The Seven Bibles of the World.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 42, 6 September 1900, Page 3

The Seven Bibles of the World.

! on Monday evening last, the Eev. l< al c\a) lectured to a large audiD E ce 'onth« above subject. On comf DC iug, he anticipated what, doubtless Le would be saying to themselves, inhere would the lecturer get his . Y en bibles ? At all events, was not the Christian bible the oldest '? Had • D ot the most adherents ? And was , j lt a ione that claimed inspiration? r*pb'> r Barclay declared he could id i>' 3 blble3 > and lXi § aye a ne £ afcive ,»6r to tlie questions. Pursuing his bitct, ho g* ve a brief account of the Nlowuig saoed books, deemed sacred bv those who have agreed to use them : .' fjjj e Hindu sacred books, the Vedas, tid all the other parts of the Hindu anon. 2. The sacred books of the Zorosatvians, the Zand : Avesta, and ytfop more important; sub divisions o( work. 3. The bible of the Ba]J'ni s > t "' viz., the Tripitaka, and all tlio connects! writing * of an inspired j ebwwter. 4. The sacred writings of (jonfoacunwm, such as the "Five' v.jirs/'with other allied treatises. 5. fia Koia,n, or bible of the Mohatajicdaiis. 6. The bible of the Mormons, ' »]ar»e, a lecent, and a curious work. jlr Baiclay, leaving out the Christian foble (which would make up the nuin j,ei se\etn and defining a bible to mean >A book, or collection of books, which an- number of people had agreed to jeeept as sacred, and to be to them the lj/soiuce of appeal on questions of Kiigion and morals." he proceeded to iwusscacli book under the tollowing Voda. (a) Tlio luerary conttnts and inwons; fb) their antiquity; (c) the ftlborship; (d) their language ; (c) the religious system wh'.ch they coiv taiieil, and (i) their adherents, their mWitras 'Vid races. Yei-y intero.tinT questions were proposed and ans\ ?ied, '-uch as, W-io were Buddha, Coatucias, Mahomet, llovr ,i' llu\v rind whsn did^ these vinous suit')] borks come to be diswvrfwl, tiai.datcd uud known by £uopcnn fccholavs? What, in the drc'ila'ion of the ancient and obscv.i'v3 Di,,"iccnotT, were the parts played by Anij-iotil dci Poiron, Sir William Jones. B'juiciui, ond varioxib othtr Orienml S'lo'au At the conclusion of his lecture, a coiilal \otoot thanks "Viis given to Mr BmcLij. -.Tp^srs Allan. Manchester dnd litineu speaking m eulogi&J»c terms of \h uHtmcoijti thus conveyed, the inteitM m these sacied bocks advened, and the wide and ourious krinug du-played m handling the ilpnie. Mi B?uLiv, hiving pointed out that, lotowplcte the subject, some of the t!.iguiMi of tlie town, Eevs. Mr Bl'git, Bir.ieU, Mornsou bto should, at -one luniio tniie, inslitulo a detailed oipm-o'i bet.veon the "various sacied VOL3 anil tii 3 Ulmstidii "ouiiponieg, by a\oiviof tho wliolf meeting Mr Baxciay kibblf was askod to perform the tmice bolos ton the violiu) were given by MissTiuubuli, an-1 by Miss Williams (Veal), wluc'i a,ldjd mach to iho fl-ssuie of the eveuin^. The chair v, is occupied by ilr Allan, who was Tnumv th inked for hio efficient a«iicw. Acknowledgements wero »l«j luadij to Miss Smart, and the Brosdc-n Pi.mo Gompauy for the use fll'lie'i- piiMO Noiivjttistdading the comparative irwiess anJ obscurity ot th'i subj > *t, ilrl) ieb % by various hits, witisisiiid, local apiinpations, etc., managed to fceph.", lU .~.i^i.^n " en rappoit" and to e'oke then- frequent laughter and Kfp'cWv The li c^.nre, "Wh nmv say, if^iuauloE the local biMiua uf the British and Foreign Bible Society, ?.liuse fi lends, we hopo, will be benefited to a cosibiderable extent.