The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-03-08
WHOLE NO. 1893.
EDITOR TRUE NoRTHKREER :

EDITOR TRUE NoRTHKRSER
The articles IN your last issues in regard TO
the Bible. gives me liberty to ask little space
in your columns. The question has been
asked, Is the Bible the inspired word OF 0od7
Let us throw of that fear which makes us very
slaves in bondage and csndidly talk the matter
over. More than forty years ago my stern old
Presbyterian parents taught me that learned
Theologans met in council at Nice, hundreds
of years since and after investigation and sol
emn deliberation. and decided by ballot that
the books OF the Old and New Testament were
the writings Of inspiration. The books Of the
Apocrypha did not receive sufficient votes to be
classed with the inspired, hence not much i'm
portance was attached to them, although n
place is accorded them in the Bible. In ma
turer years we have heard learned men, and
clergymen even, assert this as fact, and occa-
sicnally have stumbled upon it in print as mat
ter of history. Now, if this is vertable fact,
it proves nothing only thar if the right ever
existed to ballot upon The inspiration Of the
Bible, the right exists to-day. Indeed, the IN
telligence OF this age is far more capable OF de-
cding question of such magnitude than N
the Middle Ages, when superstition With .;s
iron hand stood ready to throttle the first symp-
toms OF a free-born thought. To believe the
Bible the inspired word OF God requires the
greatest possible amount OF credulty. We
must think in circle, and not dare to question.
We must let the clergy DO our thinking Bnt
all minds are not creduIous, and there are peo-
pie who dare to do their own thinking. Could
you make az astronomer OF to-day believe If
George Washington had commanded the sun
to stand still in the heavens that his battle
might be prolonged, It would have obeyed himr
Would the removed Blitz' have more diff
Guilty in making Dalaams ass 70 prophesy
than he would IN making 8" bale o; cotton to
talk? The sorceries and legerdemain of the
Ancients, which were palmed of upon the g-
norant for miracles, are exce,led by Chinese
and japanese jugglers Of our own time. And
again, il beautiful Young girl of this genera
ton were to give birth to a child ard assert her
innocence ever go strongly, is there one lntelli-
gent woman in all Chri=tendom that would be-
lieve her? And add to this, If the penalty for
| her indiscretion was death. would there not be
more than one Joseph who, TO save the girl be
| loved, would testify 10 having vision assert
ing her guiltless
! There are hundreds OF spirltualists, mind
readers and healers living that testify to re-
markable cures and phenomena performed by
them that would pass for miracles; yet we do
not believe them. Why, then, should we 60
back thousands OF years and dig up the dead
relics of barbarous age upon which to base
our religon? Were the Bible inspired, there
could he no inconsistencies. no contradictions.
but every verse would harmonize. The char
acter of God, which s full OF love, mercy and
justice, could not be revengeful, vindctive and
cruel as there represented, getting angry aud
then repentlng lis evil deeds p sam. 24-l6.
We look upon the King Of Dahomsy as a mon
ster when We Tread Of his slaushterIng three
hundred of his subjects in one day; but this
act fades into insgnifcsnce when compared to
the thirty and seventy thousand which the AZ
mighty is said to have put TO death merely to
crafty spite or to show that he was God.
The Old Testament teens with horrible butch
cries and cruelties perpetrated at the bidding
Of Deity. And chapters filed with obscenity
that would better grace book Of prostitution
are found within rs pages; and yet 1t lies
bound in gilt and velvet upon the centre tables
OF virtuous and refined people, who woul / fain
tell US IL ls sacred work. 1t is true there are
many good and beautiful thoughts, like golden
grains, scattered all through; but delicate-
minded mother cannot read it aloud IN her
family without fret looking ahead TO see what
ls best to skp,-suificient proof that it is not
the work OF pure aud holy Cod Why not let
US accept the gold and reject the dross? Why
not look upon 1t as upon any other history tsat
has perfectlons aud imperfections?
One word in regard to this terrible Hell tha
is like the sword of Damoces, suspended bya
siken thread above our heads, DESTROYING every
enjoyment, making supremely wretched every
honest believer. II is repugnant 10 every gen.
]
just and mercful God. Sufficient reasons
why it should be untrue. No wonder the best
minds of the day are waking up and throwing
of the fearful nightmare. My dear friends,
Old style, New style, and every other style of
Christian, how long will we be in learning that
virtue is it's own reward and vice ITS own pun
ishment, Thank God, the world moves"i-
The free and enlightened people Of the nne-
teenth century have loosened the iron fingers
OF superstition, and henceforth. uuawed by the
giants OF fear and ignorance, Will iloat aiOit
their beautiful banner, inscribed in enduring
characters With tie magic wora-Progress.
Az OrrsIDFR.
One of Bob Iugersoll's stories OF iniantile