Twelve lectures on the teaching of the Bible in relation to the faiths of Christendom ...

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Preface To The Second Edition

These lectures have now been before the public for eighteen months. An edition of a thousand was, in the first instance, entirely disposed of with little or no assistance from public sale ; and, the demand continuing, a second edition is issued, in the hope that they will attain a still more extensive circulation among that class of persons who are interested in the topics discussed, and, in fact, devoutly concerned for their own salvation. It was for this class they weie written, that they might be delivered from the grievous incubus of popular error on the subject of religion, and introduced to the sublime and saving doctrines of Christianity, as comprehensively based on the writings of Moses, the prophets, and the apostles. The accomplishment of this object is all the compensation the author seeks for his labour, and he is gratified to know that it has been attained in several instances, since the issue of the first edition.

In the present edition, the lectures have been extensively revised, and in some instances, remodelled ; and an appendix has been added for the consideration of certain interesting and important subjects, only alluded to in the lectures. A copious index to the whole has also been supplied, as well as a list of persons in difterent parts of the kingdom who may be corresponded with in reforoneo to the doctrines sot forth. With these amendments, the author hopes the book, as a whole, may be found more interesting and useful than in its original form.

He cannot allow this edition to c:,o forth without explaining that its publication *s entirely due to the munificence of a friend of the truth (Captain D. Brown, of India) who spontnneously placed the necessary means at his disposal, and boldly undertook the responi^ibility of the enterprise. This has enabled him to offer it at a price which would otherwise have been impracticable in an edition so limited.

With these prefatoiy remnrks, the lectures are again committed to the public, in the hope that they will be read impartially, and judged with reference to the standard to which exclusively they profess to be amenable— the Word of God* If this is done, the author feels confident that educational bias itself will give way before conviction wrought by evidence and argument honestly and logically presented.

Preface To The Third Edition

The issue of a third edition of this work has been necessitated by the continuance of a demand which, after swallowing up the last edition of a thousand copies, has reached a prospective aggregate order for upwards of 600 more. This demand, as in the previous instance, has arisen independently of public advertisement, and cannot but be regarded as a symptom of increasing disposition to examine religious subjects independently of a stereotyped and all-powerful orthodoxy, which holds the generality of minds in hopeless intellectual bondage.

There can be little doubt that the tendency of the age in every department of thought, is in the direction of independence, but, unfortunately, in the religious department, this independence is being turned to bad account. Thinkers are degenerating into a kind of Deism, which is fatal to the claims of Christianity, while the sober-minded and devout are lost on the polemical labyrinths of the time, or driven to the extremity of shutting their eyes against every form of investigation, and committing themselves with fatuitous resignation to a faith that will not stand the most ordinary exercise of reason, and which presents quite as many jagged discomforts as spiritual consolations. This result is to be attributed to the perverted form in which Bible doctrines are presented by the accredited religious teachers of past and present times.

The Bible is no more responsible for the orthodoxy of Christendom than for Mormonism. This it is the object of the following lectures to prove. The Bible propounds a system of doctrine which is compatible with all the evidences of sense, as systematized in the material sciences of the age, and which at the same time — commends itself to the moral instincts of every fully developed mind, as supplying ■ those links, in tho absence of which, the human understanding is baffled in its attempts to fathom the mysteries of existence.

The perusal of the following lectures is again invited in proof of this fact, in the hope and with the prayer that every earnest mind in whose path they may chance to be thrown, may find something like a stable foundation on which to build a hope for that future, which, apart from the Word of God, is a profound and painful mystery.

Birmingham, June list, 1865.

Preface To Fourth Edition

"Set another edition. The last, consisting of 1,400 copies, was sold in less than twelve months, and, as before, without the intervention of the publisher or bookseller. The lectures have now been " out of print" for about a year, and a continuous demand from all quarters has resulted in the present edition, (2,000 copies,) which is an improvement on former editions in every respect. The size of page is a little larger, the quantity of matter greatly increased, and the workmanship superior, while, through the kindness of friends of the truth, the first thousand is issued two-fifths under cost price.

Five new lectures have been added, making the number in all seventeen, instead of twelve. The name of the book (Twelve Lectures) is, however, retained for the sake of identity, and the additional lectures are interspersed among the others according to the requirements of affinity, being distinguished from the others by the insertion of the letter A in parenthesis, after the number of the Lecture.

In addition to the writing of five new lectures, the old lectures have been re^ased, and in one or two instances, nearly re-written. The old appendix, superseded by the new lectures, is abolished, and a new one substituted, consisting of, 1 — a review of the objections usually urged against the New Testament doctrine of resurrection and judgment; 2 — a summary of the truth shewn side by side (in parallel columns) with a summary of orthodoxy — twenty-six paragraphs of each ; 3 — a chapter on the present ecclesiastical position of the truth's friends, with a brief directory for the guidance of the enquiring stranger.

Under the circumstances, the price of the Lectures (after the first thousand) is increased, but the increase is not so great as to interfere with their continued circulation, and a still more enlarged and successful accomplishment of the object contemplated in their publication, viz., the enlightenment of the good and honest-hearted in the great principles of eternal truth revealed in the writings of Moses, the prophets, and the apostles, but effectually obscured and nullified and destroyed by the religious teaching of the present day, which, while professing to be the truth of Christ, is nothing more than ancient fables dressed up in the garb of Bible phraseology.

BlIlMINGHAM, Juhj '30th, 18G7.

Preface To The Fifth Edition

A LITTLE over twelve months having sufficed to exhaust the fourth edition of 2,000 copies, a fifth edition of this work (after considerable delay,) is now issued. Verylittle alteration has been made in it. The text of the lectures is substantially the same as in the fourth edition ; the only change is a little re-arrangement of matter, and a few verbal emendations.

The answer to the objections urged against the New Testament doctrine of judgment is withdra^Yn from the appendix, and incorporated with Lecture iv (a), of which it forms a natural part. The appendix, thus abridged, is made up of the comparative summary of Truth and Error ; a few words to the interested reader ; and advertisements of Christadelphian works.

Some of the lectures (found to be wanting in vigour somewhat,) would have been re- written had the author's leisure permitted it. The pressure of other occupations has compelled him to let them re-appear as they are. This might be a defect, if literary effect were aimed at; but with the object in view, it is not a material drawback. The arguments and conclusions, though capable of being more powerfully elaborated, are in themselves unassailable ; and therefore adapted, in spite of feeble sentences, to secui^e the result desired— the conviction of honest minds of the fallacy of orthodox religion, and ("f the scriptm^alness of the opposing views herein presented.

This edition differs from predecessors in being published in cloth binding, (and some copies in leather,) instead of stitched pamphlet form ; causing, of course, an increase in price, but giving the advantage of greater durability. It also differs from them in this respect, that being stereotjT)ed, this edition is without limit as to number. It is proposed to print 4,000 copies to start with, and when these are sold, a fresh supply will be forthcoming without fui^ther delay. The lectures will not again be out of supply.

The prophetico -chronological conclusions of Lectui^e xi (a), are allowed to appear unaltered, although the state of facts in this year, 1869, would seem to stultify them. The fact is that events have verified them, and brought us to the era of the advent. A.D. 1866 has been signalised by epochal events characteristic of the termination of the Little Horn period, though it has not brought the consummation. The mistake was in expecting the occurrence of the advent and resurrection immediately 1866 was attained. This was a natural mistake, in view of the fact that the period terminating at that date, was prophetically determined to elapse before these events could occur. It was not seen that their occurrence immediately on the termination of the period, was not a prophetic necessity. The analogy of former dispensations shows that it was not.

The expiry of former periods has not been marked by the predestined sequel at once, in a mature form, but by a new phase of events leading in the 2^redicted direction. Israel left Egypt thirty yeai's after the expiry of the period specified in the word to Abraham — iOO years; the restoration of Israel from Babylon was not accomplished for seventy years after the period (70) fixed as the duration of their captivity ; but in both cases events tending to the development of the foretold results signalised the exact ending of the period. In the former case, Moses, who was fifty years of age at the end of the 400, had appeared on the scene, and " supposed his brethren would have understood how that God, by his hand, would deliver them." — (Acts vii. 25.) In the latter, Nebuchadnezzar's dynasty was overthrown by Darius, who belonged to a people favourable to Israel.

In the present case, all we need look for in this respect is transpiring before our eyes. The events prophetically characteristic of the termination of the '•' times of the Gentiles," are the facts of contemporary history. Papal ascendancy is at an • end in the world of politics, secular and ecclesiastical. It came to an end in 1866, with the blow which levelled Austrian domination in Germany. The Prussian sword cut the Concordat, and, in the discomfiture of Austria, smote to the ground the prop which for over a thousand years has maintained the temporal supremacy of the court of Pome. This is an eloquent sign of the times, which derives additional significance from the concurrent downfal of church establishments in Italy, Spain and England, and the uprise and prosperity of the truth.

But of the exact date of the Lord's appearing, we have no definite information. "We are without mistake i^:i. the era of that wonderful event, and it may be the occurrence of any day ; but " of that day and hour knoweth no man." "We are in the position the disciples occupied in relation to the day of God's judgment on Jerusalem : we wait in a state of indefinite expectancy, knowing that the event looked for is near, even at the door ; but not knowing exactly how long.

The truth developed in a complete form is rapidly creating a people for the name of the Lord at his return. Such a work is a necessary prelude to the advent, though to what extent it must go, we know not. The apostolic testimony gives us to understand that Jesus finds a people alive at his coming. Hence, their development is a necessity of the end. It is meet that Christ should have a people contemporary with the developments of the end. It were an unhappy situation that on his return, he should have no friends among the living, but must look to the grave for them, and those unacquainted with the generation upon which he will have to operate. A loving, zealous people, familiar with the historical situation, and with the institutions and customs of the age, may not be without their especial function in the day when Christ makes use of his household, in the subjugation and instruction of the nations of the earth.

At his coming in the flesh, John the Baptist, by preaching, gathered from Israel a select people, to whom in due course Christ was manifested by the descent of the Holy Spirit, and by means of whom in their ultimate operations, he proclaimed the way of life to the world, vanquished Paganism, and enthroned his name traditionally in the high places of the earth. His coming in the spirit draws near ; a people is in preparation, increasing in numbers, faith, zeal and service, to whom, when their development has reached a certain point, he will be revealed, with the thoua-

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Rnds whom he shall bring from the dead by his power, and by means of whose recruited forces he will enter into conflict with the world, drive Gentile power from every throne, and establish his kingdom under the whole heaven. The truth's operations will then be transferred from the arena of debate to that of military coercion. The power of Christ and hi«5 brethren will be- established triumphantly in every kingdom, country and city in the globe. How long we may have to wait before things assume this phase, it is impossible to tell.

It is ours to work while it is still " called to-day," knowing that it will be too ■ late to work when "the Master of the House rises up, and the door is shut ; " and I working, it is wisdom alone to work on the principle expressed in the words •'whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." On this principle, though believing the world to be on the very verge of the second advent, we issue this fifth edition of the Lectures, in the hope that, before the day of salvation is at an end, himdreds more may be assistei to enter the narrow way that leadeth unto life.

The Author.

BiRMiXGHAM July lOt-'i, 1869.

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Contents

Prefaces ^ . . - . . , . Page 3.

LECTURE I.

The Bible — What it is mid How to Interpret it.