The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-06-18
REV DIR. TALMAGE
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES
SUNDAY SERMON.

TO some inside and outside the pulpit. 1t lS
no surprise that the world bombards the
Scriptures. but it is amazing to find Chris
tian ministers picking at this in the Bible
and denying that until many good people
are left in the fog about what parts of the
Bible they ought to believe and what parts
reject. The Nervousness of finding fault
with the Bible at this time is most evident.
In cur day the Bible is assailed by scurrillty,
by Misrepresentation, by intidel scientists,
by all the vice Of earth and all the venom OF
perdition, and at this particular time even
preachers or the Gospel fall into line of
criticism of the word of God. Why, it makes
me think OF ship in a September equinox.
the waves dashinS to the top OF the smoke
stack, and the matches fastened down: and
many prophesying the founderinS OF the
steamer, and at that time some Of the crew
with axes and saws go down into the hold OF
the ship, aud they try to saw of some of the
plankS and pry out some Of the timbers be-
cause the timber did not come from the right
forest
It does not seem to be commendable bus
iness Cor the crew to be helping the winds
and storms outside with their axes and saws
Inside. Now. this old Gospel ship, what with
the roaring of earth and hell around the
stem and stern and mutlny on deck. is hav-
ing a very rough voyage, but have noticed
that not one Of the timbers has started, an
the captain says he will see it through. And
I have noticed that keelson and counter tim
Der knee are buff out of Lebanon cedar, and
she is going to weather the gale. but no
credit to those who make mutiny on deck.
When I see professel Christians in this
particular day finding fault with the Scrip
lures. it makes me think Of fortress ter
rIflcally bombarded, and the men on the ram
parts. insteal Of swabbing out and loading
tbs guns and helping fetch up the ammuni-
ton from the magazine. are trying with
crowbars to pry out from the wall certain
blocks OF stone, because they did not come
from the right quarry. Oh, men on the ram
parts, better fight back, and fight down the
common enemy. instead Of trying to mako
breaches in the wall!
While I oppose this expurgation OF the
Scriptures. l shall give you my reasons Tor
such opposition. "What!' say some OF the
theological evo.utionists whose brains have
been added bytoo long bro0ding over them
Ey Darwin and Spencer, "you don't now
really believe all the story Of the garden Of
Eden, do you?'' Yes. as smuch as I believe
there We're roses in my garden last summer.
But. say they. you don't really believe
that the sun and moon stood still?" Yes. and
if I had strength enough to create sun and
moon could make them stand still or cause
the refraction of the suns rays so it would
appear to stand still. But, they say, ''you
don't really believe that the whale swal-
lowed Jonah?" Yes, and if were strong
enough to make q whale could have made
very easy ingress for the refractory prophet
leaving TO evolution to eject him if he were
an unworthy tenant! but, SAY they. 'you
into wine?H Yes, Just rs easily as water now
is often turned into wine with an admiXture
of strychnine and logwood! "But,'. say
they. You don't really believe that Samson
slew 1000 with the jaw bone OF ar ass?' Yes,
and l think that the man who in this day
assaults the Bible is welding the same
weaponl
There is nothing in the Bible that staggers
me-. There are many things do not under
stand, l do not pretend to understand, never
sh&ll in this world understand, But that
would BE u very poor God who could be fully
understood by the human. That would be
very snail Iutinite that can be measured by
finite. You must not expect to weigh the
thunderbolts of Omtipotence in an apothe-
cary's balances. Starting with the idea that
God can 60 anything. and that He was pres
ent at the beginning, and that He is present
now. there is nothing in the holy Scriptures
to arouse skepticism in my heart. Here
stand fossil of the ages, dug up from the
tertiary formation. fallen off the shelf Of an
antiquarian. man in The latter part OF the
glorious nineteenth century believing IN
whole Bible from lid to lid!
l am opposed to the expurgation OF the
Scriptures in the first place, because the
Bible in its present shape has been so mirac-
ulously preserved. Fifteen hundred years
after Herodotus wrote his history. there was
cnly one manuscript copy of it. Twelve
dot t,nn
there was only one manuscript copy of it.
God was 50 careful to have us have the Bible
in just the right shape that we have fifty
manuscript copies OF the New Testament
thousand wears old. and some Of them 1000
years old. This book. handed down from
the time Of Christ, or just after the time OF
Christ. by the hand Of such men as Origen
in the second century and Tertullian in the
third century, and by men Of different ages
who died for their principles. The three
hest copies Of the New Testament In manu-
SCRIPT il the possession Of the three great
churches-the Protestant church OF England,
the Greek church Of st. Petersburg and the
Eomish church Of Italy.
1t is n plain matter of historythat Tischen-
dorf went to a aconventin the peninsula Dismal
ard was by ropes lifted over the wall into the
convent. that being the only mode OF admls-
sion, and that he saw there in the waste
basket for kindling for the fires manuscript
OF tho Holy Scriptures. That night he cop
led many Of the passages Of that Bible, but
it was not until fifteen years had passed OF
earnest cntrcaty and prayer and coax1ng and
purchase On his part that that copy OF the
H. v Scriptures was put into the mana OF
the Emperor Of Russia-that one copy so
Earvelously protected.
Do you not know that the catalogue OF tho
books of the Old and New Testaments as we
have it is the same catalogue that has been
coming down through the ages? Thirty
nine books Of the Old Testament thousands
of years ago. Thirty-nine now. Twenty
seven books of the New Testament 1900 years
ago. Twentv-seven books of the New Testa
ment now Marcion, for wickedne5s, was
turned out OF the church in the second cen
tury. and in his assault on the Bible and
Christianity he incidentally gives cata-.
logue of the books Of the Btble-that cata-
logue corresponding exactly with ours-tes-
tiriony given by the enemy Of the Bible and
the enemy CT Christianity. The catalogue
now just like ;he catalogue then. Assaulted
and spit On ana torn to pieces and burned,
yet adbcrinS. The book to-day, in 30O Ian
guages confronting four-afths Of the human
race in their own tongue. -Four hundred
million copies Of it IN existence. Does not
that look as ii this book had been dlvinely
protected. as if God had guarded it all
through the centuries?
Is it not an argument plain enough to
every honest man and every honest woman
that book d:vinely protected and IN TINS
shape is in the very shape that God wants
it. 1t pleases God and ough. to please us.
The eridenics which have swept thousands
Of other books into tho sepulcher OF forget
fulness have only frightened the fame OF
this. There is not one book out of 1000 that
lives five years. Any publisher will tell you
that. There will not be more than one book
on: OF q. eco that will live century. Yet
here IS book. much of it 1000 years old and
much Of it 400 years Old anil with more re-
i:ouni and residence AMI strength in it than
when the book was first put upon parchment
or papyrus.
Ttis hook saw the cradle OF all other
BOOKS. and it will see their graves. Would
YOU not think that al old book like this.
some OF it forty centuries old. woull come