Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-10-23
geading fur the Sabbath,
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lOriglnal.]
THE RiRLE.


THE BIBLE.
The book which we call the Bible, is most
remarkable production. It is divided into two
grand divisions. One Of these divisions is
called the Old Testament the other is called
the New Testament. The Old Testament con-
tains thirty-nne separate parts, which are also
called books. The New Testament is made
up of twenty-seven parts, which are named as
follows Four Gospels one Acts of the Apos-
ties twenty-one epistles, and one book OF
prophecies. The Old Testament consists of his
tory, laws, prophecies and poetry. This book
we call the Bible, claims to have been written
by much greater number of individuals than
the whole number of books. The period that
elapsed between the writing of the first book
and the last, was not less tian fifteen hundred
years. It is more than three thousand years
since the first part of the Old Testament was
written, and more than two thousand years
since the last part of it was written. 1t is
about eighteen hundred years since the last
book of the New Testament was written.
This is most remarkable feature OF the
Bible. Beyond all controversy, it is the Oldest
book in the world. 1t carries us back to pc
riod when this world, which we inhabit, was
in it's infancy. The feature, however, OF the
Bible is that it claims to be the Book of God.
In other words, the Bible claims that God, and
not man, or any other creature, is it's author.
This claim is either true or it is false. 1t can
not have two authors. If man, or men, pro-
duced it, then it may be good book-the best
book in the world but, still, it cannot be per-
fect No man, or set of men, ever devised
anything of any kind or character that can
claim to be perfect. All men are imperfect,
and everything that they do is imperfect. If
the Bible is del Ictive book, then it must be
! the production of creature, or of creatures,
and not of God. If this is not the case, then
God cannot be perfect With propriety, we
may appeal to the works Of God to prove the
perfections of God. If any Of his works are
defective, then God either could not or did not
make them perfect. If such was the case,
then God is imperfect. The Bible is one OF
the works of God, or is claimed to be one OF
the works of God. If, however, it is defective,
we may safely conclude that it is not the work
of God. If, on the other hand, it is free from
every defect, then it must be the work OF God,
for no creature can produce work free from
defects.
One proof of the perfection of the Bible, is
the fact that it has stood the test of thousands
of generations. It is the ouly book in the
world that does not contain contradictions,
inconsistencies and absurdities. Another
proof that God is the author of the Bible, is
the peculiar arrangement which is followed in
it from beginning to end. Perhaps it would
be better to say the absolute want of every
thing like human arrangement proves that the
Bible is not the production Of man. In this
respect it resembles the other works OF God.
Vegetables and animals are scattered over the
surface of the earth, in apparent confusion, or
without any order. The same is true OF the
minerals When we look up to the heavens,
we see the blue face of the, sky covered with
! sparkling gems No order is apparent in their
arrangement All is disorder yet there is no
confusion. This same feature is manifest in
the Bible from. beginning to end. There is
order, but it is not human order.
The class of subjects treated of in the Bible,
prove that it is not the production of any, crea-
ture. The Bible treats of creation and the
end of the world of heaven and of hell; of
time and eternity of right and wrong of
good and evil; of sin and of righteousness.
The history of the past and Of the future are
treated alike The author declares that he
knows as much about the future, as he does
of the past. The overthrow of cities and
kingdoms is declared with as much positive
ness as if their ruin had already been accom-
plished.
Another proof Of the Divine origin of the
Bible, is the fact that it never, in the least de-
gree, censures what is right, or approves OF
what is wrong. Mere men cannot do this.
They must overlook the faults of their friends,
and magnify the sins Of their enemies. This
is one of the laws by which men everywhere
are governed. None of this is found in the
Bible. The sins of David are neither conceal
ed nor excused.
1t has always been regarded as fact that
holy men of old wrote and spoke as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost. Many of them pre-
mise what they have to say in this way '"The
word of the Lord came unto me saying
Then follows what the Lord said unto them.
| If the Bible is not the "word of the Lord, u
we are forced to conclude that the most intel
ligent portion of the human family, in all ages
of the world, have been the greatest fools.
| We are forced to conclude that John Newton,
John Knox, John Wesley, John Calvin, Isaac
Newton, Thomas Chalmers, John Owen, and
| ten thousand others, whom we call great and
good men, were only great dupes. If the Bible
is not from God, then all the multitudes OF de-
vout Christians, in every part of the world,
are set of weak-minded, credulous creatures,
ready to believe any and everything. Such a
conclusion would he in the face OF all the facts
in the case. True Christians are neither cred
ulous nor superstitious. Neither are they
weak-minded. They have revolutionized the
world. Their sails whiten every sea. Their
inventions are countless. They rule the world.
Their motto is onward. The religion of the
Bible is peculiarly aggressive. Christians are
not weak minded, and yet they all believe, in
the very depths of their souls, that the Bible
is Gods book. The influence of the Bible
shows that it is not of man. There is, per-
haps, no human book more admired and more
lauded and extolled than Homer's works.
How does that grand and beautiful epic COM
pare with the Psalms of David? The ques-
tion is ludicrous. No man was ever prepared
to die by reading Homer, We would not in
lure, in the least, the fame of the blind old
bard but there is nothing in Homer that will
compare favorably with any of the Psalms.
Homer is beautiful but it is full of glaring
absurdities.