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VOL. 11. DMISCIEXiX^irsrZEOTTS. “THE ASSAULTS ON THE BIBLE.” To the Editor of the Times; Under the caption quoted above, ap peared in Saturday night’s issue of the Times, an article assumed to be a reply to “Lange,” and also paying brief at tention to the decidedly well written and logical article published Thursday evening under the heading of “Self hood.” But inasmuch as •!,’ in the absence of argument, indulges in a di atribe against science and common sense, and the facts which have been adduced by modern research,and which are to-day indisputable evidences ac cepted by every thinking man not tied down by the superstitions and intoler ance which have so long fettered and crushed truth, let me ask him a few questions to which 1 trust he will give an honest reply. First, then, does he conscientiously believe that the Almighty told Abra ham to offer up his son Isaac as a sacri fice,and at the appointed time furnished a ram in the place of his son? Secondly. Was not Jacob, to say the least, a very mean man, when he palm ed himself off for his brother Esau, and thus defrauded him out of his inheri tance ? Third. Is the Bible, as as a whole in spired 1 and if so, will “B” pleease ex plain the necessity of revission and re-translation, which is now, and has been going on for the last six years in London and New York? Fourth. Had David, the great king of inspiration, lived in these days, and been guilty of the terribile crimes a gainst humanity which the Bible nar rates, would he not have been hanged or sent to prison? Fifth. Are the books of Kings, Sam uel and Ghroicles fit reading for youth or grown up people, or are they obscene and filthy, and if the latter ought they not to be suppressed ? Sixth. Why are several of the books which appear in the Catholic Bible o mitted in the Protestant Bible, and which issue is the correct one? I have a few other questions which I should like to ask “B” at “some more convenient season.” These will do for the present. But let me state here that the charge of “making an assault upon religion” does not answer an argument or a question. One of the great mistakes made by those who read and literally translate and take in the Bible from Genesis to Revelations is that any attempt which is made to disprove the inspiration of some of the weakest chronicles of “The word,” is met by the cry of “assault on religion.” Right and wrong were co-existent with man, and from the beginning God was God, a being incapable of wrong, from the beginning, his frown must have rested upon whatever was wrong as his approving smile (to use a simile) must have always greeted right. How then could a man like who from the caves of Adu ,1 ”*‘ 1 of his r*>berrm e an •are**' The Field and Fireside. MARIETTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY. JUNE 12, 1879. greatness, to the period of his most con temptible treatment of Uriah the llit tite, have been selected as the great prototype of inspiration ? His whole life was one stupendous career of bloodshed, fornication and .crime. He spared neither age nor sex, .leaving at last, with his dying breath,a legacy to Solomon to “let not his hoar head (Joab’s) go down to the grave in peace.” If “B,” or any other man, can recon cile the revenges and cruel enmities of David with the latter teaching of Christ “love your enemies, do good to them that persecute you,’then 1 for one am willing to acknowledge that David was inspired and all his writings are ditto. In conclusion, let me ask my friend “B” to use as much common sense in his religion as he would naturally be supposed to use in his every day affairs “Don’t strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.” There is a vast amount of rub bish in the Bible, and there are besides more of hope and promise, of spiritual comfort and rightful teachings, than were ever placed upon the pages of any other book. Learn to guage your re ligion with common sense, and, judg ing it by that standard, digest the solid food and reject the chaff. Don’t imag ine that because a man disbelieves that the old Bible characters were inspirep or that the Almighty stood at their ears whispering to them to commit the crime which they were guilty of, that he is making an “assault upon religion.” There never existed greater demons than those who, beneath the cloak of re ligion, carried on man’s deviltry. It has been so from the beginning, but happily that era is passing away, and the age of civilization and true Chris tianity is taking its place. The life went out on Calvary was a sun compared to which the light which David and his compeers gave was but a faint ray from a tallow dip. Exercise a little of that Christian charity for the opinions of others of which you are so tenreious in claiming for yourself, and remember that he who does right will, both with God and man, whether he believes in Munchausen yarn of Noah and his little ark, in Jonah’s episode with the whale or in the tremendous theory that Adam and Eve were the progenitors of the whole human race, or whether reject ing them all, and believing them only the traditions of ancient chroniclers, he sets up, by his own research and thought, a wall of unbelief as to their reality. The day is faroachiner * | when religion, snap*' * shackle which so long have ft * ‘ /er belove* 1 limbs, will stand Aim person.!' ation of all that is . . . that is no ble, of all that is pi.. , . .ill that is ho ly. That day can be helped along by the churches of Christendom throwing wide open their doors to the world at large, ceasing their bickerings on doc trines their strifes ouKcreed, letting up a little \V’ '• nl theW> onfashion jand pr No. 1. 2. -o.Uijty which is Aup and Accomodation trains, ’ i Marietta. thy heart mid thy neighbor as thyself . Hartford, May, 20. Nkmo. AN HONEST LEGAL OPINION. An honest farmer once called upon the late Roger 31. Sherman, the cele brated lawyer, and told him he wanted an opinion. 11c had heard a great deal about the value of Mr. Sherman’s opinions, and how a great many people wentto him to get an opinion; and John, who never had had, nor was likely to have, a law suit or other diffi culty for a lawyer to help him from, thought he would have an “opin ion.” “Well, John, what can I do for you?’ said Mr. S., when John, in his turn, was shown into the room. “Why, lawyer,” replied John, 1 hap pened to be in town, and having noth ing to do, l thought 1 would come and get your opinion.” “State your case, John. What’s the matter?” “Oh, nothing. I ain’t got no law suit, I only want to get one of you opin ions: they say they’re very valuable.” “But, John, about what?” “Oh, anything, sir take your pick and choose.” Mr. Sherman. seeing the notions of his client on the matter in hand, took his pen, and writing a few words, fold ed them up and handed them to John, who carefully placed the paper in his pocket. “What’s to pay, sir?” “Four and sixpence.” Yankee money, 75c. ■ When John returned home the next morning, he found his wife, who pretty much took the lead in his business matters, anxiously discussing with his chief farm servant the pro priety of getting in a large quantity of oats on that day, which had been cut on the one previous, or undertaking some other labor. John was appealed to to settle the question but he could not decide. At length he said: I’ll tell you what, Polly, I’ve been to a lawyer and got an opinion that cost me four and sixpence. There it is —read her out: its a lawyer’s writing and I can’t make head or tail of it.” John, by the way, could not read the plainest priiit, who was sonjtf ypenei the pa pi I : LINDLIT ,at i.| Wm^^ m mm ,< them :hj. * fere S ot : North Side of Squar<P rm cairn, * *>- ed then. **, } John ofte JUtfrl this opinion a. *nd to this day (3-ood.gff lawyers’ opini* lamented Mr. > v arietta, Ga., Feb., 6, 79. MOST ALWAYS THUS. About mid-afternoon yesterday the cry of “Runaway—lookout!” was start ed on Michigan avenue, near Cass street by a dozen persons. A young man, with the peach-blossoms of the country on his cheeks, and his pants tucked in to his boot-legs, had just come out of a harness-shop, and, seeing the runaway coming down the street, lie dropped the horse-collar and made a kash for the flying animal. Just how it hap pened no one could say, but. horse and man and sleigh were all piled up in a heap the next moment, and from them issued such a string of yells as it. did not seem possible one man could utter. The crowd separated one from the Min er after awhile, and the man appeared to have been dragged through several knot-holes and then run through a thrashing-machine. Some wiped tlie blood off his ear, while others hunted up his broken suspenders and missing boot-heels, and when he got ills breath he said: “Oh, I don’t care about these few scratches. Where are the ladies whose lives 1 saved?” “There was no one in the sleigh,” answered one of the crowd—“no one but a sack of buck-wheat and a quarter of beef, and they are safe.” “Didn’t I rescue anybody?” demand ed the young man. “No; but you are a hero just the same. “I’ll be teetotally mashed if I am!” lie indignantly exclaimed. “Here, some o’ you put that hoss-collar over my head, hitch a swill-cart to me and drive me to death for a mule, fori don’t know enough to be a first-class fool.” — Detroit Free Press. A market man was mercilessly swin dled in the town of B . His misfor tune gave him a very unfavorable opin ion of the residents, and lie expressed his opinion of them by saying that if the angel Gabriel stopped atß there would be no resurrection. “Why?” asked a listener. “Because the people would swindle him out of his horn before he had time to blow a single toot.” The following incident is related of the venerable Dr. Nesbir, formerly president of Dickinson college: “It amazes me that ministers don’t write better sermons; I’m sick of the dull,, prosy affairs,” saida lady in presence of Dr. Nesbit. “But it is no easy matter, my good woman, to write sermons,” suggested the doctor. “Yes,” rejoined the lady, “but you are so long about it. I could write one in half the time if I, only had a text.” “Oh, if a text is alb you want,” said Dr. Nesbit, “I will' furnish that. Take this one from Solo rr “It is better to dwell in a corner 'nse-tnij than in a wide house a a-xi^ies., . .■ -* ii*' NO. 41