The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-03-22

We asserted then. as we lO now, that
the word "bliZzard' was in use in Ohio
when we were a boy, and to ''hit him Il
blizzard" meant TO hit him Il blow" :"
A gentleman frcm Pennsylvania III
forms us that the wsrl had the same
''BliZZard' is Il Frovincia.ism for
"Blow."
Il NOVEL rIHH or TIE SCRIPTURES.
Will II. Herman, editor of the l.. mars
Democrat. says:
Mr.. n. z. Miller. Of the orthington
(Minn.) ADVANCE, holds that the Bi
hle is All Epic, the greatest Epic that
was ever given to nan lie says: 1--WE
do not, of course, agree with much
that theology has made of the Bible,
any mere than we agree with the theOl-
ogy of Homer, but view both as mall
Niticent poems. abOunding in inspira
tion and have no hesitation in placing
the Bible above any other hook extant
rs Il great Epic, and as Il v"lune, con
tanning il wider and higher range Of
dramatic, lyric, pastoral and didactic
poetry tI!an amy other" This is GER
view that was never b oache,l until
Mr.. Miller cryslaliz"d it into Il lecture.
We cannot subscribe to it, however. for
we consider the alleged POETRY Ut The
Scriptures very
Tame.
Spiritiess and
UnmuSic.ll
In comparison with the bold and
beautiful llishts Of !. Byron, a Shelley,
TennvSon er Poe.
Our friend Herman evidently speaks
of poetry only from the lyric stand
point. lie is himself lyric poet Of un-
doubted genius and is fast rising into
fame as another Pee. But we still hold
that poetry is any-sidtd, that there
is lyric, pastoral, dramatic and epic
poetry, and even d dactic poetry, Pope's
Essay on Man being proof of the lit
ter.
The Bible contains all kinds Of poet
ry, for it is the literature Of the Jews
gathered into one volume. It contains
some authentic history but it IS main
ly condensed record of the poetry and
the religion of the Jewish people. View
ed thus, it is Il most valuable and IT..
teresting book.
But viewing it us simply one great
epic poem, with muCl. that IN gilt be
left out, just as IloEer's catalogue Of
the ships might be omitted without If
fecting the story, VIZ still maintain
that no epic ever equ,liied the Bible,
~ in greatness of theme; (2) III great
ness Of the hero or Central character;
~ il sublimity of sei'a; ate Incidents
and passages.
We are not so prejudiccd against tie
absurdities and intltcencies Ut certain
parts of the Bible, that we cannot see
the magnificence of The structure taken
as 4 whole. We level and delight in
Shakespeare Notwithstanding his occa-
sional indecencies, and SO Of Byron. We
think that Pope's Essay on Man is the
truest and noblest ddactic poem ever
written, and as nearer the truth than
any system OF theology ever devised,
notwithsts snding the fact that he wrote
his Farewell to London." We le-
lieve that Burns was the freest, great
est, truest Peoples Poet that ever
wrote songs, notwithstanding his So
called ''obscenity."
We say all this of the Bible, without
accepting the absurd systems Of theol-
ogy which priests have founded upon
it. If the Greek people to-day were
reading and preaching Homer as the
''Word of God," they would be doing
just what the churches are doing with
the Great Jewish Epic.
We are with Herman, tooth and nail,
in fighting the absurdities of Old Theo-
logy. the outrages committed by church
Bigots, the corruptions and frauds of
our American politics, and the almost
universal hypocrisy, shoddy and venal
toadyism of society, but We cannot ad-
opt his limited view of Poetry.
1.-THE Minnesota State Association
of Spiritualists" has filed articles of in
corporation with the Secretary of State,
and will undertake the herculeaR task
of ''premoting the spiritual, moral, IN
tellectual and social development Of
man-elevate and spiritualize the soul,
and contribute towards the establish.