The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-09-07
"A Convincing Argument.

In one of the interior counties of Missouri
lived, some eight years ago, a man who followed
preaching for living He was called Elder
b, and was engaged to preach for the
Campbellitcs. His peculiarities soon made
him quite noted, and large audiences 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 OH the deliver
ance of the children of Israel, in which he
said
Brethren, there are many difficult passages
in the Bible, and you are likely to be led into
error unless made to understand them. Now,
you all have read this chapter wherein Moses
stretched out his hand over the Red Sea, and
the water became wall, and the children OF
of Israel went over on dry ground safely, and
how the pursuing Egyptians, the chariots and
horsemcrl, and all the hosts of Pharaoh were
drowned.
"Now, my brethren, as it reads it is hard to
believe and difficult to explain; but will ex-
plain it. 1t don't mean what it says; for tell
you have it in the original Greek, and it is
there all explained and made perfectly plain !;
and in the next translation of the Bible, which
our church is getting out, will all be explained
Now this passage 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 a strong east wind caused it to freeze over (;
and the truth of the matter is plain, as you can
see that the children of Israel passed over dry
shod,' on the ice. There were no such things
as great walls. The original Greek will not
permit any such unjust and difficult transla-
tions 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 were all engultcd,
drowned and lost. This, my brethren and sis
ters, is the true and fair explanation of this
circumstance, 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.,
I would like to ask you question, If you have
no objection" -,
The elder, looking triumphantly toward the
brother, answered: Cali right Sir; ask as
many questions as you want to-"
"Well," continued the brother, "my knowl,
edge of geography and the location of the Red
Sea shows that it is located nearly under the
equator, and is therefore in very warm coun-
trv. and never known to be frozen. Will the
gentleman please tell the audience where the ice
came from of which he spoke 2"
The elder became excited, and answered,
with lofty disdain, ''if the brother who asked
me this question knew half as much about the
Scripture and the geography of the country as
he pretcnds to, he would know that this CIR,
cumstance which have explained happened
thousands and thousands of years ago; yes, sir,
thousands of years before the age OF geogra-
phies and before there cas any equator! think,
brethren and sisters, 1 have answered the gen.
tleman conlpletely!"