SCRIPTURE CONTROVERSY.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3739, 18 December 1880, Page 2

SCRIPTURE CONTROVERSY.

(To the Editor of the Brening Star.)

Sib,—The purpose of my letters is to obtain an answer to the public question whether the authorised unmutilated version of the English Bible and New Testament are inspected, and true in every word and particular,, and whether the Lord Jesus Christ is God, If these are not sufficiently practical questions for your readers and correspondents generally and for the courteous and able "W. in particular, I fail to see the means of rendering them more so; or to comprehend how " truth " can be " contemplated too much on speculative principles," inasmuch as such a curiously illogical * statement in itself involves original postulate. As to •• divine attribute!," "infinity,' "cause and effect," "littleness, darkness, or splendour of specula* tion, " bewildering or dazzling the imagination," " exhibit the character of God as our father in Heaven," as our judge, &c, &c. I did not know that.l had travelled so far out of my depth, and justly merit his rebuke if I had don* to, altogether the tense, but vulgar and rather offensive charge of «• unintelligible jargon," extenuates its severity in betrayiAg the author's connection with some (so' called) Christian conventicle where this style of speech is the vernacular, and : seems purposely and invariably adopted, so as, by raising a false issue to blind the public to the truth.: W.s advice, however, is so exalted that it would suffer in its transfer to other hands. My humble talents are not formed for such momentous questions as the "character, of God," "eternal retribution," " the Lord God is one God," M God is a spirit, and must be worshipped in. spirit and in truth," and "Lifting the whole soul to God." These and cognat recondite subjects must be left to him who considers them so " simple," I must be satisfied with lesser enterprises. The public, however, will expect a plain and straightforward answer to a simple question, and will scarcely accept sound or sentiment for solid reason. In resum- - ing the subject of my last letter, it will be observed that ignorance of physical causes produces fear. A restlessness or impatience exists in all minds to ascertain the existence of invisible poweri or being or agent capable of irilicting on them pain or pleasure, good or evil. An inclination is hereby engendered to give form to phantoms, which are dreaded and propitiated according to adversity or prosperity. For this purpose God has been created by the designing, and the blind and wild fear of the invisible is the origination of religions, which every man establishes after hit own . conceit. The propagation and spread of such conceits have been promoted by - those who are beneficially interested in \ keeping the minds of the people fettered by ' ignorance and superstition. By degrees, laws have been founded upon and for the protection of them, and gradually the people have laws brought by tenor threats, promises of Heaven and fear of hell to a mechanical and unreasonable obedience. Having shown the origin of the belief in gods, I shall devote my next to further examination of this curious subject.—l am, <fee, Soirac. Thames 16th December, 1880. <.