The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-30
The Bible a Revelation from God.


'Junius,n who III your issue of last Sabbath gave
US "Three Reasons Tor Not Accepting the Bible as q
Special Revelations has looked entirely at some
seeming objections against the commonly accepted
theory aud completely overlooked the internal evi-
deuces, which far outweigh these apparent external
ones. lie has seen t to question the justice OF the
Inscrutiole Being, and makes him responsible for
the ignorance and degradation that exist in this
world, thus depriving or their free will which
is the fundamental doctrine Of all Christianity and
substituting IN its place the theory Of fatalism,
which Is as ruinous as 1t Is unphilosophcal. That
God has given to man two revelations-viZ,,
Nature and the Bible both OF which are
necessary for the salvation OF mankind, and
dependent upon each other--no one will
aeny. The Bible starts out the words n the be-
ginning God created.n &c. leaving IL for nature 10
prove That there IS God. Had God given MS nature
alone. how few OF the heather would have been able
to look Through nature up to natures God,n since
we know tDat they interpret IL rroneolsly: aud
many Of our boosted modern philosophers make 1t
appear To prove sheer, cold materiasln, The writer
talks strangely OF interpoalions and mistranslatlons
as though they formed the great bulk OF the Scrip.
turcs yet Il Is notable TACT that no manuscript OF
ancient times Is more free from these mistakes tnan
the Bible. Look at any OF the ordinary editions OF
Homer, Virgil, Livy and others, and notice tue
great number OF doubtful passages, ana you will ut
once be convinced OF the fact. But in determining
the fact OF the inspiraton,, or non-nspira-
into consideration the wonderful character of the
Book Itsel2 Can any one suppose that the Ten Com
mandmentS, the purest code ever known among
men, and upon winch our laws OF to-day are based
was originated by man in those ancient days? Is
tie wonderful iullillment or the prophecies OF no
account Was the command, 'sIhou shalt love the
Lord thy Gou with all tiny souls strength ana mind
and thy neighbor as thyself,' which Is our basis of
morality in this nineteenth century, the statement
or an illiterate unnspired GalileanY IL Is nposs.
bic 10 conceive IL. But, 1t is asked, why aid God
give this revelation 10 the Jews2 Why not spread
IL over the whole eartnf IL should be remembered
that with The exception Of the Jews the various ma.
tons had followed strange gods:r that they alone
had held 10 the true worship. what more natural
to suppose than that they should become the evan.
geZei $ OF manklnda 1t must be remembered that
man was endowed with free will; that he chose TO
worship strange gods, and by his own neglect be.
came ignorant Can the writer conceive OF any
other method than that OF written revelation, by
means or which man could be taught in addition 10
nature. the requirements Of mis- CreatOrY Can he
hold GOD responsible, who gave the Bible I'm q per.
feet condition, perfectly intelhgiblc to man
at first, II man, by his own ignorance,
has made plumbers and mistakes In transcribing t
We have conclusive evidence, both external and in.
ternal. OF The Inspiration OF the Scriptures When
we compare them with the other sacred books OF the
world as the Koran. the Yeda and the Zeud-Aresta,
we see ~ glance the earthly origin Of the one ana
the divine origin vi the other. God cannot be held
Responsible for the ignorance OF the heather or the
present state OF the Bi0le, since He fulfilled the re-
qurements OF Justice when He gave 10 to man with.
out accepting fatalism, which every rightly consti-
tuted mind REJECTS LIBEK LlBRONUM.