The morning times., 1896-05-04

The exercises of the celebration of the
ton Bible Society were held last night at
Central Hall and were marked by one of
the most admirable reports OF that in
stitution and by an address by DR.. Tai
mage, which was his answer to the at
tacks of infidelity on the Christian religion.
There were probably 5000 persons in
the audience. The music was by MT.
Percy Foster, who sang two solos, with
accompaniment by Miss Emily Giyen Ga
the piano aud coTnet by Mr.. Elphonzo
Youngs, jr.
Tue stage was crowded with the Officers
Of the society, members OF the local clergy
and OF the ASSOCIATION. Dr.. Talmage,
the orator OF the evening, occupied the
center of the platform.
The following a re the officers-elect: Pres
ident. Rev. A W. Pitzcr, ID. D., 1878;
vice presidents, A. &. Pratt, S65, Charles
Lyman, 1877, George Ryneal, jr., 1873,
R. S. Jordan, 1882, z. s. Buckler, 1890.
Thomas g. Jones. 1891, r. w Fenwick,
1892, J. II. Meriwether, 1898, A. s. Cay
wood. S95, Nathaniel A Robbins, 1856,
secretary, j. Y. A. Shields, S72; treas
urer and depositary, William Bailantyne,
1860.
PRESIDENT PITZER SPEAKS.
short introductory address was made
by President PitZer. in which he spoke
gratefully OF the repeated honors CON
ferred on him as president during his
office of Cwenty-three years, aud made
q graceful iHtr0dU ctIOn of DR.. Talnage
as he who had proclaimed the Go spell Of
Christ to more men thau any man that
ever lived on this earth.
Dr. Taimage's base for reply was the
incident of Jehoia kim cutting up the
scroll of the prophet, thinking that hereby
he could destroy the force OF the sacred
writing.
Tuerc we're thousands and tens Of
thousands in ttis generation. he SAID, en-
gagged with their knives in trying to
destroy the Bible, some attacking Gcue-
SIS, others Reve iatioiIs, aud all Of them
the whole Bible as a huge blundcr and
as something entitled to be the laughing
stock of civilized nations.
They sa that there never was a miracle;
that the Bible is a book Of cruelty; that
those who died for il were inpostOrs;
that IL contained paSsa geS OF IulpuflJy;
that the scientists who aCkDowied ged II
did so in their dota ge, such as Carlyle,
Parker, Andrew Johnson, Daniel Webster,
Seward. They tell you that your fathers
were cheated and caioled, and tAd: your
mothers sat with a pack OF lies in their
lap, teaching it 10 their chlldreu. In
fine they would demand that all the
| family Bibles be burned as q holocaust t.
appease the cold criticism OF the : sI9~ sites
The weak-nlinded, perhaps, would say,
/ Yes; but let US give IL a trial Or.
| Talmage would accept that proposition;
4 lie would make the whole assembly tie
Jury In tire case of InfIdeity against
Christianity.
| He ans swered the charge of the cruelties
of the Bible by saying that the Bible does
not produce crUei disposition and that the
/ history Of the great uIen OF the church, and
! its institutions for charity, asyluIns, and
hospitals neeatived the proposition.
IMPURITIES OF THE BIBLE.
AS to tie impurities in the Bible, he said
| that there was a vast difference between
| the impurities or the Bible and those oi
| George Sand They had different pur
| pose; well might one say that the physi
! clans taught inlpurity because they hat
books in their libraries which were not fol
| the eye OF all readers
| II tie Bible were impure where were its
victims? He challenged the enemies OF
| the Bible TO produce one. II was saic
! that the scriptures contained contradIc
| tions. Mil had pointed out that there
were as many as thirty-five thousand dis
crepancies. but not one of these was on AZ
essential point.
All OF the sacred writer's agreed on foul
| great cardinal principles. TO wit God
| good, just, holy loving, mercifA and for
| giving; Man, the lost sinner; and two
| destinies. The writers were all woTkmei
under one great architect building the tempiS
OF the Holy Ghost.
1t was argued against the Bible that L
| was coutratiicted by science. On the otheI
hand DR.. Talmage maintained that 1t was
| sustained by such scientists as Faraday
| Joseph Henry and many others who were
| as high above the critics as the mOuntalns
| were above the doorstep.
| He believed that the OrCheStraS OF science
| and OF Revelations were In accord, but
| that Revelations was even yet far IN The
| lead of all the discoveries OF the sclenuf1l
world. They charged that il was bundle
| OF loose manuscripts without historical
foundation. On the contrary he SAID thai
| there was more proof of the duthenuclt.
| orthe Isl nle than there was EatShaSeSpeart
| wrote his work, that Bryant wrote
''TbanatopSis, that Scott " rote 'Marmlon'
or that Milton wrote 'ParadiSc Lost
| 1t was proved by Jerome and EuSebius II
| the first century and by Origen i'll the sec
ond. by Irenaeus and by 7 PGlycarp, VINO re
| ceivcd his information from st. John him
! self, disciple of Jesus Christ.
As for the martyrs Being lmpostors, DR.
| TaImaCe said that impostors never die
| for the truth.
| THE OLD TESTAMENT.
d.. ,ba nid r1-a,