Telegram-herald., 1891-02-09
WHAT IS CHRIsTIANIrYp"
The Fourth Article by the Crank" o
Tlis Srhi..cf

This Subject.
To the Editor of the TELES E1N-iIERALn.
The saying, "Omnia Vincit Veritas."
which is, Truth conquers all things"
may Justly be coupled with the other
equally true saying: "It is never safe
to do anything against the TRUTH" In
all ages, however, perplexed minds have
been arxiously prorounting the same
question attributed TO Pontius Plate.
Jesus declared to him: ITO this end
have | been born, and for this cause
am come into the wcrld, that should
bear witness unto the TRUTH" Plate
said unto him, "What is TRUTH" Men
have not only been asking, "What is
TRUTH" but also, where can 1t be
found?' and the many replies, 40,
herc." and "Lo. there" have confused
rather than enlightened them.
Is there any Hltaliib,e repository of
truth in the world to which we may go
TOR an answer to the great questions
which SO greatly troubles us, the ques-
tons relating TO the existence and char
acter Of God, the fact and nature OF
the future life, and the real meaning
of the life that now is9 OF course those
WHO live as the beasts that perish care
little for such questions; but there Is a
great host of men and women for
whom such questions have an abiding
and profound interest. These persons
are specially concerned with the prob
lem we have III hand. ] cannot point
them TO any infallIble record, church,
or man. because ] do not know any
such lnfalllble authorities.
Whatever may have been true IN re-
gard to the original Scriptures docs not
help Us now as the original Scriptures
are lost. No satisfactory criteria have
been yet established by which the ages
of the remaining Mss of the Old Testa-
mcnt are to be determined. Few exist
ing Mss. are supposed to be older than
the twelfth century. There IS one
which may have been written IN the
sixth century. but it's age is very doubt
full. This does not mean that the pres
cnt MSS. are false, OF unreliable; II
simply means they, from the very ma
turc of the case, are not infalllblc.
Comes of the New Testament made by
unknown writers IN the fourth century,
at the very earliest, cannot be consid-
cred utterly free from errors.
Even 50 conservative an author
as Or. Smith, declares there
are some l20, 900 variations In the
extami manuscripts. The late reyiseTs
of the new testament speak of 1.-THE fTe-
quent lnconsi isteDCies ia the authorized
version" and assure ust that "blenlshes
and peTfections vii surely be found IN
our own revision." When u FIRST ap-
peared, scholars ali over the world
gave i a scathlng criticism. ABd =
multitude OF conflicting versions. winch
are the themselves but COPIES of manu-
SCRIPT, which were doubtless also fuil
OF errors, and interpretations. how could
any scholar IN any Of the past ages
claim be had an infallsf,ie book upon
which 30 ground his faltb7
The further fact that the revisers 81
+ iuded 20 have dropped cot some very
important passages. and nssteTisiit =
changed the meanIng 81 others. leaves
( = sasplcsoD that stiii more caref1i
i revls50a hs scholars VINO are urfrasf d
and unfetieTed w0uld result ~ glTIBe
us s;sli more Ts8lcsl changes. Thus 4
would seem that d0zmstsm has sf@o-
lptelv nothing 70 base itself uFson. "a
pecislly protestant doguat5s,n. 1ffeF-
the pr3stestaDt e0gmatsrn. huli1 1fs9n
tfe sand, snd theiT work appears rr1fsrt
ard more fhlfd sh. as scspce a0a psf
losopky eTecf Their solid temples besiof
fhelr tottering structures.
C8thoiic8sns = eonssfept, whatever
re THsy think II - ass1rn 7i5ff1s. j
presents an BndFf3e5 front. cis ros =
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