Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1883-02-15

| worth as much as last years alma
nae. The expurgation Of the Bible
would be its annihilation.
I am also opposed to the tinkering
Of the Holy Book because I have
noticed that in proportion as people
become good they like the old book
az is. never knew man or wo-
man greatly distinguished for good
ness or self.sa rifce that wanted The
Scriptures altered. Many of ushave
fallen heir to family Bibles. They
were read twenty or thirty or forty
or fifty years. Go through then and
see now many chapters have been
crossed by pen Or lead pencil; see if
on any o! the margins you could find
the words "not fit 10 be read" At
any time in the last half century this
book could have been privately ex-
purgated. No; yoar grandfather gave
it to your fathea, and your father
gave it to you. Moreover did you
ever hear of anybody being harmed
by the go called cruelties or indecen-
cles of the Bible? A cruel book pro-
duces cruelty and an unclean book
uacleannes.. Fetch out OF Christen-
dom, and from all the ages, one per-
son whose heart has been hardened
or whose life has been despoiled by
the Scriptures. Ny opinion is that
the people who maxi such ado about
the indelicacy of the Bible are pru
rient in their tastes and imaginations.
ANY man who can not read Solomon 9
songs without impure suggestions is
either "a heart or life a libertlne.
Any woman who Is offended at the
indelicacy Of the Scriptures is either
in heart or life an adulteress. The
wickedness described in the Old Tes-
lament and New ID purposely and
righteously put in disgusting shape
instead Of the novelette,, Byronic and
Partisan vernacular, which makes sin
attractive rather than appalling.
When the old prophets chow you
lazaretto you understand it is las
arctic. When a man after being bet
ter goes back into sinful ways,
THE B1BLE DOES NOT SAY
"He has yielded to the Vaccinations of
the festal board" or surrendered to
conviviality, "become little fast. "
1t says: The dog hath returned to
his yornit and the SOW that was wash
ed to her wallowing in the mire."
No gliding Of iniquity; no garland
ing of a deaths s head; no striking Of
ain with silver rnallet instead Of an
non sledge-hammer.
But I can easily eee. how peog|s
can get IS morb!dly hover
ing aronuu those parts OF the Bible
descriptive OF uncleanness until they
shall be as ful; Of it as the nostrils
and beak and wing and claw OF the
buzzard are full OF the odors OF 3 car
cass. It is not the Bible that needs
disinfectants. my brother, 81 much as
you need to have your entire mind
and heart washed with carbolic acid.
l might as well at this stage Of the
sermon say that the people who want
the Bible changed have never been
soundly converted, The laying on
OF hands OF Presbytery or Epi,copacy
can not change the heart. Men get
idto the pulpit as we'll as into the
pew knowing nothing of the sover
eign and ali-convertlug gr ce of God.
Get youl heart right and the Bible is
right. Tns trouble is not with tae
book. 1t is with natures that have
not by radical, gospel change been
brought into harmony with the book.
Expurgatioa OF the heart is what
is needed, not expurgation of the holy
oracle. You can not make me be
lieve that book which at this mo
meut 'ies on the table of the purest
and best men and women of the age
and book that was the dying solace
of your kindred already passed into
the skies, has taint in it that by
the strongest microscope Of honest
criticism could De made visible. 1
hurl back the insult to my Bible. If
men are uncomfortable in their in
dignation when the integrity Of wife
or child are assailed, and Judge and
juries as far as possible excuse vic
lence under such circumstances, what
ought to be the over powering and
long.resoundiDg thunders Of condem-
nation for any man who will stand
in Christian pulpit and assail the
more than
VIRGIN PURITY OF INSPIRATION,
the well.beloved daughter Of God.
Expurgate the Bible Better go to
the picture galleries of Venice and
Rome and Dresden, and retouch the
old paintings. Perhaps y u car find
foot in some figure OF Michael An
gelo's "Last Judgment" that needs
Improvement. Perhaps you might
lengthen the chin Of one of Rem
brandt's faces, or put a new crest on
the waves of Turner's "Slaveship."
or throw more pathos into Reuben S