The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-09-11

"rHE BIBLE IN THE coLLeoE
CURRICULUM"

"rHE BIBLE IN THE COLLEGE
CURRICULUM"
An Extract from the Inaugural Ad-
dress Of President Boardman
on Last Thursday.
The less important forms Of truth
are objects Of Science, the more
important are matters Of Revela-
ton. The Bible Is pure truth form.
ulated into human language By
God himself. Parts Of it were die
tated verbally; the whole is so en-
dorsed as to have equal authority.
Science is mans knowledge Of
Gods works, subject to the limita-
tions and infirmities Of The human
mind. The Bible furnishes the in
fallible foundations of all knowl-
edge, the origin and end, the first
and Anal cause of all things. AS
metaphysics underlie logic, and
logic psychology, and psychology
all the other Sciences; so does Rev.
citation underlie metaphysics and
the whole superstruction Of the
Sciences. Reason must indeed
select the Bible from the Koran
and other religious books, yet when
reason is assured that the Bible is
Gods word. it becomes silent and
receives authority and knowledge
from God. The college exists not
for elementary, or for professional
and technical, but for liberal edu-
cation. 1t seeks the best develop
ment of the man himself, that SO he
may become best fitted for every
good work. No book is 80 well
fitted to afford liberal culture as
the Bible. Yet it is now left out
of the the usual courses of college
study. The American college has
drifted, as ships in ocean currents
drift, among ice-bergs, into the
GOODNESS and barrOnness of unin.
territorial neglect of the Word Of
God. More than two hundred col.
leges have recently expressed q
belief that we should return to the
early usage Of Harvard, Yale and
Princeton, when the Bible was sp'
preme in the college course e sfnlY
t-pUm0 ressU1s w
should form . part Of the college
curriculum are the following:
The aim of a liberal education l.
threefold. First, to promote thu
best acquisition of knowledge
Second, higher aim to promote
the best development of intellect
ual power. Third, a still highe
aim to promote the best develop
ment of right character.
The use of the Bible in vigorou
study, like that given to the Glass
les and mathematics, is necessar,
to preserve in the minds of pupil:
the theistic grounds of knowledge
Philosophy affirms that the YER
processes of the human intellec
involve the assumption that ther
is God, and that induction is onl
possible on the assumption ths
man is made in the image of Coz
There are certain postulates an
axiOms which underlie all know
edge, but these must themselve
: have the support of Revelation
Abraham Lincoln said that will
out the Bible mankind would M
know right and wrong. Practical
. they would not know. Depravit
. as surely darkens the intellect, ,
8 iron in ship defects the magnet
Q needle which should guide it.
r The same principle applies to a
t knowledge. Without Revelatio
a the fallen intellect, having eyes 81
Q not.
e The veracity of consci0usne
q and the validity of all knowled,
: depends upon theism, and thcis
: upon Revelation. Though m,
h know God by the light of natul
d yet they are voluntarily and wi
It fully ignorant. They do not like
a retain the knowledge. of God, al
y therefore say in their hearts, the
is no God.
B The existence and benevolence
g God are postulates which alo
. assure the veracity of our sens
n Of our intuitions, and of our emit
d consciousness. We can have
70 certainty of their veracity exec
ID ~ we believe that a holy and
n nevolent Creator would not decei
Re us. Yet without the Bible m
u will neglect or deny those pos
lates. and the axiom of the CON
quent necessary verscity Of q
re- faculties and the validity of q
Is knowledge.
Ct The completeness Of hum