New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-01
DoGMATIC THEOLOGY,
A LECTURE BY ADIRONDACK" MURRAY.
DISTINCTION BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND ils
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LECTURE BY "ADlRONDACR" MuhhAi'
DISTINCTION BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND IFS
DoCrRINEs-INsPIRATIoN ATTACKED.
W. II. II. Murray lectured last night at
Chickerng Hall the subject: "How to Reconcile Pro
gresslve Thought and Christianity" As he appeared
upon the stage walking with easy swing from the sue
door to the reading desk, greeted With suodued
applause. The spectators saw before them the same
slender nervous figure so we'll known some years ago.
Except that his hair has grown grzZled. lir Murray
looks only little older than be did when he won MS
distinction as lecturer. He speaks with the came
ygOr and ease and with the abrupt freshness now
as in former times
1.-THE general opinion among men," he SAID, seems
TO that the progressive thought OF the present day
s directly opposed Christianity, and that to accept
the conclusions Of modern science Is to reject the facts
OF Christianity. But do not think 1t is not Chris
tianty that is at war with the recent research ana
thought 1t is the theological environment raioed about
Christ and His teachings that ressts stubboray the e'
forts OF TO understand Christianity as it a. In the
endeaVor point out method by which what is vital
to Christianity and what Is true in modern thought can
be nalmonized will lead you by the way that have
travelled search OF loyal and rational faith In Jesus
Christ. will present the difficulties Of the problem as
they had appeared TO and proceed to the solution
which has satisfied my mind.
"What, then, are the essential features Of
Christianityi Is it necessary part of
Christian teaching to insist that the
universe created in six daysi Is the story OF the
making OF man out of clay and the manufacture OF
from of his ribs Indispensable to belief In
Christi Is the narrative Of tue temptation OF Adam ana
Eve, and OF the fall of the entire Ofmanknd through
the sin Of the first pair fact OF the Christian systemi
True, this narrative Is necessary TO the plan OF redemp-
ton as explained by the theOlOgans If men are not
fallen aud dcpraved then the theory OF redemp-
ton is needless, and Christ instead OF being
represented a Redeemer, shCdld be revered as one
whose example sanctitled and ennobled t5e race In
order TO maintain the doctrine OF TenempuOn thSoIo-
gans have the opinion that the books OF the
directly Inspired by the Deity. The CONCLUSIONS
drawn from the theory Of inspiration are that THESE
part even TO the separate words, , ms5oflcal Wy
true, and that they reflected faithfully t1ee
has revealed himself fully to This all turns upon
question of fact Men OF SCIENCE among Whom are some
Of the purest and best men now yuG deny the asser
ton Of the theolOgians.
PERSONAL DOUBTS THAT LED TO INQUIRY.
"Ten years agOI Orthodox pastor OF strictly
Orthodox church. My leaving the ministry had nothing
whatever TO do with my opinions, but was not Dlgot
and when the doubt az to the truth Of those things which
had hitherto held to be facts brought home to me,
cOnscienously to it. had been taught
that the books making up the Old Testament consti-
ued the body of the earliest literature known to men
that they contained an accurate aud auhOrtallye ac
OF the beginning OF things. But learned that
great eratures had been created and DESTROYED ana
that vast empires had passed through all the stages OF
growth aud decay before the first line OF
Hebrew was written. Since the Hebrew writings
followed SO long after the others the inference was PLAIN
that these were largely traditonai-a mere hasn OF
Moses was an able man. lie made nation out Of
multitude Of DOndmen, but practically The tLeocrato
1eonIe Three hundred years after his death 1t was re-
ected in favor of monarchy. But while allowing that
Moses man OF ability, II must be remembered
that he had rare opportunities Of education
under the ripe scholars Of civilization
the oigin of winch is unknown, unless We accept the
statement OF Hcrodotus that before Ills time the Egyp
tan Empire had been existence for twelve thousand
years OF Egyptian priests Moses learned not only
which they taught appear in Genesis. But Moses wrote
little OF the live books that are as"
cribed to him No doubt he wrote narra-
tive Of the Creation as 1t had been handed down
to him lie inscribed 1.-THE principles OF morality which
he had learned in Egypt upon tables OF stone, as the
priests had done before him. Tne effort to restore the
genuine Mosaic writings from memory, after the
dead, and after the writings themselves had
pershed though conscientious, cannot be accepted as
trustworthy. The stories contained in these BOOKS are
themselves sufficient prove that they are merely the
written forms of popular TRADITIONS IneTe Is cyiaeHSe
In the astronomical records OF emma ana Egypt lhat tn
sun never stood stl, at JOshuas command and that
is only one OF a number
THE DOCTRINE OF INSPIRATION BORROWED
Hisorcay, then, the doctrine of inspiration has no
support. II is an fact opinion borrowed from the
pagans as exempded in tue Rig Veda, In Eschylus in
the writings Plato and PhO. In its irolcad form the
doctrine was unknown to the early fathers 1t was
never suggested By Jesus, nor 10y his disciples.
be sad TO have originated the modern theological idea
on THE subject. But the hierarchical system which
enabled Rome to Cypress the world, Is the logi.
cal result Of this Theological dogma. Bod and
gigantic fraud as it is against the human soul,
10 conferred upon the theol0gauS tue
power to make inialble their internal priest
craft and 70 bring about the prosecutions ana fortunes
which have backeued the hist ry Of the Church This
dogmatic theology is not wholly papal The cold blood,
les5 egOuscal Calvin, who thought he had completed
the square of the Deity, barely human IN his symm,
thies usurped tho place Of Jesus In theological
teaching. He prosecutor and the shadow OF MS
system converted Puritan Ncw.England not into an
asylum OF oppressed but into place OF oppression
These things nave passed away, but dOgmauc the-
Oogy has not given up the fight willingly 1t mas Deen
driven In by science, by the growth Of civil power OF
civil law Even yet IL has power over the minds OF
men, but IL will become IN time mere tradition aud
then what will be left Sweep the
logs from the sea- anu WtdJ VIII -
lett The sea. Sweep clouds from the sky and What
VIII be lett The sky. Sweep the fogs and the CLOUDS
from the dome CT rstianlty. and what will be Iettf