WHY I BELIEVE THE BIBLE 81 phers, or what is more frequently the case, igno rant of both. There are three points of radical difference between the teachings of the Bible and those of any other book. First, these other teachers contain truth, but truth mixed with error. The Bible contains noth ing but truth. There are gems of thought in, these ethnic writers, but as Joseph Cook said years ago, " Jewels picked out of the mud." For example, we are often asked: " Did not Soc rates teach most beautifully how a philosopher ought to die? " He did., but they forget to tell us that he also taught a woman of the town how to conduct her business that was not quite so nice. Again they ask us: " Did not M.1rcus Aurelius Antoninus teach most excellently about clemency? " He did. It is well worth reading; but they forget to tell us that he also taught that it was right to put people to death for no other crime than that of being Christians, and being himself Emperor of Rome, and, having power to do it, he practised what he preached. " Did not Seneca," they ask, " discourse finely about the advantages of poverty? " He did, but they for get to tell us that Seneca himself was at the time one of the worst spendthrifts in Rome, the onyx tables alone in his mansion costing a fabulous fortune. Moreover, he was the tutor under whose influence the most infamous emperor that Rome ever had, Nero, was brought up. " Did not Confucius, 0 they ask again, " set forth ad-
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