The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-12-23

such sophs,ry The vicious circle, according to iogi
Clans exists when the thing proved by the same
an Atheist the existence of bodies because God exists
and that God exists because bodies exist should move
In the vicious circle which is species OF sophism call
ed pehho principii or begging the principle Now, in
our reasoning, this circle does not exist When rea.
son with Protestant he admits the divine inspiration OF
the Scriptures therefore do not prove the Scriptures
and from the Scriptures which he admits only prove
the Scriptures from the church. which stands before me
respectable witness, who cannot be deceived. nor
oan deceive me- On her testimony receive the Scrip
authentic and from those authentic Scriptures
learn her divine character and authority This Is not
proving the same thing by the same thing under every
respect receive the Scriptures on the natural and
rel veracty OF the church, Witness and the extra.
ordinary powers of this witness know from the Scrip
lures. | shall make this plain by an example. John
Jacob Aston gives letter to Prime, Ward King to the
President OF the Bank OF America to whom the veraciy
known They hand him the letter from John Jacob As
tor and the President believes even before breaking the
seal that the letter is authentic and TINS On ne wen
that they empowered by John Jacob Aston TO draw
him for hundred thousand dollars OF his funds which
In the bank. Now, if this President should say To
Prime, Ward King gentlemen, believe his letter 10
from John Jacob Astor but you yourselves are the
ceive the money though have the order in this letter.
what would think ofthe reasoning of the PRESIDENT
shall tell you you would think him deranged in the
moral faculty Now for the application The Scriptures
letter from God to us. The church is the re-
y we believe IN the Of and
when this letter tells US that the church invested
with extraordinary powers We believe 1t, and in
this there certainly no vicious circle Mark now the
reasoning Of our adversaries They know the nspira
ton of the scriptures from the private spirit and they
know the authority of the private spirit from the scrip
tures this is moving in the circle with a Vengeance and
must say that whilst admire their oreduty, despse
their logic The reader of the old that
all religious controversies in the old law decided
by the high priest and council Here can refer ye to
18th chap OF Deuteronomy 9Th verse "Ifthou perceive
that there be among ye hard and doubtful matter
shall come to the priest OF the Levtcs race and TO the
Judge that shall be at that time and thou shalt ask OF
fhAvg hal ha trf1fh nf m
thou shalt follow their sentence neither shalt thou de-
cline to the right hand to the left In the ID of Pan
lepomenon 10th chap. and 10th verse, we have an cpl
of the questions to be decided by this tribunal they
rning the law. the commandments, the cere
moues and the Qualifications How this was understood
by the Jews themselves know from Josephus in his
I'd book against Appan He tells that the high priest
decided all conrove of faith allude to this
nomy Of the old law in order to show the analogy that
exists between and the In the new we find that
all controversies OF faith have been decided by auhori
ty from the beginning even the hrst controversy
with regard to circumcision was decided by authority
The ancient heretcs condemned by authority
and let not be said that this authority was usuped by
the church, for both Luther Calvin admitted that
Arus and Macedorius and Nestorus and the rest
justly condemned And in our dspassonate nome nts We
admit that they would have been condemned
senced had not the church nteposed her authority
How, for instance, could Nesorius have been condemn
ed by the Scriptures alone when he boosted that he had
less than sixty places of Scripture to prove his heresy
arch condemned by the general council of Ephesus
in the year 454, under Pope Celesne Strange to say
person of Of his bishops by those whs look the
Scriptures the only Judge Of controversy do not
by means blame the hospitality that has been extern
ded to the is noble and Christian
virtue and admire it wherever find it. But do con-
denim that determination which is founded contempt
OF the Church OF God and that indiferentism which
would condemned heresy under the chimeTicsl
advantage of distributing the Holy Scriptures without
note comment, among the HISTORIANS. call this ad
vantage chimericsll Query-will not the HISTORIANS
still find in those Scriptures the sixty texts of their
church also, in order to meet an objection which
is brought against us, from the words of 1saias sh
chapter To the law and the testimony y here we are
told that referred to the law and to the testimony
the Jews were but have shown that the Jews were
obliged TO yield to authority and to the authority Of the
high priest in their religious controversies By refer
ag to this sh chapter OF lsaas, shall that ssas
told the Jews that they were not allowed to have re-
to Py thonesses for ledge Of future events
to show that they prohibited rcm doing he
referred them to the law OF Moses and that order to
know future events he referred them to the testimony
the Almighty. The argument is, the Jews were pre-
Of controversy Verify, they who would thus inter.
prs, the sacred writings are blind, and leaders Of
nest old selden said undld" the world" Search the
sculptures" john 9th chapter. From these words
the bbicals infer that the Scriptures the sole and
ucent rule OF faith for Christians Let refer to this
chapter and il will justify this conclusion In this
chapter, Christ disputed with the Jews who denied
his divinity. He refers them, in the first place, to
the testimony OF John the Baptist in the second place
he refers them to the testimony OF his own Miracles and
the third place he refers them to the testimony of his
Father and as last resort knowing their attachment
the SCRIPTURES, he search the scriptures, Tor
,hoy also give testimony of me.' Now we maintain
that the whole chapter initiates against adversares
who say that the Scriptures alone to be consulted,
seeing that our Divine Redeemer referred 10 other es
monies beside the Scripture. In manner of arguing,
we initiate orr divine Lord we refer in proof OF our
doctrine tradition the practice Of the Church and
the Holy Scriptures whereas advsrsares refer to
the Scriptures alone, hereby initiating the conduct OF
the Jews who snned against the known truth In view
Of what have said have just reason to complain of
the awful calumny that is constantly put upon us by
saying that we are hostile to the Sacred scriptures.
hsm from the of the ndei and the abuse Of the
fanatic. When kiss the Holy Scriptures before my,
congregation, will it be said that ! despse them
When ! incense them iu public, will It be
| said that | hate them ] leave it to the
more respect than their the word.
Considered as book, we pay it more respect for We
| lie school ROOM When we read It in public. we place
through respect on the face Of man, whilst others
Considered in its meaning, we pay it more respect for
take its meaning from the Church Of God the pillar
and the ground Of truth and not from our own private
error the fountain of berness and the root of dssen
sion Tertullian, many centuries ago, said that what
tinians. We say that what lawful to theProtss.
tants also lawful to the Presbyterians As it was
in the days of Luther so II is in our days. He
planned that there not in his time who did not
wish to have the reveres Of his mad brain received
as the dictates of the Holy Ghost And what pretty
reformer he been have opened the door 10
all this wild disorder and confusion. shall now con-
cude this lecture by giving ~ the sentiments Of the
church concerning the Scriptures. I" III you wish to
know wonders Of creation and the progress of man.
kind, read Genesis If you wish to know how the an
cent people of God were governed, read the Judges
II you Wish to know how the ancient church OF God
was governed, read the Ceremonial u you wish to
know nov to govern yourselves, read the Morals II
you wish - know sacred history, read the historical
Books Ifyou wish TO know how TO possess your soul
In patience, read job Ii You wish TO have salve for
every disesss OF the mind read the Psalms II wish
know how Christ was foretold, read the Prophets
II yon wish TO know how the prophecies were fulfilled,
read the Gospels. II you wish to know how the re.
gion Of Christ propagsted, read the Acts lflyou
wish know how the good pastor ought to govern his
hock read the Epstles And you wish to plunge into
the ocean of my stery, read the Revelations I'VE look
upon all these books fixed stars in the armament OF
riveation but do not consider them full rule OF
fsith, Judge Of controversies These leave to
the church God who in this respect be compared
to that particular star which pointed out to the wise
the birth place Of the infant Savior when all the