Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-17
A TRIBUTE TO THE BIBLE.

Attacks and Criticism an Evidence of It's
Living Power and Influence-What Crit
les Have and Have Not Done.
At the annual meeting of the British
and Foreign Bible Society Prot. Elms-
lie paid a stirring tribute to, the Bible.
Speaking of the criticisms upon it by
antagonists OF the Bible, the. speaker
said:
Indidelity itself has tears. come into
itsscyes when you bring it face to face
with Christ. We count criticism an
enemy. / think that is a mistake. We
often think of temptations in life as if
they were almost an evil andicame from
the devil. But the Bible says: ''Blcssed
is the man that endureth temptation"
l think God puts temptation in life for
a discipline. Perchance the very finest
gifts my God-given life has bestowed
upon meas will. appear at the last
great day-have come, not out OF its
happiness and success, but. out of its
struggles. and conflicts and battles-out
OF the blessed temptation. And l dare
to say this: I count it a sign;. not of u
dying Bible, but of a living, rising BIZ
BILE; that it is spoken against. I count
it q proof that mems hearts are not, at;
rest when' they can not stick to their
science and philosophy, but must come
and strike at Christ. He is; moving:
them and is attacking them,. and the
heart of the age is stirred. The ages
of faith, as they are called. l think.
were often ages of straightforward death.
Where there is life and movement, and;
where religion is stepping forward,
there you may have criticism: and an
tagonism.
What has. criticism done in these last
years? l tell you it has, executed judg-
ment on itself. 1 will tell you what
critics are doing-they are, step by step,
as each new unbelieving theory comes:
out, making one more pathway of es-
cape from Christ impossible. Where is
the Christ of Paulus?' where is the
Christ of Strauss? where is the Christ
OF Schenkel? where is, the Christ of
Renan? There is not a cultivated Ger
man or critic who believes in one of
them. And what have these critics
done? Why, by a method of elimina-
ton they are. shutting up the heart of
humanity and the intelligence of the
age to this: there is no. other explana-
ton of Christ's power than the old, old
one, that He was perfect man and per-
feet God. the worlds S. Saviour, the Son.
of God This good thing has been
done for'our churches. and for ourselves
the. attack on Christ has driven lis
back OIL Christ Our churches are
too apt to live with. the. Christ.
in their creeds; and the. Christ
OF the best creed is not quite the. living,
loving Son of God whom we, see in
the Gospels. 1t is like that old Greek
story of the giant sou Of the earth in, mis-,
wrestle for life. Every time. he, was
thrown on his mother earth he. rose.
again with renewed strength, but when,
held aloft he was killed. You. will,
eve Kali Christianity till you succeed
IN deiudlng Christians that they can de-
fendi it out of the Bible away from,
Christ. But every time one u.s.. in, the,
conflict of criticism, flung back on
Christ, l ask him if, indeed, he is not
renewed; and SO in these, shocks the
church rises again with a new life, be-
cause She relies anew on q risen Christ.
who is exalted on high, and is going to
be the worlds Saviour and the worlds
Conqueror. Because the Bible, Society
IS bringing mems hearts into contact
with the heart of the Christ of the Cos
pels, l bid it God+speed, and ask for it
all the support you can give i'm O
Il prayer; and we will all ioin to-
gether in wishing that God may in
crease Its resources and multiply it's
means OF usefulness, and hasten the
time when every human home shall
md its supreme pride. and boast in the
Holy Book Of God.