Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-06
SCRIPTURE HISTORY.

ING endeavprs 10 explain the chief
doctrines laugh, by the inspired au-
thors. 1t is intended for missionary
work among the Latter-day Saints
specially. and that Is the reason why
y passing notice Of 1t may be offered
In these columns.
The pamphlet contains much that is
good, but this is nearly spoiled by the
unfairness with winch historical facts
are related, for controversial PURPOSES.
For instance, the author claims that
God by His Spirit led His people 10
understand from the outset what writ
sngs were sacrcu. or divincly inspired,
and that the church councils only had
to declare pnoncly the results already
reached by tho divine method. The
councils did not have to vote on the
Eenuneness or Authenticity Of the rec
ords. This assertion Is made in or
der 10 head off the acceptance of other
records than those commonly regarded
IS sacred. But Is II true? is not
statement. so much at variance with
history. rather dangerous? ny such un-
supported representations Orthodox
theoosians only aid the cause of skep-
ticism,
The ndisputabie fact ls that the
Rlh,e rs ,eo po,,, have n ,s eli -nd,s
norLs n,as ,hn ros,,,t oc oro,,,h 80
dsve,onr,snt oxtar,,re ovor NAM.
years Ana tho G,.t cont,,ries wore
,narked With , ,raot doai ~ ,,ncer-
SANITY and aiscussion pnI, arter
"a. a,s, ,u,o con,r,sas 4, soor,s dta
IN. nccoeeitv M catalor,,c NJ
sacred hooks become urgent ana
hotween tho vears aoo and ano
a, least a,tann su,b catalogues
were nnbtsboa rhrae Of those
omit tho hook NJ Revelation. ono onits
flames . Peter John and Hebrews.
that of origcn ornlts lanes and Jude.
Eusehius merely mar,,s James and
Jude . peter . and Jobp ana pavo.
Iation as doubted by some. Philastrius
pmits Hebrews and Revelation. Whence
this discrepancy. If there could have
been no doubt as TO which books were
divine. and which we're not? Even
as late as the Laodicsean council in the
fourth century. the Revelation was
omitted from the list of books then
called oanonical.
The attitude of the early Fathers is
very instructive in regard TO the aues-
ton under consideration. Luke makes
At clear that many gospels had been
written. besides the four and the Faith
ers apnear 10 onote from them AS well
ss from, tho fo,r Ienatius for in
stance quotes as Scripture: Handle me
and see that 1 am not an incorporeal
dse,non." a saving not in the Bible.
where did he find II? Clement of Rome
distinguishes between the Scriptures
and the latter writings; for. when he
quotes the Old Testament he saws
..rhus II ls WRITTEN but when he
quotes from Christian writer's, he says.
LET us be mindful of the words of the
Lord"
We give due weight to the testimony
OF the early ecclesiastical writer's on the
question of the canon. but we do not
forget that that question was not set
lied till centuries after the books were
written. To affirm with certainty that
40 book was left out, that could claim
apostolic authorship, Is to assert what
cannot now be proved. The prelates
who lived say -four hundred years after
Christ We're not infalllblc Judges, or
witnesses, even when they met In coun-
ell. This can be proved,
Clement OF Alexandria, says Eusoblus
quoted as Scripture, books that were
disputed, such as the Wisdom OF Solo
mon, Jesus the Son of Syraeh, the Epis.
lie TO the Hebrews, Barnabas, Clement,
and Jude. Here is u strange mixture
which shows that neither the great
AleSandrian nor Eusebps knew what
Abe Bible really was. Justin Martyr
selaies that "a great light shone round
Christ when he was baptized" lie
either quoted from a book now mot
known or from tradition. The EpIsro
Of Clement TO the Corinthians was read
publicly, AS We're the Pauline eplstles
The shanhsrd az tIar,r,s q, .h,, ,,,ot,,.,,,
~ ~ ''''''''
put OF leNel win the Apostolic writ
tngs, when he says. "Dhinely there
fore Tint mower which snnal.s IA Hon.
49, h,, pH,,o,,,,,.,, -. .,,,, e.
~ '''N''"'p'' N'NH' ihe Hhep-
hfrn' also Tue Angel OF Repentance,
speaks 10 Hermas concerning false pro.
phets Clement quotes Matthias as