that God by patient endurance, 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, so far from that being a natural growth of Jewish nature, it has roused, for nineteen hundred years, the undying animosity of the nation. The Messiah though, as Christians think, plainly prophecied of, shocked all their prejudices, and so evoked their fierce indignation that they crucified Him. It is not possible that the Jews should be able or willing to paint such a portrait. Man cannot transcend manhood; cannot, of himself, antedate and realise beforehand the ultimate perfection. Christ, both 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 millennium, not one who has already fixed the admiring gaze of mankind for near two thousand years. Taking Scripture as a whole, so far from being an outgrowth of human reason and philosophy, it 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 a revolution of the Jews' deepest principles. The spontaneous and natural projection from the 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 and 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; and 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 Faith-whether 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 certain other peculiarities in Holy Scripture, of a remarkable and practical character, in which men, for the most part, go astray. The Via Intelligentiæ, the way of understanding 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 effectual way of learning things of a sacred and practical nature; it leads to, and keeps in the right path ignorant men, like the Apostles, though worldly-wise men find the path hard to find and harder to keep. The soul, possessing this rectifying instrument of obedience, soon detects where a fallacy lies; and, as by a touch, discovers 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-then, from this death of self, the believer goes forth, in the power of new life, to obtain higher life. Peculiarities of Holy Scripture. 467 The third point is that union of opposites-wisdom and zeal, moderation and the 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, and casuistical tomes of a thousand secular writers. Go to the Scriptures with robust good sense, moderation and 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," or giving place, "no, not for an hour;" 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 without which is no hope. 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, and 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. These and many other characteristics stimulate the inquiry -whence had unlearned men this wisdom, avoiding the fanaticism of the Jews, the excesses of the Greeks, the indifference of the Romans? The errors of the Huguenots are not found in them, nor the coldness of the Puritans, but a wise 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 and the praise of them that do well. 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 by an intellectual power which has never been surpassed; opposed by an organised worldly policy the like of which has never since been seen; and refused by the very people on whom, in reality, it conferred the greatest honour; it is manifestly the greatest moral power in the world, and the only source whence is derived true knowledge of God. 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: we shall not prevail with them, unless we win our way into the conviction of the intellect, and into the affection of the 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." 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 separ ated from mankind: to whom, nevertheless, it gave a sense of the one undivided race of man. In themselves, anything 1 "The Bible and its Critics," p. 13: Rev. Edward Garbett. 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 spiritual and prophetic power during 1,000 years, which has nothing like it in the world's history forty different authors, sixty-six different books, proclaim a Divine life in man, and that the Redeemer was to come of the Jewish flesh to make all other flesh akin. These men 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, and reveal the future by declaring the establishment of a Divine universal kingdom. Then comes the New Testament, "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;"" but, as if to show that the Gospel was not an evolution wrought by the world's wisdom, Peter, James and John, not philosophers but fishermen, went forth to teach the world. They were not endued with the wisdom of the time, not experienced in the ways of the world, not acquainted with any scientific, physical, theological, moral or social theories; they had been taught by one Jesus. L Pass from the men to the Books. The Books, whether old or new, are in order as to timebeing coherent with the circumstances of their date, and as to matter, congruous. Everything has due place in the successive steps of one indivisible yet exceedingly variable history; and in every part are symbols, allusions, prophecies, showing that the whole was seen from the beginning. The predictions concerning our Lord's nature, and work, and suffering, are not fewer than one hundred and nine;2 taken from nine and twenty books. There is no merely human development of doctrine, for-notwithstanding a progressive unfolding of the Divine scheme-the unity of a personal God, "Foundations of Religion :" Sir John Barnard Byles. 2 Classified in "Simpson's Plea for Religion." |