barbarous nation in wholly barbarous times: if they contain the ideas, the passions, the moral sentiments, of a simple but savage people; if they give expression to notions of right and wrong imbibed amid constant bloodshed, and to a religion which was without expectation of a future life; if among its hymns are the strains of a penitent adulterer, and its aphor. isms the wisdom of an exhausted voluptuary, is it not appalling that such an aggregate should be placed in youthful bands as the reflection of the Divine purity and the Oracle of the Infinite Intelligence?-that every effort should be made to gather round it the unquestioning reverence of early years, and form the moral taste from its mixed elements? The party cry of the present day about scripture education demands great plainness of speech, and I scruple not to denounce it as a demoralising and corrupting superstition."

Now

Many Unitarians however do not go so far as this. They admit that the books of the Old Testament were inspired, but that their authority has been superseded by the New Testament, and consequently that they are of no further use to us. what does "the great Teacher" say to all this? Among the many serious charges he makes against the Jews, especially the scribes and pharisees, does he ever accuse them of adding to or taking from "the oracles of God," which had been committed to their keeping? Does he ever tell them what a mistake it was, their supposing these books to be the infallible word of God? Does he even warn them against the "appalling" sin of "placing such an aggregate in youthful hands"? Does he ever say, that a new dispensation having commenced, they were no longer to be appealed to, as of any authority? Every child knows, that he says nothing of the kind; but, on the contrary, that he always speaks of "the scriptures "the word of God," &c. as a definite, fixed, well-known collection of writings; that he continually refers to them as an infallible guide, and an authoritative standard of appeal, without giving the least caution, that un-authorised or un-inspired writings had got mixed amongst them; and that he expressly tells us, that his mission did not overthrow their authority. This we shall proceed to show from his own words.

Let us begin with two passages, which may be thought to favour the opposite view," Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Matt. xv., 3. A moment's consideration of the context* will shew that our Lord does not accuse them of adding their traditions as part of the Bible, (which it is well known they never attempted to do)

The context means the verses before or after the text in question; in fact, its connexion with what the speaker was then saying.

but of distorting and explaining away its meaning by their own false interpretations. The interpretations, with a vast number of absurd rules invented by their rabbies, were collected together in a separate volume, called the Talmud; which was kept quite distinct from the Bible, though by many of the Jews regarded as of equal authority. They were called traditions, because handed down from one generation to another. Now the one of these Jesus always appeals to, as the infallible word of God; the other he rejects, as of only human authority; but never hints, that the two had got at all mixed together. The next objection appears at first sight to have more weight, It is taken from the 5th chapter of St. Matthew, where Jesus seems to repeal some of the laws of Moses. Mr. Barker's words are " You say the Bible is an infallible guide. Now the Bible means the whole of the books from Genesis to Revelations. But those books lead contrary ways. I take your in. fallible guide, and open it, and my eye falls on the words,An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, and life for life. Shall I follow it? While I am pondering the injunction, I open the book again, and it says,—It was said by them of old time, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you, resist not evil, &c. Is this all one guide? And can this two-mouthed guide, this double-tongued director, that would lead me east and west at the same time, be an infallible guide?" By the same ingenious method the teaching of Christ himself may be proved to be "a two-mouthed guide." "I take up one of the Gospels, and my eye falls on the words -Sleep on now, and take your rest. Shall I follow it? While I am pondering this injunction, I open the book again, and it says-Watch and pray. Is this all one guide?" &c. The Bible no more tells him to exact an eye for an eye, than it tells me to sleep on and take my rest. What does the Bible tell him? Why it tells him, in the 21st chapter of Exodus, that the Israelites were allowed to exact an eye for an eye, and in the 5th of St. Matthew, that he is not allowed to do so. Is it possible that he has not sufficient penetration to see the perfect consistency of this? or that he can have overlooked the fact, that, at the beginning of this very sermon, Jesus specially guarded himself against being thought to overthrow the law of Moses by anything he was about to say? "Think not that 1 am come to destroy the law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till heaven

"I challenge all the orthodox party in the world to prove that the law of Jesus is not better than the law of Moses, and of course different from it; or to shew that the law of Moses is not annulled and thrown down, and the law of Christ established in its stead, to be our rule for ever and ever." As far as any truth is

and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." The reason why the Israelites were allowed to do certain things, which Christians are not allowed to do, is that we have more light and greater privileges than they had, and "to whom much is given, of him is much required." In his sermon on the Mount, Jesus, being about to introduce a new dispensation, (not opposed to, but a future developement of, the Mosaic dispensation), shows that a higher standard of holiness would be required of his disciples, in proportion to the greater advantages they would enjoy.

Let us now turn to a few other passages, and see whether our Lord does not invariably speak of the Old Testament as a divinely-inspired, infallible, authoritative book. And if he does, what are we to think of the man, who is perpetually insisting, that a Christian is one who submits to the teaching of Christ, and yet writes as follows? "The differences between the different books of the Bible are endless; and will you pretend, that when those clashing and contradictory books happen to be all bound together in one large volume, that they instantly become a consistent and infallible guide? Here are fifty or a hundred books, one leading you one way, another a contrary way, and several of them leading you no way at all; yet these books, when the book-binder and printer agree to put them all together, are to make one everlasting and infallible guide. Do you really believe such nonsense?"

Matt. iv. 4, 10,-Here, to each temptation of Satan Jesus replies by a passage from the Old Testament, saying, “It is written," &c.

Matt. xxi. 42,-"Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected," &c.

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Matt xxii. 29 and 32,-"Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." Have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God," &c. Observe how he ascribes their infidelity to ignorance of the Old Testament, and confounds them by appealing to it.

Matt. xxvi. 24 and 31,-"The Son of Man goeth as it is written of him.” All ye shall be offended in me this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."

Mark ix. 12,-" And he answered and told them, Elias verily

contained in this, "the orthodox party" are agreed with him; as to the rest, the passage above may open the eyes of some, who are led away by his bold assertions and vaunting challenges.

cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of Man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought."

Mark xii. 31,-"For David himself said by the Holy Ghost," &c.

Luke xvi. 31,-"If they believe not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." What fatal words to rejecters of the Old Testament!!

Luke xviii, 31,-" Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished."

Luke xxi. 22,-"For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled."

Luke xxiv. 25,-"Then he said unto them, O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses, and all the Prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."

Luke xxiv. 44, 46,-"These are the words, which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understandings, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer," &c. "The law of Moses," "the Prophets," and "the Psalms," were the names given by the Jews to their three divisions of the Old Testament. Observe, Christ must open our understandings, before we can understand the scriptures."

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John v. 39 and 46,-"Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me," "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words."

John x. 34, 35.-"Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are Gods? If he called them Gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture can not be broken."

So much for the teaching of Christ. Let us now see whether his apostles follow him in this.,

Acts i. 16.-Peter says, "This scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas.”

Acts iv. 24.-" Lord, thou art God, * mouth of thy servant David hast said."

* who by the

Acts xvii. 11.-" These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readi

ness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

Acts xxvi. 22 & 27.-"I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come." "King Agrippa believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest "

Acts xxviii. 25.-"Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet."

Rom. i. 2. The gospel of God, which He had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures

Rom. iii. 2 Unto them (that is, the Jews) were committed the oracles of God."

Rom. ix. 25" As He (that is, God) saith also in Osee"; that is, by the prophet Hosea.

Rom. xv. 4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

2 Tim. iii. 14-17.-"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in hrist Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousuess; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." When Timothy was "a child" not a word of the New Testament had been written therefore from the whole passage we learn, that all the old Testament is "holy," "inspired," "profitable," and that it is able of itself to teach us the plan of "Salvation through faith" in Christ. Yet these are the writings, of which Mr. Martineau says it is "appalling," that they should be placed in youthful hands; and which Mr. Barker pronounces clashing and contradictory," and, when joined to the New Testament, a two mouthed guide and a double-tongued

:

director."

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2 Pet. i. 21.-" For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

From all which it appears that the views on this subject held by the "prejudiced and carnal" minds of the apostles were very much nearer "the teaching of Christ" than the. views of many in these "enlightened days" of "independent thought" and "free inquiry." If the apostles had been living now, and had written their epistles for the express purpose of flatly contradicting every one of Mr. Barker's opinions on