82 OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE GENUINESS OF

is told us regarding the way of obtaining salvation. In Jas. ii. 14-26 we are told that a man is saved by works, not by faith, and this agrees with Ezek. xviii. 20 and John v. 29. But elsewhere we are told that a man is saved by faith and not by works (cf. Heb. xi. 17; Rom. iv. 3; Gal. iii. 6). How can a book which thus contradicts itself be from God, or how can you deny that your Bible is corrupted?

C. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews itself gives you an answer. All those who are there mentioned were saved by faith, but that faith was a living faith and, as that chapter tells us, produced works. St. James says that faith devoid of works is dead (Jas. ii. 26), and he points out that a dead faith cannot save. If a man really believes in Christ, his life will be changed thereby and he will do good 1: but if we find a man who professes to believe and yet does evil instead of good, he has not living faith; and dead faith—that of the lips or even of the reason, and not of the heart—cannot save him. This is plain if we remember that salvation denotes deliverance from loving and committing sin (Matt. i. 21).

61. M. Christ Himself says, "If thou wouldest

1 The Bishop of Lahore truly says that the question of the relation between Faith and Works is one of vital importance in dealing with Muhammadanism, and that the matter should be dealt with much more fully than is possible here. The missionary should illustrate it by, e.g., the fruit of a growing tree, &c.
THE BIBLE AS IT NOW EXISTS 83

enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matt. xix. 17). Does not this prove that salvation is obtained by good works, and not by faith in Christ?

C. If you read further on you will see that, though the young man to whom this was said claimed to have kept the commandments, yet he did not thereby obtain salvation. Christ said concerning him, "It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (v. 24). He showed the young man that he had not kept even the first commandment, since he preferred his riches to God, and thereby became an idolater. But Christ proved the necessity of faith in Himself by bidding the young man follow Him. Only through faith in Christ is it possible to keep God's commandments.

62. M. If your Bible in its present condition is the Word of God, why are not the promises in Mark xvi. 17, 18 fulfilled in our time?

C. [You remember that I pointed out that we are not quite so certain that Mark xvi. 9-20 forms part of the original Gospel as we are of the rest 1.] If you read the Acts of the Apostles you will

1 An Armenian MS. of the year 986 A.D. (at Echmiadzin) attributes these verses to "Ariston the Presbyter," and in some ancient MSS. of that version they are omitted (vide Dr. Nestle's Textual Criticism of the Greek New Testament, p. 142). But further investigation may prove their authenticity and genuineness (vide § 26).