New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-27

4. now ioincd In all the Churches n'u,.
soueht I, the end, and mus, io a.,
result in the disappearance OF one OF tue'n Ho
arena OF human thought Both parties M t''0
ere aware Of this. aud hence the passohaOe "a,
and even bitterness with which the question Is us
cussed. -. ,a,c
Here IS another passage which has direct bearing
ON the questions relating to the Bible WHICH "ic "o"
before the Christian world
aThs belief OF a sufficient and final statement VI
RELIGIONS truth in the Scriptures lacks proof "hh"s
oorocss and inner Conference IL requires degree ana
form OF proof which il Is difficult to furnish II "c
scriptures by complete harmony and absolute correct
ness en- far as we can test these qualities. seemed 10
,sfr This clsm OF Divine authorship. II the notion Of
Divine authorship could be framed ms TO incude no
Incopgruous terms, II the Scriptures themselves On
plicity affirmed their supernatural origin, there mgho
be an internal force in these concurrent facts that "o
corrv conviction. But OF these things are pres
emit There is much in the Scriptures which embarasses
This claim of Infable inspiration and renders 1t hard
IN accent the notion Is not coherent within itself or
analogous to the Divine method I'm other directions ana
the statements OF the Bible on the subject such as
readily TO receive much less rigid interpretation
"The Gospels like other portions Of Scripture, taken
I'm their relation to each other, declare as concusVcV
as anv set OF facts declare their own character
that they were put together out Of changeabe and in
corrptete material, material incomplete as 10
| preclude either a consecutive or a full narni-
tive What is their weakness from one
point Of view goes far to establish their essential cor
rectness . The words and acts OF Christ like
all instruction from tie beginning until were com
mt-ed 10 the low OF events. The seed was scattered
and FELL some by the waysde, some on good ground.
ANY other conclusion is incongruous improbable, and
so Irrational The force Of circumstances declares IT.
self everywhere. There is no divine intervention cor
recng the coplson OF the narrative supplying its
deficiencies" And by insisting on the infalllby ana
incrrancy of the Bible we land ourselves in Guide
ave put all the difficulties and the growing DIM
culies OF exegesls at their maximum and make any
material failure to meet them fatal We carry our
costly vase in our hands yet to drop 1t once is to
shatter It utterly The authority Of the Bible, and
so our view OF It's value, impcrled at every step
OF interpretation and we are tempted to shield IL IN
many disingcnuous ways 1t has suffered wreck and
rescue many times already. double evil follows :
Many persons are precIpitated into entirely need
less unbeief; and many evadng this result, become
nimsy and insufficient in thought, unprogressve and
narrow In action, and unspiritua In the very sub
stance OF their lives. The theological mnd.~instead
of sharing TO the full the extraordinary impulse Of
our times. instead Of making the divine character tally
with the enarging revelation of II In the word. has
ofton been busy occupied In the last half century In
Contending against the progress Of knowledge, ana
What should have been heavenly discipline In
nnely charging faith, has been productive Of mlser
able makeshifts, stupid denals, reluctant conces-
sionS, half apprehenslons."
We have dwet almost entirely on one division Of
this bold and lucid apology for the New
notice, but because IL has a special pertinancy
20 - the current religious Controversies What
tho author has to say about supernaturaHsm
dOgmatism. pletsm, and splituasm is equally wEthy
Of perusal by those who wish to know the philosophical
basis of the New Theology. For though Dr. Basc0m
assumes TO speak only for himself his conclusions are
In the main those 10 which all the leaders in the
movement have come, and he expresses them with
singular cearness force and candOr. The book will
undoubtedly be denounced by the more noisy wing
time to read II. Bnt the men who best entitled
TO speak for conservative theology. Will frankly
acknowledge the strength OF It's premises and con
cusOns.