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Bible not Invented nor Evolved.

489 false, one long libel; telling them that they are a "perverse and stiff-necked generation," refusing alike warning and reformation till they become a "hissing and a by-word among the nations;" nevertheless, as Pascal says, "they preserve it at the expense of their life." It is certain that they could not have invented it; not in barbarian, nor Jewish, nor Greek, nor Roman nature, do we discover elements out of which the Bible Religion could have been spontaneously evolved as a growth of national genius and culture; or as an ideally conceived deliberate fiction; or as an aggregation of myth and legend. What we do discover is a plain statement that human nature, far from being able of itself to erect a kingdom of immortal glory, is ever going down to mouldering rubbish, to utter and perpetual desolation, forgetting to take God into account at all; but that God, by patient endurance of human folly, by merciful forgiveness of sin, by propounding a holy law to work beautiful humility and desire after holiness, prepares men for a reign of righteousness. We hear as it were a sound, not from halls of philosophy, not from prince's palace, not from intrigues of statesmen; the sound as of ocean on distant shore, and a sweet strange melody of men and angels concerning issues of an invisible spiritual empire.

As to Christianity, far from being a natural growth of Jewish nature, it has roused, for nineteen hundred years, the undying animosity of that race. The Messiah, though, as Christians think, plainly prophesied of, shocked their national prejudices, wrecked their hope of martial dominion, and so evoked fierce indignation that they crucified Him. The few, however, who knew Him best, accepted Him, made Him known to the nations, and were the faithful, wise expositors of His will. They painted no fancy portrait, but a true likeness, showed how the man, Christ, transcended manhood and in Himself antedated and realised beforchand the ultimate perfection of our race. Christ, in personal character and in the essence of His teaching, is perfection: clearly beyond the plane of unaided human nature-a phenomenon to be expected, if evolution be true, in the future, not one who has

1 66 Cependant, ce livre qui les déshonore en tant de façons, ils le conserve aux dépens de leur vie."-Pensées, tom. ii. p. 189.

already for two thousand years fixed the admiring gaze of mankind.

Scripture, as a whole, far from being an outgrowth of human reason and philosophy, is well-nigh for ever in opposition to the wisdom of the world. Moreover, the antiquity of the writings places them at an earlier age than any in which such an evolution was possible. If the writings are not ancient and genuine, but modern and forgeries, how and when were they palmed on the nation as true? It must have been so cleverly done that not a murmur of complaint has come down to us; not only so, the conception of such a Messiah as Christ was antagonistic to the Jews' deepest prejudices and principles. The spontaneous and natural projection by Jewish mind of a Messiah, whose humble origin and condition, character, teaching, and ignominious death, have ever made Him an object of hatred to the race, is incredible and impossible. The only allegiance, moreover, which this Messiah accepts is a voluntary one, founded on the love of truth, the practice of piety, the exhibition of holiness; yet, He claims universal empire; and predicts His own supreme rule over heart and mind and will throughout the world. In connection with, and a means of winning, such wide domain, is an intense spirit of proselytism: the gospel must be proclaimed "to all nations under heaven," and preached "to every creature:" nevertheless, no sword must smite, no violence compel, no persecution hurt opponents; every victory must be gained by truth, graced by purity, illumined by love. The rights of conscience are held sacred, and the principle of toleration is consecrated. Such a system, to the Jews, a paradox; to the Gentiles, contemptible; to the natural tendencies of our race, contrary; could neither originate nor continue unless by superhuman illumination and power. The genius of man, the wisdom of man, the civilisation of man, whenever departing from this Faithwhether for esoteric mysteries, or rationalistic interpretations -have overshadowed and blighted doctrine and morality. Investigation confirms the affirmation-" the Bible is not such a book as man would make, if he could; or could make, if he would."

There are other peculiarities in Holy Scripture, of a remark

Peculiarities of Holy Scripture.

491

able and practical character, in which men, for the most part, go astray.

The way of understanding the Book, is-"He that doeth the will of God shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God." This one simple rule is the surest method of advancing in the knowledge of Divine Truth; and, indeed, the only way of learning things of a sacred and practical nature. It leads to, and keeps in the right path, true-hearted men, like the Apostles, though to worldly wise men the path is hard to find and harder to keep. The soul, possessing this rectifying instrument of obedience, detects where a fallacy lies; and, as by a touch, discerns between the living and the dead.

A second peculiarity is, that while an unspiritual man works that he may justify himself and win merit; Scripture requires that utter abnegation of self which leads a man to rely wholly on God for power whether to think or do-from this death of self, the believer goes forth, in the power of new life, to obtain higher life.

The third peculiarity is that union of opposites-wisdom and zeal, moderation and wonderfully comprehensive morality, which, though free from minute rules, actually governs heart and mind, word and deed. A few striking, and some think absurd, precepts-"pluck out even a right eye . . . give to him that asketh . . . love your enemies. . . do to others as ye would that they should do unto you"-bring more riches out of the Treasury of God than do the cases, judgments, casuistical tomes, of a thousand secular writers. Go to the Scriptures with robust good sense, moderation, charity; or go in a child-like spirit; and you have light to walk by, and strength to walk. As to "becoming all things to all men;" the manifestation of liberty and comprehensiveness of charity for "the weak brother," yet maintenance of that "unity of spirit" which produces highest uniformity; these directions assign the crown and glory of religion to Love, yet exalt Faith.

The fourth peculiarity is the skill with which social and political rocks are avoided. Principles are laid down which purify society, and ultimately ensure upright government; being first efficacious for the individual, afterwards for the

mass; but the fanaticism of the Jews, the hatred of heretics, the passions of men inflammable as tinder concerning vicious social customs and political institutions, are not kindled into a flame; while social rights are vindicated, and limitations set to political power, by the gradual formation of enlightened opinion.

Whence had unlearned men this wisdom, avoiding the fanaticism of the Jews, the excesses of the Greeks, the violence of the Romans, yet possessed with burning enthusiasm? Enthusiasm, effecting a greater revolution in the world than ever before had been effected; and with such moderation, sagacious control, sober firmness, that the precepts are evermore a terror to evil-doers, a wonder to the wise, the praise of them that do well? There is but one answer-from the Almighty by Inspiration.

The New Testament was not written in Attic, but common Greek. There are quaint idioms; scholars detect Syriac, Hebrew, and Chaldee ruggedness; but, despite these, a purity and grace all its own, have won a name and place in the forefront of the world's literature. Argued against, when carried into Greece, by an intellectual power which has never been surpassed; opposed, when preached in the Roman Empire, by an organised worldly policy the like of which has never since been seen; refused by the very people on whom, in reality, it conferred the greatest honour; it is now the greatest moral power in the world, and the only source whence we derive definite knowledge of the Divine Person, of the resurrection, of judgment to come, of immortality. We unflinchingly, therefore, adopt these words-" The Scriptures do not depend for their existence, or their obligation, on the contingency of human belief, but on the infallibility of a Divine revelation. They do not exist because they are believed, but because of the eternal truth of that which they reveal."1

The truths are objective-true before they are believed, and true even after faith in them is lost. They are subjective also their influence being the result of immediate operation by the Holy Ghost on the human heart and conscience. This must be remembered in dealing with opponents of Scripture:

"The Bible and its Critics," p. 13: Rev. Edward Garbett.

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we shall not prevail with them, unless we win our way into the conviction of their intellect, and into the affection of their will. We are also to bear in mind a fearful truth-"When with the Bible in her hand, and Jesus as her archetype, the Rational Conscience is seated on the throne, there will be also revealed worse and worse abominations of superstition and scepticism."1 The two poles of man's nature, belief and unbelief, are acted upon; and, as he wills, there is negation unto utter destruction; or acceptance of that positive truth which gives light and saves life. We all have need to pray"Let Evil die away in night,

And Truth walk forth in joyous light."

View the matter somewhat otherwise.

Holy Scripture had origin amongst a people who were separated from mankind: to whom, nevertheless, it gave a sense of the unity of men. In themselves, anything rather than representative of collective humanity-even now they may be said to dwell alone, their Book explains the tangled aimless movements of nations, and brings into harmony the jarring discords of varied destinies. From Moses to Malachi is a succession of men manifesting spiritual and prophetic power during 1000 years, which has nothing like it in the world's history. They proclaim a Divine life in man, and that the Redeemer was to come of Jewish flesh to make all flesh akin. They had inward perception of Divine things, high spiritual endowment from God, were heroes of moral effort, were gifted with Inspired speech. They illuminate the past with the true doctrine of creation, sanctify and beautify the present with the fact of everlasting Redemption, reveal the future by declaring the establishment of a Divine universal kingdom. Then Christ and the apostles appear-"Not in a barbarous age, but in the most instructed and enlightened age that the world had ever before seen, and perhaps in many respects has since seen;"2 but, as if to show that the gospel was not an evolution wrought by the world's wisdom, Peter, James, John, not philosophers, but fishermen, went forth

1 "God in History," vol. i. p. 14: Bunsen.

"Foundations of Religion:" Sir John Barnard Byles.

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