Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1868-11-10
POPULAR ESTIMATE OF THE
BIBLE.

|
an encyclopedia as a guide to all
knowledge. Devout men have sought
for authority in texts for every phase of
conduct. The impression has prevailed
that there was 10 element in life for
/ which there vas not some authoritative
direction III the Word of God. This is
be claim th,t is set up for the Bible
'hat it is encyc opadic that it covers
tic whole ground of knowledge. The
Bible declares that Christ is the power
Of God and the wisdom Of God )" aud
! hold that It contains those principles
which powerfully influence nations in
matters Of political encoamy, GEOLOGY,
and philosophy itself. But Christianity
has in It's scope one great point, and
that is this-that it undertakes 10 in.
spire mems reason and moral sense, and
TINS to fit them for every function and
| department of life But the Bible only
attempts to touch the master springs of
character, and to set men right with
God with themselves, and with their
fellow men. Having done that, it
leaves them to work ont the details Of
the various departments of life them
selves. Now if men suppose that the
Bible is Il book of universal instruction,
then the growth of medical science,
putting to shame any knowledge found
there on this subject, will very soon as
sert itself as its rival civil treatises
will by and-by become rivals of its
slender limitations of justice and
treaties on sociology will show how
meagre and poor is the form of social
economy which it shadows forth. But
the Bible never undertook to be an enc
cyclop@dia. 1t never undertook to
teach sociology, or medicine, or engi-
neering, or political economy, or poll
tics. 1t undertakes to reconcile mans
soul with his God. 1t undertakes to
+. put the spiritual reason on its right
place, that it may exert the right infiu-
ence. Its Office may be compared to
that Of key which winds up machine
that has run down. 1t developes and
puts in order that of which God gives
the creative idea, that it may more per-
fectly perform its functions. 1t under
takes to bring man where he shall be
qualified for all the duties of life.
That is what the Bible does. 1t does
not undertake to do everything that
men do ill the light; it merely fur
nishes them light to do what they find
to do. The Word of God is bread
Bread does not undertake to reap the
harvest, or plough the field, or blast
the rock, or delve in the mine, OF fish
in the sea but it makes man so that
he can do it. The Word of God is
light. 1t gives man the medium nee
essary to enable him to exercise his fac
ulties correctly. If men suppose that
the Bible is designated to impart uni
versal knowledge, then the growth of
science will naturally produce the i'm
preston that it is worn out book and
they will say, a" What can the Bible tell
us about the important duty of voting !?
What can it tell us with regard to cleo
tricity, that is playing SO great part
in the economies of society What
can it tell us in respect to the great
elements of philosophical research or
modern inquiry ?" Nothing, substan-
TALLY. 1t does not undertake to touch
those subjects. 1t is book that I'M
dertakes to present the spirit of love as
the highest and most potential element
in the human soul. 1t is the divine
power and wisdom of salvation. Men
may say, "That is narrowing the Bible,
and bringing it within very small
compass. " / beg your pardon. 1t is
not narrowing it at all. Is not the key
that winds the clock the most impor-
tant thing that you can bring to the
clock Is not the clock helpless
without it? It is a little bit of thing,
it goes in little bit of hole, and in
turning it makes little bit of noise I;
but after all it controls the whole econo-
my of the clock. The clock is wound
up by it. And SO men are wound up
by that very element which inheres es-
sentially in Christ and him crucifed, =
Beecher.
| ACCIDENT. An engineer coupling a
train of coal cars this morning, had his