How far it may be proper to use falsehood as a medicine for the benefit of those who require to be deceived." The Bishop of Constant!nople, Gregory of Namanzen, who was celebrated on account of his great virtue, and especially the love of truth, says " A little jargon is all that is necessary to impose upon the people. The less they comprehend, the more they admire. Our forefathers, and doctors of the Church have often said not what they thought, but what circumstances and necessity dictated to them." These are the truthful authorities relied upon to establish Scriptural authority and authenticity. Almost all writers admit that in the 4th century deception and lying were largely practised. It passed into an universal maxim that it was a virtue to lie and deceive when the good of the church needs it. Can it be wondered at then that such times produced frauds and impostors, literary and otherwise P This was the time for false miracles! The true philosophers who knew of these cheats kept silence through fear. In addition to those mentioned as preaching lies, may be mentioned Hilary, Bishop of Poicters; Ambrose, Bishop of Milan; Augustin, Bishop of Hippo in Africa; whose renown filled the whole Christian world. Christians of all sorts in these primitive times were guilty, of fraud and deception. Now I ask again what importance can be given to the statements or authority of persons thus shewn to be guilty of deception and lying? It must be borne in mind that these early Christian fathers also had the custody of the sacred books which were never brought before the common people whatever may be said now to the contrary. In the first ages they were in the hands of the clergy alone, who could and did whatever they like with them, and this alone makes out a strong case against the genuiness and credibility of the New Testament in its present form. —I am, &c, Sceptic. Thames, October 12 1880.