The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-31
NEW VIEWS OF TIE BIBLE.
AN EXTRAORDINARY SERMON ny THE
REF. DR. n. HEBER MELTON
a New Christianity Onercd In One Of tho
Ckier Churches ofthe Protestant Episcopal
Denouinati on-An "Impotent Threat" In
tho ApocaIypsc-prophcts ana the Psalms.

tho Apocalypse Prophets ana the Psaims.
Tho Rev. r. Hcbcr Newton preached the
remarkable sermon that Is printed below in All
Souls Church. Anthem Memorial protestant
EpiscopaD. on last Sunday morning:
Every scripture inspired Of also profitable for
teaching for rcproof for correction for instruction in
tahtconsness.-2 Timothy. iii, 10.
The old view Of the Bible Is fading upon tho
vision OF our age. You have probably all per
cciyed this more or less clearly. have uttered
tho conviction which many of you have held In
secret. with misgvngs and sclf-rcproaches.
and have shown you some Of the many reasons
why this view could no longer be held by men
OF open minds. The now view Of the Bible Ia
as yet vaguely caught. and. therefore. tho
power Is fccbly felt. According to their ma
tures mon are indulging in fippant filings ut II
vanished superstition, or growing silently over
the disappearance Of tho ancient light which
ruled the night OF earth. have sought to clear
your vision OF the new moon rising upon u.s.
tho Same holy light God set in the heavens OF
old. though changed in tho altered atmosphere
OF earth.
Ipropose now to translate the generalities OF
the previous sermons into some practical ap-
pIlcations. I want to-day to make moro dis
tnct certain wrong uses OF the Bible which
grow out OF tho old view Of it; wrong uses out
OF which great mischiefs have come to the
cause OF true religion, and great trouble to in
dividual souls: abuses which fall away in the
light Of q more reasonable understanding Of
the Bible. The Bible viewed book let down
from heaven. whose real author" is God as
the Westminster Catechism affirmed: u book
dictated to chosen pcnmen and written out by
their amanuenscs under direction which So
cured them against error on every subject Of
world to be an authoritative and infalible
oracle Tor human information on all the great
problems of Internationally calls for uses which,
apart from this theory. are gross and supersti-
tious abuses.
It is wrong use Of the Bible to set 1t in It's
entirety before all classes and all ages On the
old view OF the Bible no man might dare to cut
away portions Of i in public reading or home
lusts Of the early Hebrews. and the coarsncsses
OF their later days. as unbearable by modern
ears as the rough talk Of Shakespeare's ladies.
men and maidens, and DO read with blushing
fs by " the her mother to the chill
Bible in its new light. there is. no necessity for
g minister to offend against the taste Of re-
soiled soul Of her child to evil. by reading
tiers ter p Of The GiHls hai Sssn III
and Jews in superstition. The Church Of Rome
as you know. discourages the use of tho Bible
jewish rabbs had saying that no one should
read the Canticles before he was 80 years Of
Bible in this church from your own Bibles. you
must often appreciate the relief such a rule
ehsn r@e WRe Wod ha w' an yGmr
discriminate use Of the original Shakespeare?
Stage managers cut him so freely for render
another Shakespeare. He who cares for his
children innocence will set before them an
should use at home such an expurgated edition
Of the Scriptures as Tn. Chi!d,s Bible" pub
No timid soul need fear that impotent threat
in the last chapter of the Revelation:
. any ~ M, man shall take away from the words Of the
Of 'S' God shall take away his part GU"
That sounds like the ruling passion strong in
asked if he should call down fire from heaven
and W. Wi rcSukea Tor bis zeal BY the era:
cious Master writer who was surer OF his
This book udsea By Mr M soS
Of the Now Testament books. Paul would not
have bolstercd up his writings with such an i'm
through which the voice OF God speaks. taking
is tone from the defects OF the instrument
1t is wrong use OF the Bible to accept its
utterances indiscrimnately IA the words of
God. to quote any saying Of any speaker in its
as expressing to us the mind OF God. Such use
Of the Bible is thoughtlessly common. Some
time ago before going into a church in whose
service was asked TO participate. | ventured
70 show some slight hest ancy in using certa in
the day. When asked why, mildly answered
that could not ask Christian Congregation
to Join with me in singing after the embittered
Jews in Babylon:
Of Iernsse.n How they said Down with i, down
who ought to he wasted Happy should he he that re.
thy ,s and rkem s
the stones.
Nor could ask the people to unite in praying:
princes as Zrba and SananH.
had in mind the fate of Orch and zceb and
OF Aeba and Salmana. sp!endidly brave fellows
what SORT Of prayer this OF those, sayage, Jews
voicing such heather imprecations in the nine
!eenth century of the era OF the Prince of Peace.
Piled Why. these Psalms are INT" in the Bible"
That endedthe question for him.
This incident mt IS IT. ,yphis3 Of vast quantity Of
s,layehodeer read the word Of the ancient tTq
dtiGn Cursed be Ham, and sm2G,hed his
Divine i'll in breeding black cattle for the AUG
ton block. Piety and profit were one. and god
also. So the eNtormination Of the Canaanites
for which the Hebrews, pleaded long after the
tiai warrant in ths destined detcrmination to
rid the land Of these corrupting tribes and
make room for the noble life Israel was 70 de-
and soldiers for their bloody trade. Thus poor
human consciences have been sorcly hurt and
troubled as they read, in store, such as those
OF Jael and Sisera and jacob and Esau. Of acts
which better nature instnctivey condemned.
Thoy have felt themselves arraigning the Bible
and suspecting God.
II indeed the Bible is a book let down from
the skies. Of which God can he called the au-
thor then all such uses Of it are correct enough.
and in those dark and savage words and deeds
must read the words of God and the deeds He
holds up to our admiration and invitation:
only then ! should reject the Bible and per-
haps forswear God as so many are doing who
say with Maurice TO the old theoiosans, Your
God is my devil"
II, however. tho Bibls is the national library
OF tho Jews, | must expect 70 find all sorts. Of
early Jewish notions in ethics and religion
bodied in the words of the speakers they intro
duce, and the deeds Of the men of whom they
toll the tales. Fancy man quoting Shylock
when he pleads for his bond. or lagos devilish
innuendos against Deslemonu's purity rs
showing what Shakespeare liked or what he
would have Us initiate!
III the Bible /, the record OF real revelation
which came in the spirits OF ancient men
through the historic growth of conscience and
reason. and If these books are the literature
cmbaming that growth of people out OF IL
nornnce and superstition into the i sht Of pure
cthirs and spiritual religion. then must look
e. find all sorts Of cruditios ana crassne-scs in
tn" representation Of God, and all phases Of
moral life as part Of the error and impgrier-
tons % which they had been educated. Thcs"
deeds and words are the miestoncs in the path
OF urOmse by which Judaism reached Chris
tanity. If tho individual is to reproduce the
story OF the race "a our wise men tell us, tn n
the words and deeds are in the Bible to carry