zotero-db/storage/KTAKIT8X/.zotero-ft-cache

»#. 'mJr* ‘.W W ■V

f iR r A /?* X i X

vnS

1S™*BIBLE lm* HEAVEN?**^
SCIENTIFICALLY
GEOMETRICALLY « * « DEMONSTRATED.
m m sm

IS thbEMT a GLOBE ?

IS T H E
B IB LEFR0MHEAVEN?

IS T H E
EARTH A GLOBE ?

IN T W O R X R T S

D O ES M ODERN S CIEN C E A N D ThJE BIBLE fIGREE ?

-ALSO-
AN ACCURATE CHRONOLOGY OF
ALL PAST TIME,

CONTAINING A
CLASSIFICATION OF ALL THE ECLIPSES FROM

CREATION.

AUTHENTICATED' BY THE BRITISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION

tG F LONPONy -ENGLAND.

-

-

t lu ■' - t- lLI i S E C O N D ' E D IT ION .

REVISED AND E ^L A R G ^ b BV

" “

-fi.1_.E2i.” o -£ ,E -& .s o is r.

BOOK We-. ........ ............

T>1LRIISHFIY -RV
T h e B u ffa lo E l e c t r o t y p e and E n g ra v in g C o ., BUFFALO, N. Y ., U. S. A.

C o p y rig h t, 1890.
By ALEX. GLEASON. .
R e-co p y rig h ted an d R e -w ritte n , R evised a n d E n la rg e d , 1893.
/

i
j XL
r [~\0 that class of citizens who are . known as “ Honest Skeptics,”
and lovers of “ demonstrated truth,” is this revised volume dedicated by the
Author. We assign no m an to oblivion because of a
\
difference of opinion. Let God and His W orks be true, though
they prove all men false.
TXT
*

A
i

HO W many extraordinary changes have w e witnessed in physical, as well as political and scientifical sciences, and in opinions, as also in the individuals w ho have borne a conspicuous, aind deservedly honored part, in the affairs of the civilized w orld during the m em ory of the pioneers o f the present generation ! How important have been the results of the numberless voyages of discovery, revolutions of society, of states and.the wars, which have excited an intense interest during that period: an interest which has been the more constantly kept up, as the facility of communication between all the branches of the great hum an family, w hich seems,, at the same time, to have gone on increasing in proportion to the multitude of events and circumstances; the manifest evidence of which truths are more strange, interesting, and of far more importance to man, than fiction. Anciently, centuries would elapse ere the most important facts could pass the barriers which an imperfect knowledge of the navigation of the ocean caused, or that the diversity of languages be regained, which the Lord in His wisdom confounded at the T ow er of Babel, in the yejir 2217 A. M, or 1782 B. C.

VI

FROM THE PUBLISHERS.

W e can but call the inquiring mind to the rapid strides of art and knowledge of every branch. • For instance: the charac­ ters used in arithmetic, brought into Europe by the Saracens 991 A. D. Algebra introduced into Europe; by the same nationality in 1412 A. D.
The age of Arabic learning lasted about 500 years, and was coeval with the darkest period of the history of Europe.

But., as westward, the sun of science bore its sway, In the Bast, he closes the drama o f their day.

In comparison with the present state of the world, how

small was the theater on which the gods of Grecian fable and

the heroes of Grecian history performed their parts in »

that interesting dram a! During the period of Roman history,

it is true, the field of civilization had become much more en­

larged; but, in our own times, it has extended unto the

remotest bounds of the inhabitable earth. In view of these

considerations, it becomes necessary for every well informed

man, w ho Would keep his relative place during this advance

stage of society, to possess himself of all means of knowledge,

which might have been•dispensed with in former periods;

the knowledge of the different sciences and arts, closely con­

nected as they ever have been, having now more common

bonds of union than in the preceding ages.

"M an y shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be in­

creased. " W hether this running to and fro refers to the rapid

and numerous means of transportation of the people from place

to place, or the increase of knowledge in the sciences, or the

increase of knowledge in reference to those things spoken to

the Prophet Daniel (as some people think, which he was

commanded to close up " a n d seal

even to the time of

the end”); in either case, the fulfilment is manifest. Says

an eminent writer in quoting the Scientific American:

FROM THE PUBLISHERS.

VII

“ W ithin the last fifty years more advancement has been made
in all scientific attainm ents, and more progress in all th at tends
\
to domestic comfort, the rapid transaction of business among
men, and the transmission of intelligence from one to another,

than all that w as done for three thousand years previous put

together. ”

,

In union there is strength, providing always, that in that

union there is harmony. The publishers of this work have not united their efforts
for the purpose of promulgating the doctrinal tenets of any theological denomination, or opinions of any set of m en; but for the primary purpose of giving to the public, such demon­ strated facts, as science from a critical Geodetic and Astro­ nomical standpoint may reveal. Upon the religious views of denominations w e make no attack, but the author and com­ piler is supposed to give only facts, such as bring to light the infallible W ord of God as being in harmony w ith the science of nature, and there leave every man to choose for himself. The writer of this work has spent much time and means in making research, in the scientific archives of other countries, as well as his ow n practical exertions to arrive at facts concerning those things which the masses take for granted, and which things are clung tenaciously to. by some persons who regard a popular error of more value than an unpopular truth.
A great and lasting benefit to the readers of this work will be derived in the study of the chronological w ork as given in this book and authenticated by the “ British Chronological and Astronomical Association,” of London, England. The work consists of a classification of “ All Past T im e ” by cycles of eclipses and transits, from creation to the present date. These are so tabulated and made so plain, that the boy that can read and comprehend the multiplication, table can give the date of

\

VIII

fro m t h e pu b lish er s. ' ,

\ every eclipse, Lunar or Solar, that has transpired since the

w orld b e g a n ; also, all future, on the* sam e principle; and all of

this with the simple knowledge of the first or lower branches

of common arithmetic.

With these considerations we commend this work to the lovers of truth and reform.
PUBLISHERS.

,
1

\

PREFACE.
“ Why I Believe as I Do,” is the Result of T ru th Demonstrated.
NO one will deny that by m aking practical experiments, , and collecting undeniable facts, arranging them logically, and observing the results, will give the investigator the greatest satisfaction. “ An hypothesis,” says W ebster, “ is a supposi­ tion, a proposition, or principle which is supposed, or taken for granted, in order to draw a,conclusion or inference for proof of the point in question—something not proven, but as­ sumed for the purpose of argum ent.” A system* or theory imagined or assumed to account for know n facts or phenom ­ ena. This latter method often leads the truth seeker to sad results and severe disappointments. (The writer speaks from experience in this case.) Therefore, it is the purpose of this work to offer such facts as have been demonstrated, and to that extent that they are beyond a doubt, or cite the reader to the most simple means of demonstrating the propositions. W hilst our purpose is not for the sake of “ argum ent,” but for sake of the truth, w e propose not to exclude all hypothesis, but ask the candid investigator and searcher for truth to give demonstrated and axiomatical (self-evident) facts the pref­ erence.
Again, it cannot be reasonably expected that within the province o f this small w ork, th at the w riter will explain all .the phenomena that may arise to the thinking mind, or meet the

f
\

I

.

'

X

PREFACE.

fancied objections of the caviller. Therefore w e will, in some instances, let one demonstrated fa ct on the point or prime proposition stand as settled, until such a time as the seemingly and known phenomenal objection can be removed or explained by sonrie other cause. As “ truth is no part of a lie,” w e m ay rest assured that the latter must, sooner or later, die, while the former is immortal. Therefore, w e must conclude, and in­ sist, that “ One Demonstrated Fact" is no less the Truth, though there may be a hundred phenomenal existences appar­ ently against it.

“ W h a t is T r u t h ?” “ W h e r e a n d W h a t is t h e S t a n d ­
a r d ?” This is to be the first and prime interrogation of this w ork. If there is no standard, then each and every man is left to the merciless winds of doctrine, blown by every street vender or theological quack. ]There is no book or platform suffi­ cient to contain all of G od’s truth; the “ five senses” are ours to exercise and improve, and while we would not advise inde­ pendence of spirit, let us open our eyes! Be men, “ prove a ll * things; hold fast that which is good.” If there is a divine be­ ing who has given us our senses to act upon, and to judge between right and .wrong, then we are responsible to that being in proportion to w hat he has given us. Having been very skeptical in our early life, and in our experience having found many w ho require demonstrated and infallible proof of whatever they believed, we propose to give that which we require—P r o o f.
R e a d er , T his is t o Y o u . It will be evident to every thoughtful mind, that truth in the abstract (so far as human agencies are concerned), is of tw o opposing natures. In order for you to get the run of my thought, I will say without fear

PREFACE.

XI

of refutation, that there never was a c o u n t e r fe it w it h o u t a genu ine. This is axiomatical and needs no proof.

It shall not be the object of this w ork to promulgate the creeds of men, but such truth as shall prove to be according to that which w e shall, w ithout doubt, find to be the standard, regardless of whatever has been our preconceived opinions. If, in the course of this w ork, w e shall show , th a t there is a God, a Divine ruler and m aker of all things, and that the book w hich w e call the Bible is His will and w ord to you and to all; then do not chide me if I shall depart from the text or title of this w ork to show some of the mistakes of men. The Truth that you and I want, is that which is “ according to righteous­ ness;” not counterfeit. “ God is T ru th .” Jesus said:— “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by m e.” “ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness o f men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.' ' Rom. i : 18.

In order to satisfy ourselves in reference to certain princi­ ples involved, in quotations already advanced, w e shall appeal to history, sacred and profane, and shall use the latter, largely

to prove the former. W e will now ask you to follow us a few pages, while we
examine a few witnesses which w e shall have occasion to use, in case w e find them unimpeachable, and such as all can accept.

In order to do this w ork successfully, let us go to “ The Law and to the Testim ony” (Isa. 8: 20.) and call on som e of the Prophets that have claimed to write, “ not by the will of m an ,” but as “ moved by the Holy G host.” (See II Peter 1: 20, 21.)
Prophecy is history in advance (W ebster), and the longest line of this history in advance, which is given in sum m ary and

\

XII

PREFACE.

detail, having reference to time, i$ found in the book of Daniel

. (Dan. 2: 7, 8, 9). This advance history commenced w ith the

first yniversal Kingdom, w ith Nebuchadnezzar, B. C. 603

ye.ars, and is to terminate w ith the Fifth Universal Kingdom

of God, which is to consume all other Kingdoms and stand

forever, this Kingdom of the most “ High,” with His saints, and

all dominions in honor and obedience.

1

N ow if w e shall find no discrepancy in this history, by going over it carefully, and bringing other witnesses, sacred and profane, from the first date (603 B. C.) to the present, w hat shall w e conclude as to the inspiration and divine infalli­ bility of the witnesses’ testimony? W e will leave you to judge.

W ith these considerations, let us examine the history,

sacred and profane, for a few moments only, and observe the

rise and fall of the four Universal Kingdoms of this earth.

W hen w e have examined these tw o histories, if we shall find

1

9

them to harmonize, then we can no more deny their truthful­

ness, in the prime afiirmation, than we can deny our own ex­

istence.

W e will further add, and frankly confess, that the writer ' is w hat some m ight justly term a religious liberalist; believing
that every man is endowed with a God-given right to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience, providing, , always, that he will allow the Spirit and Word, which always agree, to govern and enlighten his conscience, and without the reception of the two God-given entities; the
*
inner man has not reached the standard that would meet the pleasure of his Maker, and he is therefore amenable to the Creator only.*
W e have heard say, th a t “ All religious tru th is derived

PREFACE.

XHl

from the Bible.” True! W e also r e a d , ‘'E very Scripture is in­
spired of G od.” (II Tim. y 16, N .V .) “ W ith o u t Faith it is
i
impossible to please God.”

But when fanatic zeal to man is wedded fast, To some dear falsehood he clings at last.

And yet, unreasonable men will charge th e Bible w ith all the false doctrines the world contains.

I
CONTENTS
\\

PREFACE.

From the Publishers.—Author, Why I Believe as I Do, is the Result of Demonstrated Facts.—What is Truth ?—Where and What is the Standard ? ................ ........................... , . ..................

v- xiii

CHAPTER I.
Tradition Against Truth and Reform.—History: Its Moral and Philosophical Relations.—Rules of Interpretation of Script­ ure.—A Bible Reading.—A Prophetic Bible Reading on Daniel and Revelation.—First Written and First Printed Document......................................................................... , . . ......... 1-27

CHAPTER II.

Infidels and the Bible.—Voltaire.—Thomas Paine.—Rev. L. A. Lambert and R. G. Ingersoll.—Captive Maidens, Murder of the Canaanites, etc.............................................

28-15

CHAPTER HI.
Geology of the Bible.—Geology and Astronomy.—Creation of the World, etc., According to Popular Scientists. (Seealjjo Chaptersix.)—The Mosaical Record of Creation Contrasted with the Popular Views.—How was the World Framed?—Out of What was it Made?—Purpose of Creation.—Other Worlds than This.—Do the Scriptures Teach that the Earth is a Globe ?—Do the Scriptures Teach that the Earth and Seas Constitute the Earth?—Does the Earth Move or Rotate?— Of Importance to the Religious World.—Does the Sun Move? Joshua and Dr. Adam Clark, John Wesley, etc........................ 46-67

CONTENTS,

XV

CHAPTER IV.

General Summary of Conclusions, Inevitable from Evidences Pro­ duced in Previous Cbapters.—The Stars.—Chronology.—Sun, Moon and Stars as Lights. (Further set forth in Chapter six by Dimbleby, Chronology.)—Glory of the Heavenly Bodies.— Up and Down—Do they Exist Other than Relative Term s...

68—74

CHAPTER V.
I
The Ancients; their History. Early Astronomers, Sages of the Present System.—Measuring the Stars.—Exploring Expedi­ tion by Capt. Wilkes.—Arctic and Antarctic Icebergs.—Tycho (Tyge) Brahe’s System of Astronomy.—Galilei Galileo. —Ab­ juration of Galileo.—Sir Isaac Newton.—Newton’s Insanity; forgets his meals, tries to demonstrate the motions of the Earth, but fails. Derangement of his Intellect; Fall of the A p p le ..................................................................................................

75-102

CHAPTER VI.

Ann Past Time, by the British Chronological and Astronomical As­ sociation.—Objects and Work of the Association..—Accuracy First—Arguments Afterwards.—Explanation.—First Line of Time.—Historical Dates and Periods.—Interesting Events.— Christian Era.—All Past Years from Creation.—Important Suggestions to all Nations.—Dates of the Sabbath Days dur­ ing the Deluge.—Flood Period Concluded.—Antediluvian Solar Cycle showing the Dates of all Sabbath Days.—How any Man can Prove the Date of the Flood.—The Lunar Cycle.—Second Line of Astronomical Time.—Astronomical Method of Proving the Year of the Flood —Ancient Hebrew Solar Cycle.—How to Find the Years.—How the Solar Cycle is Proved.;—Self-same Days.......................................................... 103-150

CHAPTER VII.
The Death of Abel at the End of Intercalary Days of Year 125.— Remarks Concerning Years.—How to Find any Year on the Solar Cycle.—Sun Stands Still.—The Sabbath Days not of Hebrew Origin.................................................................................. 151-156

CHAPTER VHL
The Literal Week.—Long Lives of the Patriarchs.—The Eden Above vs. Below.............................................................................. 157-164

I

XVI

CONTENTS.

•

CHAPTER IX.

March of the Children of Israel from Egypt.—The Deluge, 120

Years to the Flood in 1656.—Result of Recent Discoveries.—

The Sojourn.—The Crucifixion.—The Captivity.—Cleansing

< of the Sanctuary.—Daniel’s y isio n according to Lunar

Cycles rAn Interesting Event, in Daniel 10: 2.—Prophetic

Periods are Cycles.—Interpretation of the Word a Vital

P oin t ........................

t............................

165-186

CHAPTER X.
The Seventy Weeks and Twenty-three Hundred Days by Prof. Dimbleby and by Prof. U. S m ith ............................................... 187-198

CHAPTER XI.

Day of the< Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.—Argument

from the Types.—A Great Error of the English New Testa­

ment Corrected.—-Another Mistranslation

.................. 199-240

CHAPTER XH.

“ Vox D ei” or Eclipse Line of Time. (Psalm 19: 16.)—Eclipse of

the Sun.—A Solar Cycle.—Eclipses from Creation to the

Present by Lines.—A Common Team of Eclipses (70) Occur-

ing Every Eighteen Years.—How Eclipses Prove any Period

of History.—Prof. Morrison’s Letter.—Practical Use of

Eclipses in Proving History.—The Crash of Matter and the

Wreck of Worlds.—A Guage Proving All Past Time.—Chro­

nology Authenticated by the British Chronological Associa­

tion.—Sun Dial of Ahaz.—Seventh Day vs. the First.—Bible

vs. History, Encyclopaedias, 4tc.............................

241-262

S E C O N D F* A R T .
CHAPTER XIII. Demonstrated Evidence that the Earth is not a Globe.—Webster on
Straight, Curvature, etc.—Encyclopaedia Brittanica on Same. —Table of Curvature or Divergence. —Tests onLake Erie,Erie Canal and other places, by the Author.—Suez Canal 100 Miles Level.—A Book of British Standing Orders.—Mr. Lockyer’s Illustrations.—Limit of Vision and Horizon Considered.— The Apparent Concavity of the Earth as Seen from a Balloon. —Sunrise and Sunset. —Horizon Line by Dr. Hobotham.—The Sun’s Motion Concentric with the Polar Center. —Noonday Sun.—A Midnight Polar Sun................................... 263-301

I

CONTENTS.

XVII

CHAPTER XIV.
The Sun’s Altitude.—What is the Truth?—The Sun’s Distance, etc., by Prof. Swift.—The Sun’s Distance, etc., vs. the Author.—A Scale of the Solar System............................................................... 302-319

CHAPTER XV.
Extent and Form of the Sun’s Rays.—Day’s Length vs. North and South.—Prof. J. Morrison, Almanac'Office, Naval Depart­ ment, Washington, D. C.—The French Antarctic Expedition. —The English Antarctic Expedition.—Third Expedition.— Antarctic Exploration..................................................................... 320-331

CHAPTER XVI.

Eccentricity of the Sun’s Path.—The Solar System, or Relative Size of the Planets as Compared with our Sun.—Consistency of Distance, Magnitude, etc.—The North Star or P olaris.. . . . . 332-339

CHAPTER XVII.

Circumnavigation, Illustrated.—Gaining or Losing Time on Cir­

cumnavigating the Earth.—Declination of Polar Star and

other Objects.—Refraction of the Atmosphere.—Distance

and Dip of Horizon from Different Navigable Heights Above

the Surface of the Sea.—Scale of English Miles Correspond­

ing to Nautical or Geographical Miles.—Scale of Minutes

and Degrees of Longitude Corresponding to English Miles,

Nautical Time, and Sun Time.—Longitude and Time, Com­

parison of.—A New Map of the World As It Is.—Pytha­

goras’ System of the Universe...............................

340-352

CHAPTER XVIII.
Perspective Laws and. Vanishing Points.—Jupiter’s Moons, etc. —Transits and Eclipses vs. Orbit of the Earth.—The Rivers Nile, Amazon and the M ississippi.............................................. 353-366

CHAPTER XIX.
Degrees of Longitude South vs. North of Equator.—A Challenge Considered.— Authentic Records.— Log Book Record.— Northern Steamships vs. Southern.—Thales vs. Dark Ages.. 367-381

CHAPTER XX.
Closing Considerations.—A Peculiar People.—A “Thus Saith the Lord.”—Truth and the Glory of God Inseparable.................. 382-391

/ I

XVIII

CONTENTS.

Points from Popular Authors, Selected by B. E. L. J. Lovell, Vadis,

W. Va.—How the Continents Attract Seas—A Convenient

Diagram.................................

392-402

TABLES.

Antediluvian History ......................................................

114

Hebrew History........................................................................................... 115-120

Christian Era...............

121

Summary of All Past Years from Creation.........................

121

Dates of the Sabbath Days During the Deluge....................................

124

The Flood Period........................

127-131

Antediluvian Solar Cycle, Showing Dates of All the Sabbath Days. 153

Each First Year of the Antediluvian Solar Cycle................................

139

Method for Proving the Y ear. .............

142

Ancient Hebrew Solar Cycle (Insert) .................................................. 146-147

' How to Find the Years..............................................................................

147

When Abraham Left U r.........................

148

March of Children of Israel from Egypt, e tc ........................................

166

Solar and Lunar Analysis................................................... ......................

174

Dates of the Crucifixion and Besurrection............................................

180

“ Your Hour and the Power of Darkness.” ...........................................

214

Number of All Past Years...............

245

Eclipses from Creation to the Present Time, by theitLines

248

Birds’ Eye View of a Common Team of Eclipses (70) Christian Era.

250

Solar and Lunar Eclipses (Prof. Morrison,Washington,D. C..U.S.A.) 252-253

Guage Proving All Past Tim e..................................................................

257

Chronology.........................

258

Curvature of the Earth.............................................................................

269

Log Book Becords.......................................................................................

377

Steamships’ Specimen Buns, North vs. South......................................

379

I

\

CONTENTS.

XIX

CUTS AND DIAGRAMS.

PIG. NO.

'

PAG®.

1—Nebuchadnezzar’s Im age................................................................... ‘ 10

2—Voltaire..................................................................................................

32

3—Copernicus’ Orbit of the Earth..............................................

79

4—A Ball or Circle 2^ Inches, (8) Eight Miles Distance..................

82

4a—Alpha Centauri 221,000 times the Sun’s Distance, this the

Nearest Star....................................................................................

84

5—Eclipse of the Sun—“ Vox Dei.”......................................................

241

6—Illustration of Divergency............................

207

7— “

“

“ C o n tin u e d ....,........................ t

273

8—Arc of Suez Canal, 100 Miles Level..................................................

275

9—Lockyer’s Five Ships at Sea, No....1.................................................

276

10— “

“ “ “ “ No. 2..................................

277

11—Limit of Vision and Horizon L ine...................................................

281

12— “ “ “ from a Balloon........................................................

284

1 3 —Scale—Section of an Arc vs. Two Miles Altitude........................

286

14—Sunrise and Sunset..........................................................................

287

15—16—Horizon Line by Dr. Hobotham................................

289

17_18— “

“ and a Midnight Sun............................................

294

19—Noonday Sun........................................................................................

297

20—A Midnight Polar Sun........................................................................

300

21—22-23—The Sun’s Altitude, Motion, etc..................................... 304-306-307

24—Co-equal Distances vs. Altitude. ..................................................

315

25—A Scale of the Solar System .................

318

£(>_27-28—Extent and Form of Sun’s Rays.......................................... 321-322

29—A Ship in the South Boundary of Ice..............................................

327

30—Eccentricity of the Sun’s Path (insert)............................................ 333-334

31—The Solar System as Compared with the Sun..............................

335

32—Polaris and the Great Bear.-.. . . i ....................................................

337

33—34-35 —Circumnavigation Hlustrated................................................ 341-342

36—Dip and Distance of Horizon............................................................

347

37—Scale of English Miles, Corresponding to Nautical or Geograph­

ical M iles... . ....................................................................................

349

38—Scale of Minutes and Degrees of Longitude, Corresponding to

English Miles, Nautical Miles, Sun and Time..........................

349

39—Vanishing Laws—Perspective Distances........................................

353

40—Jupiter’s Moons...................................................................................

354

41—Transits and Eclipses vs. Orbit of the Earth................................

361

42—Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn.................................................

371

43—Diagram showing Longitude in Miles at any Latitude North or

South of the Equator......................................................................

402

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN?
• P A R T F IR ST .
CHAPTER I.
Tradition flgaiQst Truth and Reform.
THE learned historian, Archibald Bower, says, “ To avoid being imposed upon, we ought to treat tradition as we do a notorious liar, to w hom w e give no credit, unless w hat he says is confirmed to us by some person of undoubted veracity. False and lying traditions are of no recent date, and the greatest men have, out of a pious credulity, suffered themselves to be imposed upon by th e m .”— Hist, of the Popes, Vol. I, p. i.
W e would, with due respect to great and good men, give their opinions full value, yet not any the more so because of their sayings being ancient; let them be proven.
Paul advised Titus to “ Not give heed to the Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the tru th . ” — Titus i : 14.
Since time immemorial until now , every advance step in reform has been opposed by those in favor w ith authorised versions, traditions, fables, and opinions of m en; yet, while we consider this work limited, we cannot refrain from giving a few samples of this fact. The learned and famous Dr. Eck spoke against Luther as follows:
“ I am surprised at the humility and modesty w ith which

2

IS THE BIBL.E FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.

the reverend doctor undertakes to oppose, alone, so many il­ lustrious fathers, and pretends to know more than the Sover­

eign Pontiff, the councils, the doctors, and the universities. It

would be surprising, no doubt, if God had hidden the truth from so many saints and martyrs until the advent of the rever­

end father.”— D’Aubigne’s Hist. Ref., Vol.'ll, p. 59.

Sebastian Meyer gives the following refutation of the

above: “ To have a thousand years wrong will not make us right for one hour, or else the Pagans should have kept to their

creed."— Id, Vol. II, p. 427.

“ An error is no better for being common, nor the truth

the worse for having lain neglected; and, j f it ever be put to

vote anywhere in the world, I doubt, as things are managed, whether truth would have majority, at least while the authority of men, and not the examination [demonstration] of things, must be its measure.”— Essay on Human Understanding, Book

4, Chap. Ill, Sec. 6, by John .Locke, the great Christian philos­ opher.

W e shall hold that truth is of God; that it is righteousness, and not iniquity. The opposite of truth is anti-Christ; and, to say the least, to those acquainted with the history of man, it is as old as man, and, w e believe, older by far. If, then, w e shall produce demonstrated evidence of our position, do not

question the same by saying: W hy then has this universally

accepted theory been so long believed and taught? Great

names and titles w e find enrolled on each side of all contro­ versies; and if these authenticate hypothetical tradition, and satisfy w eak consciences, then there is no error in the religious buffoonery of Pagans, Mahometans, or any other religion that fancy may bring forth, and it may be received with sacred and

profound reverence.

\

I

FOUR UNIVERSAL MONARCHIES.

}

History: its Mora! and Philosophical Relations.

W e can reason intelligently only from w hat we know,

and without demonstrated facts our fancied knowledge is

worse than ignorance. W ith those w ho take no delight in

true history, the proverb may apply: “ W here ignorance is

bliss, it is folly to be w ise.”

It has been quite often remarked that all history is uncer­

tain. W ere this true to the ftill extent, there w ould be no use-

in attempting to show the value of that which may be known with certainty. While it is true that the detail or minute

events of profane historians may disagree, it is also equally true that the more valuable part of history rests on immovable

monuments, which admit of no uncertainty in their prime character and results. To the student of history, sacred or pro­

fane, the decline and fall of great empires is no less im portant and instructive than their origin and rise. To him w ho wishes

to know his approximate whereabouts in the history of man­ kind, its physical duration, and that of his fellow beings, the

\

pleasure and permanent satisfaction does not consist in highly

colored pictures of crime, nor eloquence or rhetoric of the
V
writer, but truth in its simplicity.

The facts of fo u r universal monarchies or kingdom s hav­ ing existed on the earth in times of the past— Babylon, MedoPersia, Grecia and Rome—no person of ordinary intelligence

will deny. History and historians, pyramids and monuments, and excavated ruins, relics, etc., are too .numerous for any successful controversy on the part of the skeptic. Further, that so sure as there existed the first Universal Kingdom, so sure there existed Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, and Daniel, a Hebrew captive. To Nebuchadnezzar (in a dream) was first given, and in the symbol of an image in the form of

4

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.

a man, the fu tu re history of the world and the destiny of

mankind.

W e will notice for a few moments some of the facts con­

cerning this history in advance. Seven hundred and twelve

years before C h r is t while Baladan w as king, it was foretold

by the Prophet Isaiah, that all of the treasures of his house, and

th e house o f the Lord, together w ith Hezekiah’s Sons that

should issue from him, should be carried to Babylon. (See

Isaiah, 39.) One hundred and five years later, the idolatrous

monarch, Nebuchadnezzar, w as upon the throne ready to fulfil

th e W o rd of the Lord, so long before spoken by His servant

and prophet Isaiah. (See Dan. 2 : 1.) “ The Lord is not slack

concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is

long suffering tow ard us, not willing that any should perish,

b u t th at all should come, to repentance.” W h en God speaks it

is as literally the truth before fulfilment, to our eyes, as it is

after, for in reference to His w ord of promise: '* One day is with

the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

The Lord’s w isdom and pow er above all kings, kingdoms,

prelates or powers, w as manifest in bringing, first, His own peo­

ple into bondage under the idolatrous monarch which He had made ruler of the then habitable world. In this very act, God

not only made.manifest His own power and wisdom through­

out the then know n world, but to all coming generations,

“ until the God of Heaven should set up His everlasting king­

dom possessed by the saints of the most High.”

In order to show the divine history of man and its ultimate

termination and its relation to history, past, present and future,

w e will necessarily have to enter somewhat into detail, in

noticing their parallel course and the harmony existing between

the two. “ The secret things belong unto the Lord our God;

but those things that are revealed belong unto us and to our

HISTORY: ITS MORAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL RELATIONS.

5

children forever, that w e m ay do all th e w ords o f this law ." Deut. 2 9 :2 9 . Also John 5: 39. Jesus com m ands us to search

the Scriptures. “ Surely the Lord Gcd will do nothing, but

He revealeth His secret to His servants the prophets.” Amos

3: 7. While it is literally true that God will do nothing but He
revealeth His secret to His servants, the prophets, He is just as

able and willing to show to the idolatrous king on his throne,

His love for him and the devotees of the king's realm, and

reveal through G od’s ow n chosen vessel His purpose concern­

ing the human family. W e will now give a synoptical description of Nebuchad­
nezzar and his kingdom, according to the well-known histori­

cal records of various writers, after which w e will give the Scriptures an interrogation, letting them give their own in­

terpretation.

u

According to the testimony of the “ greatly beloved" prophet of God (Daniel), Nebuchadnezzar had a wonderful

dream in the year 603, B. C., in which he beheld the kingdom s of earth symbolized by a Great Image. This great image rep­

resented by the Head of Gold, Babylon; Breast and Arms of Silver, Medo-Persia; Thighs and Sides of Brass, G recia; Legs of Iron, the Fourth or Roman Kingdom. Dan. 2: 31-40. The forty-second verse represents the kingdom divided into ten parts by the feet and toes.
Let us look for a moment at the most wonderful empire the earth has ever contained or known, of which the city of

Babylon w as thfe metropolis, and the talented king, Nebuchad­ nezzar at its head. This kingdom arose from the old Assyrian

empire founded by Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah. Gen. 10: 8-10 (margin). In prophecy it dates from B. C. 677, be­

cause it then became connected with the people of God by the

l

6

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.

capture of the king of Judah and his people. It reached the

height of its glory under Nebuchadnezzar, to whom this dream w as given. The metal used to represent this kingdom is the finest of all the metals, an d fitly represents the kingdom, ks it was, in riches and splendor, the grandest o f all earthly king­ doms.
The city of Babylon, its capital, was laid out in a perfect

square, fifteen miles on each side; consequently the whole

circuit of the walls w as sixty miles. These walis were three hundred and fifty feet high and eighty-seven feet thick, with a

mote, or ditch, outside of the city of the same cubic capacity

as the wall, and filled w ith water. It had fifty streets, tw entyfive running each way, one hundred and fifty feet wide and fifteen miles long, paved with polished stones. Over one hundred tov/ers rose above the battlements of the walls. It contained tw o hundred and twenty-five miles of inclosed surface, laid out in luxuriant pleasure grounds and gardens, interspersed with magnificent dwellings. The river Euphrates ran through the center, with a wall on either side equal to the outer walls, making thirty miles of river wall, or ninety miles of wall in all: one hundred and fifty gates of solid brass, and hanging gardens

rising terrace above terrace, to the height of the walls them­ selves. A m ong the large buildings w as the temple of Belus, three miles in circumference at the base; also the royal palaces, one three and one-half and the other eight miles in circum­ ference, connected with each other by a subterranean tunnel

under the river and its walls.

'

Never before nor since has the earth seen the equal of this

city. See “ Rollin,” or Goodrich’s " History of All Nations.”

Babylon was succeeded by Medo-Persia, represented by

th e breast and arms, B. C. 538, w hen Babylon w as taken by

Cyrus, and Darius the Median was placed upon the throne.

I

RULES OF INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE.

7

Isa. 44:2 8 ; Dan. 41.30, 31. This w as in turn succeeded by

Grecia, represented by the brazen portion of the image, when

Darius Codomannus was overthrown by Alexander the Great,

at the battle of Arbela, B. C. 331. This Grecian kingdom , after

passing through various changes, w as finally all absorbed by

the mighty empire of Rome, which became connected with

G od’s people by the famous league betw een the Jew s and

Romans, B. C. 161. W e understand from verse forty-tw o that

this fourth kingdom was to be divided into ten parts; and we

learn from ' ‘Gibbon’s R om e” and others that this kingdom

w as divided betw een the years A. D. 356 and 483 into ten

divisions.

Let the reader bear in mind that we are now examining symbolical and typical Scripture, and if w e take the plan that

'G od has ordained and given in His W ord w e shall make no

mistake. First, let us ascertain from G od’s W o rd w h at this

rule is and then proceed, and I feel assured, kind reader, that

if you are a lover of truth and desire the fruit of its inevitable

glory and final triumph, you will find satisfaction to the fullest

extent.

’

Rules of InterpretatioQ of Scripture.

a. “ If there arise am ong you a prophet or a dream er of

dreams and give thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or won-

come to pass

” Shall w e believe this sign or wonder, al­

though it is apparently true? Ans. (Isaiah 8: 20.) “ To

the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to

this W ord, it is because there is no light in th em .”

b. W h en a position is taken in regard to a tex t of Script­

ure, and that text corroborates all others in the Bible, on the

same point in question, then w e may feel safe to trust our faith

on the said portion of Scripture.

8

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.

c. 'W hatever disagrees with an axiom or a demonstrated
i
fact, whether it be in the order of morals, philosophy or science, it is “ falsely so called,” and is never harmless, and sooner or later will reap its reward.
d. The Bible is its ow n expounder and does not neces­ sarily require outside matter to prove itse lf; man is simply to give the Word.
/
e. All terms used by the inspired writers of the Bible must mean the same in one place as they do in another, providing that the same subject is before the writer of the Word.
/ . W hen symbolical or typical language is used, it is so s ta te d ; and w hen so taken and so understood, it is the more emphatic and harmonious to the lover of truth. Let us ex­ amine the W ord regarding these principles and w e will find it to harmonize with every well-established principle of truth. And, reader, you and I have the same right to understand that W ord that w as given f , unto us and our children forever that the priest, the judge or the king upon his throne has, for

this W o rd is to judge us at the Last Day, and the gates of Hades shall .not prevail against it, neither shall it return unto its aiithor void.
W e will n o w interview a few passages of the Bible (falsely so-called pretentious book), after which we will bring forward those w ho have written for and against it, and weigh them by

their ow n standard or merits.

fl Bible Reading.

1. W h a t does Peter tell us w e are to know fir s t ? 2. P e t 1: 20.— “ K now this first, that no prophecy of the Script­ ure is of any private interpretation.”
2. H ow did this prophecy come ? (New. V.) 2. Pet. 1:

A BIBLE READING.

9

21.— “ For no prophecy ever came by the will of man; but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.”

3. Since it came by the Holy Spirit of G o d ; for w hose ' special benefit is it ? 2. Tim. 3:16,17. — Every Scripture inspired

of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good w ork.” (N.V.)

4. Does not the Scripture belong to the laity as well as to the priesthood? Deut. 29: 29 (last clause).— “ But the things that are revealed belong unto us and our children for­ ever, that w e m ay do all the w ords of this la w .”

5. By w h at are w e finally judged ? S. John. 12: 48.— “ He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the W ord that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

A Prophetic Bible Reading on D aniel and Revelation to show the literal fu lfilm en t o f the Word:.

“ Behold the former things are come to pass, and new

4

*

things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of

th e m .” Isa. 42: 9.

6. W h o w as Daniel? Dan. 1: 6.— “ N ow am ong these [captives] were of the children o f Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Michael and Azariah.”

7. W h o w as Nebuchadnezzar ? Dan. 1 :1 .— “ In the third year of the reign ofjehoiakim, king of Juda, came Nebuchadne{%ar, king o f Babylon, unto Jerusalem and besieged it.”

8. W h e n did Nebuchadnezzer have a notable dream ? Dan. 2 : 1 .— “ And in the second year (B. C. 603, margin) o f the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams,

IO

IS THE BIBLEFROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I .

wherewith his spirit was troubled and his sleep brake from him. ”

9. W h a t did King Nebuchadnezzarsee? Dan. 2: 31.— “ Thou, O King, sawest and behold a great image. *'
10. W h a t w as the image com­ posed of? Dan. 2: 32,33.— “ This im age’s head w as of fin e gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay."
11. W h a t became of this image ? Dan. 2: 34, 3 5 .— “ Thou saw est m m s m e iBe.Cl. till that a stone w as cut out w ith­ out hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were o f iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the. silver and the gold broken together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the winds carried them away, that no place was fo u n d fo r them: and the stone that smote the image became a great moun­ tain and filled the whole earth.

NEBUCHAQNEZZARS IMAGE
DANIEL il.
F ig. 1.

Note—By comparing Jer. 25: 32,33 with Dan. 7: 2 and Rev. 17: 15, we understand that the totndt area symbol of war and strife: hence, we conclude it is the latter that Ood uses to depopulate and destroy th e political world.

A BIBLE READING.

I I

12. W h a t did the image rep resent? Dan. 2 :3 7 ,3 8 .—
“ Thou,0 King, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath
given thee a kingdom,power, and strength, and glory Thou

art this head of gold. ” [As ‘‘k ing ” implies a kingdom , and the

following verse say s: “ After thee shall arise another kingdom .”

W e therefore understand the gold to represent Nebuchad­

nezzar’s kingdom and not Nebuchadnezzar in person.]

13. W h o took the kingdom following Nebuchadnezzar ?

Dan. 5 :3 1 .— “ And D arius the Median took the kingdom , being

about threescore and tw o years old.” (B. C. 538.) 14. W h a t other direct testim ony have w e for the con­

secutive kingdoms, following N ebuchadnezzar’s kingdom ? Dan. 8:20,21.— “ Theram which thou sawest having tw o horns are the kings o f Media and Persia. And the roughgoat is the king o f Grecia: and the great horn that is betw een his eyes is the fir s t king.1’ [History tells us that Alexander the Great was the first king of Grecia; therefore, w e have direct and positive testimony for the three first universal kingdoms of the world.]
15. W h a t represents the Fourth Kingdom? D an .2 :4 o .—

“ And the Fourth Kingdom shall be strong as iro n : for as much as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all th in g s : and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.”
16. W h at other specifications designate the Fourth King­

dom ? Dan. 2: 41.— “ And whereas thou saw est the fe et and toes, part o f potter’s clay, and part o f iron, th e kingdom shall be divided. ’ ’
17. Did the Fourth Kingdom bear rule over all the then known w orld? Luke 2: 1.— “ And it came to pass in those days, that there w ent out a decree from Caesar Augustus th at all the world should be ta xed .” (Margin enrolled.) T he fact that: the Roman Empire had power to enroll for taxation the whole world, show s that his jurisdiction extended thus far.

12

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVfeN ? CHAPTER I.'

History in abundance corroborates this. Gibbon’s “ Decline

and Fall o f the R )m an E m p ire /’ Vol. i. Chap. 3, at the close

s a y s : “ The Empire of the Romans fille d the world; and w hen

th at empire fell into the hands of a single person, the world be­

came a safe and dreary prison for his enemies.”

To resist

it w as fatal, and it w as impossible to flee. “ Wherever you

a r t/ / said Cicero to the exiled Marcellus, “ rememberyou are

equally within the power o f the conqueror/ *

18. W hereas w e have learned from Verse 41 that the

Fourth Kingdom was to be divided. W e ask, were these nations

ever to have another universal union ? Dan. 2 :43.— “ Whereas

thou sawest iron mixed with mirey clay; they shall mingle

themselves w ith the seed of m e n : but they shall not cleave one

to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.”

19. By #the divisions of the feet and toes w e understand

there should be ten corresponding divisions of the nations.

W as this true ? The list which Bishop Llyod has given is as fol­

lo w s: “ 1, Huns, about A. D. 356; 2, Ostragoth, A. D. 410; 3,

Visigoths, about A. D. 378; 4, Franks, A. D. 410; 5, Vandals,

A. D. 407; 6, Suevians and Alans, A. D. 407; 7, Burgundians,

A. D. 407 ; 8,Herules, A. D. 476; 9, Saxons, about the same time

476; 10, Longobards or [Lombards,] a b o u t483-484 A. D .” Dr.

Gill’s com m ents on Dan. 7: 24.

20. W e learn that these several divisions of Rome were

accomplished by the incursions of barbarous tribes from the

north of Europe w ho conquered the empire. (See Gibbon.)

And these kingdoms still exist under the form of various king­

doms of Europe; though there are some of them known by

other names.

21. But w h at happens to these kingdpm s of the earthy

prior to the setting up of the Fifth Universal Kingdom ? Dan.

2: 44.— “ And in the days of these kings (or kingdoms) shall

A BIBLE READING.

13

the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be de­

stroyed.” 22.

W h a t is to become of the inhabitants of the earth,

and their earthly titles ? (Kings, etc.) Dan. 2: 34, 35.— “ Thou

saw est till that a stone was cut out w ithout hands, w hich smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and

brake them to pieces.” ' 23. W h a t country do they inhabit? (35.)— “ Then w as

the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken to

pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away that no place

was found for them. 24. And w h a t was it that filled the earth after they left it ?
(Last clause 35th verse.) And the stone that smote the image beoame a great m ountain and fille d the whole earth.
25. W h a t w as this Stone or Rock that filled the w hole earth ? /. Cor. 10.U-4. — “ Moreover, brethren, I w ould not that

ye should be ignorant, ho w that all our fathers’ w ere under the cloud, and did all pass through the sea. (2) And w ere all

baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the sea. (3) And did all eat the same spiritual meat. And did all drink the sam e

spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed th e m ; and that Rock was Christ. ” W h o can doubt it?

26. W ho, does the Psalmist say, are given to Christ for a possession? Psalms, 2: 8.— “ Ask of me and I shall give the • heathen f o r thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts o f the earth fo r thy possession.
27. W h a t will he do w ith them? Ninthverse.— “ T houshalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

28. W h at is said in Job in regard to the w icked ? Job 18:17, 18, 2 r.— “ His rememberance shall perish from the earth, and he

1

14

IS THE BIBI.E FROM H EA VEN? CHAPTER I.

shall have no nam e in the street. (18) He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out o f the world. (21) Surely, such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.” * [Out of the world.]
29. But w h at does the Psalmist say in behalf of the right­ eous? Ps. 37: 29.— “ The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein forever. '*

30. Once more, let us ask Daniel ip regard to the nature of the “ Fifth Universal Kingdom ’ ’ ? Dan 7 :2 7 .— “ And the king­ dom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the

whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the m ost High w hose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” Thus, we see that the inspiration o f the Scriptures is vindicated by com paring spiritual things with spiritual. ' Prophecy is history in adyance. Further, w e shall find that the Bible is not only “ The T ruth,”

but it is the whole truth, and the breathings of God through his chosen prophets. (See question No. 2, Second Pet. 1:21.)

31. Then, w hat is God, or a transcript of his character?

St. John

In the beginning w as the W ord, and the W ord

w as w ith God, and the W ord was G o d .”

32. W h a t did the W o rd become ? John 1:14.—r “ And the

W ord was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”

33. W h a t w as in the W o rd ? (4th verse, 1st clause.) “ In

Him was life. **

34. W h a t w as life ? (4th verse, last clause.) “ And the life

was the light o f men. ”

35. Can w e get th at lifeand light? 1,John 5:12.— “ He

that hath the Son hath life;and he thathath not the Son of

G od hath not life. ’ ’ 36. H ow m ay w e kno w that w e have the Light and Life ?
1, John, 2 :4 ,5 .— “ He that sayeth, I k n o w him, and keepeth not

INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.

15

his com m andm ents, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5)

But whoso kcepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God

perfected; hereby know we that w e are in H im .”

37.

W h e n shall w e partake of this glory? Col. 3 : 4 .—

‘‘ When Christ who is our L,ife} shall appear, then shall y e also

appear with him in glo ry ."

Thus with the poet w e may safely say, »
"Westward the course o f empire takes its way; The firstfou r acts already past,
A fifth shall close the drama with the day; Time's noblest offspring is the last.”
Fully the inspiration of the Bible is vindicated by those only, who study and compare the way marks of history, sacred and profane.
But to evade the manifest fulfilment of the Scriptures, in­ fidels and skeptics have affirmed an interpolation of the proph­ ecies, and denied the inspired infallibility of the book we call the Bible. Therefore, before quoting largely from the book, let us examine its m erits:
W e will first commence with that which is apparent to all, and needs no proof. W h e n w ere the Evidences o f the In­ spired Word written ?
“ First, there is an abundance of Bibles in the land to -d a y ; nearly all the civilized nations o f the earth accept it as the in­ spired word of God, and claim to found their laws on it, to some extent at least. It is estimated that about four hundred millions of people receive and believe it. Is there any other book so generally read, so generally loved, so widely diffused? If you cannot name any book which in these respects equals the Bible, then it stands out clear and distinct, and separate from all other authorship; and w ith an increased emphasis comes the q u estio n : W h o w rote i t ? ” Fables of Infidelity, p. 82.
W e will now trace this Bible back a little, questioning the

16

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.

reformers and fathers for a few centuries: John Wesley, where

did you get the Bible ? Did you or your father get this up ?

“ No, the Episcopal Church had the same book for tw o hund­

red years before I was born, just the same as I have it to-day.”

“ About three hundred years ago King James of England

authorized some forty or fifty chosen men to translate the Bible

into English; therefore was not he the author ? No. Wycliff

translated the Bible into English three hundred years prior to

King James' time, and there is no vital discrepancy in the two. Three hundred and fifty years ago Martin Luther translated the

same Bible into the German language, and this tells the same

story; no interpolation yet. There are now nine hundred and

seventy entire manuscripts of the Greek Testament, of which forty-seven are more than one thousand years old.” History

of the Bible by Prof. Sfowe, p. 63. Am ong them is the Vatican

manuscript, w ritten about A. D. 300.

“ Here, then, w e have accessible to us manuscript copies

of the Greek Testament, the most ancient reaching to an age

of fifteen centuries. The proudest and most costly architect­

ural structures of men have, within that period, either crumbled

and mouldered away, or become obsolete and unfit for their

original use, though built of the most solid materials and put

together with the utmost care, while w e of this age can read the sam e fragile page of books which w ere in the bands of men

forty-five and fifty generations before u s.” Prof. Stowe, p .78.

“ It is about tw o hundred years from the death of the

Apostle John to the first full manuscript we have of the whole

New Testament, though we have fragments and quotations

from the very earliest periods, from the time of John himself.”

From the above w e see that the same Bible was written and

read at least fifteen hundred years ago. But one very impor­

tant era to notice w as the Council of Nice, A. D. 325.

INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.

17

W e quote the following paragraphs from the lectures of H. L. Hastings, editor of The Christian, Boston, on the “ In­

spiration of the Bible," as delivered to the Y oung Men’s Christ­

ian Associations of Massachusetts, in the Tow n hall at Spencer,

October 13, 1881:

“ I have on my library shelves between twenty and thirty • volumes, containing about twelve thousand pages of writings of different Christian authors w ho w rote before A. D. 325, w h en the Council of Nice w as held. The books are full of Scripture. ' Those writers had the same books of Scripture which we have; they quoted the same passages which we quote; they quoted from the same books from which we quote. Origen, who w rote a hundred years before the Council of Nice, quotes five thousand seven hundred and forty-five passages from all the books of the N ew Testam ent. Tertullian, A. D. 200, m akes 'm ore than three thousand quotations from the New Testament books. Clement, A. D. 194, quotes seven hundred and sixtyseven passages. Poly carp, w ho w as m artyred A. D. 165, after having served Christ for eighty-six years, in a single epistle quoted thirty-six passages. Justin Martyr, A. D. 140, also quotes from the New Testament, to say nothing of the heathen and infidel writers like Celsus, A. D. 150, and Porphyry, A. D. 304, w ho referred to and quoted multitudes of the very pas­ sages now found in the Scriptures w hifh we have. Indeed, Lord Hailes, of Scotland, having searched the writings of the Christian Fathers to the end of the third century, actually found the. whole o f the New Testament, w ith the exception of less than a dozen verses, scattered through their writings, which are still extant; so that if at the time of the Council of Nice every copy of the New Testament had been annihilated, the book could have been reproduced from the writings of the early Christian Fathers, w ho quoted the book as w e quote it, and w ho believe it as we believe it. And n o w infidels talk about the Council of Nice getting up a New Testament. You might as well,talk about a town meeting getting up the Re­ vised Statutes of the State of Massachusetts, because they say

l8

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.

they accept or receive them. The Council o f Nice did no such thing. These books of the New Testament were received from the Apostle who wrote them, and were carefully preserved and publicly read in the churches of Christ long before the Council of Nice was held.
“ Says Tertullian, A. D. 200: ‘ If you are willing to exer­ cise your curiosity profitably in the business of your salvation, visit the Apostolic Churches, in which the very chairs of the Apostles still preside in their places; in which their very authen­ tic letters are recited, sounding forth the voice and representing the countenance of every one of them. Is Achaia near you ? You have Corinth. If you. are not far from Macedonia, you have Phillippi arid Thessalonica; if you can go to Asia, you have Ephesus; but if you are near to Italy,*we have Rome.’
“ These Apostolic Churches received the Gospel from the hands of the men w ho wrote them, and the Epistles were written and signed by men whom they well knew. Paul w r o te : ‘The salutation of me, Paul, by mine own hand, which is th e token in every Epistle, so I w rite.’
“ Now w hat did these men testify ? They testified things w hich they knew. The Apostle John does not say: ‘That which w e have dreamed, imagined, or guessed at, that thing do w e declare unto y o u ;’ but, ‘That which was from the be­ ginning, which w e have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which w e have Ipoked upon and our hands have handled, of the W ord o f L ife .3 (I John 1 :1 .) This w as their testimony. They testify that they saw Christ in His life and in His d e a th ; that they saw Him after His resurrection, and felt His hands ‘ and feet, and saw the nail prints and the spear wounds’; and they knew these things and testified to them. They preached Christ who had died and risen again. W hen a certain skeptic said he proposed to start a new religion, and asked a friend for some suggestions as to his best course, the friend replied: ‘ I w ould advise you to get y o u rself crucified, and rise from the dead the third d ay.3 No infidel has succeeded in doing this.
“ Then the Apostles quote from the Prophets, and the Prophets quote from the Psalms, and refer to the law which

INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.

19

w as given on Mount Sinai. And so w e go back from book to book, until we reach the book of Genesis, and that does not quote from anybody or anything. You have here reached the fountain-head.
“ ‘ But,’ says one, ‘ I think the Bible may be a true history, but that is no proof of its inspiration. It does not re­ quire divine inspiration. It does not require divine inspiration to write a true story.’ So you think it an easy matter to tell the truth, do you? I wish you could make other people think so. Suppose you go and read a file o f new spapers published just before the election (or the first reports just after), and see if you do not think it requires divine inspiration to tell the truth, or even to find it out after it is told. Truth is mighty hard to get at, as you can see by perusing the daily papers on the eve of an election.
“ There are certain things in the Bible which, to my mind, bear the impress of divinity. A skeptic will tell you w h a t a race of *old sinners’ w e read about in the Bible. Noah got drunk; David was guilty of adultery and murder; Solomon was an idolater and w rought folly; Peter denied his Lord, and Judas sold Him for thirty pieces of silver. All these people that the Bible talks to us so much about are a pretty sort of m e n ! Very well, w hat kind of men do you expect to read about in the Bible ? Noah got d r u n k ! Is that strange ? Did no one else ever get drunk ? Peter cursed and swore. Are there not men about here who curse and sw ear? Judas, an Apostle, sold his Lord, w ho said he had chosen twelve, and one of them was a devil. Do you not find a Judas in the Church even now adays? One in twelve was a thief and a traitor then, and we need not be surprised if we find about the same aver­ age now. But you seem to think that when you read about a man in the Bible he is sure to be free from all kinds of errors, frailties, faults and sins. You have formed this idea of men from reading in Sunday-school books about good children, who usually die young, or perusing excellent biographies, which, as you read them, cause you to exclaim: ‘ I wish I could be as good a man as he was, but I never shall.’ If you knew

I

*

*

1

»

)

20

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.

the whole story about the man, you m ight not feel so deeply

on the subject.

“ Do you suppose that if the Bible had been revised by a

committee of eminent divines, and published by some great

religious society, w e should ever have heard of Noah’s drunk­

enness, o f Jacob’s cheating, of Paul and Barnabas’ quarrelling, '

or of Peter’s lying, cursing or dissembling ? Not at all. The

good men, when they came to such an incident, would have

said: ‘ There is no use in saying anything about that; it is all

past and gone; it Avill not help anything, and it will only hurt

the cause/ [Applause.] If a committee of such eminent

divines had prepared the Bible, you would have got a biography

of men whose characters were patterns of piety and propriety,

instead of poor sinners as they were.

“ Sometimes a man writes his ow n diary, and it happens

that he leaves out all the mean tricks he ever did, because he

expects peradventure it may be printed after he is dead, but

puts in all the good acts he can think o f; and you read the

papers w ith astonishment, and think, ‘W h at a wonderful good (

man he w as! ’ But w hen the Almighty writes a m an’s life He

' .

tells the truth about h im ; and there are not many who would

w ant their lives printed if the Almighty wrote them.

# i

“ Suppose a young man goes, say from hereto Boston.

Perhaps he is a rich m an’s son, w ho has more m oney than was

good for him at home, and who comes to the city to see the

sights. He sails around the *Black Sea,’ and slips into various

ports that are not exactly safe, and the next morning finds him

hauled up before his Honor in the police court. You get the

m orning paper, and you expect to find the full particulars of

the case. You do, do you? You find a paragraph on this

w ise: ‘A certain young man from the rural districts came to

tow n yesterday, sailed around in different parts of the city, and

fell into rather bad company. This morning he was brought

up before his Honor, w ho admonished him to be more careful

in the future, and he departed a sadder and wiser man.’ This

is the kind of a paragraph you will find in the papers when a

rich m an’s son comes to the city, goes on a spree, and gets his

INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.

21

head sm ashed and his eye banged in a fight. You d o n ’t get many particulars. But if he is a poor vagabond, w ithout a second shift to his back, you can get his name, and perhaps the genealogy for generations, and all the particulars o f his case. This is the w ay men write history; but w hen the Lord undertakes to tell His history or story of a sinful man, He does ' not select a poor, miserable beggar and show him up. He does not give even the name of the guilty woman who bathed the Saviour’s feet w ith her tears; but He takes King David from the throne, and sets him down in sackcloth and ashes, and wrings from his heart the cry : *Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness; according to thy ten­ der mercies blot out all- m y transgressions.’
“ And w hen he is pardoned, forgiven, cleansed and m ade whiter thaa snow, the pen of inspiration writes down the dark, damning record of his crimes, and the king on his throne has not power, or wealth, or influence enough to blot the page; and it goes into history for infidels to scoff at for three thousand years. W ho wrote that ?
“ You find a man w ho will tell the truth about kings, warriors, princes and presidents to-day, and you may be quite sure that he has within him the Holy Ghost. And a book which tells the faults of those who wrote it, and w hich says to you that ‘there is none righteous, no, not one,’ bears in it the marks of a true b o o k ; for w e all k n o w that men have faults and failings, and sins, and am ong all the men described in the book, every man w hose life is recorded has som e defect, som e blot, save one, and that is ‘the man Christ Jesus.’
“ Men love objections, and so they say there are difficul­ ties, absurdities, errors and contradictions in the Bible. W e have all heard such assertions. After speaking once in the city of Boston, an ex-minister came to me and told me that the Bible was not true, for there was that story which Moses told about the quails. Israel lusted after flesh, and the Lord sent them quails to eat, and they fell by the camp a day’s journey on each side, or over a territory forty miles across, and they were tw o cubits deep on the ground, and the Israelites ate them

t

22

IS THE BIBLE FROM H EA VEN? CHAPTER I.

for about a month. I have in my possession an infidel paper, which was published in Boston, in which there is about a column of argum ents and figures on this ‘quail s to ry ;’ giving an estimate of the number of bushels of quails that were piled up over the country, and showing that when they were divided among the six million Israelites, each Jew would have 2,888,643 bushels of quails, which they were to eat during the month, giving each poor Israelite 69,520 bushels of quails to each meal during the m onth; and therefore, the Bible was not true!! That is the sort of food our skeptical friends like to eat. That is the m eat on w hich these Caesars g ro w so wondrous great. . I said to this gentleman, ‘ The Bible does not say any such th in g ! ’ He replied that it certainly did; butJ answered that it did not say any such thing. He insisted that it did. ‘W ell,’ said I, ‘ find i t ! ' And w hen you ask an infidel to find any­ thing in the Bible, you generally have him. He could not find the place; so l turned over to the eleventh chapter of Numbers, and there read that instead of the birds being packed like cordwood, on the ground, three feet deep, the account says that the Lord brought the quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were, ‘tw o cubits high,’ or about three feet high upon or above the face of the earth. T hat is, instead of flying over head and out of reach, they were brought in about three feet high, where anyone could take as many o f them as they chose. And this skeptical friend had to get the birds packed solid, three feet deep, over a territory forty miles across. As if some one should say that a flock of geese flew as high as Bunker Hill Monument, and w e should insist that they were packed solid from the ground up to two hundred and twentyone feet high! This is a sample of the kind of arguments which infidels bring to prove that the Bible is not true! The revelations of prophecy are facts which exhibit the divine con­ science. So long as Babylon is in heaps, so long as Nineveh lies empty, void, and w aste; so long as Egypt is the basest of kingdom s; so long as Tyre is a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the s e a ; so long as Israel is scattered among all nations; so long as Jerusalem is trodden under'foot of Geh-

INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.

2)

*

tiles; so long as the great empires of the world march on in

their predicted course,—so long we have proof that one omnis­

cient Mind dictated that Book, and ‘ prophecy came notin the

olden time by th e will of m a n .’ The authorship of the Book is

w onderful.” End of H. L. Hastings’ lecture.

“ After the endurance of pagan persecution for three hun­ dred years on the part of the Christians, Constantine, the Ro­ man Emperor, embraced Christianity. Three hundred and eighteen bishops of all nations, and m any priests, w ere gathered at this council, the Emperor Constantine presiding in person. By this council the books of the Bible w ere investigated care­ fully, and published to the world. ‘ Here,’ says the skeptic, ‘ is opportunity for interpolation or Bible-making.’ Let us see how much truth, if any, in this statement.

“ There did exist then, undeniably, in the year 325 large num bers of Christian churches in the Roman Empire (which filled the world), sufficiently num erous to m ake it politic, in the opinion of infidels, for a candidate for the Empire to profess Christianity; sufficiently powerful to secure his success, not­ withstanding the desperate struggle of the heathen party; and sufficiently religious, or if you like, superstitious, to make it politic for an emperor and his politicians to give up the senate, the court, the camp, the chase, and the theatre, and weary 1 themselves with long prayers and long speeches of preachers about Bible religion. How came it so ? for these men, preach­ ers, prince and people were brought up to worship Jupiter and thirty thousand gods of Olympus, after the heathen fashion, and left the care of religion to heathen priests, w ho never troubled their heads about books or doctrines, after they had offered their sacrifices.

“ In all the records of the world there is no instance of a general council of heathen priests to settle the religion of the

24

is THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.

#

people. The Council of Nice and the Emperor Constantine

and his counsellors m aking a Bible, is proof of a wonderful

revolution in the w o rld ’s religion,— a phenomenon far more

surprising than if the Secretaries of State, and the Senate and

the President should leave the Capitol and post off to Boston

to attend the meetings of a Methodist Conference, assembled

to m ake a hym n-book. H ow did they all get religion ? H ow

did they get it so suddenly ? How did they get so much of it ?

The infidel gives no answer, except to tell us that the austerity,

purity and zeal of the first Christians, their good discipline,

their belief in the resurrection and the general judgment, and

their persuasion that ‘Christ and His Apostles w rought miracles,

had made a great many converts.' [Gibbon.] This is just as

if I inquired h o w a great fire originated, and you tell me that

it burned fast because it was very hot. W hat I want to know

is how it happened that these licentious Greeks and Romans

and Asiatics became austere and pure; how these frivolous

philosophers suddenly became so zealous about religion; what

implanted the belief of the resurrection of the body and of the

judgm ent to come, in the skeptical minds of the heathen scof­

fers; and how did the pagans of Italy, Egypt, Germany and

Britain come to believe in the miracles of one w ho lived hundreds

of years before, and thousands of miles away, or to care a straw

w hether the written accounts of them were true or false ? Ac­

cording to the infidel’s account, the Council of Nice and the

Emperor Constantine’s Bible-making is a most extraordinary

business—a phenomenon without any natural cause (and they

will admit of no supernatural), a greater miracle than any re­

corded in the Bible.

“ If w e inquire, however, of the parties attending that coun­

cil, w h a t the state of the case is, w e shall learn th a t they be­

lieved—whether truly or erroneously, we are not inquiring, but

INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.

25

they believed—that a teacher sent from God had appeared in

Palestine tw o hundred and ninety years before, and had taught

this religion which they had embraced. (Fables of Infidelity,

pp. 87-88.) But a difference of opinion had grow n up as to the

exact nature of this teacher in whom they believed, whether he were an angel from Heaven or God Himself. They assembled

to discuss this solemn question, and through the whole of the discussions both sides appealed to the w ritings of the Apostles,

as being then well known, and of unquestionable authority

with everyone w ho had part in the discussion. These facts,

being utterly indisputable, are acknow ledged by all persons, Infidel or Christian, at all acquainted w ith history. Here, then, w e have the books of the New Testament at the Council of Nice well known to the world; and the council, so far from giving any authority to them, b o w in g to theirs,— both Arian and Orthodox, with one consent, acknowledged the whole Christian world and received them as the writings of the

Apostles of Christ.

* •

" There were venerable men of fourscore and ten at that

council; if these books had been fir s t introduced in their life­

time, they m ust have kno w n it. There were men there w hose

parents had heard the Scriptures read in church from their

childhood, and so could not be imposed upon w ith a n ew Bible.

The New Testament could not be less than three generations

old, else one or the other of the disputants would have exposed

the novelty of its introduction from his own information. The

Council of Nice then did not m ake the N ew Testament. It was a book well known, ancient, of undoubted authority among all Christians, ages before that council. ‘ The existence of

New Testament Scriptures, then, ages before the Council of

Nice, is a great fact.' (Fables of Infidelity, p. 70.) '* But as our w ork dem ands brevity, w e pass over ninety-

*

26

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.

nine hundredths of detail testimony and come to that of PolyCarp, a pupil of the Apostle John, as found in Eusebius: ‘If at any time I met with one w ho had conversed with the elders, I inquired after the sayings of the elders; what Andrew or Peter said; or w hat Phillip, Thomas, or James had said; w hat John or Matthew, or what any other of the disciples of the Lord were wont to say.’ ‘This writer gives a valuable testimony in regard to Gospels, Matthew and Mark, First Epistle of Peter and John. Also mentions the Acts and the Book of Revela­ tion. Thus we have ascended to the Apostolic age. But we
\
may reach still higher. W e have in our possession the wellauthenticated writings of four individuals and Fathers in. the Primitive Church, who, because they were contemporary with the Apostles, are called Apostolical Fathers. Tw o of them, Clement and Hermas, are mentioned by name in the New Testam ent; the third, Poly carp, was an immediate disciple of St. John; the fourth, Ignatius, enjoyed the privilege of frequent intercourse with the Apostles. There is scarcely a book of the New Testament which one or another of these writers has not quoted or alluded to. Though w h at is extant of their w ork is very little, it contains more than tw o hundred and tw enty quo­ tations, or allusions to the writings of our sacred volume, in which they are uniformly treated with reverence, belonging to inspired books and entitled, ‘The Sacred Scriptures;’ ‘The Oracles of the L ord.’ (Mcllvain’s Evidences of Christianity, pp. 72-75.”) 'Taken from Canright’s Bible from Heaven.
Thus w e have ascended the line of testimony into the presence of the Apostles. Our evidence has been collected from only a few out of the many witnesses that might have been cited. The argum ent is now, therefore, reduced to th is : The Apostles and disciples of Christ are know n to have left some writings. That these writings have been lost none can give a

INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.

27

reason for believing. It is not pretended that any other volume

than that of the New Testament contains them. The books contained in this volume were considered to be the writings of

the Apostles by the whole Christian Church, as far back as those who were their contemporaries and companions, being

continually quoted and alluded to as such. It w as impossible

that such witnesses should be deceived. Contemporaries and companions must have known whether they quoted the genu­

in e works of the Apostles, or forgeries pretending their names. Our evidence, therefore, is complete. W hat I have presented exceeds above measure the evidence for the authenticity of any other ancient book. Should the fifth part of it be required for

the proof of the authenticity of any book of ancient Grecian or Roman origin, it could not abide the trial. But suffer a few more witnesses in regard to this wonderful b o o k !!

first Written and first Printed Document.
“ The decalogue containing the moral law (theTen Com­ mandments), is the very foundation and centre of the Holy • Scriptures. And the moral law, engraved on stone by the fin­ ger of God, was the first written docum ent on earth. The Great Creator set the first copy. ” (See ‘*Facts for the Times. ”) Anderson says: “ The first book ever printed on movable types w as the Bible, in A. D. 1455.” Also, Dr. Adam d a r k says: “ They contain the most ancient writings in the world; the decalogue of Ten Commandments, a part of the book of Exodus, being probably the first regular production in alpha­ betical characters ever seen by man. ’ ’ (See lb. p. 7, Clavis Biblica, p. 16.)

C H A P T E R II. /
1ofidfels aod the Bible.
f * INFIDELS have attacked Christianity; but anything may
1 be attacked. They have slandered her doctrines, ridi­
culed her W ord, reviled her precepts, hated her holiness, and influenced many to go and do likewise; but neither hatred, nor reviling, nor slander is the test of truth. Have infidels ever resorted to the only fair and honest mode of meeting face to face the whole array of testimony which Christians advance by endeavoring coolly to prove, as a matter of historical evi­ dence, that the authenticity of the New Testament and the credibility of its history are not sustained; that the miracles of Jesus have not been supported with adequate testimony; that the prophecies of the Scriptures have met their attestation in no accurate histories; that Christianity was propagated by human force alone, and its fruits are those of a corrupt and de­ ceitful tree? I answer, no. There are such efforts in the books of infidelity. I read of speculations opposed to our facts; insinuations in answer to our testimonies; sneers in reply to our solemn reasonings; assertions where we demand arguments; levity and presumption where an advocate of truth would have been serious and humble. But I know of no such thing as a book so infidel in any sense corresponding in the x nature, or grounds, or spirit, of its reasoning, with such argu­ ments for Christianity as those of Paley, or Lardner, or Greg­ ory, or Wilson, and .a thousand others, to which not a man ever dared to attempt an answer. Infidelity, like an insect on the pillar of some stupendous temple, that can see no farther

INFIDELS AND THE BIBLE.

2t)

than the microscopic irregularities of the polished marble be­

neath its feet, may busy itself in hunting for little specks in

the surface of the stately edifice of Christianity ; but it has no

such eye, and takes no such elevated stand as would enable it

to survey the whole plan, and judge of its pretentions by the

mutual adaptation of its parts, the harmony and grandeur of

its proportions. Infidelity is all speculation. Reduce it to a

residuum of inductive reasoning, and you bring it to nothing­

ness. Strip it of its several envelopes of ingenious hypothesis

and bold assertion and scoffing declamation, and you find noth­

ing left but a man of straw ,—an ugly shape to keep the hungry

from the bread of life, which you need only to approach to dis­

cover that it is made of rags and stuffed w ith nothingness."

Mcllvaine’s Evidences, pp. 481, 482, 485.

“ The most formidable and deceptive form of infidelity

comes in the shape of ‘ philosophy.’ Not that true philosophy

or science opposes the Bible, but that men hide their infidelity

behind the sciences; and men that know but little of science

or the Bible, talk as learnedly of the absurdities and incongrui­

ties of the Bible as though they had committed it to memory,

and speak as fluently of science as though they ordained the

laws that keep the planets in their courses. Some think they,

have only to reject the Bible aad call it a hum bug and they are

philosophers at once; that skepticism is an evidence of a great

m ind; that there is no surer proof of intellectual superiority

than to treat all religion as a mere fable, fit only for the am use­

ment of women and children. Hence come the groundless

assertions concerning the Bible, which aresSO confidently re­

peated. . These things are regarded as an evidence of having

arisen above the common herd of mankind and outgrown their

superstition. W ould-be philosophers feel a kind of pride in

plunging into the whirlpool of infidelity, while many great

30

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER W.

minds tremble even to approach its brink. Many flatter them ­

selves that they are fiends, who some day will be astonished

to learn that they are only fools.” Canright in Bible from

Heaven, p. 284.

“ Every little fledgeling which has scarcely left its nest, or

the care of its mother, hastens through the spelling-book and

primary reader, and then sets up for an oracle; discourses learnedly of spirit and matter, of the physical and moral worlds,

the eternal and unbending laws of nature, the mysteries of

time and space, the wonderful revelations of animal and spirit­

ual magnetism, of the infinite and invisable; and deals with the

profoundest questions of divine truth with more ease and

familiarity, and not half the reverence, of a Jesus or a Paul. He

speaks as though he had sounded all the depths of knowledge, with an air of unquestionable authority. He talks of things

k n o w n and u n k n o w n — mostly o f tbe latter. He uses borrow ed

formulas of speech, ‘ words of prodigious length and thunder­

ing sound.’ He rises up into w hat he calls the spiritual view

of all subjects. He expands and becomes more and more

transparent, till the inflation is so great as to end in the usual

results of the law of expansions, or he passes off out of sight

■into infinite fogdum, like the com et that became entangled

'

among the moons of Jupiter, never regains his orbit again,

which, perhaps, is little cause for regret. The comet is scarcely

needed to light up our evening skies, and its presence will not

be missed while the fixed stars continue to shine on in their

everlasting beauty. Now we are ready to say that we have

no reverence w hatever for this kind of philosophers, nor for their philosophy. It is a broad burlesque upon the name. It

does not come dow n into the earnest and solemn realities of

life, and speak of our individual and social duties, relations and

responsibilities. It spends itself in asking questions, which, if

1

INFIDELS AND THE BIBLE.

31

answered, would lead to no valuable results. It apes the pro­ found and mysterious. It occupies all its'tim e in mere specu­ lation, in weaving gossamer webs, and building rainbows on the overpassing clouds. It talks like a parrot, but never works, never makes itself useful. In a word, this folly, absurdly called philosophy, is a mere baby, not to say idiotic, babbling sheer nonsense mostly, intelligible neither to itself nor those w ho hear.” Christianity vs. Infidels, pp. 6-8.
To the glory and triumph of the cause of Christ and His Gospel of Truth, we condescend to bring forward one or two or perhaps mpre o f the renowned writers against the Bible and Christianity. It will not be necessary to give a lengthy review of any of these gentlemen, for they all arise to about the same altitude and use about the same logic, therefore a thorough refutation of one of these croakers which carries the trumpet and banner of the poorly-informed masses that follow in their wake will be quite sufficient. W e will endeavor to give the reader the benefit of the judgment of qualified historians and scientists upon their standing before the enlightened world.
\
“ Among the modern historians of Continental Europe Voltaire is the most widely known. His writings show great literary skill, with the power of quick, but not very deep
t
penetration. His pen is often guided by a humane and enlightened philosophy, but it is as often misled by strong partialities. He exhibits, to an undue extent, his systematic hostility against established opinions and forms of society, in which he does not scruple to employ the arts o f misrepre­ sentation." Goodrich’s History of All Nations.
Perhaps it is but justice, and therefore due to the apostle of European infidelity and his American admirers, to give a short biographical and yet synoptical description of the accom­ panying character. The record which we here give sketches

32

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER II.

of will be found in Encyclopaedia Americana, article Voltaire. “ His

influence was felt fhroughout Europe; and never did a man, by the force of his writings, obtain such power over his nation.

Voltaire was born at Chatnay, near Paris, February

20, 1694. His father wished to see him a lawyer and

advocate, but his love of literature and general study

did not allow him long to devote himself to the law. He wrote poetry contin­ ually, and cultivated his talents in the company of men of much accomplish­

Voltaire.

ment and wit, but of little principle; such as Chaulieu,

the Marquis de la Fare, Marshal Villars, the Grand Prior of

Vendome, the Prince of Conti, and others. He caught the tone of polished society which distinguishes his writings and which greatly contributed to his influence. His father was displeased w ith his m ode of life and entreated the Marquis of

Chateauneuf, French Minister to Holland, to take the young Voltaire with him as a page. He consented, but Voltaire fell in love w ith the daughter of Madame Noyer, a refugee in Hol­ land, and w as therefore sent back to his family. In 1716 he was imprisoned in the Bastile on the charge of having written a satire against the Government. He remained in confinement a year and a half, and, in this situation, planned a poem upon the League, the result of which was the Henriade. He like­ w ise improved the tragedy ‘^ d i p u s , ’ w hich was brought

upon the stage in 1718, and was performed forty-five times in

INFIDELS AND THE BIBLE.

33

one year. Meanwhile, the poet had been released from prison

in consequence of the real author of the satire having disclosed

himself, but had been banished from Paris. In 1726 Voltaire

was again imprisoned, at the age of thirty-tw o, in the Bastile. He had offended the Chevalier de Rohan, a proud young noble­

man, who, in consequence, caused him to be beaten by his

servant.Voltaire now learned to fence and challenged the Chevalier, whose relations thereupon procured an order for his imprisonment. At the end of six months he was released at the intercession of the Marchioness de Prie, the favorite of the Regeht, who admired his poetical talents, but he was com­ pelled to leave the kingdom. In 1728 he w as perm itted to

return to France, w here he put his effects into a lottery. By

this, as well as by other fortunate speculations (he traded under the name of Du Molin and sent ships to Africa), he obtained great wealth, so that, after he came into the possession of the

estates of his father, his income amounted to nearly 130,000 livres, which he employed in a praiseworthy manner; he par­ ticularly aided youthful literary talent. In 1730 he brought the tragedy of ‘B rutus’ on the stage. He afterwards attacked the pretensions of the Church with such vehemence in his Lettres Philosopbiques that the Parliament of Paris condem ned

the book to be burnt, and an order was issued for the arrest of

the author. He thereupon passed some years in concealment. He soon returned to his poetry and wrote, in 1736, his Al^ire, and, in 1741, his Mabommed. . .. To the clergy he w as par­ ticularly hostile, on account of their intolerance and persecut­ ing spirit. But he often injured the cause of religion itself while he attacked.its servants. His motives, moreover, were not always of the highest kind.” [Inasmuch as ye have done

it unto one of the least of these my servants, ye have done it unto me.— Christ.] “ At the advanced age, February, 1778,

34

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER II.

he returned once more to Paris. Here he found admirers and bitter enemies. He was sensible of the dislike entertained

tow ards him, and therefore when stopped by the officers of the customs with the inquiry if he had any contraband goods

with him, he replied: ‘No, no; there is nothing contraband here but myself. ’ The inquiry of the King, on his arrival, as to

the decree of Parliament being still in force against him made

him uneasy, but nothing further was done to molest him. The actors waited on him in a body. W e have come,’ said they, *to beseech you to inspire us with your odes.' ‘I liv e only for you and through you,’ was his answer; ‘ I have come to Paris to find m y glory and m y grave,’—a proof that he considered his dramas as his chief productions [of life], and, in truth, dra­ matic works were his last labors. The circumstances of his

death have been related differently, but it is certain that Vol­

taire died without receiving the sacrament in the eighty-fifth year
of his age, May 30, 1778. The Archbishop of Paris is said to have denied the corpse Christian burigl, and it was therefore interred secretly at Scellaires, a Barnardian abbey, between
1
N ogent Troyes. By a decree of the National Assembly (1791) his remains w ere placed in the Pantheon, in Paris.

“ The exterior of Voltaire was quite characteristic. In his countenance, as has been said, there was a mixture of the eagle and the m onkey; and, in character, he exhibited the , boldness of the one with something of the malice of the other. D upont has lately published an edition of Voltaire’s works, in seventy volumes. A tolerably complete but perhaps not entirely impartial review of the numerous literary contests of Voltaire is given in the Tableau Pbilosopbique de L ’ Esprit de M. d Voltaire (Geneva, 1771.)”

INFIDELS AND THE BIBLE.

35

Tt)cmas Paige.

W e will now notice another character w ho was born

about forty-three years this side of the renow ned Voltaire’s

birth, and contemporary with him about thirty-four years, yet

did not arise to that political eminence of his predecessor.

Thomas Paine is best know n to the world as the author of a

book w hich everybody has heard of, but comparatively few

have read. Few Christians have ever examined it, and to those

only who are familiar with the Scriptures and on their guard,

may the work be read with profit. One of Paine s biographi­

cal writers (Hugh O. Pentecost), w ho seems to be announcing

Paine’s publication as his prime object, say s:— “ ‘The Age

of Reason’ is almost universally believed to be a book mainly

directed against the Bible and the Christian religion, but it w as

written not for the purpose, primarily,of destroying Christianity,

but to stem the tide of atheism in France that sw ept over it in

the unhappy days of the Revolution.”

W e wish to do no man injustice by even quoting ency­

clopaedias, b u t as w e have Mr. Paine’s w o rk before us, w e will

give a few of his words as we find them, and let the readers

judge for themselves; yet, it may be a question in the minds of

some honest investigators, which is doing the greatest am ount

of h arm : the openly and avowed infidelity or avowed Chris­

tianity, falsely so-called, which teaches anything but the un­

adulterated truth ? But to return:

“ I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish

Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the

Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any church

that I k n o w of. My ow n mind is m y ow n church.” (Page 5,

Age of Reason.) The worship of self is doubtless the great

cause of a vast amount of infidelity. “ The Resurrection and

Ascension, supposing them to have taken place, admitted of

36

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER II.

public and ocular demonstration, like the ascension of a bal­ loon, or the sun at noonday, to all Jerusalem at least. A thing w hich everybody is required to believe; requires that the evi­ dence o f it should be equal to all, and universal. Instead, of this, a small number of persons, not more than eight or nine, are introduced as proxies for the whole world, to say that they saw it, and all the rerst of the world are called upon to believe it! But it appears that Thomas did not believe the Resurrec­ tion ; and,, as they say, would not believe without having ocular and manual demonstration himself. So neither w ill I, and the reason is equally as good for me, and for every other person, as for T h o m as.” ib, p. 6. Just so: just as good for you as ' for Thom as, and no better. Christ said, “ In the m outh of two or three witnesses every w ord shall be e s t a b l i s h e d a n d He is no respecter of persons. But Jesus said, “ Blessed are they th at have not seen, and yet have believed/' (John 20 :2 9 .) Is not this a reproof for undue incredibility ?

Rev. L. A. Lari)bert aod R. G. Ingersoll, in “ Notes on Inger­ soll,” by Rev. L. ft. Lanjbert.

As the mass of the prime objections raised against the Bible and Christianity are covered in the comments of Rev. L. A. Lambert’s “ Notes on Ingersoll,” w e will let a few sketches from his Notes suffice.
Ingersoll— “ W hat w e know of the infinite is almost in­ finitely limited, but iittle as w e know , all have a right to give their honest th o u g h t”
Comment— “ Has any man the rights common sense being the judge, to talk about that of which his knowledge is almost in­ finitely limited ? AH may have an equal right to give their honest thought, but none have the right to give their honest thought on all subjects and under all circumstances. Common sense and decency forbid it. The honesty of thought does not give

LAMBERT VS. INGERSOLL.

37

weight, or importance, or truth to it. If so, lunatics w ould be

the best of reasoners, for none are more honest in their thoughts

than they. Thought must be judged with reference to the

truth, and not with reference to the honesty of him who thinks

it. This plea of honesty in thinking is a justification of every

•

*

error and crime, for w e must, in the very nature of the case,

take the th in k er’s w ord for the honesty of his thought.

Guiteau, if we can believe him, expressed his honest thought

by means of an English bull-dog revolver, and if your theory

be true, he had a right to do it. The right to give an honest

thought implies the right to realize that thought in action and

habit. If it means less than this, it means the right to gabble

like an idiot. 1 assume that it is not this latter that you claim.

Then, in claiming the right to give your honest thought, you

claim to realize th at th o u g h t in act and practice, and cause it,

as far as you can, to permeate, and obtain in human society.

If your claim for liberty o f thought means less than this, it is

the veriest delusion. I take it, then, that, in claiming the right

to give your honest thought, you claim the right to promulgate

that thought, and to put it in practice in the affairs of life.

Now, in view of this claim of yours, I ask, by w hat right do

you interfere w ith the slave-holder’s honest thought, or the

Mormon’s honest th o u g h t? Your plea for the right o f expres­

sing honest thought is a miserable pretense, or else by it you

mean that those only w ho agree with you have the right of ex­

pressing it in word or action. The doctrines of our loquacious

liberals, when analyzed, will be found to mean precisely this

and nothing m ore.” P. 35, 36, Notes on Ingersoll.

Ingersoll— “ Logic is not satisfied w ith assertion.”

Comment— “ Then it is not satisfied with your assertions

in reference to it. But you are evidently ignorant of w hat

logic means. Logic as a science deals with principles, not as­

38

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER II.

sertions; and logic as an art deals with assertions only.

Assertions are the subject matter on which it acts. It simply

deduces conclusions from assertions or propositions called

premises^ and cares not w hether thes'e premises are true or false. Hence, the very reverse of w hat you say is true. Logic

is satisfied with assertions, and know s and deals with nothing

else. Your blunder arose from your confounding reason with logic.

Ingersoll— “ In the world of science a fact is a legal

tender.”

Comment— “ Then, before you can assert a legal tender

you m ust demonstrate a fact. A fact must be established as such before it is legal tender. Now, the question between

you and the Christian is this: W hat are the facts? The whole

controversy rests on this question. W h at you offer as facts

the Christian may reject as fallacies and sophistries, and what

he offers as facts you may reject. It follows, therefore, that

until both parties agree as to w hat are the facts they cannot

agree as to w hat is legal tender. W hat you intended, then,

as a wise saying has no practical sense in it. But for those

w ho like that sort of thing it is about the sort of thing they

will like.” Ingersoll— “ A fact is a legal tender.” Comment— “ A counterfeit is a fact; is it legal tender ? Oh,

no! Well, then, a fact is not a legal tender until it is known

to be a fact. W h a t is a legal tender ? It is a promise to pay,

which may not be worth ten cents on a dollar, but which the

law compels you to accept w hen offered. Is this your idea of w hat facts are? And do you intend the facts offered by you

to be received j n that light? If so, perhaps you are right.” Ingersoll— “ Assertions and miracles are base and spurious

coins.”

LAMBERT VS. INGERSOLL.

39

Comment— “ If this be true, then the assertion you have

just made is base and spurious coin. You say assertions are base and spurious. Is it because they are assertions or because

they are false? If all assertions are base and spurious w e can

not believe anything whatever that is asserted, simply because

it is asserted. I asseit that tw o and tw o make four. This is an assertion. Is it false ? It m ust be if w hat you say is true. From this it appears that you again failed to say what you meant, for you will certainly admit that some assertions are true—your owri, for instance. Perhaps you meant to say that fa lse assertions are base and spurious. If so, this is on a par with your legal-tender sophism and involves the same amount of meaningless verbiage. The truth or fallacy of an assertion

must be established before you can assert it to be base and

spurious. But the truth or fallacy of an assertion is the ques­ tion now in debate. Let me illustrate: I make the assertion that the Christian religion is of Divine origin. You will ob ­

serve that the truth or fallacy of this assertion is the point i.i

debate, and to assert either one or the other w ithout proof is to beg the question. This you do when you assert that asser-
%
tions are base and spurious. But perhaps I have misunder­ stood you all this time. You ‘ probably th in k ’ that all asser­ tions favoring Christianity are base and spurious, while those against it have the true ring. If you mean this you should have had the ‘ courage of the soul ’ to say it, and not hide your insinuation under a meaningless, common-place phrase. I notice you are fond of making curt little maxims, which on examination mean nothing, unless when they cover a fallacy.”
Ingersoll— “ Miracles are base and spurious coins.” Comment— “ That depends. And here I must make the same distinction I made in regard to assertions. If a miracle is a fact, it is not base and spurious.” [The devils have power

4°

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER II.

to deceive some that dwell on the earth by the means of his

miracles that he had pow er to perform. See Rev. 13: 14, 16:

14.], “ .Now the fallacy of a miracle is the point in debate.

Until that point is settled, not by assertions, but by valid argu­

ments, you cannot say that it is spurious, for when you make

that assertion you simply beg the question

A sign of con­

scious weakness.” Pages 54-57, Notes on Ingersoll.

W e will ask the reader to follow these two contestants

but a few pages, as the issue before us is one of which many

have been misled in their conclusions as to the God of the

Bible. This review covers in substance the viperous hissings

of all w h o have* heretofore brought forth w h at they have

claimed the injustice of the God of the Bible.

W e will quote a sentence or tw o from Paine’s “ Age of

Reason” as it is of the same nature and refers to the points that

Ingersoll does:

Paine— “ W hen w e read in the books ascribed to Moses, Joshua, etc., that the Israelites . . . . put all those nations to the sword; that they spared neither age nor infancy; that they utterly destroyed men, w om en and children; that they left not

a soul to breathe

Are we sure that these things are

\

t

facts? Are we sure that the Creator of man commissioned

these things to be done ? Are w e sure that the books that tell

us so w ere written by His authority ? . . . . The Bible tells us

that these assassinations were done by the express command of God. To believe, therefore, the Bible to be true, we must unbelieve all our belief in the moral justice of God; for wherein could crying or smiling infants offend.” Age of Reason, p. 62.
Ingersoll— “ He [God] ordered the murder of millions. " Comment— “ He never authorised or ordered the murder of anyone, from Abel to Garfield. God is the author and giver o f life, and those He places on this earth He can remove at His

LAMBERT VS. INGERSOLL.

41

will. No. man has a right to live one instant longer in this world than his Creator wills him to remain, be he yet unborn

or innocent or guilty. As creatures of God w e are absolutely

His, and can have no rights whatever against Him

Now,

He who has the absolute right to transpose man from one state

of being to another has equally the right to select the method

of his removal, whether by old age, disease, the deluge, the

sword, or by w hat w e call accidents. By whatever method

man is w ithdraw n from this life’s fitful fever, his death is in

pursuance of the original sentence passed on the face by an

infinitely just Judge. This sentence awaits you, and your

philosophy will not obtain you a stay of proceedings or an

exemption.

“ But, to return. He w ho has the absolute right to take or

give life cannot be guilty of murder in taking it, for m urder is

an unjust killing, and there is no unjust killing in the taking of

life by Him w ho has the absolute right to take it.” [God is the

source o f all life, animate or inanimate, and there is no other

source of life from man in His image, to the beast or a spear

of grass.] “ There is no escape from this reasoning, except by

denying the absolute right, and you cannot deny this but by

denying G od’s existence, for on the hypothesis that He exists

He is Creator, and, being Creator, the absolute right of dom in­

ion over His creatures necessarily follows.

“ Then, in the last analysis, to deny this right is to deny

God’s existence. But you cannot logically deny His existence

since you say in your lecture on “ Skulls” that you do not

know whether He exists or not.

“ I have dwelt at some length on the absolute right of do­

minion of the Creator over His creatures, because you harp on •

w hat you call His murders through your whole article. It was

unjust killing that God forbade, and the destruction of that

42

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER II.

guilty people was just, because ordered by Him who had the

absolute right to order it, w hether guilty or not, As to the

Canaanites, they were guilty of death

The unparalleled

wickedness and filthy abominations of the seven nations of

Palestine, commonly called Canaanites, Were such as to make

their national expulsion or extermination a just punishment and a useful lesson to other nations. The nature of their crimes may be found in the eighteenth chapter of Leviticus. Read the chapter and you will understand why the-Lord held these beastly people in abhorrence. The Mormons and the Oneida Communists are as pure as the driven snow in comparison with them. To give the reader an idea of their incredible de­

basement, I quote some verses from the end of the chapter wherein God warns the Hebrews not to imitate their example: ‘ Defile not yourselves with any of these things with which all the nations have been defiled, which I will cast out before you. And with which the land is defiled; the abominations of which I will visit: that it may vomit out its inhabitants.

Keep ye my ordinances and judgments and do not any of these abominations...............For all these detestable things the in­ habitants of the land (Canaanites, Amorites,) have done that wfere before you, and have defiled it. Beware of them, lest in like manner it vomit you also out, if you do like things, as it

vomited out the nation that was before you. Every soul that shall commit any of these abominations shall perish from the

midst of his people.’ “ The abominations are described in the first part of the
eighteenth chapter. Read it carefully that you may know the

abominable wretches you sympathize with, “ The author of the Book of W isdom describes some of the

sins of those people and justifies their punishment in words

that I cannot do better than to quote:

II»'

LAMBERT VS. INGERSOLL.

4*3

!

i

“ ‘Thou chastisest them ' that err by little and little;

,

and admonishest them, and speakest to them, concerning the

i

things wherein they offend; that leaving their wickedness they

may believe in thee. For those ancient inhabitants of the

Holy Land, whom thou didst abhor because they did works

hateful to thee by their wicked sorceries and wicked sacrifices,

and those merciless murderers of their own children, and eaters

of m an’s bowels, anddevourers of blood from the midst of thy

consecration; and those parents sacrificing with their own

hands helpless souls, it was thy will to destroy by the hands

of our parents

Yet, even those, thou sparedest as men,

and did send wasps as forerunners of thy host, to destroy them

little by little. Not that thou w ast not able to bring the wicked

under the just by war, or by cruel beasts, or with one rough

word to destroy them at once; but executing thy judgment by

degrees thou gavest them place of repentance, not being igno­

rant that they were a wicked generation, and their malice nat­

ural, and their thought could never tbe changed

Neither

didst thou for fear of anyone give pardon to their sins. For

w ho shall say to th e e : W hat hast thou done ? or, w ho shall

withstand thy judgm ents ? or, w ho shall come before thee to

be a revepger of wicked men ? or, w ho shall accuse thee if the

nations perish which thou hast made ? . . . . For so much, then,

as thou art just, thou orderest all things justly, thinking it not

agreeable to thy power to condemn him who deservest not to

be punished. For thou showest thyself when men will not

believe thee to be absolute in power, and thou convincest the

boldness of them that know thee not. But thou, being master

of power, judgest with tranquility, and with great favor dis-

poseth of us, for thy power is at hand when thou wilt. Thou

hast made thy children to be of good hope, because in judging

ibou givest place fo r repentance fo r sins

But they that were

\

1 I

44

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER II.

not amended by mockeries and reprehensions experienced the w orthy judgm ent of G od.’ (W isdom, chapter 12.)
“ Here we find these people whom you beslaver with your gushing sympathy were sorcerers, murderers of their own chil­ dren, offering them with their own hands in sacrifice to idols and man-eaters. On the other hand we learn the merciful way in which Jehovah warned them and gave them time and place for repentance. W hen they rejected His mercy He punished them with justice, and, for doing this, you accuse Him of mur­ der! Those who, knowing the crimes of this people, condemn Mormonism and Oneida Communism, and yet you volunteer to advocate those bestial Sodomites of Canaan whose unnatural disgrace fell on the race to which they belonged and contam­ inated the land which God had given them to dwell in.”
"A fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind.”

Ingersoll— “ He (God) gave captive maidens to gratify the lust of captors.”
Comment— “ I flatly deny the truth o f the statement given above and appeal to the only record that can give us any record on the subject, namely, the Old Testament. The Hebrew military laws did not abandon captive women to the insolence or brutality of captives. On the contrary, they made special pro­ visions forbidding the first familiarities of the.soldier with his captives. If you study the twenty-first chapter of Deuterono­ my, verses 10-14, you will learn that the soldier w as obliged to make the captive his wife, or respect her person and honor. Instead of tolerating that licentiousness which the customs and laws of other nations authorized, the laws of the Hebrews kept the soldier in restraint.
*' The pagan nations of that time allowed every familiarity with captives, and after they were sold as slaves, or given to the lust of slaves. This was strictly and specifically forbidden /

LAMBERT VS. INGERSOLL.

45

by the Hebrew law. And, yet, in the face of all this, you have the effrontery to charge the Almighty with permitting the Jews to do that which he forbade, and which they, alone, of all

ancient nations, prohibited by strict and specific laws. W hat will honest men of common sense think of a philosophy that

has to be propped and bolstered up by such shameless misrep­

resentations of history ?” Ingersoll— “ He (God) sent abroad lying spirits to deceive
his ow n prophets.” Comment— “ I will give one hundred dollars to the poor
of this village if you or any of your disciples will make good
\
your statement. I am familiar with the texts in Kings and Ezechiel which you probably imagine will bear you out, but if you carefully compare those texts with your statement you will find that your zeal has ran away with your discretion, and that your hatred of your Maker is more intense than your love for truth.
“ God abhors lying spirits, false prophets, false philosophers and deceivers of all kinds, ancient and modern, and yet he per­ mits them to exist because he cannot make them impossible without destroying free will or human liberty. There were laws enacted condemning the false prophets and other popular seducers, but these laws were not enforced because the false prophets, etc., flattered the passions of the people, telling them pleasant things. They were popular lecturers in their day, and they did not die w ithout issue.” [Or childless.] Rev. L. A. Lambert’s Notes on Ingersoll, pages 35—75. By permission of copyrighters.

CHAPTER III.
Geology of the Bible.
W E now reach the questions: i. Does Geology over­ throw the Mosaic record of creation ? 2. Does the Bible stand on geological science ? 3. Or does Science stand on the Bible ?
In order to illustrate these interrogations the writer knows of no better plan than to give in substance, a dialogue that he took part in while in a social conversation with a friend in Toledo, Ohio. Mr. S , w e will denominate the skeptical and would-be geologist and scientist, says: “ You Christians do not read the Bible arig h t; of course you read it as it is, and understand it as you have been taught.”
True, Mr. S , ’tis education that forms the common mind. Just as the tw ig is bent the tree’s inclined. But, Mr. S , w hat is w rong about our understanding the Mosaic record ?
“ You Christians understand the earth and all that w as in existence in A dam ’s time, to have b e m created in six literal twenty-four-hour days, whereas, geology demonstrates this false; and further proves that these days were immense long periods; there are petrified trees found in California, whose grains count more years than the Mosaic record allow s; with your version of the matter.”
N ow, Mr. S , I suppose that you believed in some kind of an intelligence that created man in the entirety ?
“ Yes.” Did he create him a full-sized man ? Or was he an infant and finally grew to the stature of a man ?

GEOLOGY OF TH E BIBLE.

47

“ I do not believe in the D'arwin theory; therefore, I believe

that w hen m an came into existence he w as as complete in all

respects as at the present time.” Mr. S , you w ould not suppose that it w ould be any

more wonderful, or any more of a miracle for the Creator to

m ake a full sized tree, w ith its num erous grains, diversified

leaves and fruit, than it was to make man ? “ N-o. For it w as on the third period that God said : ‘ Let
the earth bring forth its grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fr u it tree yielding fruit after his kind, w hose seed is in itself upon the earth; and it w as so .’ Gen. i : 11, 13. And, further,

if these days were long periods of thousands of our years, then there w as ample time for all these herbs and trees to mature

and yield fruit after their kind.” Then, Mr. S , I suppose you w ould not adm it of these
periods being less than a thousand years each ? “ No, sir, not less than fifteen thousand each.” Then, Mr. S , let us take the Bible and read the affirm­
ation at the close’of each of these periods of creative work, substituting your version for the literal.
“ Very well.”

For brevity in reaching the points w e will only read the last verse, or a portion of it, com m encing at Gen. 1: 5. “ And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And the evening and' the morning were the first fifteen thousand years. ’ ’

Eighth verse. “ And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second fifteen thousand y e a r s ."

Thirteenth verse. “ And the evening and the morning were the third fifteen thousand y e a r s."
But let us pass on to the sixth and seventh periods. Verse

1

48

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER III.

31. “ And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth fifteen thousandyears."=90,000.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host o f them. And on the seventh ‘fifteen thousand years ” God ended His w o rk which He had made; and He rested on the seventh fifteen thousand years from all His w ork which He had made. And God blessed the “ seventh fifteen thousand years ’ ' and sanctified them because that in them He had rested from all His w ork which God created and made.

These are the generations (account or pedigree) of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day (or time) that the Lord Go'd made the earth and the heavens,” Genesis 2: 1-4 inclusive.

Now, in order to ascertain definitely what governed the lengtfc of these days, w e have only to refer to the closing declamation of each period or day: “ the evening and the morning.’ ’

W h a t did God call the dark and the light ? Genesis 1; 5.

Ans. Day and night.

»

W hat did God give to govern and rule the day and the

night? “ And God said, ‘ Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night ; and let them

be for signs, and for seasons, and for ,days and years.’ And God made tw o great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; He made the stars also.”

Genesis 1: 14-16. Now, it must be manifest to every unbiased mind what
kind of a day or period the Lord is talking about. W e go to Exodus, 20: 11, and find the same time brought to view. “ For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh d a y : wherefore the Lord

GEOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY. '

49

.blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” ( “ To hallow ” to

set apart for a holy purpose— Webster.) But w hat does God command man to do in regard to these

days on which the Creator labored ? Ninth verse: “ Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy w o rk .” A long period of toil

before rest—90,000 years! And how about rest, given to man, which was to com­

memorate the Creator’s w ork ? Let us read the tenth v erse:

“ But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in

it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates.” So w e see the rest that was assigned to man, if the days be understood as geologists claim, would reach fa r beyond the age of man.
A very long rest!1
Perhaps there are some people nowadays who were born tired and would be fond of such a rest. 1
Thus we may see the object of Satan to overthrow the Mosaic record of creation and the Sabbath—the memorial of the Creator’s works. But the effort is a failure. God says, *‘ I change not.”
Geology and Astronom y, Its P o p u larity vs. Bible.
W e think w e have said sufficient in favor of the infallibility ‘of the Bible to be free in using it as a reference for evidence on any subject on which the Word may treat. But should the skeptic yet require more, we know of no better way to test the

infallibility of the W ord than for him to take the prophecy of Daniel, chapters two, seven, eight and nine, concerning the four Universal kingdoms, with many details concerning th e m ; also the prophecy concerning the first and second advent of Jesus Christ. Compare these with history, and if you have a desire for truth you can get it in abundance.

5°

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER III.

W e now propose to give some of the popular views of Geology and Astronomy as quite generally believed and taught by the supposed scientific and Christian world, after which we shall let the Word speak.

The Bible w as not given to teach the science of geology nor astronomy, neither does it make such claims; yet when it speaks “ w e do well to take heed.” “ Knowing this first that no prophecy of the Scripture is ot any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will o f man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter i : 20,21.
1
Creation of tbe World, etc., According to Popular Scientists.

“ Creation of the world, 4,000 before Christ, Julius Africanus says 5 , 5 0 8 Samaritan Pentateuch, 4,700; Septuagint, 5,872; Josephus, 4,658; Talmudists, 5, 3 4 4 ; and others give different times, but the Chinese tradition and history claim an antiquity of 100,000 years before Christ. From geological
r
formations and from workings of rivers like the Niagara and the Danube through the Iron Gate in the Alps, it can be esti­ mated at an age of m illions of years. The creation itself, or the accumulation of enormous quantities of matter in the large planets, must have required millions of years. No body, how­ ever small, has been instantly created. [Forbidding the power of the Almighty.] Creation is the work which consists of the three physical elements — force, motion and time — by which bodies grow like a tree, or by gradual accumulation of matter. These three physical elements constitute the Trinity which gov­ erns the material universe. All creation, or action of whatever kind, whether mechanical, chemical or derived from light, heat, electricity or magnetism — all that bas been and is td be done o r undone — is accomplished by this Triune function. It is

CREATION OF THE WORLD.

5 I

Omnipotent, ubiquitous and eternal.”— N ystrom ’s Mechanics,

page 498. This is the result and conclusion that thousands are led to

who follow the Newtonian system of gravitation, geology or astronomy. You may say that the above is absolute infidelity; so says any true lover of G od’s Holy W ord. But let us look at the words of a “ Connecticut Pastor/ ' Ecce Coelum or Parish

Astronomy, by Burr. This popular and extremely eloquent work, published by the American Tract Society, 150 Nassau

Street, New York, some seven or eight years since the present writing, 1893, had reached its tw entieth edition. On page 183 he says: “ All of Kepler’s and N ew to n ’s laws are as ope­ rative to-day as they ever have been since their discovery. The planets shoot round the sun and are circled by their ow n moons, on substantially the same elliptical orbits, in the same times,

and with the same principles of alternate retardation and ac­ celeration as of old.” Again, on page 185: “ Repeatedly has the earth been drowned and torn in pieces. It has been piled with snow and ice from pole to pole. It has been all ablaze and fused. And is it not on the idea of such a conflagration

that we can best account for the new stars that have sometimes flashed suddenly on the sight w ith all the splendor of Venus at its brightest, and, after a few months of changing color and
%
gradual decay, finally disappeared.” But how about the earth’s having been repeatedly
drow ned ? H ow about G od’s covenant with Noah ? Gen. 9: 11-15: “ And I will remember my covenant with you: and I will remember my covenant, which is betw een Me and you and every living creature of all flesh;.and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.”
And we will notice another display of crazed sublimity, page 189: “ Geometry declares that no element of decay,

5-2

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER III.

within, endangers the stability of the system of the world.

The year which circumscribes our seasons is only three hun­

dred and sixty-five days; but the earth has another year to

which this is a mere point — its pole goes nodding through

space in a circle which it takes twenty-five thousand years to

traverse. W h at think you of a planet whose winter is more than forty of our years, of a comet whose year is more than

thirty of our centuries, of a sun whose year is more than eigh­

teen thousand Of our milleniums (or thousands) ? All the

planetary orbits pass through cycles of changes, varying in

length from a few centuries to nine thousand, to seventy thou­

sand, to even many million years; but the greatest of these

phinetary cycles are as nothing compared with those enormous

periods which bound the perturbations and express the secular

equations of the sun and fixed stars — periods including more years than imagination has ever succeeded in realizing to itself.

W hat amazing longevities! W hat portentous numerals! They

are hieroglyphics of the everlasting. They lift us am ong the

dizziest peaks of the sublime.” Yes, and far beyond. Satan

has lifted man in his ow n estimation of wisdom to a far greater

height than he did the Saviour when he set him on the pinnacle

of the temple, or when he “ took him up into an exceedingly

high m ountain and show ed him all the kingdoms of the world

in a m om ent of tim e.” W hen Satan lifts man he is ready to exclaim : “ All this have I gotten by the might o f my power.”

But when God causes man to behold the glories of the Eternal he exclaims in humility: “ I beheld things unlawful for man

to utter;” or, like Daniel: “ For my comeliness was turned in

me into corruption and I retained no strength.” God’s plan is:

“ Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a

fall;” “ before honor is humility.” W e will next notice the

contrast between the popular view, the “ Newtonian and Kep-

th e m osaical re c o rd .

53

le r” system and the Mosaical record, of creation and the

longevity of man.

The Mosaical Record of Creation Contrasted with the Popular Views.

Let it ever be remembered that the Mosaical record of cre­ ation is neither a type, shadow nor symbol of any a c t ; neither is any part of the record of creation so claimed by theologians, except in some instances in the case of the seventh day, on examination of which we shall find that it was instituted as a memorial to man of the act performed by the Creator.
Let it also be borne in mind that “ the prophecy came not in olden time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Second Peter 1:21.
W e feel that w e have said sufficient and given sufficient quotations of a reliable source, to establish the in fallible evi­ dence o f the book called the Bible ; yet it m ay be of interest and profit to notice other most common objections, those quite universally taught by leading scientists, and, therefore, believed by the masses. W e now purpose to proceed, using as freely as the limits of this work will allow, quotations from said book on which w e build and establish our fa ith and hope. It seems to me, that the creative act is the highest display of omnipotent power of which mortals can conceive. Truly, “ the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His hand­ iwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.'’ Ps. 19: 1-3. W hen w e personify the mighty w ork of the Creator w e are led to exclaim with Paul: “ O, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! H ow unsearchable are His judgm ents, and His ways past finding out! ” Rom. 11: 33.

54

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER HI.

Had God's memorial ever been universally observed,

m an’s adoration would have been upon the Creator, as the

prime object of His worship and the inevitable results would

have been that there never would have existed an Idolater, an

Atheist nor an Infidel.

To undertake to search out the ways of the Almighty

w ould be an act worse .than folly by any of His created beings,

but w hat He has been pleased to reveal in His w ord He has

given to us and to all generations. (See Deut. 29: 29.)

David informs us that “ the works of the Lord are great,

sought out [or looked into] of all them that have pleasure

therein.” And further says: “ He hath made His wonderful

w orks to be remembered. ” Ps. 111: 2, 4. And at the com­

pletion of His works of creation He established a memorial of

the acts He had performed. “ And God blessed the seventh

day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all

His w o rk which God had created and m ade.” Gen. 2: 3.

And these are the words which he spake, from Sinia amid the

thunderings, lightning and smoke, which made an impression

never to be forgotten. And this is His memorial: “ Remem­

ber the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Ex. 20: 8. And w hy

are w e to remember it? “ For in six days the Lord made

heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested

the seventh day; wherefore, [ f o r this very reason,] the Lord

blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Ex. 20: 11. Do

you ask h ow long this memorial of creation was to last, and

w as there nothing to take its place ? Let the inspired Word

answer. Christ says: “ Till heaven or earth pass, one jot or

one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law .” . “ Thy name, O

Lord, endureth forever, and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout

a ll generations. ” Ps. 135: 13. “ Thy W ord is true from the

beginning, and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth

THE MOSAICAL RECORD.

5 =

forever.” Ps. 119: 160. “ My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that has gone out of my lips.” (Ps. 89: 34.)

“ K now ye not that Jehovah, he is God; it is He that hath

made us, and not w e ourselves.” Ps. 100: 3.

In giving the evidence concerning the inspired W ord, I feel

that, know ing w hat I do, “ woe is me ” if I give it not correctly.

The honest difference of opinions that men may have in regard to the teachings of God’s W ord, they m ust settle betw een

themselves and their God. It is not for me to say, or to

announce to you w hat God means when He speaks, but if we

have proven that God has spoken ; then we have proven that He has spoken to you as well as to me, “ by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3 :2 1 ), for this W ord is unto us and our children forever.” W e believe that God’s W ord is its o w n expounder, and if others think differently, they have the same inalienable right as the author, and the

same judge to whom accounts must be rendered. Our pur­ pose is, and shall be, to prove the W ord and give the W ord; and we shall endeavor to do this by “ rightly dividing the W ord of t r u t h ; ” neither “ adding unto nor taking from’’ (Rev. 22: 18,

19), and leave the results to the reader. The scientific principles of “ A ll Past Times," the records
of all eclipses and transits in cycles, each in their order, since the record of man on the earth, will be given in the future progress of this present w ork ; not for the purpose of establish­ ing a creed nor the avowed faith of any creed or set of men, but for the benefit and interest of all such as may be benefitted by the facts — let them come from Jew or Gentile, or an Infidel historian.

W e understand that if our sins and mistakes are confessed, they are taken by our High Priest, Jesus Christ, our advocate, and that they are placed back on the head of the anti-typical

56

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER III.

scape-goat, the devil, and he suffers the penalty. But if we

carry our own sins and mistakes we alone must be responsible

for th em ; thus we lessen the punishment of his Satanic maj­

esty by taking the responsibility of the results on our own shoulders.

How was the World fra m e d ? Out of Wbat was it Made?
The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a record of the w on­ derful deeds of faith. “ Through faith w e understand the

worlds were framed by the W ord of God, so that things which

are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Heb. 11: 13.

It is here emphatically declared that God framed the worlds

out of that which did not previously exist. It is impossible for

our finite minds to grasp this wonderful declaration.

To comprehend this, or how an infinite power could

accomplish the feat, w e can only go back some six thousand

years in the past, and from that date, in our minds-eye, view

the vast abyss of ethereal space, the “ outer darkness,” the void now filled with the lights of Heaven. W hat can we

behold ? Simply blank — nothing. The host of heaven, the

stars, did not then exist. “ W ithout form and void (Gen.

1: 2), ho w were the heavens made ? ” Ans. “ By the W ord

of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host o f them

by the breath of His mouth. For He spake and it was done;

* He com m anded and it stood fast.” (Ps. 33: 6, 9.) The highest

act of faith that w e can conceive of is a Being who has called

into existence the universe out of nothing. To believe this

great truth w e m ust credit the sacred Scriptures ; for Paul tells

us that “ faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the W ord of

G o d .” (Rom. 10: 19.) The world is full of infidelity and atheism. These have no faith in the Mosaic record of creation.

To the latter the rest day of the Creator, as a memorial, is of

HOW WAS THE WORLD FRAMED ?
no importance whatever. But with those who believe the Mosaic record, and their works correspond with their faith, it will be, and ever is, different. Those who believe, and their works do not correspond with their faith, have simply a dead faith. “ Devils believe and tremble.” If w e believe it to be true that the six days of creation were long periods of thous­ ands of years each, then the inconsistency of the Christians’ God is manifest to the atheist and all others in requiring of man to rest one or labor six of those periods or days. But if you are inclined to “ limit the Holy One,” and say that “ a tw enty-four-hour day is insufficient to the task of any of the works that were w rought within the specific periods,” we say, true. If the w ork of creation be the w ork of Nature all of eternity would be insufficient for the work. But if we will take the above record, “ He spake and it was done, he com­ manded and it stood fast,” then the time would be ample. W e only'have to turn back tw o or three pages, in this chapter to get the contrast of the “ popular views.”
Purpose of Creation.
/ “ God Himself hath formed the earth and rrtade i t ; He hath established it; He created it not in vain; He formed it to be inhabited.” Isaiah 45:18.
And the Psalmist says: “ The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth hath he given to the children o f m en.” (Ps. 115: 16.) God will not be foiled in His purpose; when the earth is redeemed from the curse it will not then be inhabited by a race of rebels, but by the righteous.' “ For such as be blessed of Him shall inherit the earth, and they that be cursed of Him shall be cut olT.” Ps. 37: 22.
Now, we ask if God specified in particular for what pur­ pose He made the sun, moon and stars? “ And God said, ‘ Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide

5$

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER III.

the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth,' and it w as s o .” Gen. i : 14, 15.

But did not God make some of these to be inhabited ? W hich shall w e believe ? The Mosaic Record, by the man of God, w h o calls the moon a light (Gen. 1:14-16), or the heathen Pythagorus w ho died before Christ 506, w ho was an idolator— a w orshipper of the sun? And regarding the common source o f nature as the essence of Deity on the authority of Pythago-
'/
rus, Newton said that the moon had no light of itse lf; also that the day was caused by the sun. Moses says th at light was divided from the darkness the first day, and the day and night were both m ade on the first period or day. Gen. 1: 4, 5. .These periods or length of days were governed by these lights.
It seems that God has been particular to specify for what purpose these lights were made, and that purpose was, at least, tw ofold: First, for lights in the firmament of the heaven u to divide the day from the n i g h t ; ,f second, “ for signs and for seasons, and for days and years." As w e understand, for the measurement and rules of time, something, if you please, by which man may reckon his time and the mariner his ap­ proximate whereabouts on the great seas.

Other Worlds than Tl)is.
To this thought there need be no reasonable objection
%
while there is positive and demonstrated evidence that there is one or more worlds, and they are inhabited by people in the form of men and in the image of the Creator, the image of Him w h o said that “ He made all things, and w ithout Him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1 :3 .) These beings have been seen and handled, have lodged and ate with mortals,

OTHER WORLDS THAN THIS.

59

and returned to their' homes from whence they came. (See Gen. 18: i, 2, 8; also Gen. 19: 1, 3, and m any others m ight

be given.) There is, therefore, no objections to there being

other worlds above, hung upon nothing, or revolving or travel­

ing through ethereal space; or founded without motion and

established in ethereal space, sustained by the mighty power

of God. To deny these facts would be to do violence to the . Word and limit the Holy One. The psalmist says in speaking

of the earth: “ For He hath founded it upon the seas and

established it upon the floods.” Ps. 24: 2.

There is nothing said in the Holy Book of the limits of the flood, or bounds of the "w a te r s ." (Gen. 1 : 2 .) They may be

as boundless as ethereal space, ought we know, with other worlds on the same plane or the same waters divided by the

everlasting mountains of congealed w aters; and ice regions as the bounds with which God in His wisdom has placed between

the rays of our sun and the worlds warmed by other bodies. “ There is a path which no fowl know eth, which the vulture’s eye hath not seen; the lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.” (Job 28: 7-8.) “ He hath com­ passed the waters with bounds until the day and night come to an en d .” Jeb 26: 10.
Travel from the north on any meridian line, or in any direc­ tion from the North Pole is South, and the terminus is the ever­ lasting fields of ice. Go farther, if possible, and there awaits you, beyond the limits of the sun’s rays, the Angel of death.

Do the S crip tu re s T e a ch that the E a rth is a Globe.
W e now purpose to give some Scripture evidence that the earth is not a globe, after which w e propose to give, in the second part of this work, some scientific evidence, showing that the tw o do not antagonize each other when viewed in their proper* light, or practically demonstrated.

60

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER III.

That the Scriptures were not given to teach astronomy, geology or other sciences we do not believe. They were given to teach the true and only way of salvation. To claim that the Bible w as not intended to teach science truthfully would be to declare that God Himself has stated and author­ ized His prophets to teach that which is utterly false! In giv­ ing the following we shall quote largely fro.n an English writer, Parallax, of whom we shall say more ere w e close this work.

“ If the earth were a globe, it is evident that everywhere the waters of its surface, the seas, lakes, oceans and rivers must be sustained or upheld by the land, which must be un­ derneath the water; but being a plane ‘founded upon the seas,’ and the land and the waters distinct and independent of each other, then the waters of the ‘great deep’ must sustain the land as it does a ship, an ice-island, or any other (lowing mass, and there must, of necessity, be waters below the earth." In the Newtonian astronomy, continents, oceans, seas and islands are considered as together forming one vast globe of 25.000 miles in circumference. This assertion will be seen to be en­ tirely false, contrary to the plain, literal and manifest teachings of the W ord of God.

“ And God said, ‘ Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear. ’ And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the w aters called He seas.” Gen. 1: 9-10.
It would be an insult to an intelligent judge or jurors, or an audience, to claim before them that the manifest account of the W ord of God and this accepted theory were in substance

the same,

MORE PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE.

61

Do the S crip tu re s Teacl) th at the E a rtb and S e a s C o n stitu te

the Earth.

Instead of the word “ earth” meaning both land and water,

only the dry land is called earth (in the Scriptures), and the

seas the gathering or collection of the waters in vast bodies.

Earth and the great bodies of water are described as tw o dis­

tinct and independent regions, and not as together forming one

great globe, w hich modern astronomers call “ the earth.”

This description we shall confirm by several other passages of

Scripture: “ The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof;

the world and they that dwell therein; for He hath foun Jed it

upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.” P s .2 4 :1,2.

“ O give thanks to the Lord of Lords, that by wisdom made the heavens, and that stretched out the earth above the

w aters.” (Ps. 136:6.) “ By the W ord of God the heavens

were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the

w ate r.” Second Peter 3: 5. “ W ho with his strength fixed the heavens; and founded

the earth upon the waters. " — Herm es’ N. T. “ That the surface of the w ater is horizontal,” says Paral­

lax, [and w e purpose to scientifically prove it in our second

part] “ is a m atter o f absolute truth, and as the earth is founded

upon the seas and stretched out above the waters, it is of ne­

cessity a plane; and being a concrete mass of variable elements and compounds, with different specific gravities, it must be a floating structure, standing in and out of the waters, just as

we see a ship or an iceberg.”

I have heard argued at considerable length, by different

ones, the following passage of Scripture, supposing it to teach

the idea of the earth a globe suspended in void space: “ He

stretched out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon n othing .” Job. 26: 7.

62

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER III.

W e have examined Dr. A. Clark on this passage, and he being a Newtonian philosopher, says the literal translation is, “ On the hollow or empty w aste;” and he gives the Chaldee version as his preference, which says: “ H elayeththe earth upon the waters, nothing sustaining it.”
The rendering would convey this idea. He layeth it upon the waters which were previously empty or unoccupied by earth ; nothing visible.

“ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven'above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” Ex. 20: 4.

But let us notice a few more Scripture quotations: “ Thus, saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinance of the moon and stars for a light by night, which divided the sea when the waters thereof roar, the

Lord of Hosts is His name. If these ordinances depart from

before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also sh'all cease from being a nation before me forever. Thus saith the L o rd : If heaven above can be measured and the foundation of the earth searched out beneath, I will cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord.”
Says Parallax on the above: “ It is certain that G od’s promises to His people can no more be broken than can the height of heaven be measured, or the depths of the mighty w aters—the earth’s foundations— searched out or determined ”
The fathomless character of the deep beneath, upon which the earth is founded, and the infinitude of heaven above, are here given as the emblems of the boundlessness of G od’s power and of the certainty that all of His ordinances will be fulfilled.
'W h en G od’s pow er can be limited heaven above will be

no longer infinite; and the “ mighty waters,” the “great deep,”

DOES THE EARTH MOVE OR ROTATE ?

63

the “ foundation of the earth,” may be fathomed. But the

Scriptures plainly teach us that the power and wisdom of God, the heights of heaven and the depths o f the waters upon the

earth, are alike boundless and unfathomable.

Does tbe Eartb Move or Rotate?
The earth is stationary, and nowhere in the Scriptures is the earth spoken of as movable, except bv a miracle or in a relative sense. And, on the other hand, the sun is not spoken of in the Scriptures as standing still, as fixed or having found­ ations, except it be by a miracle of God. The concentric and progressive motion of the sun over the earth is in every sense practically demonstrable; yet, the Newtonian astronomers insist upon it that the sun only appears to move, and that this appearance arises from the motion of the earth ; that when, as the Scriptures affirm, “ the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens,” it was the earth that stood still and not the sun; that the Scriptures, therefore, speak falsely, and the experiments of science and the observations and applications of our senses are never to be relied upon! W hence comes this bold and arro­ gant denial of the value of our senses and judgment and au­ thority of Scripture? A theory which is absolutely false in its ground-w ork, and ridiculously illogical in its details demands that the earth is round and moves upon axis, and in several other directions (as we shall show further on), and that these motions are sufficient to account fo r certain phenomena w ith­ out requiring the sun to move; therefore, the sun does not move, but is a fixed body — his motion is only apparent! Such reasoning is a disgrace to philosophy, and fearfully dangerous at the best, to the religious intetests of humanity. A few pas­ sages of Scripture here will suffice to confirm the above state­ ments :

64

Is t h e B ib le FRpM h e a v e n ? c h a p t e r III.

“ In the heavens hath He set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the end of it.” Ps. 19: 4-6.
“ The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place .where he arose.” Ecclesiastic 1: 5.
“ Let them that love the Lord be as the sun w hen h t goeth forth in his m ig h t.” Judges 5: 31.
“ The sun stood still in the midst of heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole d a y .” Josh. 10: 13.
“ Great is the earth, high is the heaven, swift is the sun in his course, for he compasseth the heavens round about, and fetcheth his course again to his own place in one day.” Esdras 4: 34.
Of Importance to tbe Religious World.

To the religious world this m atter is most im portant — it becomes a sacred question of vital importance; it is complete in the confirmation of the entire Scriptures wherever referred to.

Does the S u n Move ?
Says Parallax, p. 366: “ In the religious and mythological poems of all ages and nations the fact of the su n ’s motion is recognized and declared.” Christians especially, of every de­ nomination, are familiar with and often read and sing with delight, such poetry as the following:

“ My Ood, who makes the sun to know

His proper hour to rise,

»

And to give light to all below

Doth send him round the skies.

“ When, ftvm the chambers of the East,

s

His morning race begins

He never tires nor stops to rest,

Sut, round Vie world he shines*

DOES THE SUN MOVE ?

65

" God of the morniDg, at whose voice The cheerful sun makes haste to rise.
And like a giant doth rejoice To run his journeys through the skies;
He sends the sun hit circuit round To cheer the fruits and warm the ground.”

The above single verses are merely examples of w hat may be found in every hymn-book and collection of sacred poetry throughout the world. The sacred books of all nations, and the perceptions and instincts of the whole human race com­ pletely accord in respect to the motion of the sun and the convexity of the earth ; and theoretical astronom y fails to pre­ sent a single fa c t or experiment to support the contrary con­ clusion.
Christian and Jewish ministers, teachers and commenta­ tors find it a most unwelcome task to reconcile the plain and simple philosophy of the sacred Scriptures with the monstrous and contradictory teachings of modern theoretical astronomy. Dr. A. Clark, in a letter to his friend, the Rev. Thom as Roberts, of Bath, replying to questions as to the progress of the com­ mentary he was then writing and his endeavors to reconcile the statements of Scripture with the Newtonian astronomy, samv/ s:
“ Joshua’s sun and moon standing still have kept me going for nearly three w eeks! That one chapter has afforded me more vexation than anything I have ever met with* and even n o w I am but about h a lf satisfied w ith my o w n solution o f all the difficulties, though I am confident that I have removed mountains that were never touched before. Shall I say that I am heartily weary of my work — so weary that I have a thou­ sand times wished I had never written one page of it, and am repeatedly purposing to give it u p ? ” Life of Dr. A. Clark, 8vo. edition.

66

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER ML

The Rev. John Wesley, in his Journal, writes as follows.

“ The more I consider them the mnre I doubt of all the sys­

tems of astronomy. 1 doubt whether we can with certainty

know either the distance or magnitude of any vtar in the firm­

am ent; else w h y do astronomers so immensely differ, even

with regard to the distance of the sun from the earth ? Some

affirm it to be only three and others ninety millions of miles.”

Extracts of W o rk s of Rev. J. Wesley, third edition, 1849, by . Moses London, p. 392, Vol. 2. In Vol. 3 of the sam e edition,
p. 293, the following entry occurs:

January 1, 1765. tf This w eek I w rote a w arm letter published in the Lon­ don Magazine; the author thereof is much displeased that I presume to doubt of the modern astronomy. I cannot help it; nay, the more I consider the more my doubts increase, so that at present I doubt whether any man on earth knows either the distance or magnitude, I will not say of a fixed star, but of Saturn or Jupiter — yea, of the sun or moon.”

In Vol. 13, p. 359, referring again to theoretical astrono­

my, he says: “ And so the whole hypothesis of innumerable

suns and worlds moving round them vanish into air.”

Page430 of the same volume, the following words occur:

“ The planets’ revolutions w e are acquainted with, but w ho is

able to this day to demonstrate either their magnitude or dis­ tance, unless he will prove, as is the usual way, the magnitude

from the distance and the distance from the magnitude.”

In the same paragraph, speaking of the earth’s motion, he

says: “ Dr. Rogers has evidently demonstrated that no con­ junction of the centrifugal and centripetal forces can possibly

account for this, or even cause any body to move in an ellipse/ ”

“ There are several other incidental remarks in his writings

w hich sh o w that the Rev. J. Wesley was well acquainted V'ith

the Newtonian system of astronomy, and that he saw clearly

DOES THE SUN MOVE ?

67

/

its non-contradictory and anti-Scriptural character. The sup­

position that the heavenly bodies are suns and systems of in­

habited worlds is dem onstrably false and impossible in nature,

and certainly has no counterpart or foundation in Scripture.”

Parallax.

CH A PTER IV.
General S u m m ary of CoQclusions, Inevitable from Evidences
Produced in Previous Chapters.
I N giving these conclusions we shall use the sentiments largely of Parallax and his words verbatim where they accord with evidence produced in th i first part of this book.
At the close of this work we propose to give a synoptical biography of this noted philosopher, the author of “ Zetetic Astronomy and Philosophy,” whom we have quoted so large­ ly, and to w hom the world owes a tribute far greater than to a Newton, Galileo, Copernicus or Kepler. The quotations will be found on pages 375-406 of his work, “ Zetetic Astronomy.”
The Stars.
By Newtonians, are assumed to have positions so far from the earth that the distance is almost inexpressible; figures, indeed, may be arranged on paper, but in reading them no practical idea is conveyed to the mind. Many are said to be so dis­ tan t that should they fall (to the earth), w ith the velocity of light 160,000 miles per second, or 600,000,000 of miles per hour, they w ould require nearly 2,000,000 of years to reach the earth !” Sir William Herschel,- in a paper on “ The Power or Tele­ scopes to Penetrate into Space,” affirms that with his power­ ful instruments he discovered 1brilliant luminaries so far from the earth that the light which they emitted could not have been less than one million, nine hundred thousand years in its progress ! Here again a difficulty is manifest; viz., if the stars begin to fall to-day, and with the greatest imaginable velocity,

CHRONOLOGY.

69

that of light, 160,000 miles in a second, millions of years must elapse before many of them will reach the earth. But the

Scriptures declare that these changes will occur suddenly—

shall come, indeed, “ as a thief in the night. ”

Chronology.

These statements, to those w ho have any faith in them, destroy the sense of all Scriptural authorized chronology. Christian and Jewish commentators (except the astronomic­ ally educated) hold and teach, on Scripture authority, that the earth as well as the sun, moon and stars were created about 4.000 years before the birth of Christ, or less than 6,000 years before the present time. But if many of these luminaries are so distant that it requires nearly tw o millions o f years to reach the earth, and if, as is affirmed, bodies are visible to us because of the light which they reflected or radiated more than tw o
1
millions of years, at their creation, and therefore they must have been shining and must have been created at least nearly tw o million years ago ! This chronological theory is further dem onstrated and published in this book from a w ork of scientific merit styled “ All Past T im e,” b y j . B. Dimblebly, editor of “ The British Astronomical and Chronological Association/’ of London, England.
But the chronology of the Bible, unless by unwarrantable interpretation, teaches that the period of six thousand years has not yet elapsed since “ the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them !” And all was done in six literal tw enty-four hour days. See Gen. 2: 1,2.

Sun, Moon and Stars as Lights.

“ This' modern theoretical astronomy also affirms that the moon is a solid, opaque, (non-luminous) body; that it is,

70

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN f CHAPTER IV.

in fact, nothing less than a material world. It has even been

mapped out into continents and islands, seas, lakes, volcanoes

and volcanic regions; and the nature of its atmosphere (or its

surface, supposing as many do, that an atmosphere cannot ex­ ist), and the character of its productions and possible inhabi­

tants have been as freely discussed and described as though

our philosophers were as familiar with it as they are with the

objects on the earth. The light, too, with which the moon

beautifully illuminates the firmament, is declared to be only

borrow ed—to be only the light of the sun, intercepted arid re­

flected on the earth. These notions are not only opposed by

a formidable array of well ascertained facts, but they are to­

tally denied by the Scriptures. The sun, moon, and stars

are never referred to as worlds, but simply lights to rule alter­

nately the day and the night, and to be “ for signs and for sea­

sons and for days and years.”

Glory of the Heavenly Bodies.

Does the moon shine with a borrowed light ?

“ There is one glory of the sun, and one glory ofthe moon, and another glory of the stars, for one star differeth from

another star in g lory.” i Cor. 15: 41.

“ And God said let there be lights in the firmament of the

heaven to divide the day from the night And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser

light to rule the n ig h t.” (Gen. 1: 14-16) “ O give thanks unto Him that made great lights,. . . .the sun to rule by day; .. . . a n d the moon and stars to rule by n ig h t." Ps. 136: 7-9.
“ The sun is given for a light by day, and the ordinances

of the moon and of the stars for a light by night.” Jer. 31: 35. “ I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall

not give her light by night. All the bright lights ofheaven I

will make dark over thee.” Ezekiel 32: 7,8.

GLORY OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES. •

71

“ Praise Him, sun and m o on; praise Him all ye stars of

light.” Ps. 148: 3. “ The sun shall be darkened in His going forth, and the
moon shall not cause her light to shin e.” Isa. 13: 10.

“ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her lig h t.” Matt. 24: 29.

“ The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for b:ightness shall the moon give light unto th e e ... .T hy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon w ithdraw it­ self.” (Isaiah 60: 19,20.) “ .. ..W h ile the sun, or the light, or

the moon, or the stars be not darkened.” Eccl. 12: 2.

“ The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold.” Isaiah 30: 26.

“ And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and
t
for the precious things put forth by the m o o n .” Deut. 33: 14. Nothing is here said, nor is it said in any other part of the
Scriptures that the sun only is a great light, and that the moon only shines by reflection. The sun is called “ greater light to rule the day, ” and the moon the “ lesser light to rule the night. ” Although of these tw o great lights one is less than the other,

each is declared to shine w ith its ow n independent light. Hence, in Deut. 33: 14, it is consistently affirmed that certain fruits are developed by the influence of the sun ’s light only, and certain other productions are put forth by the moon.
That the light of the sun is influential in encouraging the growth of certain natural products and that the light of the moon has a distinct influence in promoting the increase of cer­ tain other natural substances, is a matter well known to those

who are familiar with horticultural and agricultural phenomena; and it is abundantly proved by chemical evidence that the tw o lights are distinct in character and in their action on various

72

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER IV.

compounds. In no single instance are the tw o lights con­

founded, or regarded in the same character. On the contrary,

positive statements are made to their difference in nature and

influence. St. Paul affirms emphatically that "‘There is one

glory of the sun and another glory of the moon, and another

glory of the stars, for one star differeth from another in glory.”

i Cor. 15:41. “ The sun became black as sack-cloth of hair and the moon
became as blood.” Rev. 6 : 1 2.

If the moon has a light of her ow n, the above language is

inconsistent, bub if she is only a reflector, the moment the sun

becomes “ black as sack-cloth of hair,” she could not remain

as blood while the sun was thus blackened.

Up and D o w q — Do they E xist Farther than Relative Term s.
"‘God has spoken to man in tw o voices—the voice of Inspirhtion and the voice of Nature. By m an’s ignorance they have been made to disagree, but the time will come, and can­ not be far distant, when those tw o languages will strictly ac­ cord; w hen the science of Nature will no longer contradict the science of Scripture.” Professor Hunt in Parallax, p. 383.
According fb Newtonians there is neither up nor dow n from the earth; shall we accept their teachings and chance the results of believing a lie; or, shall w e take the numerous state-, ments of the prophecy of all the prophets, which “ came not in olden time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost ?” (Second Peter 1:20, 21.) If w e accept the former theory w e may discard our own sense%s and let the theory of accepted scientists have full con­ trol, and say that there is neither large nor small, round or square, a straight line or a curve, white or black; but if w e use our cw n God-given senses, believe our own eyes, then

UP AND DOWN— DO THEY EXIST ?

73

we have that which the Apostle Peter says was “ more sure"

[the never failing W ord of God.] Peter states that they

had “ not followed cunningly devised fables, but were eye­ witnesses of His Majesty; ” and a “ voice” from heaven came

to confirm their sight and faith; and what he considered made

the rpatter doubly sure was the W ord of God “ by the Holy Ghost.” (See Second Peter i : 16-21.) More than a score of passages could be given in this case that absolutely antagonize

and forbid the Newtonian theory, but w e will let a few suffice.

“ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them [Peter,

James and John] He was received up into heaven.” Mark 16: 10. “ For as the heaven is high above the earth. " Ps. 103: 2. “ Elijah w ent up into heaven.” 2 Kings 2 :1 1 . “ Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and

bless thy people Israel.” Deut. 26: 15. “ And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai.” Ex. 19: 20. If the earth is a globe, according to the Copernican hypo­

thesis, it necessarily m ust revolve in order to get the su n ’s rays on all parts, and it is evident to the m ost simple that the revo­ lution is made complete every twenty-four hours. Therefore, that which is “ u p ” at any given hour o f the day would be “ dow n” at the same hour of the night. This would make the above quotations a senseless jargon, and the Scriptures neces­ sarily false. W e readily see that at whatever point or mo­

ment w e fix our eyes upwards, in less than one second we are moving our sight rapidly downwards. Before a sentence

could be uttered, expressive of any object on which our eyes

could rest that might be called “ above,” they would be mil­

lions of miles from the first position. The Lord says: “ For my thoughts are not your thoughts., neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are ‘ higher’ than the earth, so are my w ays higher than your ways, and my thoughts

74

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN t CHAPTER IV.

than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:89.) He that made the

heavens and the earth makes no mistakes, neither does He in­

spire men to do so. “ No lie is of the truth.” (Second John 2: 21.) And the truth is no part of a lie.

If w e cannot believe Moses and the prophets we would

not believe though one rose from the dead. Rather: “ Let

God be true and every man a liar.” Rom. 3:4.

If w e say that God inspired men to use their own language

and thoughts it simply destroys the inspiration, and w here is

the standard for truth ?

I

CHAPTER V.
I
Tl)c Ancients; Tijeir History. Early flstrononjers, Sages of

the Present System.

THE authors of the present system of astronom y were the following, as quoted from the “ Encyclopaedia Americana:” “ Nicholas Copernicus, born at Thorn, on the Vistula,

February 19, 1473.

“ Tycho (Tyge) Brahe, born at Knubstrup, in Schonen, a

province then subject to Denmark, in 1546; he died in 1601,

aged fifty-five.

“ Galilei Galileo, born at Pisa, Italy, in 1564; died Janu­

ary 8, 1642, aged seventy-eight.

“ John Kepler, born at Weil, in W urtem berg, in 1571;

died in Ratisbon in 1650, aged sixty-one.

“ Sir Isaac N ew ton, born December 25, 1642, at Lincoln­

shire, England; he died at W estm inster, March 20, 1725, aged

eighty-four.

“ The history of astronomy begins with the most remote

antiquity. The starry heavens must have been one of the first

and most striking objects which attracted the attention of man,

and his immediate wants compelled him to attend to the revo­

lutions of the seasons, changes of the moon, etc. The most

ancient astronomical observations know n to us are the Chinese.

Such an one, mentioned by Montucla (p. 455 of his work,

Vol. 1), as follows: ‘A conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars,

Mercury and the moon occurred about 2,500 before our era.’

'

“ The Chaldeans also boast of some very ancient astro­

nomical observations, but Ptolemy only mentions two lunar

76

IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER V.

eclipses observed by them about 700 B. C. Still less im port­ ance does he ascribe to the astronomical knowledge of the Egyptians, although the placing of their pyramids in a position exactly facing the four cardinal poinst of the compass, the

Zodiacs discovered in Egypt, and other circumstances are by

no means calculated to give us such a disadvantageous idea of it.
“ The theory of Bailly, a later historian of astronomy, re­ specting a nation settled in Middle Asia and possessed of pro­ found astronomical knowledge, seems as unfounded as our acquaintance with Indian astronomy is slight. The science made great progress in Greece, and the Greek philosopher, Thales, born 640 B. C., calculated a solar eclipse. Pythagoras, also seems to have been possessed of astronomical knowledge. After him the Athenian, Meton, 433 B. C., introduced the famous lunarcycle o f nineteen years, at the end o f which time the n e w m oon appears on the same day o f the year as at the beginning o f it, since nineteen solar years constitute very nearly 235 lunations, a discovery which was then regarded as so im­ portant that the calculation was engraved in letters of gold,

whence the num ber which marks the year of the cycle is still called the golden cycle. Great progress was made in astrono­ my under the Ptolemies, and we find Timocharis and Aristillus employed about 300 years B. C. in m aking useful planetary observations. But they were far surpassed, in philosophical

spirit, by Aristarchus o f Samos, born 267 B. C., who, accord­ ing to the indubitable evidence of Archimedes, taught the double motion o f the earth around its axis and around the sun. About 100 years after him, Hipparchus determined more ex­ actly the length of the solar year, the eccentricity of the su n ’s

orbit, the precession of the equinoxes, and even undertook a

catalogue of the fixed stars. From the time of Hipparchus a

THE ANCIENTS.

77

chasm exists in the history of astronomy till the second cen­ tury after Christ, when Ptolemy compiled a complete system of astronomy in thirteen books, which is best know n under the nam e of ‘Almagest, given by the Arabians, w h o trans­ lated it into their language in 827, and which, as the Ptolemian system of the world, notwithstanding its many errors exposed in the article ‘ Universe,’ this w ork has maintained its value down to the latest times.

“ Among the Romans, on the contrary, astronomy was never much esteemed, and no astronomical discovery had its origin with them, though it must be observed that expressions occur in Seneca’s questions of N at.,respecting com m ents w hich are worthy of a riper age; and the service likewise deserves mention w hich Julius Caesar rendered.

“ But with the irruption of the Barbarians on one side and the destruction of the Alexandrian library on the other, such a total stagnation occurred in the case of astronomy, as in that of the sciences in general, that we find no traces of astronomi­ cal study and observations till the ninth century, am ong the Arabs, w hose translation of Ptolem y’s w orks has already been mentioned.

“ But we must not overrate the merits of the Arabian astron­ omers, since they confined themselves entirely to the system of Ptolemy and confounded the science with the dreams of astrol­ ogy; though, on the other hand, the benefits which they have rendered by valuable observations of the fixed stars (many of which is well know n still bear Arabic names), of eclipses, of the obliquity of the ecliptic, etc., and by the preservation of ancient mathematical works, which have come to us in their translations, are not to be forgotten.

“ Among the Christian nations during this time a deep igno-