The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-15
THE FIELD OF LITERATURE.



The present volume on Christian evidences is
dedicated to ''Those young men, former mem
bers of my classes, who are engaged in the
Christian ministry" and as an exposition Of their
subject from the head of the leading educa-
tional propaganda Of the Disciples Church,
which has no written or formulated creed, will
be looked to by the adherents of that church
with more than usual interest.
Every Christian, Of whatever sect, is expected
to be able to give reason for the faith that is in
him, and so various are the ways of stating these
reasons, that they comprise distinct field in
Christian literature. Christianity is recognized
by believer and infdel alike as mighty factor
in civilization. A course of lectures on evi-
dences is given annually on this subject at Ann
Arbor, at the expense of the Commonwealth Of
Michigan, and indeed no university can be con-
sidered as having covered the field of thought
or accounted philosophically for the causes OF
the present state of human progress, without at
least offering its students an elective course in
the evidences of Christianity. The Church OF
the Disciples was founded half century ago, as
q secession from the Baptist and all other Chris
tian sects and as an effort to restore Christianity
to apostolic practices. Protesting, as it
did, to reject all creeds, and to
receive the Bible alone as its authority in faith
and practice, its exposition of what Bible teach
ing is demands attention. 1t may be said Of
DR. Everests exegesis that he does not trouble
himself about metaphysical distractions or sys-
TENS, but, without meddling with or even quot
ing from the works of brother workers Of other
sects, goes directly to his work Aside from its
title page and publishing house, we do not find
line in the book to indicate that its author is a
member of the Church of the Disciples, nor does
the name Of Alexander Campbell appear. The
aim has been not to give an exposition Of the
Disciples Church. but as said in the preface, to
make it divine demonstration" and to gath
er into one body all the great arguments for our
religion, and to combine them into one concise
and logical demonstration The statement in
the preface that, Like all other text books, the
the older books on this subject are unsuited to
modern phases of unbelief and methods OF in
vestgation, is suggestive that its author admits
thatif the subjeet-matter is the same, the points
of view progressing and also varying. OF the
Iberality within this church Mr.. Blaine, in his
congressional memorial address on 1.-THE Life
and Character of James Abram Garfield says:
Garfield followed with quickenng step in the
paths Of exploration and speculation so fear
lessly trodden by Darwin. by Huxley, by
Tyndail and by other scientists of the
radical and advanced type. His own church
tthe Disciplesl binding its disciples by
no formulated creed but accepting the Old
and New Testaments as the word of
God, with unbiased hberality Of private
interpretation favored if it did not stimulate
the spirit of Investigation. It's members profess
with sincerity. and profess only, to be Of one
mind and one faith with those who Immediately
followed their Master, and we're first called Chris
tians at Antioch"
AS to method, DR. Everest sets out with the
proposition that Jesus is the Christ, the Son Of
God. as the specific proposition proved in the
Bible-the greatest fact known to man. This
is amplfed through chapter Of thirty pages,
and followed by seventy pages of argument
From the New Testament 100 pages Of proof
from science and reason, and as many from the
Old Testament. closing with general summary
and short section on inspiration. The text
book style of paragraphing and setting off of
synopses and summaries, which, with full in
dex, renders it but moments work to find any
part of the subject desired.
To some of the propositions of DR.. Everest,
theologians will take exceptions; to others,
scientists will do the same But Of these classes
it may be said that neither agrees with the
other, nor the members of each with each other
OF the Degradation Of Christ by the
teaching that mans spirit is a sparklet of di-
vinity,r DR.. Everest says; This assumption is
mere rhetoric and neither fact nor logic" OF
miracles tits stated that miracle us not antago
nistic to the laws Of nature, but may be pro-
duced through natural law The reasoning
that follows is to show that all phenomena are
miracles, as the growth Of the egg, etc AS re-
CARDS the relations of modern science and re-
ligion, DR.. Everest falls in line with the school
who make the Scriptures and science prove
and uphold each other, not influenced by those
who would wrest the words of the Bible from
their real meaning and force them to speak the
language of science Or attempting to falsify
Silence to meet the requirements of the Bible
text We are told that the Bible and science
present the same teachings in regard to the
creation Of the world agreeing in respect to the
great stages Of creation and the order of their
succession. Here Dr. Everest follows, in the
main, Dana and Guyot, who have laid down the
details Of these parallefsms to the edifcation
and satisfaction of most biblicists; and so, also
as to the antiquity Of the earth, the creation of
man, the unity Of the human race, the origin of
man in Western Asia, the age Of the human
race, the Immortality Of the spirit Of man, as
paralleled by the conservation Of energy; the des
tiny Of the earth and its inhabitants--th earth
u to melt with fervent heat by finally rushing
into the sun.
With reference to these and many other points
n controversy between religion and science it
seems to us that DR.. Everest proves too much
The Scriptures are made to agree with points
that have not become fixed facts Of science
Science is extra-religious rather than irreligious
and as no human intellect not even encyclopm