, 1879-01-26
IS 1T INSPIRED
TO tho Editor Of Tie Tribune.

| IS IT INSPIRED!
| 10 tho Editor Of Tie Tribune.
| CHICAGO, Jan. 23.-There seems to be eool
/ deal OF religious enthusiasm in Chicago at this
| time. Perhaps it would be more in keeping
with the truth to call it sectarian enthusiasm
or fight for deno!ninational supremacy. Nc
matter what ne call it, for the name does not Ii
the least modify the fact to which wish to cal
especial attention. This religious enthusiasm
is founded on the assumption that the Bible il
perfect revelation OF the Divine mind and con
tains the only true code OF ethics. Very fen
| people take the pains to investigate the claims
! Of the Scriptures for themselves; if they did
the result would be very different, for inTestiea
tion fatal to the doctrine Of plenary inspiration
The people have gone wild over the Bible, and ha7<
| attacled to it an Importance and sanctity thai
does not lcgltimatcy belong to it. and that il
| all reasonable probability, never for moment
! entered the mind OF its authors II any oi
| the Bible writers had supposed that some mod
] ern seeker for RELIGIOUS anomalies would hayt
| pored over the Bible to find verse that con
tanned all the letters of this alphabet, they
! wo1ld doubtless have gotten one up for his
! especial benefit. One would suppose from 4 re-
cent letter to The TRIBUNE, BY IA Bible
| Reader that the sine qua non OF oil Biblical
+! lore was to know how many letters the Bible
contained, and to find verse that contained all
voreo 1,r covid he fonnd no matt.r vhat +,1'+h -,
crror r. n,pht cnntajn or what historical fact II
1a;,rh, criva cTnraesinn 70 T. would ha rc1orfef
| the coup dc grace Of scriptural learning to be
! able to repent it, and no doubt a knowledge OF
s,,tia;o,t maane ~ e"crro tha ~ a.cr,a,
en,,.a,;on ~ tha on4 whn ebonld he sn
nsanIah,. ho ~. ~ - ,ora ~ 1;-oe,-oI
Why don't our supcr-smart ''Biblc Reader
WY h'luhs ~ nlIa WA, 1Duut & oe t'un.eae.n
otsnoSElpHe " u, '.1s o:o.e: louA ~ p19sase
.las eo'ia..ls W tnv huuM.
~ ane seen. ~ - ta;nna -, ~ 1917 e w -,
- r,:' - - - 1 s"s ~'o ' '~ "' y. '"'
l'4S, 4s. taa , A'.os g .sx. r.
nul Tnous4 ~ LUZ NONSENSE. & ~ ny previous
iettef calicu attG!:e'oh 10 Iew npg con11aiic
tlonS WISH IN In" GO speak OF the bip1e as "a an
Christian woEto Is olv1acn hrst into Two depart
mcnts: CathoIcs anu lro1HstantS: hoth @ ne-
lleye IN anu aoFoSate 2n lnla!!iDie doema Inc
Ga'4ohes nchese ~ lug 1n1a!n,ltyot 1ne 6ope
INC froteslants III me lniailio!llty ol INC hiole
and have no hesitation IN pEononnclne them
both twin 5unerstit1ons, having no foundation
"hatever either r III a, lsasu!s, laet, !ase!l,
or pn1osopny: 1ne' Ca1hollc ooSlnA @ an
lntallible lalllh'e man Is TOO absurd
20 uestl,e cse11 M passi.S SpI pIn pu1 tne
crazy Fecesseu as 70 uena:o aeafeiut 1nFesltea
ton. Inc aoc1rine OF the lnlai:1nl1tv ol our
Bible is not onlT ABSURD IN the extreme, nut ab-
Soluteiy 1npossioe III tu. WY natule ol tatng5:
IL It were lhlal:lole ~ nou'a pe peltes1 a!h. II
It were perlecI = noutu oe eo pia,n ~ ~. SO s:u
pie maj u Wouia noe us 81 suc4 emu
less 1nteFptetattous. auu, nsee3o ~ tnefI pett's
ntlnufeus OK cauISnes nsns'uS aoo4k "l;at Tug
SCRIPTURES 1each' 1aele eouaa ne 1ue one Ca1sen M
and one 1aitn. Ngnt nere ~ !ne ctts OF Cnl-
cage are scores OF chnrcaes mat teach olamet-
really opposl1e VIEWS relatSe ses1pIn
RAJ aoctr3nes. Mnen ~ ~ - 1: n,neE' WY w11
decde; 70 assu1e ,s1ae Ile olple 's il'Ialalo,e.
would oe TO assume tisat luz copsislS, 1rans:a-
lots, ana aii "no "eie ensaseg ~ e'a!s-
mining 10 u Us "etc ui.1hel, ~
splrea anu hIa tn"souSu'y ,na ta',,o'e, 1.lu
therefore incapao'e " n1ah!ue mlstahc"
We haye no scn cop{1s.s aa etans.a.ors m now:
me hgnre~ la1euast III "llsn ..le Eleate1 pIl'
oi the biolc was written eontal1eu ~ so"eis.
lhe marks lnulcatlnS 1ue Iome.s "ese Aot ~
troouceo INTO Tue teAs u1sir @ aooue tne sesentn
century, ana not uns't neolTm ~ nad d 1 nseM y
dead Language LOT some e1e' me ont osl1nn ,a.Ii,
Hcbrew contained on!5 Inc cons1nani 3 H. outlhe a1
Of words, anu II was necessary tnat tne igau-
eT should supp1S Tue vo"e's III IeaulllE'
and one "oso couIu oe in:tue 10 leplsseut 1aons'
and sonctlnes W. ;a vunu.as ns 1ne.< lues, ,;tL ~
coraioS 20 te so"e's nnppsu ~" ,,et i1; WV W
such - ~ . s'ln cu1u ~ hnas
e'en X ie IT. au "a zho +hn ;r
ole: 1s - M ~ suv~ 'n1 f ~
bosslo19, p:,i u Ne An'a't'''e - 'Ae