24 THE BIBLE AND THE BISHOP. sun to rise, or the stars falling from heaven." And, lastly, he says- That it is perfectly consistent with sincere belief in our Lord's divinity, to hold, as many do, that when he became a son of man, he took our nature fully, and voluntarily entered into all the conditions of humanity, and among others, into that which makes our growth in all ordinary knowledge gradual and limited. We are expressly told that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature. It is not supposed that in his human nature he was acquainted, more than any educated Jew of his age, with the mysteries of all modern sciences; nor can it be seriously maintained that as an infant or young child, he possessed a knowledge surpassing that of most of the pious and learned adults of his nation, upon the subject of the authorship and age of the different portions of the Pentateuch. At what period, then, of his life upon earth is it to be supposed that he had granted to him, as the Son of Man, supernaturally, full and accurate information on these points, so that he should be expected to speak about the Pentateuch in any other terms than any other devout Jew of that day would have employed? Why should it be thought that he would speak with certain divine knowledge on this matter, more than upon other matters of science or history?" This, to us, seems both blasphemy against the Son of God and foolishness. Why are we to infer that because it was said of Jesus in his boyhood, and when he had not received the Holy Ghost, that he grew in wisdom, that therefore after he had received the Spirit without measure he would know no more about the Pentateuch than any other devout Jew? We dare not speak thus of the least of his Apostles, for the Holy Spirit was to lead them into all truth, and shew them things to come. Though it is not supposed that they were to be made acquainted with all scientific truth, yet in regard to all that they had occasion to teach divine guidance was vouchsafed. And shall he who promised the heavenly guide, and who shed forth the Holy Spirit, himself blunder concerning those Scriptures which are given as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path! The Bishop insists that thus to connect the Pentateuch and Christ "is, in Harbinger, Jan. 1, '63. deed, to bring the sacred ark itself into the battle-field." But they are inseparable, and therefore he it is who places the ark not merely in the field of conflict, but really in the camp-of the Philistines. But it will be brought up again, as its ancient type was, and with it the holy books will be preserved in the temple of God. What, then, do we claim for the Bible? Is it an inspired book? Properly speaking, there are no inspired books. Inspiration is not predicated of books, but of men. The books are not inspired, the men who wrote them were. Holy men of God spake and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. They were inspired to write for men, in the language of men-and therefore, were they now writing and alluding to the earth's changes in regard to the sun, they would write of the sun-rising and sun-setting, it being no part of their work to correct our modes of speech, but only to communicate religous truth. We, therefore, look not for scientific accuracy. But when they enter upon the region of history for the purpose of unfolding God's dealings with a people who were types of uswhen they tell us that the sea was divided and the tabernacle erected in the wilderness when they describe the wonderful workings of God in Egypt and in the sea, we are bound to hold to the historical verity of the books, or give up the whole as a fable and a lie. In the English Bible we have errors of translation, in the Hebrew manuscripts errors of transcription the perfect originals penned by Moses and the prophets are not preserved. We have but copies of copies of copies for we know not how many generations of copies, and though there has been a preserving Providence, no miracle has been wrought to secure accurate transcription. Still, whatever deviations have in this way arisen, they affect not the character of the originals. The Bible as we have it is laden with ample evidence of its historical truthfulness, so that faith can rest secure, Oxford essayists and mistaken bishops notwithstanding. In conclusion, we may say that Dr. Colenso has given little or nothing new. He admits that his arguments have been published in Germany, and replied to by men of might, including Harbinger, Jan. 1, '63. HOW TO EVANGELIZE. Hengstenburg, Hävernick, Kurtz, and others. 25 when they have passed under notice we intend to advance into the enemy's province, in order to complete his discomfiture by the presentation of ample proof that the Pentateuch and the Book of Joshua are records penned by inspired men, and therefore historically true. Our intended sections may be headed The Bishop's Arguments weighed and found wanting-Evidence beyond the Bible-The Record of preAdamite Events-The Prophetic-The bondage, exodus, tabernacle, &c. as types-The Conclusion. | The Number of the Priests at the Exodus compared with their duties - The The book consists of chapters entitled Priests and their Duties at the Passover -Introductory Remarks-The Family The War on Midian Concluding of Judah--The Explanations of Exposi- Remarks. To these thirty-three chaptors--The Size of the Court of the Ta-ters we hope to pay fair attention, and bernacle compared with the Number of the Congregation-Moses and Joshua addressing all Israel The Extent of the Camp, compared with the Priest's Duties and the Daily Necessities of the People The Number of the People at the first muster, compared with the poll-tax raised six months previously The Israelites Dwelling in Tents-The Israelites Armed The Institution of the Passover-The March out of Egypt -The Sheep and Cattle in the Desert -The Number of Israelites compared with the Land of Canaan-The Number of the First-Born compared with the Number of Male Adults- The Sojourning of the Israelites in EgyptThe Exodus in the Fourth Generation -The Number of the Israelites at the time of the Exodus-The Danites and Levites-Reply to Kurtz and others Having in the above said as much as may be requisite upon the Bishop's Introductory we hope, on the first day of the next month to pay our devoirs to the family of Judah as he has been pleased to present them. D. K. HOW TO EVANGELIZE. If you want to build a Church for the people permanently and profitably, in a large place or in a small place, send a working man there-one that moves in society and through the world, around all corners and at all points; one that speaks to every man, and labors for every man, gentle toward all men, and patient under all abuses: one that understands the logic of prepositions. My specific would be to choose a man with a large heart, of simple but cultivated manners, full of energy and fire, (not hell fire,) more remarkable for kindness of heart than for sparkling wit, and more admired for his geniality of temperament than idolized for his placid porfundities. Place him right down among the people. Let him shove out to the extreme limit of fallen humanity, and make that the base of his operations, which in turn also will soon become the basis of supplies; and let him give the people the Bible, educate them, elevate them, free them by the truth of God, and spiritualize them; and by this means your missionary can wedge himself through every circle of society, until he reaches even the power behind the throne. I would note here, in pass ing, that while it is an axiomatic truth that individual reformation is centrifugal-proceeding from the heart, it would seem that the reformation of the crude mass is centripetal-moving by concentric circles toward the heart. And this idea is further intensified and illustrated by the parable of the King's son who made a feast. The invitation was thrown out to the lords, then to merchants and stockholders, then to fashionable people and pleasure-seekers, and last of all to stragglers wandering among hedges and on the highway. Here among the rustics the work of revolution began, and by gradual paces counter-marched the same road, until it leaped into the very palace of Cæsar himself. This walking out where there is plenty of room is what gives leverage to the Church. Archimedes, of ancient renown, boasted to his friends that if he could find space enough for a lever he could tilt over the earth. If the missionary will take the Bible for his lever, and the hearts of the people for his fulcrum, he will soon find ample space wherein to heave up the elements of the moral world and of the social fabric. Let this missionary make himself an example of good works and fidelity, of self-denial and courage, and besides the conversion of the "baser sort," many of the "noble" born and bred will follow in the wake. The light of the sun descends to the lower earth before it is reflected, and blesses mankind in a material point of view. So, too, the light of the Sun of Righteousness must pass through a refracting medium, and descend to the lowest circles of society, before God will choose to reflect his image and bless mankind in a spiritual point of view. I will tell you in advance what a true missionary man will do. He will get acquainted with the people, and bring himself down on a parallel with their understandings. He will notice all castes of society, as becomes an humble Christian gentleman. He will talk with the poor man in his round of daily toil; he will obtrude himself into the shops of mechanics and find business men there; he will preach small sermons upon the corners of the streets, and avoid all questions that gender strife; he will speak kind and gentle words to passing boys and girls, and make them the objects of his solicitude; he will carry food to the sick and suffering in the poor man's house, and point out to philanthropists the humble huts of the widows and fatherless; he will delight to "strengthen the hands of the poor and Harbinger, Jan. 1, '63. needy"; and to lift up the desponding and give them assurance of a brighter day; and to inspire hope and courage in the fearful, and tell the timid they may be men; he will correct the erring, and rebuke the ungodly, and speaking the truth in love, will indicate the ways of peace and pardon, and weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn. If, with all these indispensable powers and qualifications, he can weave in the graces and accomplishments of oratory, and embellish by a knowledge of science and history, so much the better. But he must know that after having delivered a thousand of the most diversified and brilliant discourses, he must still preach a thousand more little ones to people in their own quiet homes, and explain, and illustrate and enforce there, around the humble hearthstone, and find access to hearts, in a way and style, that with all his pulpit tactics and flourishes, he can never attain to on the public rostrum. Just at this point is where scores of preachers fail. They study books more than mensearch into ancient lore more than into the hearts of the people-scan poetry more than the passing events of the day-visit palaces of art oftener than the "cheerless hut of poverty"-seek the scenes of hilarity more than the bedsides of the sick and the dying. J. F. ROWE. Harbinger, Jan. 1, '63. FAITH AND INFIDELITY. In mystery and power so safely led, Buy gold, frankincense, myrrh-and bow the head, Our planet shall not be a wandering hell, The devil's kingdom feels the rending blow- Christ is born. 27 FAITH AND INFIDELITY. "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest" (Acts viii. 37.) 'For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Romans x. 10.) NO. I.-FAITH. THERE is, perhaps, no truth more fully illustrated in the whole Bible than that God requires every man who hears the gospel to do something as a test of his loyalty, and as a condition of his enjoying that salvation which Christ has purchased with his own blood. Almost every page of the Living Oracles contains some precept that is to be obeyed, in order to the enjoyment of some blessing that is promised. Even in Eden Adam was required to abstain from the Tree of Knowledge, as a condition of his having free and continued access to the Tree of Life. So, too, were the Israelites in the wilderness required to be obedient in all things, as a condition of their entering into the promised land. And in like manner Christ offers rest to all who are weary and heavy laden, on condition that they come to him, take his yoke upon them, and continue to learn of him. What these terms and conditions of enjoyment are, On can, of course, be learned only from the Holy Bible. It is the only revelation that God has ever made to man on the subject of his salvation from sin. this point Nature is perfect blank, and all human philosophy is as silent as the grave. And hence it follows, that to the Bible, and to the Bible alone, we must ever look for all terms and conditions on which life and immortality have been offered to guilty man. Some of these are, in their nature and character, positive- that is, they depend wholly on God's legislative appointment, and may therefore be changed by Divine authority according to circumstances. The offering of bloody sacrifices, for example, was for many years made the duty of every patriarch. He was required to offer frequently bleeding victims, both for himself and for his family. But the law of Moses restricted this privilege to the house of Aaron. None but the priests, under the Sinaic covenant, could lawfully officiate at the altar (Num. iii. 28 FAITH AND INFIDELITY. 10, and xviii. 3.) And since the coming of the Messiah, the legal custom of of fering animal sacrifices has been wholly abolished. Spiritual sacrifices are the only kind that are now required (1 Pet. ii. 5.) But other conditions, again, are immutable. Founded as they are in the nature of things, and in the moral relations of man to his Creator, they are essentially the same in all ages and under all circumstances. Faith is one of these conditions. It has always been required as a condition and means of salvation. It was required in the Patriarchal age, it was required in the Jewish age, and it is required in the Christian age. And so it ever must and it ever will be required. "For he that cometh to God," says Paul, "must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb. xi. 6.) But it is important to observe just here, that God never requires of any man what is impossible. If he requires us to behold his glory in the firmament, it is because he has given to us both light and the powers of vision. If he requires us to hearken to the sweet melodies of Nature, it is because he has given us an atmosphere to conduct sound to our ears, and auditory nerves to communicate it to the sensorium. And just so if he requires us to believe, it is because he has endowed us with the necessary faculties, and given us at the same time the most reliable and indubitable testimony. This is a matter which Christ himself places beyond all doubt. In speaking of his rejection by the Jews he says, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now," he adds, "they have no cloak for their sin" (John xv. 24.) And again he says, "If I had not done among them the works which no other man did, they had not had sin; but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father" (John xv. 24.) The first thing, then, that God requires of every man who believes the gospel, is evidently to study it, and to weigh well the evidences of its Divine authenticity. It is here that every successful attempt at reformation must begin; for without testimony there is no faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God in anything-" for whatever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. xiv. 23.) Harbinger, Jan. 1, '63. We cannot, then, study the Bible too diligently. We cannot too earnestly impress it on the tender minds and hearts of the rising generation. We cannot sacrifice too much in our efforts to send it to the benighted nations of the earth--to those that are perishing through the ignorance that is in them. It is the germ of immortality, which, when planted in the soul, buds, and blossoms, and brings forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness and of love. I wish, however, to say here very emphatically, that something more than the mere study of God's Word, is essential to the perfection and consummation of our faith. A man may read his Bible more or less every day, and he may study with much care and logical precision the varied and multiplied evidences of its genuineness, its authenticity, its integrity, and its inspiration; and still he may come far short of the faith that the gospel requires. For as the Spirit itself testifies, "It is with the heart that man believeth unto righteousness." It is not my purpose to give in this essay an analysis of the powers and susceptibilities of the human mind, nor to go into a logical or metaphysical disquisition respecting the intellect and the heart of man. This is not necessary for my present purpose. My readers, no doubt, all sufficiently understand this matter. They know that it belongs to the intellect to think, and to the heart to feel. They know that the former is the seat of perception, memory, imagination, and reason; and that the latter is the seat of the emotions, the affections, and the desires. They know, moreover, that these two faculties of the mind do not always act in concert and harmony with each otherthat the intellect, for example, is often exercised on one object, while the heart is firmly fixed on something else. Of this all are conscious. And many, at least, are also conscious that this distraction of mind occurs more frequently on the subject of religion than on any thing else. God has so multiplied the evidences of Christianity, that a man in this country might about as well attempt to shut out the light of the sun from his eyes, as to shut out the light of the gospel from his understanding. These evidences are seen in the Bible itself-they are seen in profane history |