CHRISTIANITY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3069, 17 March 1892, Page 3

CHRISTIANITY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,—l think it must have struck all who have read the letters you have lately published attacking religious belief that these letters are singularly lacking in argument and good taste. I would remind your sceptical correspondents that something more than sneering and scoffing will be required to overthrow a religion that hag stood for conturies and gained the sanction of the highest minds." I would also remind them that though they have given us a good deal of contemptuous scoffing, and a great deal of olap-trap and blasphemy, yet they have not made the slightest attempt to overthrow the great chain of evidence that supports Christianity, nor have they attempted to prove that Secularism is in any way superior to it." The evidence in favour of Christianity arising from the fulfilled prophecies being mostly of circumstantial character 1 cannot be dealt with within the short dimensions of a letter in a manner that would do anything like justice to the subject, though the accumulated evidence on this head is of itself sufficient to prove the truth of revelation; but the evidence that can be adduced in support of the miracles recorded in the Bible is of a nature so clear and decisive that even within the short dimensions of a letter it can be stated with sufficient force and clearness to carry conviction to all impartial mind 3. Indeed it is impossible to explain the existence of the Jewish nation, with their rites, fasts, and festivals, in any way than by admitting the reality of those miracles in commemoration of which these rites and festivals were first instituted: for it must be remembered that the .rites and festivals, on the continuance of which the existence of the Jewish nation as a soparate people depends, were first instituted in commemoration of of the most extraordinary events recorded in the Pentateuch ; that they date from the events themselves, and have continued in almost unbroken succession even since. Now could the author of the Pentateuch by any possibility convince six hundred thousand men that they passed through the Red Sea; that they journeyed forty years in the wilderness, fed with bread from heaven, and that during the whole of that time, "their raiment waxed not old, neither did their feet swell," if such things had not happened? Or could he prevail on a whole nation to submit, as it were in one day, to a severe ritual, to fasts, exactions, and privations of all kinds, and to establish rites and festivals, all in commemoration of events which had not happened or ever been heard of ? The nature and publicity of the miracles wrought by Moses make it impossible that a whole nation could be persuaded of their truth were they less than authentic facts ; to say that the JeWs bowed down to the Mosaic ritual while knowing that its foundation was a mass of myths and fables is absurd, because there could be no possible motive in their doing so and to say that the history of those mi: «,cles was a fabrication of after ages is the most impossible explanation of all, because this same history tells us that from the date of the miracles w»s established a continuous priesthood ; a tabernacle with feasts and festivals of all kinds annually recurring ; and that the history itself was recoguised by the whole nation as the statute-book by which all disputes were settled ; and to say that a whole nation could be persuaded that such a history was true, when no such priesthood, festivals, or statute-book had ever before been heard of, is an absurdity too gross for even a freethinker to swallow. Moreover, no one with the slightest respect for his reputation would ever attempt such an imposture. When the early followers of Mahomet crowded around him asking for miracles in proof of his mission, he always replied that he could claim but one miracle —the Koran, with which answer they were forced to be content. Now. had the founders of the Christian and Jewish religions been mere imposters, they would undoubtedly have followed the same prudent course, because to claim the power to work miracles without possessing the ability to do so, would simply expose them and their religions to ridicule and contempt; yet so far were they from doing so that we find them everywhere claiming miraculous powers and gifts, and it was on the evidence of miracles that both the Mosaic and Christian religions were established, which does not appear to be the case with any other religion. A very large part of the New Testament is devoted to recording the miracles wrought by Christ and His followers. These miracles were wrought in the most public manner, they were witnessed by great multitudes of people, and it was on the evidence of these miracles that Christianity was firstestablished. Moreover, their history is written by persons who profess ts have been eye-witnesßes from the beginning, and to have actually seen the the miracles performed. Consequently, if the miracles were unreal, these persons must either have been deceived themselves, or else they wilfully deceived their readers. The supposition that the evangelists wilfully deceived their readers is contradicted by the whole tone of their writings, and by the fact that they suffered every form of persecution, and in many cases death itself,

in proof of their sincerity ; the supposition that they were themselves deceived is even more incredible, because the whole life and character of Christ forbid the idea that He would wilfully deceive anyone, but were He never so anxious to do so, could He by any possibility convince whole multitudes that He fed thousands with a fewl oaves; cured the blind and the deaf; made the lame walk ; cured the sick, and raised the dead if He in nowise differed from other men ? Yet that He did convince great numbers to such a degree that they suffered every form of persecution, and in many cases death itself, rather than relinquish their belief in Him, can be proved by testimony that cannot be disputed. Tho miracles of Christ and His apostles were wrought solely to attesj. the truth of the revelation they have left us ; if we admit the miracles, we must accept the revelation attested by them, and in proof of these miracles we have the testimony of every Jew and Gentile

converted on tho evidence of them ; we have also the testimony of His bitterest enemies —the Jewish rulers—win) admitted, and still admit that He had the power to perform miracles, and the early heathen opponents of Christianity all made the same admission. Surely if we follow reason, we must admit that such an amount of testimony, from both friends and foes, is overwhelming in it 3 completeness; and until such testimony is overthrown at every point, or counter-balanced by evidence equally strong, as reasoning and responsible beings, we cannot avoid the belief that the Bible contains a divine revelation, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. —I am, &c., ONLOOKEK.

TO THE EDITOR. Sik, —In excusing himself for nut unswering my questions, "Junius Hio. rnicus' states that he cannot take ujjon himsell no " the burden of outraging the whole Chris-

tiun community, by drawing down contumely and ridicule" upon his fellow Christians. What must be tho nature of ilio.se answers, that he should fear such diro results ? Surely there is a confession of weakness here ! One of his " principal reasons," however, for maintaining a discreet silence," is that all Christian sects do not believe alike upon the questions set forth " and yet all these different sects (I believe they number 220) draw their knowledge and their faith from the same source ! And moreover, each separata S6ct believes and maintains that its own particular doctrine is the only true one, and that the remaining 210 denominations ure altogether in error and that they are travelling headlong to destruction. It was a knowledge of these facts together with a desire to ascertain to what variety of Christianity J.H. belongs that induced me to propound the questions he fears to answer. What a satire it is, upon a religion that professes to inculcate peace, charity and mutual forbearance, that one of its exponents should be compelled to admit that he dnre not give expression to his views on the fundamental doctrines of his Church, lest (metaphorically speaking) he should be torn to pieces by his co-religionists, that is to ■ say by his fellow Chirstians" ! Finally your correspondent tells us that in order to avoid giving offence to "any professing Christian sect" he wishes to keep out of this "controversy subjects totally irrelevant to the question at issue." Why Sir, Christianity itself is "the question at issue," and yot this is one of the subjects to which your correspondent refers as being "irrelevant," and the other subjects which he places in the same category are —the inspiration of the Bible, the nature and attributes of God, Christ, the Holy Ghost and the Devil. What is meant by " soul " and " spirit '' — what and where heaven, hell, and purgatory are ! Talk about playing Hamlet without the f rince of Denmark ! Why such a discussion as that proposed by him would be equivalent to playing Shakespeare's masterpiece—were such a performance possible— 'without a single scene or character 1 la support of his arguments, J. H. quotes Dryden ; let me give hira a quotation from the same author—which he will do well to ponder over: — ' " By education most have been misled So they believe because they so were bred. The priest continues what the nurse began— And thus the child imposes on the man," Yours faithfully, Agnostic.

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