Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-11
THE BIBLE.
Its Right and Its Wrong Uses-The
Rev. X. Heber Newton's Second
Sermon.
Common Sense Brought to Bear Upon
Theology and ReligiOn-A Strong
Argument.

New YORK, January 6.-The second OF |
The. Rev. r. Heber, Newtou's sermons on |
Holy Writ, preached last Sunday, had again |
for its subject "Wrong Uses of the Bible" |
and its text, from Timothy, was: "All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and |
Is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for |
correction, for instruction in righteousness; |
that the man of God may be perfeci, |
thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
The piih o; the discourse, delivered, it must
be remembered, by a sttictly orthodox
Episcopaliau, in strictly orthodox
Episcopal church, is contained in the
following passages; II is a wrong use of
the Bible 20 go 10 il as an authority in any
sphere except that Of religion and theology.
The story OF the creation and the beautiful
legend of the Garden of Eden are but sar;a-
tions OF the same stories told before to satisfy
the longing of thirsting curiosity, which
could not be thoroughly satisfied IN the con-
di'ion of man at the time when they were
written. To pretend to use the Bible in
thees days as an answer TO the suestions re-
gsrding creation and the progress of the
human race, Is wrong. 1t is tie pleasure of
God that man shall learn something OF him
self, and after centuries of earnest study the
dawn OF knowledge is just breaking in upon
US. Had it pleased the 0mnipotent Creator
to give US the knowledge which we are now
just beginning to acquire 5000 years
sgo-to reveal TO US the whole truth
we should have been robbed Of the discipline
of mind which is the result of our constant
study Of ourselves and our discoveries in the
realms of science. But it 10 not possible
| that a book could have been written 5000
years ago TO continue level with the progress
OF this age. The story of the creation as
found in the Bible is substantially a story
that was thought out by the noblest minds
| centuries before Moses was born. The mis-
takes OF Moses were the mistakes Of his age,
but the grand truths which he penned have
not died. I'm the beginning God created
| the heaven and The earth" is q truth which
| can never die.
Again, it is a wrong use OF the Bible to con-
struct from it = biblical system of religion
and theology, and insist that unless this sys-
tenn is adopted as the guide of = man csn'
not be saved. Oue of the great f---'"a''-
ties Of the Christian world is t!s { r,,-.
catechism which is put into the hand o.
Sunday-school scholars. In this ca.echiso
proof texts" are found which have beer
torn bodily from the living truth OF which
they formed part in the Scriptures, ant
placed in a theological cabinet. All ST
jumbled together in one mosaic mass regard
less OF their connection with the text frou
which they were taken. The unknown poe
who wrote the Fifty FIRST Psalm said: II
sin did my mother conceive me-" In tn
catechism these words are used as proc
text TO chow that man is totally deprsvet
10 Eccle siastics it is ssid thst il tree fall I
;he north or the south there it shall Ii
i and this is used in theology to Civ
= the idea that after death there Ia n
. recovery. The author of these words hs
: no knowledge of the life to come, but no
: the most atrocieus doctrine that Christianit
nn::s given 10 the world is based on b
. words, which are now used as proof lei
= in the catechisn1, aud construed as no saI
. man wonld construe the word of n.nn-
= is wrong to disregard the difference of tim
!, which separates the present age from that
= which the Bible was written in constructs
. system OF theology from the Bible. tn
. value OF any writing concerning our know
j edge of God must be judged very largely b
v the period in which it was written. An
Z other principle of forming iudgmel
!. would keep US all with primers in our hsnt
V and bar all human progress. The who
!. doctrine of the second advent would
h entirely clear If it was looked at throcs
!. the time vista. In the day Immediately pr
= ceding the coming of Christ it was expectt
a that after His appearing He would disal
II pear. II was reasonable for the Christian
q to believe that he would return again vii
u power. II the Epistles7of Paul are studi,
!, in the order in which they were written
i. gradual drawing back from the though.
y the second coming of Christ will be foun
,e This thought was strong with Paul in Il
/. beginning, but it finally disappeared alt
"a geiher. PauPs earlier notions were CO
E recied by his later knowledge, and our os
IA crude notions of what is meant by the I
l Of Chriof shanld he cd hv n
|. experience of Paul. who finally came
4 know that it meant simply the return of q
q spirit oil Christ to His followers.
10 Finally, it is wrong to quote the writers
r the Bible, even in the sphere of theology,
l. an equal authority. The Bible should
ia treated with the same crucial tests OF cri
10 cism that are applied to other works.
% spiration does not destroy individuals
ls and Jude is not the same high suthori
n that st. Paul is. The name of 81. Paul
>. the greatest of those OF the apostles in I
" Bible, and !, for one, am willing to acce
pt his doctrines. But when we turn 10 an @
ID scure writing, even in the Bible, if we hs
ia common sense we will psss it by. All
ae narrow, bigoted doctrines said 10 come fro
ne the Bible have arisen from some obscu
ct writer in whom was no genius or inspii
of ton. The doctrine OF a popular hell is I
to be found in any of the well establish
authorities of the Bible. 1t is wrong to .
the Bible 10 manufacture from its writir
any system of theology which is TO be
ceived as absolute and final. Religion is ma
.s conception of the power in which we live q
move and have our being; theology is ma
conception abeut that power. Religion a
theology ought to go together. We ought
ut feel that while true religion in men is {
g. same, the theology Of men differs. Inste
ill of inculcating one system of theology, |
New Testament outlines many systems in
n. teachings. st. Paul differed from ST. Jan
s sr in his theology, and both differed from
m other Apostles; and, when the theolo
" of either is analysed, it simply shows
4. tone of his sge and surroundings. Paul b
y. all the notions of the rabbinical schools
At his period. 1t is impossible TO construc
.. system Of theology out Of the Bible uni
=. you take Christ himself as your eIsmI
90 He is a whole system of theology in Hims
IA the imsge of the Father restored in
msnity. l want no more, and l am cont
with the authority of Jesus Christ on VIII
TO base my theology.
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