The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-09-22


favor now as if you never had sim
ned" These are words from one of
AMERICAS most eminent divines, viz.
DR.. Talmage. Would such doctrines
be calculated to constrain acts of
viciousness, lawlessness, crime?
Since this hope, this pardon is ex-
tended to the most vile and vicious;
even through as black and stepped
in crime as an Egyptian night; yet
this pardon that makes clearer than
crystal that makes whittier than
snow. If such be true what is the
need of being good? The shady
handling of church finance by some
of the pillars of the church is con-
doned through this doctrine of pardon.
Is it possible to SOW the seed of
crime and gather the fruits of happi-
ness? If we can fill the garden of
our lives with stone thorns and
thistles and gather wheat and grapes
and figs, the labor of planting and
cultivating good is wasted. Why not
spend our lives sowing wild oats
We wish to destroy this doctrine of
pardon, for it is Infamous.
Every act of cruelty must have its
effect; so every act of dishonesty
every crime against humanity, every
violation of the laws of nature. In
fact every cause must have it's eff
feet; and every effect must have its
cause. A husband and father is on
his way home from work with his
weeks salary; behind him creeps an
Iassin-he is slain and robbed. Wait
ing for him at home is a wife sur
rounded by six children. The murderer
is captured tried and condemned to
die. He has many weeks to repent,
receive this holy pardon, which he
accepts. On the day of execution
solemnly exhorts his hearers to meet
him in heaven, and bids them good
by with a smile upon his lips.
Through years the widow and six lit
tie orphans suffer every privation.
Such doctrine as this is not calculated
to make men good. That a woman
can live a wayward and dissolute
life, and the end be as pure as snow;
is doctrine too monstrous to be &C.
cepted.
This doctrine will not constrain the
actions Of profigate husbands and
wanton wives. This doctrine does not
restrain wayward sons and reckless
daughters. 1t is not the doctrine to
instill purity. Let us make for those
things that truly promote happiness.
Our efforts should be to instill hon
esty and projriety.
We will again observe a few facts
connected with that book of books
from whence came this doctrine of
forgiveness. A few facts not general
ly known. The Bible was not printed
in the principal languages of Europe
until the fifteenth century. There
were several kinds of these Bibles
Luther's, The bort, King James,
Genevan, French, Danish and Swed-
ish. "Most of these Bibles differed
from each other, and gave rise to in
finite disputes and crimes without
number"
The first Bible was printed in Eng
land in 1888. The first English Bible
was printed and divided into verses
in 1860. "The Bible was revised I'M
der Henry VIII again under Queen
Elizabeth, and once again under King
James. King James version was pub
lished in 1911 and is the one now in
general USE" The manuscripts of the
Old Testament were not alike, and
the Greek version differed from the
Hebrew, and there was no absolutely
received text of the Old Testament
until after the commencement of the
Christian era. Marks and points to
denote vowels were invented probably
about the seventh century after
Christ. Whether these vowels were
put in the proper places or not is
still an open question" The early
CHRISTIAN Churches adopted the Aler-
andrian version of the Old Tesla
ment known as the Septuagint. This
was translation by seventy learned
Jews about two hundred years before
Christ. So many errors were found
in this translation that several new
versions appeared.
These new versions differed some
what from the Hebrew manuscripts,
from the Septuagint, and from each
other. There are several books that
are lost from the Bible viz; Ahijah,
lido, Jasher, Jehu, Nathan, and Say
ing of the Seers. Book of Enoch,
Book Of Samuel, Book of Cad and
others. These books are cited by
writer's of the Bible. Leaving the Old
Testament and coming to New, many
authorities on the Bible claim that |
rertullian, at the beginning of the
bird century was the first to use
he term New Testament. There is
10 certainty as to the authority of I
he four Gospels. -
1t has been demonstrated that Mat
hew, Mark, Luke, and John are not
he authors of the books bearing
heir names. There are things re-
erred to in the book of Matthew that
lappened several years after the book