New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-10-20
The Holy Bible.
4 Lecture deiirercd N -. Peters Church, Sun
day er>niag, october lsh, l-i5' ~ Very Rer.
Dr. POWER


rsprove % correct 20 iasrsc IL justice -SeeoHs Lp"is
. 70 TiHsotay. ID e.aTtrr, leti err
It Is not. then, M friends from The book Of Pro
verbs alone that the simple to learn wisdom or
the erring prudence. seeing the inspired Apostle
tells that AL Scripture. divinely inspired i pro-
ftsbe to teach 10 reprove. correct. 10 instruct in
Justice" The same Apostle tells Us. n Romans
that all tha; has been written has been written for
our instruction and our divine Redeemer, in the
10th chapter Of 81 Luke, SAYS 20 and = Peter sp.
plauds In his writings the rs; Christians FOR their
attention TO the prophecies
In vies Of al This we are Thankful. 70 Almighty
God Tor having inspired our people win taste for
the Scriptures 20 seek for them IN order 20 learn
from them under the direction o.; their pastors those
words Of spirii and life which are mauiiesilv the
prncps means employed y God % promote eter.
nsl happiness A. have much 10 say my friends 70
small period NJ tine shs now proceed without further
preface the subject n this lecture That subject the
Bb.e-frc Bible .r the Book By excellence which
j. given 20 the collection n Books written By The
Inspiration Of the Holy Ghost md ~aich comprise.
what we csi the Old Testament and the NV
The iDirsfou o. the O.d Testament u admitted BY
both the Jews and the Christians Of A.. demon nations -
The New Testament is not universally admitted - Ia
spired except Dy CHRISTIANS Ine books which are -
TENED - inspired are called Canonics. The word
Canon means rule and A. the Holy Scriptures rule
Of life and specified BY some Of the eanons Of the
Books ~ he Old Testament A.e divided into four classes
The first = composed II the legs books or the hgs
books d Moses iar second Of toe historical. books the
third 81 he moral books the fourth comprises The pro-
phetlc books The canonica books Il the New Tesla
the four Gospels the Acts OF the Apostles and
. the Apocalypse some ~ the books Of the Bible
called proto canoncal. some tcuirocanoncal. or the
first there never has been any doubt The other
I class those which were doubted. before
the decision Of the Church on the matter. The
Jewish Synagogue had her canon Of sacred writings
and in the canon composed by Esdras there We're -
books only But % observe that ksdras united
several ia which were before separate The books ~
Ruth and Judges in and The l2 minor Prophets In
another for instance and this ] have on the authority
OF Josephus IN biz fourth book against Actium The
Jews excluded from the ist Of can0nica the books Il
Wisdom. Eccesiastes Tob, Esdras and those Of Judas
Nsccaheu= and. according 20 some, those ni Baruch
and Esther The Catholic Church counts in her canon
= books - Of these belonging the Od and . a. the
New Testament and this clinon have the author.
~ Ofthe third Council q Carthage held IN the It
This canon we have also under the sanction Of Pope To-
nOcent in 400 and spoken Of by -. Augustine in his
book the Christian Religion. This canon. which
have also from the Council of Rome in i45 The Church
has strictly adhered 10 and the Council OF Trent snsih-
ematzes those who deny the authority inspiration Of
the books contained therein. Eccesias;ica History tells
that The Marouiies and Manchean heretics rejected
the Ola Testament Altogether while other sects Of here
tics rejected the four Gospels also also know that al
vim in later days eted a the books not contained IN
the Csvinstc canon and thar the lews reject the Ep-
lies OF - john - James - jude. - Peter and also
The Apocalypse d. r went on here into very learned
detail relative the csnopiciiy OF the sacred writings
which evinced much research
In the Sacred Writings he continued. ind mention
made Of some Books that were lost a. for Instance 10
the 10th chapter Of Numbers read Of " Books Of the
War Of the Lord" and In Joshua Of the Book OF the
Just or these Books We have no knowledge md
therefore say Of them with - Augustine that
they are not necessary 10 faith or morals.
From this rapid view Of the Books Of the Holy Bible,
YOU viii perceive my friends (snd nov propose b.
me my remark. the New Tc.istmcnt through my d.
coursel that during the first Of the Church
not defined what the Can0nica Books Of the New
Testament We know thar the Ev4ngcists wrote their
Gospels for the immediate benefit q the Churches they
had founded and that the apostles wrote their Eps
ties for the benefit and instruction Of their aud
followers The EpIsiles and the Gospels distinct
works and remained in the hands Of those they
written for long time but IN process Of time they
became known throughout the Churches. and Ultimately
10 ALL In the time other books purp0riing be-
written by the Apostles circulated and believed by
many 10 be authentic throughout the provinces Now
TIL the gerune book became generally known and seps.
rated from the spurious hoV JET ask could the faith
ful take them - their rule OF faith hut ~ know
on unchang eatlr authority that Il TIL the year
gj that the genuine enumerated and specified
der the direction OF Pope Geaiius Bearing ths In mind
II the Bible Boz The religion of Pro'esants say
that The Christians of the five first centuries not
could be- Professionals seeing hey had not the Bihe
Il may be- replied thai the people had not the pastors
had and explained II the people In their and
celebrations But then not this Popery on THIS sup.
posonths the pastors searched the Scriptures for the
people and that the people believed hat they told
herause directed 20 do 80 hy iher pastors certainly
The primitive Christians could not be Protestan'- for they
themselves IN the present day silege that al this s
PopeTy
primitive the Scriptures not in general rrcu
laion but you must know before the art Of printing
invented il extremely difficult 10 procure copy NJ
the Scriptures and even of the New Testament. The
first copy Of the Testament was given the Churches
for which books respectively written How could
il be multiplied Only by iranscrbing by the hands Of
scrbes Ard how many copies do you think ordina-
will say twelve copies. Wen then. IFS little arith-
metic will tell that il would require nearly 20 O0O
scrbes % furnish million Of people one copy each IN
a year: Il So how many scribes would be requisite 10
supply copy each individual OF the millions compr--
ing he inhabitants Ofthe universal earth Again where
could ihey bo fosnd IN those when the Of writ
ing was not generally snowu And even were the,
found where could the materials uhen much raor,
scarce and valuable than now for copying be found r.,
Where could The supply Of the sacred writings be found
for these thousands 10 copy from when was death by
the law possess copy of the Scriptures Add 20 al
this the expense The east that could be allowed o.
good scribe for food susienance. remuneration and
writing materials would be equal 20 coo dollars year F
This bOaed calculation. But IL scribe could pro-
In twelve months twelve copies considering all
have stated is o0you. that the price u the first copy
would be fifty dollars. Now, whoever i - al acquaint
90 with the history Of Europe knows that tbs supply Of
the Sacred Writings would not be available for one in
thousand and even they we're able 20 purchase they
would no' be capable of understanding them.
Oh but the Scriptures easily understood. lie. us
an order understand the Sacred Scriptures well
person must acquainted with the ancient language
in order understand the Sacred Scriptures he
have pretty toersbe knowledge OF Rabbnieal earning
In order % understand them h. must be- familiar with
history. ancient modern. sacred snd plOiaae In order
understand the Sacred Scriptures be be good
scogrspher good divine good grammaran and good .
natural philosopher And with all this staring in the
face any who tells that the Sacred Scriptures Are
easy 20 understand must answer cannot believe H.
Il j. know said that the time OF the Babyionish
Captivity certain booss OF the Holy Scriptures We're
oct aud know that had no; the Almighty inspired
Esdras restore L. II would have been completely
This the authority Of an ApOcyphai look the
iih of Esdras. Again told by Josephus in the lth
Book OF Antiquities that J0sias wrote the Book OF the
Prophets which he could not communicate had . been
lost Esiras know collected the books Of Holy WIT.
trans scd them and wrote In the Ch2ldean charsc-
after which the vowel points were added but be-
tore this the Bible read according 20 the rule of
DIXON. Besides this the Jews had running commenia-
ries the Scriptures called Targums I'VE IN number
which were held in great veneration By the Jews, al.
though frequently erroneous
may now proceedto the different TRANSACTIONS Of the
Sacred Volume. The most famous translation q the
Sacred Volume i wnai called the Seplsgint JOsephus
tell. rs that Ptoemy, king Of Egypt having formed the
project Of establishing great library al Alexandria under
4H~n~4 Hf 70