New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-14
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

DIR. NEWTON AND THE Press. The Rev
DR.. II. HeDer Newton, of this city, In bus ser
mons on the Bible, now being dehvered
has brought prominently before the pun,
Inc subject that must sooner or Iatei
have come up for earnest discussion
in the Christian world. The next great
theological battle will probably be around
this venerable heirloom of the Church. whether
these sermons are destined to be the DuRle Dias'
summOning the multitudes to the cOnnlcI Oh
merely the prescleDee of cIear-slg'ted oDsefv-
er of the signs of the times, remains 10 De sern
This at least Is certain: the Church cannot
in the Judgment of manv or 1ts memoers
much longer go on without defining more GEAR
ly than it has hitherto done exactly what BIO
cal iusniratIon is. la most of the orthodox
churches " lille belief in inspiration Is insis gu
on neither its limits nor Its scope are accu-
ratey explained. The result of tins has been
that there are many theories of inspiration, nc
two of which entirely agree, and many OF them
are Numerically opposite. The consequence
of this, in an age in which exact statements
are so highly priced. is that dlscre,,lt
has been cast upon the doctrine when the
Church has so variously interpreted. L MS dis,
cushion will not baye been In vain ii IL snail
lead the Church to state about the BiOle only
what it is willing to be judged by and is able to
mai tam.
These sermons, ito which reference has
been made, have excited wide comment
throughout the country ana the secular
press has been reviewing them with great can
dor and vigor, though not always with the best
Judgment or know ledge of tho problem TO he
solved. 1t is noteworthy fact that Dr. New
ton expressed the same views eight years ago
in sermon, and they were not noticed: me
Chicago Times says: Many OF the Episcopal
clergS men are distuI hing their more c0nserya-
tive brethren great deal ty the growing
breadth and libeIality Of their views: Like
many of the Congregational ministers. they are
drifting rapidly away IRON The old doctrlnal
moOrings. Among these clergymen are tue
the Rev. DR.. Shipman. of Christ Church, and
the Rev. DR.. Rglance, Of old st. Mark Sail OF
them men of marked ability, clOqnence ana IN
fuence. DIR. Newton said last Sunday tiat ne
could find nothing IN the Green's abOut TIE Ill
vine inspiration of the Old Testament, ana he
held that 1t contained many marks OF fallibil!ty
and merely human workmanship. DR.. Ship
man believes that only those books winch have
Chrlsts Endorsement are lnsp rcd-nalnely,
Moses and the Prophets 1t ia animated that
the bishop of this diocese, who Is cou5erVa-
tive high-churcllman, will take official cognz-
ance OF some of these liberal utterances."
The Providence Press says We do not believe
in expurgation TOR the sake of expurgatiOn. Brt
that it is the duty of the clergymeh OF Today
to take the Bible literally as they find 1t, and
preach from 1t ungucstiOnIngly, We are far
from believing. Think what the Bible had
been through before it appeared III King
Jamcs's English version What interpretations
may it not have sufferedf IL Is the duty of
clergymrn, and OF al men. indeed, candidiy ana
with their abest effort to seek the best inter-
pietaion.n The Ne1drk ADVERTISER thinks DIR.
Newton should withdraw from orthodoxy ::
Certainly q man who interprcts ScrlDture To
suit himself. and denies the inspiration OF a
LARGE norton of it, has no right to elias. himself
as an orthodox member of the Christian
Church. ludecd this free use of private judy
ment il extending 50 far that one OF two things
must certainly happen. either there viii be n
reaction and the Bible will be held higher than
ever, Lr il will cea.o to ho guide and an au-
tnorty. Instead of a revision the world needs
an authoritative rXpDunder, someone whose
IeaI ming aud weight OF character Will harmon
ize all difficulties and give cavaliers no ground
to stand upon"
The Philadelphia Bulletin appears to
think Dr. Newton very INSCRIPTIONS
man: MIR. Newton's idea,' it says, "if any
tlng 30 unsettled and float ng and changing can
he called All idra--se seems tO be that the only thing
ANYBODY really knows is that there Is no such
thing as positive truth. The truth OF to-day
cont adicis the truth of the Bible and of the
Church aud the truth of Tomorrow is to sweep
away the truth of to-day and practically there
IA no such thing IA any settled truLh about any
thing" The PHILADELPHIA Times ASSERTS that
DrNewtOn j. simply aIrug some eerctlcal no
tons. The Philadelphia Press saws that Dr.
Newton has "IanKed himself definitely ON the
side of the newer school of interpreters. of
whom Robertson Smith IL the most conspicuous
member. Mr.. Newton sweeps aside The main
OF the Pentateuch, its special inspr-
atIID As of the Bible generally. condemns the
way IN which 1T has been used intellectually
in building our theolugies,' aud urges his paTlnb
to distinguish between the devotional influence
and the historical truth III the Hebrew record.
Mr.. Newton deserves nigh credit for his candor
in announcing these views: Whether candid
man holding them can III honor remain within
"A church whose teaching upon Scrlplural IN
spin alton il clear, definite, precise aud made
general condition Of ordination, Is another mat
ter"
the Rev. H. Heber Newton's sermons on the
= Right IIsesn and the Wrong Uses "Of
the Bible,r now being delivered IN York,
are attracting great attention anu exciting
much d DISCUSSION, especially among memb, r. OF
the Protestant Episcopal Church, OF which Mr.
Newinu il u l. aiding light. The AOrisfOWn
! eydid, in the couise of thoughtful aTucle on
the editing oi the Bible, SAYS Mr.. NewtOD's
dra is that if the Biule were onch properly
arranged one cham OF IDEAS would he found To
prrvadr It from beginning tO end, developing
as the ages rolled away. Read IN
parts OF one grand whole many texts would
bear Il different construction from that which
seems appropriate when they are taken apart
and alone, many passages which appear To con-
trndict each other would be found harmonious,
and the reproach that human ingenuity can
urOye ANYTHING from the Blble would be done
away with. The experiment might he made.
but the old difficulties would remain. Who
shall determine what is tho proper arrange
ment7 Prlhaps one editing would support
one alleged dominant idea while another sys-
tenn of classification would be made to support
another. Instead of dispuiing the meaning of
texts theulOgans would differ as TO the mean-
ing of the Bible as n whole, and the field OF con-
fict being narrowed the bitterness Of the con-
test would be Increased" The religious papers
have not yet been heard from, but when they
learn that this great question Is heing dis
cussed, as they will soon, some strong opinions
may be looked for from them.
A JESUIT VIEW OF GENEsIs.-The Jesuit
Father Camer recently delivered lecture
before the students of the ST. Louis University,
- IIa Mnanic CnannOnnV RynnnnIR of