THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3696, 29 October 1880, Page 3

THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

To the Editor of the Evening Stab,

Sib,— Perhaps the best known and most commonly used passage of scripture, and which will undergo considerable alteration in the new versjuria the Lord's Prayer. Do men re.»llar*m»l*'of the meanings of the itordpfmef use in this prayer P —•• Th« ffiiiii." " Oxu Father." The Father of; all men, is he really so esHlijM when ;' invoked . to destroy or defeat a part of the human family of his family^-'with whom our particular nation may be engaged in an tibjus* wr. Let them farther analyse "this "prayer, andsee hbwfar they truly t~ rstand and believe it. If the Testa/ ; is inspired and is in all particulars 1 shall find a multitude of witnessef far It* veracity and; authenticity in thy consistent Jiyes and conduct of professsing Christians. Indeed if Ido not do so it is » failure and a superstition. Bo Christians regard all things outside Christ as vanity P Do they completely and literally renounce the world and all 4he Bififul lusts of the flesh ? Do they casia/wa*y and entirely divest themselves of all kinds of wealth and absolutely make themselves 1 poor? Do they eat and arint and pay with the poor P Do they aerre Grod and shun Mammon P Do they reprbfe fine house furniture showing ? Dp jby fiiun gay Jewels and costly apparel P Do bar ladies visit • the sick, and familiarise themselves with want, squalor and wretchedness as a daily, hourly occupation P Do Christians manifest and exhibit themselves by their master's name? Do Christians consult the: will of Christ ii their laws, their literature* and their > amusements P Do not Christians take their fill of pleasure here and hope foil an eternity of pleasure hereafter ? Are any of omr iasCitutioni— the House of Lords ot C6*i»n«, or the Ben^h . ( .bf!-. Bis>bM;^|t^!^^nnual churbh revenue of J^j^.ObOtC^iristian P As respects the lowejf strata of aociety in all .Christian counties; \ they understand and care for the creeds and dogmas pf fejigion' in about the same proportion as the higher and wealthier classes care, for the practice, of Christian duties. Every* where the Christian religion is at a very low ebb. The humbler orders think more of imitating their superiors in fine dresses and all disoription. of pleasure,l than in attending, places of worship' or following the teachings and practice of Christ, either on Sunday or work days, they have in fact no real, idea of religion, especially that of Christ. As regards the higher and wealthier classes, the records of the divorce court furnish ample evidence of the state p|• religious feeling. All classes jo. fact are regulated very little by Christ, answer and that in the negative can be given to these test questions. Thus affording strong negative eviden^p as to the Authenticity of the Scripture.—' I am, &c., „..,'..■. Sobptio.

An American professor of astronomy has been trying for the last six weeks to exterminate a blaok snake that invests his observatory. It tickles his legs and distracts his attention from the observation of the heavenly bodies. — American Paper/ ■■'i:;- ":■ \' ' ■ '