The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-02
ORTHODOXY.
Is It's Final Surrender mevitable9
A Remarkable Attack on the Biblo
by u Unitarian.
Some Statements That Should Chal.
lenge Orthodox Clergymen.
The Verbal Accuracy of tho New
Testament Disputed,
mo Divine or Infallible Authority for
Accepting as True tho Essential
Points OF tho Orthodox
Creed"

In the North american Roi0r for June,
appears somewhat sensational article on
1.-The Inevitable Surrender OF Orthodoxy"
by the Rev. Minot j. Savage, OF the
Church of the Unity, Boston. Mr.. Savage,
after canvassing the doctrines OF the ortho-
dox churches, proceeds;
OF course, there are many other points
contained in the generally accepted creeds
of the orthodox churches, But as l wish
to make this paper rs clear and simple as
possible, so that there may bo no confu-
sion Of thought rs to the issue, they arc
purposely left out Of this discussion.
These constitute the citadel that must be
defended at all hazards. Unless they can
be defended, all OF them, then surrender
OF all is inevitable.
1t will be well, right here, to group and
number them. They stand as follows:
|. The fall OF man.
2. Atonemcnt through the Christ.
Z. Heaven for those who accept the
atonoment.
4. He'll for those who for whatever
reason, do not accept.
o. The infallible Bible, which has re-
vealed these things, aud 10y means Of
which only are they known.
Here is The real heart OF the creods, the
kernel in the husk. II the truth OF these
can be maintained, orthodoxy is secure.
II any OF them be not true. then any most
ordinary thinker, II he be at all clear
headed must sec that the whole system
must be surrendered. For each Of these
points is vital TO the whole scheme. Lot
any one Of them be taken away, aud tho
reason for maintaining ihe rest is gone. II
there has been no iali then there Is no
need Of any such atonoment. II there has
not been no such atonemont, then either
man has not fallen or else he can be saved
in some other way. The old heaven i'm.
plies the fall, the atoncmcnt, and the lost.
Take away the old he'll and there is no
reason for all this stupcndous scheme for
saving people from Il, And II scripture DO
not iniallibe, then tho whole scheme be.
comes the fancy OF an ignorant and bar.
barrie age, OF no moro authority than the
dreams OF Mohammed or Gauiama. All
this IA perfectly clear AS simple and rs
inevitable "a tho multiplication table"
Let Us now address ourselves 10 tho
question rs to whether these central and
essential points Of the orthodox faith are
true, aud, 10, deiensblc. This is not a
difficult task. In the lightof modern knowl-
edge. II is within the reach Of any fairly
intelligent man or woman. The issue Is
perfectly simple and plain. The world
already possesses knowledge enough TO
settle Il beyond any reasonable doubt II
the orthodox faith, a. set forth above, Is
true, then every honest man must DO or
thodox II not, no honest man can be. IL
only needs that people face the matter.
Were II not that prejudice, soli.intorcst
and fear were involved, II might be settled
in six months. People know enough, and
the facts are sufficiently accessible. IL only
needs candor and courage. To those pos
scssing these speak. II Is Of no use TO
speak 10 others.
Lot us first consider . Question which
IL ut the foundation Of alias 10 whether
the books Of the Old aud New Tcstamcnis
are inialliblc. The claim that thoy are Is
absolutely without any basis whatever,
except that OF nm utterly basclcss ccclesi
astical tradition. These books make no
such claim on their own behalf. The only
appearance Of such a olnim-and Il Is only
caTclcssncss or dishonesty that could even
Tor one moment urge It's ia q passage
that occurs In II. Timothy, iii, TO- This
reads. In the revised version. EVERY
scripture inspired Of God Is also profitable
for teaching" II does not say what scrip
turc Is inspired Of God" Eycn II II did,
II would express only the opinion Of tho
writer, unless Il could be otherwise proved
that ho was iniallibly inspired. And,
furthermore, since We DO not know who
the writer was. We have no way Of osti-
mating the value Of bis opinion. Aud, In
any case, the passage could have had no
reference 10 tho New Tcsiamonlaa We now
have Il, for IL books Wcro not then gath.
cfcd Lo., there wns then no New Icsia.
ment.
In the ncx' place. wiz : certainty have
We Of the verbal accuracy Of any single
text ON which. ms We au told, hangs the
tremendous issue Of heaven OF hclll Tue
oldcs, manuscript OF any part Of the New
Testament takes NJ no nearer tho real
words Of Jesus aud Ills disciples than some
time In the fourth century. Hundreds OF
manuscripts, OF all OF a part Of the Icsia-
mcni, are In existence. But they contain
/ thousands Of differences in their readings.
/ Generally these difference are not impor'
tanl; that u, they do not materially change
the sense. But In Some eases they nro
very important They amount 10 a diilcr'
ence as to whole verses aud, In fow
instances, 10 whole paragraphs Or parts Of
/ chapters. Some Of these differences mean
moro than carclcsancss, they indicate a do
liberaie tampcring with the text, under tho
influence Of doclrinal bias.
II Is sometimes urgcJ, in rgply 70 TN.
/ point, that We are No. sure OF the general
accuracy OF tho New Testament text a. We
are OF that Oi the bUsl classics, such ~
Cicoro's orationa. suppose 40 are the
fact IA still entirely beside tie point.
When some one claims dat the salvation
Of tho soul depends on the reading OF 2
text In Cicero, then the comparison viii
have some relevancy. Jniil thon, how
ever, u II only a ilippani evasion OF the
| difficulty even 10 raise such comparison.
Whatever be- the condition u any or oil
the classic texts, the plain aud serious FAC!
remains that We arc not SURE Oi tie verbal
accuracy OF any single New. Testament
text, on which wes.fc told depends ihe
destiny Of the soul. And this would sun
be true although the Bible bal been IN
lallible Ia the iirst place. For the blum
deb oi oopyisis ara proof enough mat tho
work Of handing Il down has had no IN
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