Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-03-11
&radiua for the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lOriginal.l
THE BIBLE.


THE BIBLE.
Christians claim that the Bible is revela-
ton made by God. In other words, it is
claimed that the Bible is the book of God, in
which are revealed many things that cannot
be otherwise discovered. Before the examna-
ton is made as to whether the Bible is such
revelation or not, it ought first to be en-
uuired whether such a revelation is necessary.
In Creation, God has made revelation OF
himself; but the Bible claims to be revea-
ton in a higher sense than that contained in
either Creation or Providence. Now, if God
has made known or revealed to US in Crea.
ton and Providence all that the necessities OF
the human family require then there is no
necessity for any other revelation. When we
speak of the necessity Of a revelation, it is not
meant that God is obliged to make revea-
ton, or that if man had remained sinless as
he was created, that there would have been
any need for revelation.
1t is taken for granted that man is sinner.
This fact never has been disputed. Differ
ences of opinion have ever existed, still exist,
and will, no doubt, always exist, respecting
the extent and Nervousness of sin; but about
the fact itself there is no controversy. All
admit that all men, in some sense, are sinners.
When it is said that revelation is necessary,
it is meant that a revelation other than that
contained in the works of God, is necessary
for man in his fallen condition.
The intellectual powers Of man are very
great; but there are many very important
problems which it cannot solve. A correct
solution of these problems is absolutely ne
cessary to the happiness of man, both for
time and eternity. 1t is admitted by all CIV
ilized people that there is God. A knowl-
edge of the existence of God is thought to
be dscoverable by the intellect. 1t is argued
that the works of God plainly declare his ex-
istence With due Difference to the advo-
Gates of this theory, we are forced, after care
full thought, to reject the theory as gratuit-
Gus assumption. The argument that is usual
ly advanced to prove that man, without the
aid of the Bible, can discover the existence of
God, is, that there is, it is said no individual
destitute of the knowledge Of God, and there
are many nations which have no other revela-
ton, except that contained in the works of
God.
1t is not true that there are no individuals
who have no knowledge Of the existence of
God. Facts are on record which prove that
whole tribes of savages have no idea of God
Even if it is fact that all men have knowl-
edge of the existence Of God, it does not
follow that they obtained this knowledge by
parts of the world, have learned many things
from the Bible, not directly, but indirectly.
The North American Indians, for example,
had an obscure idea of flood having once
been visited upon the earth. This they had
learned by tradition. Other historic facts
and precepts of the Bible have been in the
same way circulated amongst all the nations
of the earth. The true condition of the thing
seems to be this: Man has the intellectual
powers sufficient to enable him to see the evil
dence of the existence of God when be is in
formed that there is God. The following
may serve as an illustration Of the subject:
Take an individual into room which is not
lighted at all, or is but badly lighted. By the
sense of feeling, he may discover that there is
something in the room besides himself; but
what these things are, or how they came to be
in the room, he is unable to know. Let
light be brought, and he sees clearly all that
is in the room, and is able to observe marks
of design. The light did not change the con-
dition of things in the room. All that it did
was to reveal what was hid. Had the eyes of
the man been out, the light would have sub.
served no purpose whatever. We need rev.
elation to enable US to see God in his works.
But we need revelation to inform US re-
specting the nature of man. 1t is commonly
said that man is part material, and part i'm
material. In other words, man is said to be
compounded of soul and body. That man
has body is clear The fact can be discov-
cred by our senses but that he has soul is
not so clear Let any one ask himself the
question, How do know that have soul?
and he will find that if he has no revelation
but his reason to appeal to, he will not be
able to give prompt answer.
The soul being, as it is said, immaterial,
cannot be dscerned by any one or all the FIVE
senses. Without revelation, we could, at
best, only conjecture that we are possessed OF
some peculiar and superior endowment, which
is called soul. We need, then, revelation
to inform US on this point.
1t is matter of Importance to us to know
whether the soul is immortal or not The
doctrine of Immortality is a doctrine purely
of revelation. So far as we can see, every
thing continues for a short while, and then
forever passes away. 1t may be said the in
destructabilty of matter proves the immor-
tality of the soul. 1t does not. We cannot
conclude that what is true Of the body is true,
also, of the SOUL All that the indestructabil-
ity of matter proves, is that the particles
which enter into the masses of matter are not
destroyed, but only changed in their organi-
cation. If the soul is not material, we cannot
reason in the same way respecting the immor-
tality of the soul. In fact, in all probability,
it would never be question. We would con-
clude that death would be the end of us.
Again, we need revelation to teach us
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