Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-02-21
CHAPEL.


Lyman Beecher Course-The Biblical
Element In Preaehing-A HIS 1t
Higher Crisiclsm-Preach the Bible
Keep Doubts ont OF the Pulpit.
The seventh lecture was given yesterday
afternoon Of the Lyman Beecher course or
Preaching. DR.. A. J. F. Behrends of Brook
lyn delivered it in his usual vigor and to
chapel we'll filed. He said in substance:
The subject of the lecture this afternoon IL
'The Biblical Element in Preaching" You
have been taught that the reformation was
distinguished in two things-Arst, in the In
creased use of the holy scriptures, and Sec
ondly, in the conception of religion a. justiA-
cation by faith. These are respectively the
formal aud the material principles Of frotss-
tant Christianity. The latter Is the more
revolutionary. Luther knew what 1t was to
be justified by faith in Jesus Christ, and
after him tho point of emphasis shifted from
the material to the formal. The justification
by faith became only Q dogma. But there
can be no biblical preaching which has no
fixed Bible to preach. The Bible is m or
eanism; 1t is vital unity and it must be
understood as a whole before it should be
studied in its parts. The preacher cannot
wait for the latest word from Tregellss. or
the Tubingen school, or from Tischendorf,
but he must preach the gospel. The net re-
suit of all this higher and lower criticism
will DO q simple gospel, which wins tho joy
full ascent of the living heart. The pulpit is
not the place for raising questions to which
universal answers cannot be given.
The time has gone by when the human ele
ment in the Bible can be ignored. The writer's
and characters of the Bible were men like
ourselves. and they thought and spoke after
the custom of their time. In the Old Testa-
ment times it was q pictorial, imaginative,
oriental thought which governed their minds.
and in the New Testament times We come
nearer to our own ways OF thought. The
human element is not only confined to phra-
seology, but also to the authority of the
writers. Luke wrote to q personal friend
without thought that it would be kept and
regarded as inspired, and he wrote different.
bern intended for the public. What you
gentlemen, are to preach, is a summary Of
| all from the first prophecy of Christ in Gen
| esis to the ful6llment in the living Christ
Criticism has not essentially altered the MAR
facts of Jewish history.
| The Bible is q revelation of God, not by
God. You will there find out what God hal
| uscripts have been lost What of that2 There
are over 500. 900 variations in the Greek Of
the New Testament. What of that2 You ar
reading human translation. What of that
Suppose Job is lyric and Jonah an allego
~; suppose Genesis was not written By
Moses; suppose the last part of Isaiah wa
written by an unknown author. What o
thatq As some we'll known cardinal has said
"The scripture tells Us how to go to Heaven
not how the Heavens CO." Paul rarely quotes
literally. Jesus said eternal life was tn
theme of all prophecy fulfilled in himself
So let US cease in the pulpit to discuss tn
cosmogeny of Genesis. Are these things o
the vital universal matter of scripture9 Flo
myself, says DR.. Behrsnds, I believe In
personal devil, but I do not believe
man must o,5 believe 70 in be ..T persons
am satisfied If man believe
in Jesus Christ. Exegesis cannot be to
exact, analysis cannot be too careful, bu
YOU must coordinate all these results unde
the revelation of God in redemption. Tha
is what is meant by biblical preaching. 70
may have your sermon two-thirds full o
literal scripture quotations and not have
biblical sermon. God might have so shape
events that we could have had all the origi
nal manuscripts, but that is not what W
have, 80 we must use just such Bible as "
have. Therefore the critical problems ar
of subordinate importance and should nc
disturb us in the slightest degree. Thes
| questions do not disturb an ignorant man Il
his devotions, and it is an abuse of scholar
ship to abuse minds with these questions
which will interrupt men In their pure devo
lions. There is no agreement anon
scholars in these great and burn
ing questions, but we are natural
interested in them: but Will
these Investigations are going on We mus
have q Bible or we must step down aud out
As Dsscarte says, absolute doubt shows tha
there ia q doubter, 80 personality proves tn
existence of the supernatural. There shoul
be no religion without personal God, no
can there be Christianity without persons
living Christ. The life of this world VA
never 60 full of Christ as 1t is to-day. Her
|, we see the essential element in the Scripture
1t is the unity Of the Bible and our Chris
tisnity. Now, gentlemen, never use tn
, pulpit for the center of debate on these dis
puted questions, but use the Bible 40 til
revelation of God. The simplest view of tn
Bible il the best, both for yourself and fe
the people.
This afternoon at 8 O'Clock DR.. Behrend
delivers the last lecture of the course at Ii
, chapel. Subject: 1.-THE Practical Elemer
In Christianity."