The New York herald., 1869-06-13
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.


lgibls and undeniable to ordinary thinking men a
scientific truth already Is to every one who read
and studies it-n short, that theology may take ii
place among the sciences, as astr nomy, geology
and chemistry have already instead OF being fire.
quently about as dubious and questionable as wa
the astrOlOgy and alchemy OF the olden time.
That theology may be worthy to take Its place
among the sciences known to man and not be any
longer mere matter Of opinion the drst requisite
Is that the line between the known and the
unknown should be clearly defined. Lei US
have solid foundations to begin to build
upon. Let religious opinions be stated, OF
classed as opinions merely, and speculative
dreams be regarded only as speculative dreams.
But when once religious truth is clearly proved
and established. then let US regard it as Q GER
tain. positively known and undeniable truth, upon
which we may safely build up and increase our
knowledge Of theology.
Thus the science OF theology may have fair and
equal chance Of becoming a. progressive are all
the other sciences, that the worlds information
may be daily increased about things unseen as well
as about those things which seen; about things
eternal as well as about things temporal; about God
and heaven as well as about man and earth and
about the past and future as well as about the pre-
sent.
In my former letter proposed that the ministers
OF religion and students of the Bible should take ad-
vantage or the Derality OF the HERALD and through
Its open columns enllghten the world as to
whether the Almighty has revealed His purposes
In regard TO the "ten tribes Of Israel" commonly
known % the "ten lost TRIBES" About two months
have already elapsed since made this very reason
able request, and 1t does not app that any one
has thought 1t worth wRe TO RESPOND; so suppose
smallest possible compass, as to what the Bible
reveals as the ultimate destiny Of these ten tribes
OF lsrael,1 about which the world In general ap-
pears haye been hitherto cOntentedly ignorant
or so perfectly Indifferent.
In the fourth century after the nood-while one Of
the "eght souls rescued IN the ark tine patriarch
Shem) was yet living upon the earth-the Bible in.
forms us that God called upon Abraham and proved
HIM, and finding HIM persisently faithful and ope-
dent, ''bessed him" aud assured MIN that he
should become ''the father OF many nations" and
that Gin hun and his seed should all the families Of
son (the patrlarchs Isaac and Jacob inherited
these solemn romlseS OF God and when Jacob
on his deathbed was prophetlcally blessing his
twelve sous from wnOm afterwards proceeded the
twelve tribes Of Israeli he says TO MS son Joseph
'Ihe blessings OF thy father have prevailed above
the blessings OF my progenltors; unto the utmost
bound OF the everlasting hills they shall be upon the
head Of Joseph" &c. lntimaC!ng very clearly that
though he blessings OF God upon Jacob had even eX
ceeded those OF his progentOrJ, Abraham aad Isaac,
yet Joseph snould Inherit all, unto the utmost
bound OF the everlasting hills" Thus Joseph is clearly
proved 10 be the heir OF Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
and nheritOr OF the promises OF God to the patri-
archS. With this so agrees the statement made in
the beginning OF the itn chapter OF the first book OF
Chronicles in reference to the blrthrght having
transferred from Reuben, the first born, TO Joseph
Judah prevailed above mis- bretnren"-and OF him
came tue Chief Ruler; but the birthrlght was JO-
seph's. And In the forty-eighth chapter of Gene
e be The ,,, helr Of Joseph and a the the father
OF "multltUde OF nations" Thus It Is
plain that II any reliance Is TO be placed upon the
clear statements OF the Bible we must expect to
find the children OF Ephralm ultimately blessed IN
most remarkable manner. The question Is, where
are these children OF Ephraim, and in what quarter
OF the earth shall we now look for these chief repre-
sentatives OF the 'ten tribes OF Israel fv
The Bible gives us their history but for the few
centuries which intervene between the time OF their
seryitude In Egypt and tnat OF their final captivity
children OF Ham" were the first to attain nigh de-
gree Of civilization only about six or seven centuries
alter the 10od and that the children OF Israel were
brought in contact with this early African civiza-
ton, tnat they might partake OF It's advantages but
from the enervating effects Of ali the early civza.
tons that after they had derived all the advantages
In Egypt they were delivered from their state OF
servtude there by the hand OF Moses In lost won-
d and iea ABOUT IN ns @ Ior
them; tnat then they were enabled to take possess
sion OF the land OF Canaan, where for about four
mighty from time to time raised up to deliver them
from their enemies; that ultimately they "desired
king to reign them, that they might be like the
other nations about them; that during period of
about one hundred and twenty years saul, David
and solomon regned successfully over all Israel;
that then "the ten trlbes' revolted from the
tyrannical rule OF Rehoboam, the son OF Solo,
mon, and for two or three centuries thereafter
they were allowed 10 choose their kings from
variety OF families other than 'tne house Of Davidn
until ut last Shalmaneser. the king Of Assyrla
carried what remained Of the ten tribes OF Israel INTO
Assyria, placing them I'm Halah and In Habor by
the river OF Goyan. aud In the cities Of the Medesn
related in the seventeenth chapter of the Second
Book OF Kings. The history of 'the ten tribes OF Is
raer' extends no further than this. We trace them
through their varying fortunes from their deliver
ance from bondange IN Egypt, when the highest civ.
liZatlon the world then knew prevailed there, In
Africa TO their nal captivity In Assyria; when ASIA
had taken precedence over Africa; aud ..tne chill
dren OF Asshur" had advanced beyond 'tne chill
dren OF Ham," aud Assyrian civilization exceeded
the Egyptian.
Here all trace Of them is lost; therefore are they
called 1.-The ten lost tribes OF Israel'' and though
from this period we may search all historical
records In vain for any satisfactory account
Of tine ten tribes or israel" yet the very
clear most distinct and emphatic prophecies In re-
ference TO Epnraim and the ten tribes OF Israel his
1eHows," ioroid US Tor one moment 10 suppose that
these "ten trbes' are really "lostn but the con.
trary, compel us to believe that their preserva-
ton In some portion Of the earth Ia at least as re-
markable as Is the preservation Of the two remain
Ing tribes or judah aud BENJAMIN, as represented
by the Jews OF our day. But In wnat quarter OF the
earth shall we look for themY We know that they
dd not return TO the land OF Israel as did tine Jews
or Judah and Benjamin, after the Babylonish cap.
uvity, Is IL likely that they returned to EQypt,
Not at all, Tor they had already derived what advan.
tage they could from African civilization. Did they
remain long In Assyrla, Not at all likely either; for
Assyrian CIVILIZATION very soon waned before the
European; and doubtless the same Providence which
caused them TO derive the advantage OF the highest
African and Asiatic civilization found some means
OF bringing them into contact with the highest En-.
ropean civilization also; 80 IL IL Europe that we
must 10 * for their next appearance Accordingly
we nnd that when European civilization mad super.
seded both the African and Aslatic about the COM
mencement OF the Christian era peculiar people
appears at the north Of Europe quite as mysterousy
as 'the ten tribesr had disappeared In ASIA about
1000 years previously They pour In hordes
upon tue Roman empire, robbing all before them
and come In contact with the highest civilization
the world had yet Witnessed; but not as the children
OF Israel were formerly brought into contact with
the earlier civilizations OF Egypt aud Assyria as
slaves and captives. but ~ conquerors.
More than a thousand years have now elapsed
since these northern hordes poured In upon Europe
and the Roman empire, conquering and permanently
subdung all before them and at the same time Law.
Ing the foundations Of the present European king
dons and empires. From whence did these bar.
barian hordes derive so decided a superiority to ali
The rest OF the worlds Why should they be at ali
superior TO the North American Indians, for in
stance, who with all their nardy phys qualities
so soon disappear when brought In contact with
civizatlon' IL certainly appears that so very de.
cided superiority cannot otherwise be satisfactorily
accounted for than by suppOsng that these bar.
barian hordes were descended from a very superlor
race OF men And where are we likely TO ind such