The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-21
Purpose of Jefferson
Bible Says Or. Moment.
USED HOT EPITHETs
Presbyterian Divine in Attacking Con-
gress For Issuing "Life and Nor
ais of Jesus" Declares 1t ':Dia-
bolicaI," a Miserable MutiIa-
tion," That is ..vile."

Attracted by the widely circulated
advertisement that he would pay his
respects to Thos. Jefferson and his
bible as we'll as to Congress for au-
thorizing, the publication of the book,
large crowd gathered at the Pres.
byterian church Sunday evening TO
listen to Rev. A. H. Moment. d. D..
discuss the subjects outlined.
The advance notices of the address
were we'll sustained by the Doctor
who spoke with the utmost freedom
and did not pause in the selection of
epithets to hurl at the book, nor At
charges against Congressman who
voted its publication.
Fierce Descriptive Epithets.
"Diabolcal." miserable mutila-
tfon,'' morocco scrap book extra
ordinary ''damnatory." were fire.
auently used by the speaker who de-
livered himself with force of gesturs.
and enunciation that at times becafn~
almost passionate.
He made the deliberate and repeat
ed charge that the book had been is
sued by Congress for the malicious
purpose of giving a stab to the Chris
tan religion and twisted a simlle or
Jefferson's printed in the preface to
sidered all of the Apostles writings
other than the selections clipped by
him as dung hill matter"
The sentence of jefferson referred to
was Il have made this little book
for my own use, by culling verse by
verse out of the printed book and ar
ranged the matter which is evidently
his and which is as easily distin-
guished as diamonds in dung hill.
Which DR.. Moment interpreter
thus: And so the national govern
ment has given its official sanction
to the work of one who declared that
there is dung hill matter in the New
Testament
Another quotation from Jefferson
given in the preface of the book to the
effect that his purpose was to prepare
an Arrangement of the New Testament
for the Indians .'unembarrassed with
matters of fact and of faith beyond
their comprehension was taken ps
the speaker as ground for the state
ment:
And so his was a purpose to Inn
prove on the plan of the inspired
makers of the Bible. namely to give
the Indians gospel with all matters
of fact and faith expurgated What.
think you. remains in the New Tesla
ment when its facts and faith are
taken out?'
yond their comprehension DR.. Mo-
ment repeatedly referred to the JEFF
ferson Bible as a compilation from
the New Testament which was de,
void of fact or faith
Spurious and Vile
DR.. Moment also took occasion TO
intimate that the omission from the
Life and Morals of Jesus" of the Inn
maculate conception. the resurrection
and other matters of faith as dis
tinguished from the construction or d
code of morals from the precepts OF
the life and teachings of Jesus was
equivalent to the declaration that its
famous author rejected as spurious
eighty things which the evangelists re-
corded as the product of Christ's
speech and wonder-Working power
Speaking of the publication of the
book the speaker said that THE gov
eminent has no more right TO put Il
book of vile influence in the hands OF
the people than mother has to put
such in her daughters hands" He
attacked the book as "fractionalizing
the gospel and from this deduced thai
it called the .inspired men of God
ignorant frauds this being basei
upon the quotation from Jefferson that
he had made for his own use extracts
from the evangelists of the texts or
Jesus morals selecting those only
whose style and spirit proved them
genuine and his own"
Stripped of epithet and denuncia-
ton the argument of DR.. Moment was
that, being Il prominent and infiuentid;
man. the publication of the Morals
OF Jesus which consists of clippings
which do not refer to the resurrection
and other matters of faith. tended in
its omissions to create Il spirit OF