TkeT ru tk About tke Law W hat Is the Place of Old Testament Law in the New Testament Church? By CHARLES C. COOK
be freely admitted, viz.: That when the Church arose and gradually became a force in the world, the Old Testament,' along with the New, was published to the (then) ends of the earth, and many nations were radically affected by the influence of both. Nevertheless to none of the nations, as such, were either of these books addressed, nor given, in a direct sense. These Revelations from God fell into the hands of the various nations in the natural course of events. But notwithstanding the favorable re ception accorded these books by the governing powers of the nations (largely due to the amalgamation of the Church and the world under Papal influence-, in volving modifications in their spirit, changes in their laws, etc.), it remains unalterably true that the Old Testa ment pertained definitely to Israel, and the New Testament to the Church, and to no others. The fact is that unregenerated na tions (and all nations may thps be des ignated), and a worldrruling church (as developed in the Papacy) could not in the very nature of the case appro priate and incorporate within them selves New Testament teachings, for these latter are spiritual, and always place emphasis on the qualities of hu mility, forbearance and love—-the very qualities most at va(riancei with the world-spirit, and which world-powers are consequently bound to ignore and repudiate. Therefore it was in the Old Testament that were found those prin ciples best' adapted to the purposes of human government, and accordingly
HE Law—Moral and Cere monial—-together with all the Scriptures in the Old Testa ment was given by God to Israel, and never to Gentile na tions. Those to whom this state
ment may sound strange and who are disposed to dispute it, can make good their contention only by furnishing proof to the contrary. This will be found im possible, for history, however closely scrutinized, nowhere records the fact. The slightest knowledge of history will substantiate the following statements, viz.: That to Gentile nations Israel’s law was never given, and that they cared nothing whatever for it, looking upon it only with disdain. Egypt, As syria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, the successive great world-pow ers, with whose history that of Israel was more or less closely intertwined, had their own sacred writings, and their own gods, and treated with contempt all that waA included in the religion of a small, despised nation with a strange tongue, and governed by seemingly ab surd restrictions. It is true that later when the Old Tes tament Scriptures had been translated into Greek (The SeptuaginL—B. C. 286), the then world-language, and were circulated far and wide, and thus made more accessible to other nations, they were regarded as objects of great interest, eagerly read, and that they ex erted a strong influence in molding the thoughts and conceptions of men. Even more than this is true and may
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