Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1847-02-23
", 5 o 81 =. 4 N,S O Q Sc
ROI- Z US q y . y
OF TIE BIBLE As0 ITS AUTHOR.


This divinc book The only ono which is
In! ispensab.o 10 the Christian. need only
be read with reflection 10 inspire love for
its author. and the most ardent desire to
obey is rrccep;s. Never did virtue speak
so sweet 4 language; never was the most
profound wisdom expressed with so mnch
energy and simplicity. No one can arise
from lis pcrusal without feeling himself
better than he was before. sses%
The majesty of tho scriptures strikes
mo with establishment, and tho sanctitv Of
the gospel addresses itself 10 my heart
Look al tho volumes of tho philosophers.
with all ,hcir pomP how contemplate do
thew appear in comparison to this! Is II
possible ,ha. book. n; once so simple and
sublime. can be the work of man! Can
he who is tho subject Of lis history. DO
himself mere man :, Was his tho tcnc
Of .n enthusiast, or Of an ambitious sec
tary " hat purity il his manners -
w ia, all affecting gracefulncss in his in-
s,ruc,ions VIVA, subllmtv in his max.
ims What profound wisdom in his dis
courses! What presence al mind. what
sagccity and propricty in his answers -
How great tho command over his passions!
Where is Tho man, whcrc the Philosopher,
who coull 50 live, suffer and do. withou.
weakness and wi:hou. ostcmtation When
Plato described his imaginary good man,
covered with all the disgrace Of crime,
vet worthy Of all the rewards of virtue,
ne described exactly tho character of Jesus
Christ, The resemblance Was striking,
II could not be mistaken, and oil tho Faith
crs OF the church perceived It. What
prepossossion, what blindness must it be,
10 compare the son Of Sophroniscus to tho
son of Mary What an immeasurabe
distance between them Socrates, dying
wit out pain. and without gnominy. easily
Supported his character 10 tho last: and 1t
his DEATH however, had not crowned his
life. j, might have been doubted whether
s. cratce, with all his wisdom, was any
thing moro than a moro sophist. He in
vented, it is said, the theory Of moral sci
enco. Others, however, had before him
put it in practice; and no had nothing 10
do bu, to tell what they had done, and to
reduce their examples to prccept. Aris-
tribes had been just, before Socrates had
defined what Justice was: Leonidas had
died for his country, before Socrates had
mado il duty TO lovo ono's country
Sparta had been temperate, before Socra-
celebrated tho praises Of virtue, Greece
had aboundcd with vir,uous men. Blu.
from whom of oil his countrymen could
Jesus have derived that sublime and puro
morality, Of which he only Inns given US
both tho precep. and example In the
midst Of the most licenlious fanaticism,
the voice Of the sublincss wisdom was
heard, and the simplicity of tho most he
.ct he, h,,vS eoe
Of all the multitude.
The death Of Socrates, poaccably phi
losophisng with his friends, is the most
pleasant that could DO desired That of
jesus, expiring in tormen.s, outraged, 70.
vilod, and cxocrated. by whole nation, is
tho most horrible that could be feared.-
Socrates, in receiving tho cup Of poison,
blessed tho weeping execuiioncr who pro.
scented it; but jesus, in tho midst Of eycru.
ciating torture. prayed for his n1crciIcss
torman,ors. Yes! if tho life and death
of Socrates were those OF a sage, the life
and death Of Jesus were those OF God.
Shall we say that tho evangelical history
is a mere fiction ! |. does not bear tho
stamp Of fiction, but the contrary. Tho
history Of Socrates, which nobody doubts,
is not so well n,,cstcd as that Of Jesus
Christ. Such an assertion in fact only
shifts the difficulty. without removing it.
/, is moro inconceiva5le that a number Of
persons should have agreed to fnbricate
this book, than TINT ono only should havo
furnished the SUI iec, Of it. s<zs
The jewish authors arc incapable Of tho
diciion, and strangers 10 the morality con-
tanned in the gospel, the ma ks of whose
truth arc SO striking. SO perfectly inimita-
bic. that the inventor would be moro
astonishing man than the hero. s1