The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-02

came TO no final decision until the Council
OF Trent, in the sixteenth century, and in
cluded whole list OF boolIs--tho Apocry-
pha--which the Protostants rejected.
Which was right2 No voice from heaven
has answered. And no generally recog-
nized authority, except q sort Of blind
drifting or common consent of the incOm-
petent has ever settled the Protestant
canon. Doctrinol bias was clearly appar-
ent during the early centuries. As one
illustration, the apocalypse Of John was
very popular so long rs the immediate
second coming OF Jesus was looked Tor
But when it was found that he did not
come il fell into disrcputc ON account OF its
pronounced Milcnaranism, and for u
long time recognition was refused 10 il.
IL is well known that, SO late as the
Reformation, there was no general agree
ment rs TO what was Scripture" and
what was not. Luther even contcmptu.
ously rejected the epistle of James, the
very brother of Jesus, calling IL "An Epis-
tic OF Straw" And no voice OF authority
has spoken since his day.
In general, IL can be said OF nearly all
the books of both the Old Testament and
the New, that nobody knows when or
where or by whom they were written. II
is true that this docs not ut all affect their
general religious value, any moro than
critical disputes over the authorship OF
Homer or Shakespeare touch the poetic
worth of tho "liad" or Hamlet" but
il does have q most serious bearing on the
question as TO whether these books are OF
such authority that they must be taken "a
settling all the great problems OF human
origin, character and destiny.
Moro than this, IL has been proved, over
and oyer again, beyond all honest and
intelligent question, that these books are
full OF errors rs 10 matters OF natural
science, OF history. and OF morals. To
deal with this point adequately would
require book. Tho story OF creation,
both as 60 method and the order OF appear.
ancc OF the forms OF life on earth, has been
demonstrated TO be untrue. The Genesis
account OF the origin OF languages Is child
ish in IFS absurdity. The history OF the
Exodus is 80 full Of impossibilities and
contradictions that II would require long
article. all by itself, oven TO point them
out. Indeed, the whole OF the five books
of "Moses" is one mass OF iucongrutics,
absurdities and impossibilitics, II We try TO
treat il rs history. As tradition, OF great
interest and value, OF course no ono would
have anything TO say against Il. In
itself, IL IL Just what we might OK
pect 10 be. But the foolish aud un-
founded claims, not It's own. but which
others put forth for Il, on behalf OF q the.
DRY, compel these things to be said. What
shall bc said OF revelation that does
not reveal things until, thousands Of years
after IL is supposed 20 have been written,
the truth Is tortured and twisted into u
text In which the wholly unknown author
plainly supposed he was saying something
clse2
w here time for II, similar points
might be made good against the accuracy
OF the New Testament writers. | will
stop Tor only ono Ease, but one no remark.
able that have often wondered that II ~
not 0ftCncr referred to. 1.-THE Bible loo an
iulallible revelation, then tho Epistle oI
Jude Is a part OF IL. In tho three verses
OF It's one chapter (li.l6) II one Of the
most curious and palpablc blundcrs Tho
writor quotes what ho declares 10 bo the
words oi the old patriarch, "Enoch, tho
seventh from Adam" Whom h he nclu.
ally qiotingl The wholly anonymous
and irresponsible writer Of a wildly apOc-
ryphal book, written within century or
No Of the time OF Jesus, and full Of absurli-
ties worthy Of the author OF "liuron Nun.
chauscn." The "liook OF EnoCh" IA easily
accessible; aud merely superficial porusll
OF IL will incline any rovcrcnt mind 10 ~.
lieyo the Holy Spirit from all responsible
ily for any such palpablc blundcr ~ Jude
IL here guilty OF. But " ono Of 'ihc in
spired writcrs' Is capable oi such n mis-
take, who can youch for tho rcsl2 And II
the church has been mistaken IN accepting
Jude ~ canonicnl, who can vOuch Tor Its
judgment ~ 10 all the othots?
Many are willing 10 admit that the Old
Testament does thus accommodate" IL.
self. ~ they say, 10 the conditions and
crucltcs Of the times, whlo they still
claim that the ethics Of the New Tosta-
ment IL perfect. We're thcrc time, much
might be- said ~ 10 the practical morality
OF the Sermon on tho Mount. as well as Of
the teachings Of somo OF the disciples. !
must, however, call attention 10 only one
point II has been the custom Of tho
| protcsiants 10 condemn severely the
K0mish doctrine aud practice as 10 the
celbacy Of the clergy. But the teaching
OF the New Testament " explicit aud
clear M 10 the superior holiness Of the
single ~ cOntrnslCd with the married state.
This would seem also 10 apply 10 the
/ laity ~ we'll nB the clergy, NO that
/ the Shakers are doubtless right in their
/ contention. paups doctrine concerning
women b., 10 say the least, not lofty
one. Tho Apostle John assigns 10 the un.
married the very highest place la heaven.
/ See Revelation xiv. ~. And Jesus himfoli
teaches plainly. not only by example, but
/ by prcccpt, their superior mnriiiy zee
Matthew XIX, 1912. And there j. no init
/ nation that be- had any reference Ia u
/ temporary condition Oi Affairs
But the chief thing wish TO cmphanizc,
/ In this connection, ID that the whole "plan
| Of salvation" h distinctly aud definitely an
| immoral scheme from beginning 81 end.
Here let Il be kept clearly in mind that
/ an lnhniic Being must BIO held az ulli'
matoly and solely responsible for whutso.
/ ever hc either Orlalns ~ pcrmlia Keep
also clearly In mind the distinction bo.
tween an evil that Is temporary aud ono
that IL eternal. Any Kind or amount Of
suffering aud evil that AFRO temporary, that
aro only experiences IN the development
Of n soul, may concciyably be- Justified by
| the outcome. But, IN the very nature oil
the case, eternal evil and suffering have M
outcome except mora evil and suffering
aud W cannot bo justified. Now look al
| the orthodox scheme.
God creates q man. lie has had no OK
pcricncc Of either good or evil, and ~ can
not possibly comprehend tho results Of hii
action. lie u a man-sized child. lie has
no way Of knowing that he Is under ans
obligations TO obey Him who, "ior 10 owl
/ pleasure" has created him. Neither cat
/ aug one elsc, even now. sec how he wa,
/ under any obligations To obey mere ar
/ Ittr.t, commend Thfa chilli man f.ad