The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-04-03

: in Que of our family Bibles. | hear
n preacher say once that Bible wit
, the Apocrypha III it should not stay il
his house. Well, it took ,S2G year
to exclude it from the Protestant Bible
and most of it is in the Roman Catho
lie Bible yet. What is called sacre,
canon was not established until tn
sixteenth century, and for centurle
before that almost every great thcolo
gian had his own catalogue of inspired
books as he believed them. For 3OI
years only ten of Paul's epistles wer
admitted. The Book of st. Jane
and the Revelation of st. John wer,
excluded. SO were Esther and DAME
and Jonah in the Old Testament
Luther tried to have Hebrews, ant
James, and Jude, and the Revelations
of ST. John excluded, but failed. Blu
all differences of opinion seem to hav,
been harmonized at the council o.
Trent by all Christians and the Apo
crypha was left in, not as an inspired
part, but to be read for religious in
struCtion.
In 1926 it was excluded from the
Protestant Bible, but it remains in
and i in one Of mine. l dare to peruse
! it sometimes, especially "Tbe Wisdom
OF Jesus the Son of Sirach," )" which is
called Ecclesiasticus, which has fifty
chapters and is as full of maxims and
morals and instruction for the family
as are the Proverbs of Solomon. All
Olson says that if this book had been
left in the canon, or if it had the naIle
OF some great Greek philosopher, it
would have commanded the admira-
ton of mankind. To my mind it is
the condensation of wisdom for family
government. It's as pointed and pun
gent as anything that Solomon ever
wrote. This Jesus was better man
than Solomon. He lived and wrote
300 years after Malachi, the last of the
prophets. In the close of his narra-
tive concerning Moses and the propp-
cts, he says of Solomon: "By his
body he was brought into ubiectiCn
and didst stain his honor and pollutc
his seed and brought wrath upon his
children, and his kingdom was divid-
ed" l never did have profound ad-
mlration for man who said, "Rcioice,
Oh, young man, in the wife of thy
youth, and be thou always ravished
with her love-" and then goes off and
marries 300 wives and takes 700 con
cubines. His precepts were good, hut
his example was bad, very bad. Ny
doctrine has always been that a man
has no more right to two wives than a
woman has to two husbands. Let him
stand by his marriage VOWS. This is
the injunction Of Jesus, the son of
Sirach. AS sample of his wisdom let
me quote:
" A man that breakcth his wedlock,
saying, 'Who seeth me; am | not
compassed about with darkness he
forgettcth that the eyes of the Lord
are ten thousand times brighter than
the SUM-"
Blessed is he who hath a virtuous
wife, for the number of his days shall
be doubled"
A silent and loving woman is
gift from the Lord"
"a fool will peep in at the door of
the house, but he that is we'll nurturcd
will stand without"
"Do not banquet upon borrowed
money"
oNhthSht NV a. liltll lOl Ills Out
ward appearance, for many kings have
sat down upon the ground, and one
that was never thought of hath worn
the crown"
A friend cannot be known in pros.
perity, and an enemy cannot be hid in
adversity."
" Use not much the company of a
woman who IS a singer lest thou be
captured with her voice"
"Rejoice not over thine enemy when
be is dead"
Lend not to him who is higher
than thyself, but if thou lendcst count
il lost"
SIT not down with the wife of an
other man in thine arms, for it will
bring thee to destruction"
my son, help thy father in his old
age and thou shalt have Joy IN thine
own children"
Have no fellowship with those who
are mightier and richer than thyself,
for how can the earthen kettle and the
pot agree"
When rich man speaketh every
man holdeth his tongue and extol il to
the clouds, but if poor man speak,
they say, 'What fellow is this?"
Build not a house with another
mans money, for it is like gathering
stones for the tomb of thy burial"
A thief is better than q common
liar.n
=" Accustom not thy mouth to swear
ing nor to the naming of the Holy
One.o
Against him that is niggard Of his
meat his nclghbor shall murmur.
Keep sure watch over a shame
less daughter lest she make thee a
laugh!ngstock and byword in the city
and reproach among the people,"
Whether this book be inspired or
not, it Is full of devotion TO God and
, gratitude for His goodness. The Old
Testament Hebrews canon was made
dp and closed before this Jesus lived
or perhaps Ecclcsasticus would have
been embraced in it. 1t is certainly
entitled to as much consideration as
Solomon's Song, for there is not vul-
gar or lascivlous expression in it.
This much about the Apocrypha will
answer some inquiries have received
two OF them from preachers. / have
a long letter from my Old friend
Bishop Turner, concerning that recent
publication Of William Hanniba
Thomas; that bill of Indictment agains
| the neprOes Of his own roce He do