, 1879-05-05
GENESIS.


MORAL VALUE or ITS TRADITIONS.
The Tser. Brooke l1crlord preached learned
sermon yesterday mornlng IN the Church Of tho
Messiah, coruer Of Michigan avenue att Twcn-
tg.thirl street. Lie read tor his morning lesson
from The account Of the Creation, and took for
lta tlen,o title Moral Value OF the Traditions
Of Gencss."
Tllo reverend geutlGman commenced Ills dis
course by saying TINT In carly days he had been
tnught to read the Bible as he would any other
work Of ancient history. His reading, howcrer,
in bis child.days had been contlurd VERY largely
to tho New Testament, but he Ind rcau II
without thc rcmotcst idea OF Its fusp-
ration. To The Old Testament ho
pald but iiitto attention, but lie had
regarded It, too, rs history. IA he had become
acquainted with 1t. however, his vcneratton for
II had increased, ior # Was not uutll tlen Tint
liz began to appreciate tho raiue Of It's tEad[-
tons, Or their relation to our religious li(c.
After lelrlng somewhat into biblteul history,
the speaker went on to say That The religion
through which llwo mot and sald our prayers
Ind grown uild dCyclopcd. The writings ut
the a,,clehts, ureek unl Hebrew, were but tl..
roots OF the religion Of to.aay, and ho held to
them inn measure; a'id was not prepared to
hud llatu!cd us. The moro no studied
their traditions tht better ho was satisfied OF
their rcn! substance, nll the more thoroughly
was Ii. convinced nj their ancrcdncas Alnk MI
ttquity. They Ind yalue IN tlcir marvellous
simplicity nlI In their Hobsu earntstness. 1t
WAS no. their historical accllrncy, nor yet their
scholarship, that tnade them VI ynlue, hut ihe
fact TINT they were The bAsib Of our religious
growth n,I.l development. It was aU evidence
Of their strength nlrl moral worth that as much
MS they bad haen criticised, they hal cyUn been
able to s.nrll for moment Ia the face of the
rapld strides OF science. The speaker then asoln
do!yed Into h.story. strEl'nE out. tradition
lnga of tlle ancteuts and the Book Ut Gcnests
showed tt,At there was rnucit lhAt was mythical
nr,u unreasonable, yet III 1t MI great deal of
moral value. Tie accounts of the creation Of
nau were seyiewcd,-onc showing that nlali "'ld
Wulllar.Weru cTentbl ut auG md tlIe same time
and another thai wos'an Waa made from Ada1n'a
rib. liz thought tllu "rib stovyh answered. tho
purpose OF nlakng money, hut little else. Tl!e
accounts Of the iall. too, were beautifully set
forth, tho ono showing t1,4t the ''curio-ity OF
woman occasi0ueu 1t, aud the other tiAt dis
obulIenco'' was tho prilne eause. Tie
ilrst sacrifice mud the flood nlso calllc
In for critical examination, tho storlcs
hu had no ,lrsirs 10 galvanze iuto litc ae4ln,
though le would not have them cslnrct', 1t
was grea. mistake, however, hc thought, ,on
the part Ut ulany 10 hcIrsc tint every word In
tllese traditions were absolutely and literally
true, simply because they wcrc printed In tho
lilhtc. 1t gave him plcasure to LOOK over old
manuscripts nnl rusty pages. for they were tnll
ID tElv traditions Ut Genesis dt, n.l Il also guye
lin pleasure to rcal the accounts Of tho crea.
ttb1l, the lai, sacrifice, nnd ilont, tllrar moral
value bofnEln .lAt thtY woro tho rude storea
from which Christianity Ind grown and become
tangible thing.