American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-07-01

No. S--FoR THE CHRISTIAN nTPOsIToRT-Nov. Z, 1921.
Mr. PoRrER-In the 18th number of the Repos
toty, observed these words -" We repeat our re-
quest TO Christians Of all denominations, that they
will not be backward in turniStin% am matter for
\ the Repository, calculated for the advancement OF
the great cause, in which we are all engsged.''-
his gave me some ground to believe, that even
you, as well as some others, had become tired Of the
squabble Of Paul and Anxious; because some time
ago, you refused to admit any matter that would in
teriere, with their controversy. These men had
gone but little length into their controversy, YOU
know, before told you, they would never bring il
| 70 any profitable conclusion; but that they would
Ibrlng disgrace to the sacred cause, which they pre-.
tended to adgocae-And have they not done so p
They have mutually given the lie to one another,
IN as sly Christian.lIke manner as they could -
And, 1t is evident to me, that they are becoming
more and more obstinate and inveera,e, and depar.
ing farther from the truth, and love of the Gospel,
every day. And think it is high time that some
Christian method should be devised, to put an end
ITO their squabble.
These men are deeply immersed in vulgar err
Iror, in common with all ignorant scripturarans, es
Ipeca!ly the Ignorant Clergy, of all denominations
| ne error mean Is this THAT the only nfallible
Judge OF all religious controversy is the Scripture
ana that any Scripture Doctrine can be proved on
~ by Scripture; and that the true and only way OF
hnding ont, and showing tbs true meaning of Scrip.
iture IS by the Scripture itself, This call great
and vulgar errors because, as far as know, all
I'he vulgar scrpturarians, SAID, OF all denomina
'ions, rest upon it. as maXim.--The ialacy OF
which, will demonstrate presently
But before do that, let me caution nv reader
not 70 suppose that think meanly of the Scripture
If he does he is greatly misaken--For if all the
books in the world, except the Bible, were laid on
one SIDE and Il on the other and it put into
the power OF any one, to dispose OF them that Il
might choose on either side, but not on both :;
wonid Immediately say-sive me the Bible, the
Book OF books, which contains the Pearl of great
price, mean the Original Bible; but not any one
oI--nor all the erroneous translaions, which have
seem however large and finely decorated they NAV
oe and win however many large commentaries
ana me maps and pictures, they may be stored to
amuse the Ignorant, and to keep them so.-But
promised demonstration OF the vulgar error, sta
ted above-And here it is
Suppose two men to differ about the meaning of
text oae says have the true meaning nay, says
the other have the true meaning, and can prove
II. How will you prove it? says The other. will
prove 1t by the Scripture ITSELF and that, you know
Is the OILY true way-Granted, says The other
men lhey begin; the one to quote, and the other
to attend-We will call The disputants, p. and A.
Says +. have the true meaning of the disputed
text and can prove il, by another text p. quotes
mat oher text; but says A. you take that text in a
wrong sense, as we'll as the FIRST, and these two wrong
senses agree together, like two false witnesses, which
agree only between themselves, but not with the
truth. P.quo,es another and another and another
and stu A. answers him in the same way.
But says a. you will prejudice the public mind
against my texts, if suffer you to go on thus-II
wish now to produce my proofs-WelI, says p. be
gn-Now it is AIS turn--and he quotes tent to
prove the doubtful one; but p. answers Just as A
had answered him A. quotes another and another
and another, and still p. answers him the same ,yay
Now their arguments I. e. their texts, are even.-i
And lest the one should prejudice the public mind
against the other, they claim the right Of quoting
text about.-And thus they go to it:-text about
text about, until each has to his last text and
each answering the other, in the same way as be-
lore. That is each one has come round to his start
ing place; and may claim the first, l. e. the dispu
ted text 10 prove the last well as his last to prove
the first, or any intermediate one. Is not evident
now, that each has formed circle, which hangs
upon nothing, but the ignorance, and i'll nature off
gite,F ~ ~