The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-02
HISTORY OF BELIEF
BY DR.. j. STEELE
Interesting Sermon at the First
Cumberland Church
BASIS OF THE GOSPEL
1t is Not Founded on Mystery and
. Miracle as Some Persons Would
Argue-No One Was Wild
With Wonderful Stories.

The Rev. ]. D Steele at the First
Cumberland Presbyterian church yestei-
day morning. preached to crowded
1 house.
His text was I. Peter. S-1h. BE ready
always to give an answer to every man
that asked You a reason of the hope
| that is in you" He said in part:
"The subject to which your attention
is called is the foundation fer our belief
in the history of Christ as given in the
gospel. Why we accept the New Testa-
ment as true history and as divine au-
thority Some are of the opinion that
there are no real good reasons for be-
leving them; that they are accepted
simply because they were handed down
to us from a rather distant and unknown
age. There are current opinions that the
New Testament scriptures were not ac-
cepted as divine authority or true his
tory until Christian council of 1926 or 1854
A. d. passed on them by chance vote
Let us look into this matter and see
whether we rest on a fog bank of mist
or a solid rock. 1t Is of interest to notice
the four gospels and their nature, and
the reasons for believing tney are his
toric and authentic.
Did Not Grow Out of Mystery.
The writings in the four gospels did
not grow out of an age of natural mys-
terry and miracle. They are not the re-
suits of constant tramping on mystic
soil. The last voice of the Old Testament
prophets had been silent for four hun
dred years. There was not the slightest
marvellous wonder, or miracle in all the
preaching of John the Baptist. No one
was wild with the stories of miracle. Not
only was this true, but when Christ be-
gan to heal the sick and open the eyes
of the blind, the people were so astonish-
ed, they could not fully believe what they
saw and heard. Such things they de-
clared had never been seen before.
The gospels read like true history They
give the name of the mother, and re-
puted father of Christ, the location of his
birth, name of the town and country.
They give the full names of all the apos-
ties They tell who was emperor of
Rome at that time and who was state
governor. Take Acts X. as an examples
where the army was stationed, and the
nativity of the army soldiers, where
Simon Peter stopped, the name of the
proprietor OF the house. its location, and
his trade. Roman and Jewish history
confirm all these statements of national
affairs. There are no contradictions in
the history Of the four gospels of Christi
one tells what another omits.
The conversion of St Paul is one of
the wonders of the New Testament. He
was man, energetic, forceful and learn
ed. His strange and complete change of
life, disposition and occupation has ever
dazed and dumfounded the directors to
Christianity. He declared that this
change, his ILLUMINATION, and inspiration,
were brought about solely by revela-
ton of God to him. See Gal. 1:3
He travelled and preached in Palestine,
Asia Minor, Italy, Spain and other parts
of Europe. He wrote letters to these
churches and declares these letters were
inspired of God He mentions and bears
witness to every fundamental fact con-
corning the history of Christ. OF all
men, he had a fair chance to investigate
the truth of Christ. ST. Peter, him
self saw and read the letters of ST.
Paul and classes them as holy scriptures.
See II. Peter 315-16.
We Are Not Left in Dark.
We are not left In the dark when ST.
Paul is killed at Rome and drops out of
history. In his letters he mentions Bar
nabas, the friend of Paul, confirming in
every needed way the doctrine and his
tory of Christ. In Pauls letter to the
church at Rome Q6-1D he sends his love
to Hermes, dear friend. This Hermes.
was a devout Christian worker He wrote
much and left his writings in three vol
umes, giving a complete testimony to the
facts in the gospels to Christ and the
apostles. He makes numerous illusions
to the books of the New Testament
1t is said that Christ took little children
in His arms and blessed them. Strong
tradition says that one of these little ones
was Ignatius. who afterward became pas
tor of the church at Antioch, Syria, In
10 A. D., where St Paul once preached.
At this time ST. John was still living. Ig-
natius was we'll acquainted with many of
the holy apostles and familiar with the
history Of Christ. He was killed 107 A. d.
because he would not surrender his faith
in risen Lord. In his writings he dis
tinctly quotes the gospels of st. Metthew
and ST. John and many of the epistles,
showing he knew Well their nature and
| contents. He gives the strongest testl-
mony of our Lord.
| When ST. John was. an old man he APP
pointed a pastor to the church of Smyr-
ma, Asia Minor. This was Polycarf He
sat under the teaching and personal
preaching of st. John and many Of those
who had seen the Lord in the flesh
In one of his letters alone he makes