The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1861-10-03

that Paul and Peter, in different
places, rank their own writings
with the books Of the Old Testa-
ment. No portion Of the inspired
writings can be regarded as result.
ing from less than communication
of Divine wisdom, impaired to man
for specific purpose. God treated
the human race as human. instruc-.
tQra fieat their pupils. Thete asa
great deal Of knowledge which is
useful, and indeed indispensable to
a person of mature age, which
would be altogether, useless, unin-
telligible, and perhaps hurtful to
one in childhood. Now the wise
teacher will withhold this know
ledge from the child, or communi,
cate it to him only 50 far as it will
be serviceable to him; and in such
way as will be most Ineligible ;
proceeding from the known to the
unknown, and from the easy to the
difficult. And this is the manner
in which God proceeds in the in
struction and education Of men.
lie cannot, therefore, at any time
have revealed such things as were
already known, or would have been
useless, to the people to whom
the revelation was given. He must
also have so planned the instruction
to be communicated by direct reve-
lation, as to produce a growing con-
viction in the minds of men Of the
necessity of more perfect instruc-
ton, and amore efectual assistance.
before they could hope to succeed in
controlling their natural desires
Such course is the only one
adapted to the nature of the human
mind, of which God is the author
A accordingly, God so regulated Hi;
instructions from the beginning as
to make men sensible of theil
wants, and then to supply them
for until men have been brought
by some elementary instruction, tc
be deeply conscious of their need
of something further, they viii
never inquire with earnestness fol
a more perfect instruction.
The first period Of revealed re
ligion, the first account of which i:
given by Moses, is called the patri
archal period. Revealed religion
was at that time extremely simple
suited to the wants Of the infancy
of the world, and highly practical
Divine revelations have always beer
attended with events in the natura
world, of such a miraculous kind
as could seem, to the most savage
and unlettered mind, to proceed
from none other than the Autho
and Governor of nature. But th'
Bible claims not only that its doc
trines should be received as Divine
but that the teachers by whom
they are published, should be ac
knowledged to be sent by God, a
is implied in the word prophet-th
title commonly given them. Now
|
in order to establish this ertraOrdi
nary claim, it is natural that tn
Old and New Testaments shoul
narrate extraordinary crentS; an
these narratives, when given, mus
) not be explained away, but take
, as they stand, according to the oil
, vious intention Of the narrator; fc
the extraordinary mission whic
the Bible claims for Moses, Chris
a and other teachers, could be cor
frmed in no other way than by e2
t traordinary events. But while
is thankfully admitted that I'll
+ Scriptures of the Ole and Ne
. Testaments contain a revelation {
y the will of God, concerning his a
4, countable creatures, we do NJ
g either assert, or wish to insinuat
that the Bible, as mass, is d
t vine revelation. Thoughtful me
must know that the Scriptures col
A tain many things which were a
@ ready and we'll known to the sacrt
e penmen, and, by consequence, the
i needed no revelation of these thing
D@ What is the chief aim of
n Fusionist? To get an Office.