Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-05-20


Says this same anthor: II he difTi-
culties in nature ale on a grander
SCALE" lis there GOd?' was askei
of Napoleon. lie swept his hand mp
ward, toward TIE starry heavens
above, and exclaimed: "Wlo male
,her!" GOl-nOne cOnll deny, nor
dared 10. On earth as well, we see
unmistakahle evidences Of the wis
dom. goodness, and greatness Of Col.
Earth an Eden but for sin-lls ver-
dure and flowers, its sunshine. refresh
ing showers and breeZes that often
seem 10 watt the sweetness of the
heavenly Canaan To us; life SO album
dant and so full of happiness; wants
Of each and all SO fully met. All this
prompts onr lips, and inspires our
hearts to sing, Praise God from
whom all blessings liow."
But look again; we see sorrow,
suffering, want and woe, war and pes
tilence; all this in the same world,
and that world governed by II loving
and benevolent God.
Now the Bible (Says some one) does
not present difficulty or discrepancy
so difficult Of solution as this apparent,
glaring Inconsistency IN the world.
Now if We can ascribe To God the orr
gin of our word we certainly can find
no trouble in fixing the authorship of
the Bible.
Thesedifferences are also unmistak-
able evidence against the charge Of
conspiracy on the part Of different
writers.of the Bible, to write SO as to
perfectly agree; had this been done a
new Objection would have been raised
at once" 1t is planned thing, q
cunningly devised fable"
There is on record trial concern
ing Il will--some two millions of dol
lars were at stake. The point to be
settled was with reference to tn. sig
nature to certain part Of the will
was it genuine, or was it forged? 1t
was Very similar to the signature that
was known to be genuime--it was Just
like it-too much like it. No person
could write his name twice SO exactly
the samr--lt was forged. Precisely
the same would it have been if the b.
bic had been in every particular the
same. 1t is the same spirit through
out-the letter differs somewhat.
How did these discrepancies origin
ate? The Bible was written by more
than thirty different men who were in
spired Of God. Besides what these
were inspire to write, ale sayings OF
bad men, and good me-. that were not
inspired. For instance, tn: sayings
OF jobs friends of BALKAN the wick
ed prophet, of Satan himself. Is il
any wonder if there should be some
discrepancies? Listen: Chou shalt
surely die :" Thou shalt not surely
die"-exactly opposite, and in til,
Bible; very different nulhors-God
Almighty the one, Satan the other.
The sayings Of those who were in.
spired do not agree perfectly. Inspir,
alton does not obscure man's indi
vidnallty, peculiaritieS of mind or TEN
permanent; it has not to do with words
but ideas. The Holy Spirit suggest.
an idea and allows man to clothe il
with words, SO we have different style.
Of composition in the Bible, aud from
this source come discrepancies.
One prolific source of discrepanc,
is found IN the peculiar phra,eology o
Eastern people. Says Mr.. IJaIy =
, The people of the East are fervid anc
imlaS~loned III their modes of though
and expression. They think anc
) speak i'll poetry. Bold metaphors anc
striking hyperhoIes abound in thci
) writings. We find this especially tru,
| in Psalms. If we understand thes,
. literally we shall find abundant dis
: crepancies and contradictions.
1t would he a Contradiction of al
knowledge to take literally this las
sage: ''rhey go ustray as soon II
they are born, speaking lies" 1t l.
impossible. jeremiah says: The,
have sown wheat but shall rcal
: thorns )" literally takes. utterly i'm
; possible. David says he is poure,
: out like water; all his bones are on
Of joint; his heart is melted in th
midst of his bowels. That could no
t be and the man still live.
3 Jesus speaks tlgnratively when ii,
says of the bread: This is my body,
| and Of The wine, This is INV blood.
g Another source of difference is foun,
, in the different date OF writing OF pas
e sages. here is published an iniile
, pamphlet, made up Of the contra licto
S ~ (apparenD passages of the Billie
These. without note or comment, ar,
: placed one under the other-the ON
v truth, the other lie. Take an exam
/ pie: God saw everything he ha'
t made and behold it WAS very good.
s Following this: "And it repented tn
10 d that he had made man and
} grieved him to the heart" The all
y thor does not tell his readers that TIM
t fail of man took place in the time tina
| interviewed between the uttering O
: those different passages.
J.. In this way also may be cXplainet
\ difficulties with reference to man
/ moral character. We find men in tn
carry history OF the Bible spoken of Il
Il H. 1