, 1881-04-24

tears ot sorrow.
When we rc:ttt among our chronicles OF the
obscquics ot departed Kings al!a iooies a1u tha
coiuc upon memorial sermons in which the
vires of dissolutG gentry are glazed over, we
are disguised. We cry: IS See the colrnptlng
influence Of State churches! The very nlll-
istry make lig,t Of sin! we d%,t g We s',iil ,n
the truth, we dol"
Taught!
ACCOsIA1ODAT1VE METHOD.
CRITICISM OF A RECENT LECTURE El DIR.
SOKTIKCr.
The Rev. G. W. Northrup, D. D., IS the
President Of the Baptist Theological Seial-
nary of the Northwest, located ut Morgan
Park, near this city. He has recently been
delivering 4 scof lectures to the students
of that institution upon the ''310ral Difficult
ties Of the Old Testament" reports of which
are being published in the Standard, the ee-
nominational orgam If The learned Doctor
would heed MY advice, il would be to let
such Il subject alone. It will not bear the
light of discussion, and no special pleading
can afford any relief out of the difficulties.
Taken with theirconnections, they arc wholly
ineNplainable to the satisfaction OF the reason
or moral sense Of amy man.
III the SECOND lecture Dr. Northrllp adopts
what he calls the 'acconnmotlatiyc method :"
of .Gou's plan of dealing with tile ancient
people. That lie adapted Ills laws and sane
tions tn the circumstances of the times, and
the then moral m IL and Intellectual development Of
those with whom lie was dealing. ln other
words lie accommodated Himself to the pas
sions and lusts Of the Jews; and the sins
which are regarded as gross and outbreak
ing now were looked upon with lenlent
forgiveness and lueratinu Ut them.
Let lis look ut this theology moment. we
are told by all the preachers. AND expected to
believe tin fact, it is in the Bible ITSELF
that God is the same yesterday, to-day,
anu forever imlnntable AMI unclangt.-
able. We are also told, and Are expected to
believe it, tlt the nature OF sill is u1tclla'lge.
able anu ptssesses the same attribute III all
ages; that Adal1's sill Is attributed to all OF
Contrast these fundamental and essential
principles Of Christian theology with DIR:
Noytl1rup's 'accoalnudatiye method, and
| where are we: We have God, in Old Testa-
| 1nellt times, looking conplaccntiy and unrte-
binage, the po1yganay. the savaScry, ln short
| about every sin named in the Decalng, Oil
| the part of His most approved worsillpers,
Ills Intimate friends AMI associates, WITH
who .onS;v sss95dns RDr K the tcs tesfd to ace s
| even in the bodily prescncc,-gotns about
| among them, and who ought to have eXer-
| cisch Ills power and INFLUENCE IL compelling
| them to abandon their lusts. But no.: &C,
l"t4is, ~ 80. ,.,1 nd iaft Tpaca
lc aeG"lli',te "!.''a f IA e4 If
| which our theoIogians of the present .lay
| would send lis to Il swift peruitlOn. 1t God
acconateu l'se ~ .s1 ~ i''ttt - tha ta
leSl, VIII tleIt n"se ,,t .'!.,',,,',t,; ~ ;,
| their servant girls. how do we know but
| what lie will ttca with eQna Eentlc'less with
our HrlSham lonng, .i'u VIII a.. HOSE w" ~
luuise lhelt iusts toG'tSc"o',,,s, M or,,1 i. -.
nlina as te 'tute , y, s ss,r' rs 1o.In,
and taa1 Gofl Is the same sestetoas' lo-''e'
| and forever ~ A.,
/ While the prihcip!cs ol lhe !GctuIe r. T.
ierrcn 70 embrace All thG ,0tai ulae!s ~ i;r}e oi
the olQ testament the ulscnsslom Is u.fecteu
which tue world mas Secl no eaa1, as en-, ~
!,iceu ~ me ihulsctlniilatG sla5s1telf - & t,,o
Canaanltcs rs Eecoraro III tile hooh oi HEu- ~.
1eronolly lahli's tnH lEcoio Il, IT, ~ 49,, 49,
NGrthInps speSlal pea1,ns ~, ~ tor,'d ao.nI at
ony delel'se liat G.'n ,n pe aI .i' @ iSco nv, ~
places tne whoe aft upoll N'o'. aiu nl"hGs
the Jews bl1t helpless instruments III LIS
iialNs lnr lc COMMISSION ol .a'ls stea. IT, sal.
i5ut plead % iile correctness ol tiae e iscot'
protest 70 'ot[s beliis 1ll;aue 1vspoha!u!e lol
that which was evidently tfe outcome
OF the savaeeTy ana iust nl cnnGuvsi'
a,lu OF r:llle anu D'oot1 n'i siG art ~ tnc Je"s
| lnet were always oluoul'tsss ptupi1, =
t psue; @ @i' e1 ~ a Is e item @
under tfleoclatlc government, nc was nn-
able to Keep them III suolect'on; pnt tney
were continually. breaking out anu erccllhs
| Idols for WORSHIP iu me groves, nave -, u
| great deal less hesitation III Gha!lenelnS tlle
correctness OF this old any ul,sl'st1lhet!
record than ID believing my t,Gd capanle ot
| incitlng the Jews TO such pitiiess. 1ncrcless
a1d unnecessary slaughter OF me Canalfi-
| ties. hold ]; Il sa'tler upon LIS character
and attributes, alll would lelegate the
responsibility OF the whole matter back to
the Jews where it rig!lttully belongs.
- But the Bible IS inspired ot tioa, SAYS lJr.
Northrup and there can DC no mistake
That is belief. DO not enter into IN nrgu-
nlcnt CONCERNING the Inspiration OF those
portions IF the Bible Of which there IS 2 :
necessity for l'lSplratlol, But my theory OF
inspiration Is that God does n0tlilnE winch
| is not necessary to be done. There IS no call
| for inspiration OF hlstorlc:t! factS 1i'ere are
many things III tile Blole utterly lncol'Sc-
auent, trivial events upon which God would