THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3686, 18 October 1880, Page 2

THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

(To the Editor of the Evbning Stab.) \Sib,—The almost exact and always beautiful science of philology frequently throws a flood of illumination upon obscure subjects, and upon none more so than scriptural analysis. Many errors and numerous violent disputes would hare been avoided if its proper employment had been understood and practised. An illustration of this may be found in the way Christians hare confounded their Sunday, or Lord's Day rather, with the Jewish Sabbath. Spain and Italy hare the word Sabatto and Sabbato respectirely; the French people call Saturday Samedi; the converts to Christianity in the earlier times named Sunday the Day of the Lord —the Lord's Dayi Dies Dornimuns; Italy, France, and Spain use to represent Sunday Domingo, Domenica, and Demearche respectively; and instead of beink call Saturn's Day, the day before Sunday was called the Sabbath. This will surprise and show many persons how easily the plainest and simplest things may be confused and con* founded,: and learn us to be slow in forming hasty opinions upon things apparently the clearest; indeed where prejudice is the strongest, judgment is generally the weakest. The teaching of Christ, and the, consistent conformity of Christians to his commands and practise, is the best and most unfailing test of the truth of the Scriptureß, and I shall continue to try their authenticity by the faithfulness shown by professing Christians—in fact, this is the test which Christ himself sets up, "If ye lore me keep my commandments." In fact, in this world it is the only proof that can be given as opposed

to a mere verbal, outside church-going, psalm-singing, Sunday School-attending, * class-leading, Bible-reading, sensational prayer-making, and emotional sermonpreaching by smug black-coated pretenders. Any hypocrite can vaunt his faith and prate about his charity and good feelings, bat to be a follower of Christ involves an entire, absolute, and complete renunciation of the world, the becoming persecuted, derided, scorned, and ridiculed by all the world, and to be always at enmity therewith. He makes no sentiment about oar giving up all worldly possessions, absolutely making ourselves poor for the poor/ loving our enemies, enduring cold, hanger, nakedness—in vain I look for this class of Christians 1 The plain truth is oar creeds are too big for common sense—observe, the beautiful maxim of " loving thy neighbour as thyself" is marred by the declaration that the land of Sodom and Gomorrah will fare better in the day of judgment than those who reject priestly interference. " If any man come unto me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and, yea* his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." " Think not I am come to send peace on earth; I come not to lend peace, but a sword; for I am «ome to set man at variance with his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-inHaw against 'her mother-in-law, and the man's foes shall be of his own ■ household." "Every one who hath forsaken houses, or brethren or sisters, or father or mother, or wife or children, or4l land for my sake shall receive, a hundred- * fold, and shall inherit everlasting life." The leading principles of all this teaching —and which no Christians appear to practice—is self-preservation, irrespective of others. Oar happiness;and joy, however, depend too much upon oar brethren to permit the practice of these injunctions. Christianity was only for the Jews at first; when rejected by, them it was offered to the world. It is' only in their own wild and blind conceit that the Jews; were the chosen people of the Almighty. The Gentiles were and are equally - God's people. Is not God the creator and master of all ? If the Jews are privileged beyond other men, a great injustice has been done to those who had no option as to place of birth! ■ Moreover, the treatment of the uninvited at the wedding feast seems to imply that invitations will not insure the acceptance of heaven. It is the ambiguity of such passages in place ef plain directions for improving life that discredits a system said to T>e divine. Who can reconcile with such a belief the story of the withered, fig tree, or believes deity dissatisfied with his own works. Who of the present Christians is prepared to act upon the command—" Bat those of mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay them ■■ before me P" Where are the Christians prepared to act upon the sayings of Jesus recorded in Matthew 19thchap. 12thverse? Several ' great philosophers, including the famous Origen, have given the most horrible explanations to this passage,' thus showing that vagueness should be avoided as most dangerous. An entire renunciation of the world, the neglect of this life for a life -hereafter, constitute the principle tenor of Christ's teaching. " Labor not for the meat that perishetn, but for that meat that ehdnreth for everlasting life." " Take noibought for your life, &c;" The practical effects of these and similar texts are destructive of science; obstructive of: all human progress ; frustrative of all jnbral'developement. But 1 Christ meant this was rally prepared, and well'determined that it should be so,>i)d; demanded obedience as a means of accomplishing his scheme of redemption and'establishing a theocracy of love; and Christians, if they are not hypocrites, should follow minutely and exactly His teachings, and praetioes. To sustain and prove the authenticity of the Scripture,;! call for the witnesses. Bhow me the men, women, or children in this or any other country who claim to be Christians and who practise the plain and simple duties^ exacted by their founder ? If I call as witnesses the Christian bishops with their £90,000 per annum; if I call the clergy with their snug plurality of livings; if I call the ' benevolent and wealthy liity; if 'I call the elegantly dressed, perfumed, bejewelled lafly, all of whom stand responsible to their master, they aIV will fall upon me and crush me, calling me an an atheist, an infidel, and atoeptie,for daring to suppose that because Christ was poor and iowly,.hii. foUowjeW should belike him. ' ' ' fi '' :' ■;■ . , - , ScKPHC. , Thames, October 18th; 1880;, :