The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1871-06-27
A SoodoIoqer.

In one of the interior counties of
Missouri lived, some eight years ago,
man who followed preaching for
living. He was called Elder B.,
and was engaged to preach to the
Campbellities. His psculiarities soon
made him quite noted, and large aud
fences assembled to hear him. OF late
he has abandoned the pulpit, and is
now justice-of-the-peace lawyer. On
one occasion, when at the zenith of
his fame, he preached discourse on
the deliverance of the children of Is
rael, in which he said: Brethren,
there are many difficult passages in the
Bible, and you are likely to be led in
to error unless made to understand
them. Now, you ali have read this
chapter wherein Moses stretched out
his hand over the Red Sea, and the
waters became a wall, and the children
of Israel went over on dry ground
safely, and how the pursuing Egyp-
tians, the chariots and horsemen, and
all the hosts of Pharaoh were drowned.
Now, my brethren, as this reads it is
hard to believe and difficult to explain;
but will explain it. 1t don't mean
what it says; for l tell you l have
read it in the original Greek, and it
is there all explained and made per-
fectly plain: and in the next transla-
tion of the Bible, which our Church
is getting out, it will all be explained.
Now this passge of Scripture, when
properly explained, means, simply
this +: When Moses and the children of
Israel arrived at the Red Sea they
camped all night, and it turned cold,
and the strong east wind caused it to
freeze over and the truth Of the whole
matter is plain, as you can see, that
the children of Israel passed over,
'dryshod, on the ice. There were no
such things as great walls. The origi-
nal Greek will not permit any such
unjust and difficult translations. And
again, when the Egyptians, with their
immense armies, heavy chariots, and
great weights, pursued the children on
the ice, they broke through it, and
we're all ingulfed, drowned, and lost.
This, my brethren and sisters, is the
true and fair explanation Of this cir
cumstance, and the original Greek in
the next translation will explain it to
you all, and make it plain"
At this point brother sitting back
in the congregation arose and said,
Brother B., would like to ask q
question, if you have no objections. I"
The elder, looking trumphantly to-
ward the brother, answered, GAIL right,
Sir; ask just as many questions as
you want to-"
"Well." continued the brother, "my
knowledge of geography and the loca-
ton of the Red Sea shows that it is
nearly under the equator, and is there
fore in very warm country, and new
er known to be frozen. Will the gem
tleman please tell the audience where
the ice came from of which he spoke ?"
The elder became excited and an
swered, with lofty disdain, "If the
brother who has asked ME this ques-
tion knew half as much about the
Scripture and the geography of the
country as he pretends to he woul /
know that this circumstance which
have explained happened thousands
and thousands of years ago; yes, Sir,
thousands of years before the age of
biographies, and before there Vas any
equator! -! l think, brethren and sisters,
| have answered the gentleman COM
pletely !"-Ha'psr's Magazine.