The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-05-05

That this proposition is true, the
Antiquities of Josephus, and Jewish
history in general, as well as many
other collateral evidences establish
ed beyond question. The strength
of this idea is seen in that, some por-
tiOns of the Bible were written at
least thirty-five centuries ago. No
other authentic history can claim
such antiquity by one thousand
years. Therefore, reaching back as
it does to such remote ages, it has
necessarily passed through the many
viclssitudes of race, and the sweep
ing revolutions of civil and military
governments, which have SO signally
marked the great epochs in the
progress of human history. That
through these mighty changes of
race and Ofnations, and the frequent
rifting asunder ofsocial and political
structures, the Bible should have
maintained the preservation of its
contents, in the main unaltered, is an
interesting feature indeed, and
worthy of our serious consideration.
And this fact becomes the more re-
markable when we remember that
some portions of the Old Testament
were, for centuries, transmitted
orally from one generation to an
other, without any of the facilities of
manuscript or the printing press.
Such preservation is not true OF any
production of the Pentateuchal age.
The civilizations of the Egyptian.
the Assyrian, the Babylonian and
the other contemporary monarchies
of even later Jewish periods, have
long since perished; and for the
most part their authentic records
have perished with them. For the
scanty knowledge which we do pos
sess of their origin, growth, and de-
cay, we are left largely to the incl
dental illusions of the Bible to them;
and to the uncertainties of tradi-
tions, the vague researches of the
archeologist, and the Interpretation
of faded hieroglyphics. And even
the Grecians and Romans, the most
refined and cultured people of the
past ages, have left in durable form
and transmitted to US but mere frag-
mentary records of their wonderful
history. Our knowledge of their
laws, institutions, and civilization is
by no means extensive or satisfac-
tory. But the Bible, protesting to
be revelation from God, presenting
the origin and destiny of the race,
containing at the same time the his
tory ofa peculiar people, has defied
the ravages of change and reyolu-
ton, and has come ON down through
hoary ages to us, with its moral prin-
ciples attested and its contents won
derfully preserved. This is exceed
ingly marvellous indeed. For while
cities have fallen and kingdoms come
to naught while generations have
passed from the stage of action and
empires faded away like the golden
tints of the morning; while change
and revolution have overturned civil
| and political fabrics and the weird
spirit of oblivion has thrown its inn
penetrable shadow over the scatter
| ed archives of past ages the Bible
no change has been able to mutllate,
no tyrantto consume, no hereto 10
corrupt, no false friendship TO be-
tray, and no. hostile criticism to eff
fectually arrest the progress of its
march toward the ultimate conquest
of the world. Now, that the Bible
should, amid the wreck of all that Is
human, without the alteration of a
paragraph so as to change the history
and doctrine contained therein,
come down TO this age with its con-
tents authenticated and preserved,
| is q phenomenon which nothing but
infinite oversight and guidance can
explain.-Dr. g. C.. Rankin.