MR. TAYLOR' S THIRD REPLY. 271 



The obligation of tlie Law — to be proved. 



incongruity of metaphor : what palpable violation of gramma- 

 tical construction ! '' To what absurd results will wrong theo- 

 ries lead intelligent men !" 



Apparently, J. N. B. feels an uneasy conseiousness of his 

 indefensible situation, and would like to avoid the risk of 

 maintaining it. ''You have first to prove/' says he, '^ that 

 the Law of the Decalogue is abrogatedj before you demand 

 proof of its re-enactment. Till this is done, fuUy and fairly, — 

 till the argument from Matt. v., for example, is fairlymet and 

 set aside (which W. B. T. has not even attempted in his Re- 

 ply), you have no right to demand proof of any kind as to its 

 present obligation." (p. 173.) Amistake. My friend betrays 

 here a want of logical perspicacity. The hurden of proof is 

 entirely upon him who " afRrms" the obligation. 



The Decalogue was actually promulgated only to the Israel- 

 ites : its first enactment was after their separation from other 

 nations; and then with an introductory proviso expressly limit- 

 ing its application to that people. It is incumbent on J. N. 

 B., therefore (if he would earn the character of a ''sober 

 logician"), to show at what time, and to prove by what author- 

 ity, the Decalogue became obligatory upon the Gentiles. Did 

 it bind the unconscious nations at its first oral proclamation 

 from Mount Sinai ? Turn to Exod. xix. and xx., or Deut. v., 

 and see if you can find it thus written. Will the date of obli- 

 gation be fixed at the fii*st tradition of the Tables, — a month 

 and a half later? Turn to Exod. xxxi. and xxxiv., or Dent. 

 x., and see if you can find it there. Or when the Gentiles 

 turned to the Branch, and the root of Jesse, fifteen centuries 

 later, was it then made obligatory by Apostolic edict ? Turn 

 to Acts XV., and see if you can find it written there. My 

 friend's ''hurden" will indeed be found a grievous one ! No 

 wonder he is anxious to be relieved from it. But there is no 

 escape, excepting the abandonmeiit of his weak position. 



If, instead of reposing in my undoubted prerogative of simple 

 negation, I choose to advance a step, and affirm the ahrogatlon 



