The Gospel: An Exposition of its First Principles

ament, was the arbitrary action of a council of bishops three or four hundred years A. D. This I believe to be a wrong impression. I do no

ngs by the Christian churches, before the councils of the church undertook any discussion of the subject; and even when this

gulated the public judgment, or, more properly speaking, the judgment of some neighboring churches, the council itself consisting of no more than thirty or forty bishops of Lydia and the adjoining countries;"

ey's Evidences,

The third council of Carthage, 397 A. D., and also the sixth of Carthage, 419 A. D., confirmed the decisions of the first.

Apocalypse[I] being among those whose inspiration and authenticity were questioned; and some Bible scholars since those days have held the same doubts; but the preponderance of evidence is in f

Revelations

be equally inspired with those we now have in the collection. Such, for instance, as another epistle to the Corinthians,[J] also a second epistle to the Colossians,[K] and another book of Jude.[L] Still, because some inspired books were lost, and others

e J: I.

e K: Col

te L: J

d still have the four Gospels, the Acts, the thirteen Epistles of Paul that stand unquestioned; and as long as even one of these books remains unshaken as to its authenticity and inspiration, you have a witness for God and Christ in it-an exposition, to some extent, at least, of the character and attributes of Deity. For the New Testament, like the Old, is not one book, but a collection of books; each i

parts obscure, and even contradictory, still, after making all these concessions, enough remains uncorrupted and unimpaired, to give us in those books strong and reliable witnesses-whose testimony cannot be impeached-for God. And while some parts have been corrupted, and thus ren

strengthening of each other's faith, hope and virtue." Indeed the Apostle Paul, in one instance at least, commands an interchange of apostolic writings. In his epistle to the Colossian saints he says: "And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea."[M] Doubtless, as stated by Chambers, "The brotherly love which was a notable feature of primitive Christianity, led Christians everywhere to make common property of the local messages from apostles, as valuable to them all alike. Nor did they ever dream of withholding from their brethren copies of such inspired writings as had come into their own hands.

e M: Col

tion for the People,