The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-04-29

But enc OIL lAc HlosI Iu"''n'" -
.bings connected with the New Iesla- I
IL the fact that Paul, in his epls, c
les, never alludes 10 the miracles OF =
80, u,.uo, .
cruriGcd, and was never recognized as
an apostle. The old apostles would
have nothing to do with him Neither
was Luke an apostle, Luke was a gen
tile disciple Of Paul, and a rev'ler oil
the Jews. lie is supposed TO have
been the author Of the Acts. And
to say, while the Book Of Acts
declares that Paul was systematically
converted while on his way to Damas-
ems. Paul himself in his epistles never
mcntiOns the wonderful event. An
other thing which shows that THIS NOOK
is a work Of fiction, is the facility WIN
which the author relates conversations
and speeches. He writes as If he was
present and made notes at the tline
The best photographic reporter IN tue
country could not have done better
And when we consider the remarkable
things narrated by Luke which are
mentioned by no one else, we lose all
faith in his testimony.
The apostles themselves were rude,
unlettercd men, and evidently the Cos
pels attributed to them were the work
Of some one else. 1t is even very
doubtful whether they wrote the cps
ties imputed to them. The probability
is tlat they did not. But even if they
did, it is very strange that we find IN
these evistlcs no alIusion to the mir
acIes Of Christ. How, then, shall we
explain these things?
For many centuries before the birth
of Christ there had prevailed among
the nations Of the East the idea Of Il
millennium, when all the people Of the
earth would dwell together in peace
and harmony. Hilkiah took advantage
OF the prevalence Of this superstitlous
notion and persuaded the Jews to be.
Iieve that the little Hebrew nation
would exercise dominion over all 9th
crs during the golden age. And this
delusion was kept up by the successors
Of HiIkiah to preserve their power and
prevent the dispersion OF the nation,
when Christ was born, Judea was
Roman province; Jerusalem an elegant
city and the Sanhcdrim, the Jewis'
Parliament, composed Of seven,y-twe
members. was a learned and dignilied
body that would compare iavora5ly
with the Parliament Of Great Britain
At this time the Pharisccs were the
principal religious sect, and within this
body, as we learn from the Talmud
there was a controversy among TIT
leading men upon ar abstract question
This question was, Which is the great
cr, Knowledge or Love? A large ma
iorily were advocates of the claims o
knowledge and, as knowledge coulC
be obtained only through the eXpendi-
ture of q large sun of money, none
but the rich could get it. In this wa.
knowledge and wealth became almos
synonymous terms, and those who
were poor and ignorant were looked
upon with as much contempt rs tn
Brahmins looked upon the lower class
es in India. This state Of society pro
duccd much bitterness OF feeling
Christ, who seems to have been II o
the unfortunate class, but who pos,
sessed a mind above his condition
could not be II passive spectator o
the struggle for supremacy between
the principles Of Love and knowledge
Naturally enough he embraced tn
cause Of Love. And when he wen
among the common people proclaim
ing his principles, they heard hin
gladly. They heard him gladly, be
cause the doctrine which he proclaime'
was their doctrine. This was the Sc
crrt Of his popularity. But the Roman
Government, which cruciiied number
Of men IN Judca who were suspected
Of melting the people to rebellion, re-
gardcd the popularity of Christ will
suspicion, aud determined to remov'
him. He was quietly arrested and cru
Gifted. And after this event, his fol
lowers, who were poor and illitcrate
appear to have rclapsed into their for
mcr insigniiicance. If they kept VI
any organization, which is very doubt
full, they were considered as harmless
fanatics, and looked upon with a feel,
ing of pity rather than of hatred. Blu
about twenty years alter the death o
Christ a new character appeared upOl
the stage. This was Paul. A y0un!
man who had received an EDUCATION o
the highest order, and who acquired
knowledge OF the Jewish law from Ga
mallcl, a Rabbi distinguished for hi
wisdom, and said to have been Prcsi.
dent Of the Sanhedrim for thirty tw,
years. The love of power was tn,
strongest passion in the heart Of Paul
But how was he to CRAFTY it? Th,
signs of the times clearly indicated
that the destruction of the Jewish ma
ton was inevitable. Nothing coul,
save it. And Paul, who was acquaint
ed, no doubt, with the game which Hill
kiah had played, and which was SC
common among the prize Is of the
ancient world, evidently determined to
play the same old game upon a grandel
scale. He knew that the manifestation
of God in the flesh, at long intervals,
TO lead mankind to truth and virtue,
was an idea which vas taught by the
Boodhists Of China and the Brahmins
of India. He knew that the Jewish
priests had borrowed This idea. and dc