Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-28

of the Roman empire. AS Guizot remarked,
"it is seldom the case that in an argument
one seeks in vain for that which he ar
IDENTIFY longs to find" Gibbon found many
such arguments, and, with some OF the
most earnest literary labor of which history
has transmitted the record, he contrived one
of the most insidious attacks on Chris
tianity that have been made since the time
of Julian, the apostate. Like Julian, ne
hated Christianity, both Protestant ana
Catholic, and, as the celebrated Prof. Por-
ton Justly observes ''he often makes, when
he cannot readily find an occasion to insult
our religion, which he hates so cordially, that
he might seem to revenge some personal
injury" Besides exhausting all the re-
sources of special pleading to effect his pur.
pose, he does not shrink from the use Oh
deliberate falsehood in this unholy warfare
GIBBoN CoNTRADICTED.
Let lis take an indisputable example to
substantiate this charge All readers of
the bible know of the miraculous darkness
which, as is related by three OF the four
evangelists, occurred while the Savior OF the
world hung dying on the cross GIDEON
attempts to invaldate the testimony OF the
evangelists by the negative argument that
neither Seneca nor Pliny the Elder, who
lived at the time, had recorded the prodigy.
In doing so, he has recourse to this false as
sertion: Each of these philosophers in
a laborous work, has recorded all the great
phenomena of nature, earthquakes, meteers
comets and eclipses which his indefatlgaDle
curiosity could collect 1t is worth while
taking up ST. ch distinct assertion, and scrn-
tiniZng 1t with care, that we may gauge the
reliability of his statements on so important
an occasion. Not everybody has the works
of Seneca and Pliny at hand and likely
enough Gilton expected that FEW would take
the trouble to examine the reference Now
it Is false that these writer's have left us
such record as he describes. Gibbon
lays special stress on Pl!nys testimony. "A
distinct chapter OF Pliny," he writes, "is
designed for eclipses of an extraordinary ma
ture and unusual duration" (Mlman's Glib
bon, ch. XIV, last paragraph / have con-
suited Plny's complete works and found
the passage indicated; he refers to 1t in a
note as "Plin Hist Nat. H.. 3O,' and find:
l. That it is no chapter, but only para
graph; 2. There are only seventeen words
in what he designates as "a distinct chap
ter designed for eclipses of an extraordinary
nature and unusual duration;" 3. Pliny pre-
tends to give only an example of n remark
able eclipse. Here is the whole passage
referred to: There happen wonderful and
protracted eclipses OF the sun, as was the
one after the death of the dictator Caesar
and during the war OF Antony, wren the sun
was pale for whole year continuously"
1t is evident that. in this attack on the
reliability OF the gospel narrative, there is
no question of mistake or negligence on the
part Of Gitbon; he Is guilty of deliberate
false statements. and that for a most unholy
DulDOse. NHtH lHlS Shllllu vi UTSt
published his remarkable work on the DE
cline and Fall of the Roman Empire" the
celebrated two chapters into which he had
condensed his argument against the Church
of Christ were so attractive to the English
public that, though they provoked the loud
protests OF churchmen and the conservative
portions of the lay community, they con-
tributed pow werfully to give the book an ex-
tensiye circulation. But truth prevails in
the end, and the latest editor of the work,
though himself not friendly to the cause OF
Christianity, admits that Gibbons attitude
toward the church is now out of date and
that mo discreet inquirer would 20 to him
FOR his ecclesiastical history" The spear
OF lthuriel has once more touched and dis
comfited the slanderer of truth.
GIBBONS GOOD QUALITIES.
While thus pointing out to earnest students
OF history the unreliable character Of Glib
bons statements, do not wish them 10
draw the conclusion that his work Is not
worthy of their perusal. This is far from
being the case. His insincerity ought TO
make US cautious and critical in reading
his deep and extensive learning and his
other excellencies. When religion does not
AFFECT the events narrated he usually inter
prets them with much ability and correct
ness; and in religious matters, though he is
dangerous guide for the inexperienced, a
mature and well trained mind, made aware
or his purposes and insldious conduct, will
readily See through his faliacies.
This subject affords a favorable oppOrt unity
to consider how conscientious Christian men,