St. Landry democrat., 1883-04-21

But it would seem that if four men were
selected to write an inspired account OF
Christ's life that they at least would
agree in all essential particulars,
which we know they do not And 1t
appears to be left to John alone to dis
cover the greatest Of all Christ's mir
acles (the raising of Lazarus from the
dead) the monstrous gift Of power that
"Whomsoeyer's sins We remit they are
remitted unto them and Whomsoeyer's
sins We retain, they are retained ;" and
also the lucid fact that we must be born
again; believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and that an atonement was
made for us.
Again, our youth in the high schools
and colleges are being taught that the
earth is s'untold ages old' in Geology
and Physical Geography, and also
by the Science of Anthropplogy
that man existed upon the
earth in remote ages before the
time of Adam and Eve. No scholar
will dispute the evidence ih either case.
Whether true or not, the coming gene
ration are going to believe it..
These evidences being established,
what becomes OF the Bible account OF
creation 7 Adam then was not the first
man, for man existed for thousands
and perhaps millions Of years before
his day. What then was he 1t he
| was not tile first man was he guilty OF
disobedience, and did he commit the
Original sin" we hear SO much about
Is it for his disobedience that an atone
ment was necessary ?
WHAT'S it we must believe One set
of divines with the N. Z. Independent
at the head say the Bible account OF
creation literally does not mean any
thing. That it is an allegory, a picture,
panorama, and only intended to give
us 4 glimpse Of what was going on mil
lions Of years ago. While other theolo-
gians, admitting the evidence Of the
great antiquity of man, claim Adam to
be special creation or a sort OF mid
die man. This last is SO ingenious we
give it up, and should have passed it
by in silence had it, not come from a
Presby yterian d. D. Therefore, there
must be something in it and should be
Investigated.
Again, the doctrine of evolution is
growing and waxing stronger. The
theory is being advocated and pushed
by the brains Of the world. Prof. Fisk
says everybody will be eyolutionists in
few years. What then will it be
the man or the monkey who committed
the original sin 2
Would it not be well for our clergy to
solve some Of these knotty problems,
| for the benefit of those who want to be
set right, rather than hurting the thun-
derbolts Of divine wrath at our heads
because we are not willing to swallow
all the dogmas which they preach. Let
them show us what is the truth, and
| we will believe it. But as long as there
is doubt about these things, they must
! allow us to have our own opinions, until
such time as all doubt is removed and
the truth stands revealed. Do they
| suppose that we are not as anxious to
get at the naked truth as they possibly
can be We are fighting nobody. We
are in enmity neither to God or man,
but searching toiling, striving and
| probing to find the truth. Will we
ever find it9 God only knows. But it
we try, we rather should be aided by
the clergy than denounced as scoffers
ana infidels. We would be. glad to find
| the Bible account of creation true. But
we find it is not believed by the great
mass Of orthodox christians. The song
| of Solomon which we so much admired
| turns out to be an Egyptian love song.
Martin Luther, the great reformer,
says the Book of Revelations is so inn
probable that it is not worth moments
consideration-that the book of Jude
| which some of our clergy so love to
| read, and roll out the thunders and
curses itcontains as sweet morsel un-s
der their tongues, is not Bible at all J;
and that he has such dislike to the
book Of Esther that he would throw it
| into the river Elbe.
So, among all of the rubbish, assever-
tions of this one, the contradictions of
that one, and the thousand and one
theories afioat in the world, it may well
stand the thinking man in hand to
| weigh the evidence carefully and close
" before he makes up his mind.
In conclusion, will say, that when
the magnates of the church find it ne
cessary to call to their aid the law-mak-
-. a,, e, nnforna nhadinncn to their