Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-10-02
CORRECT INTERPRETATIONS.

The Bible has been stra NICELY dealt with
IL has been made to teach any thing and
every thing, down to slavery, Mormonism
aud frec-loveism. Every now errosist finds
no difficulty in twisting text tohls purpose.
But the Bible has need to be saved even
from its well meaning friends. Some have
found wonderful mysteries in its statements
OF simplest facts. Some have given il a
double sense where they pleased, aud others
a threefod sense everywhere. Some have
accepted as Scriptural whatever fancy might
suggest Polemcs have piled up PROFIT exits
whose force was mainly in some verbal apt.
ness. Preachers have uniolded out Of texts
so many truths that the sacred writer's must
have wondered to fnd they had SAID so
much more than they thought.
Moreover, not few who pray aud exhort
IN the conference meeting have u dialect, A
religious patois made'up Of Scripture words
anu DIS OF passages whose meaning is
purely conventional one.
Many texts are simply misunderstood, as,
Tor instance, Whatsoever is not of faith is
SIN" quoted to enforce the idea that all an
unbeliever does is sinful while its proner
meaning is, that it is sinful for any one to
act contrary to his moral convictions. So.
also, "For by grace are ye saved and that
not OF yourselves it is the gift of God" is
adduced to prove that firth is in a special
sense Gods gift, while Paul's assertion re.
iers not specifically to faith but to salvation
as whole. The expression, "Touch not,
taste not, handle not" has had 10 do most
singular service the apostle, in fact, having
quoted the words to condemn the principle
mere ceremonial rupulosity-involyed
Other passages are used out from their
obvious meaning, as convenient pegs for
sermon. OF course when preacher takes
Tor text; "Galllo cared for none of these
things" he knows that the writer hadn't the
slightest reference to religious carelessness
though the passage has been used and quot.
ed so often in such way that probably
thousands Of hearers really suppose this to
be It's idea. So, too, person in his natural
state may be described as "in the gall of
bitterness and in the bond Of iniquity," but
Peter doubtless meant only to characterize 81.
mon Magus as very wicked and injurious
man-as bitter gall and bundle Of inio
uity. Passages containing the word soon
versatlon' are used as texts, or quoted TO
point duty, as if the word had its present
Specification of oral intercourse, while every
Intelligent minister knows that the word de-
notes the whole intercourse and conduct of
life.
The consequence Of this is that the Bible
Is, to large extent, the graveyard of muir.
dered texts. 1t has become difficult for a
common person to 60 to 1t and read it as he
would any other book, carrying with him
common sense principles of Interpretation
lnd seeking to get at its simple meaning
with the feeling that "the meaning of the
Bible is the Bible" 1t is regarded as in
every sense mysterious book, not to be
looked at at all without priestly comment
u he be Catholic; or if he be a Protestant.
rs one looks at the sun through mists or
riits in the cloud.
Now to correct the current use of a mas.
sage is, with many, almost as disturbing, as
i was for the poor monk to pray for the
irst time after his intellect had accepted
Origen's view that God did not have hu.
nan body, and who exclaimed in horror on |
his knees, "They have taken away nv gods.
md what shall do2 And vet lust this |
work needs to be DONE The Bible should |
Dc restored to men in its simple, enforced
eachlngs. 1t should be understood that to
DIST false interpretations on familiar texts is
% incur somewhat Of the gilt of those who
i'd to or take from the sacred oracles.-
IPatchmaR and Reflector.