Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1915-01-28
WHENCE CAME
THE BIBLE?

am glad 20 see that the we'll known
broad -mindedness of the News extend.
even to giving hearing to the catho.
lies. For my part, do not see why
they should not have the same right
as otbeis to fair play. 1t is my wish
to add something more that seems to
me to be in their favor. | trust nc
one will dub mo Romanist or papist
| just because / cite few truths in fav.
or of catholics. Surely Protestants
have little to gain by misrepresenting
or even suppressing the truth, though
it may in some instances tell more
strongly on the catholic side. Yet /
must confess, and l do not think the
confession will be disputed, that such
misrepresentation and suppression
have been resorted to at times.
l believe moreover, that If one is to
| write about the catholic doctrines.
even to assail them, the proper proceed
ure is to find out from authentic
sources just what those doctrines are.
Otherwise one is very likely to put
himself in the ridiculous position Of
lighting straw man If I.wished to
combat Methodist doctrine | should
read Methodist books or inquire about
it diligently OF some one we'll versad
in Methodist doctrine If | wished to
dispute Baptist doctrine / should go to
informed Baptists or to Baptists books
II anyone came to me and INQUIRED
about "Campbellite'' belief | should
refer him to "The Gospel Plan of Sal
walton" or to some "Campbellite"
better posted than on the tenets of
this church. So if one is to write
about catholic doctrines the proper
thing is 20 procure information from
catholic sources. 1t has been remark
cd. however, and believe with some
truth, that II person once lets him
self understand the catholic doctrines,
hs runs the risk Of being strongly at
tracted by them. Yet, without think
Ing much of this danger, l have, when
not occupied with household duties,
undertaken little study Of catholic
beliefs
l must acknowledge the catholics
have some pretty strong points in their
favor, and I will by no means promise
a satisfactory answer from the protes-
tant standpoint to all the questions
my Investigations have presented to
me. will merely give some of them
and leave to Aunt Belle" "Uncle
Tom," aud other aunts and uncles, the
task, easy for them, no doubt, of an
swering
l will begin with what is called the
Canon OF Scriptures, parti cularly that
OF the New Testament. Needless to
say, l cannot go extensively in O the
subject as that would involve my
writing a book and would require
vastly more learning than have at
my command. How did we get the
books of the New TESTAMENT How
distinguish them from other ancient
books that have come down to usY It
has been some time since the Scrip |
lures we're written. How have they |
been transmitted to usY Can we have
any assurance we have the right books
Is there any certainty that none of the
real Scriptures have been left out
These questions are Of tremendous i'm
portance Have we not read from our
youth bow Luther, breaking with the
dead and corrupting superstitions of
the past. set up the Holy Scriptures,
the pure Word Of God, as the light
hat never fails' 1t Is important then
'or us to know how this present COL
ection came to be made.
The New Testament books we're
written and circulated one at time ,
They we're written, some to individ-
rails. others to particular congrega-
ions, and but very few at the most to 7
he whole Church. Only gradually !:
we're they collected But, while the
looks now accepted as Scripture were I
irculating, there we're other books ,
With equally or mora venerable names
ttached to them circulating and In {
ONE places accepted as Scripture, ,
,hi1e some of our present books we're
isputed For instance, there was q
ook attributed to man named
lark. never called an Apostle, and
vo to certain Luke who also was t
OF an Apostle At the same time
lere was book by Barnabas, often
allied an Apostle, and another by 4
lement whose name, Paul tells us, is =,
ritten in the book of life. These two u
tier books were in some places &C a
pied as inspired Scripture. Thele
ere also Gospel of Peter and Cos .
il of Thomas, and many others. l
For both these reasons there were :.
eat differences of opinion among !,
1ristians regarding which were the Il
ne books of Holy Scripture And n
ese differences we're not confined to
Q ordinary uneducated people, but p
tended to the most learned men of r
o time. Origen. very learned pres :.
ter of Alexandria in Egypt, accept u
as Scripture the Epistle of Barna- re
10, book called the Didsche, and -,
10 known as the shepherd Of Her III
as" But he states that these to- h;
Their with Hebrews, ii Peter, III and
I John, James and Jude we're ques-
med by many. Cyprian, learned
shop of Africa, did not receive
mes. Peter and Jude. Eusebius,
eat church historian, did not re- pl
i've Revelations. These were all on
tholic writers. Among other denom- be
atoms there were still greater diver tn
ncies. tn
The differences, as far as the cathol- tn
were concerned, continued until
3 year aS2. In that year a synod or ST
nncil, was called, in which it was o.
cided that the list of books as we up
We them now In the New Testament IN
the correct one. That decision was 10
comparatively short space of time VI
,epted thl oughout the whole cathol- ~ ~,
world. The Council above mention rS'
was held at Rome by the catholic H.
pc but it was not General Coun "a,
The decision arrived at in this ~
uncil was not made binding upon T
Christendom, but the people of va .
MS provinces adopted it following
. v,ln - Dnv,,n Thia H~SoAt