The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1891-05-23

full. But they forget that the
essential thing is to find God and
divine authority, and if these men
have found God without the medi-
alton of church and bible, church
and bible are means and not ends;
they are avenues to God, but not
God. We regret that those ration
alists depreciate the means ofgrace
so essential to most of US, but we
are warned lest we commit a SINH
lar error and depreciate the reason
and the christian consciousness.
The bible has been treated as if it
were a baby to be wrapped up in
swaddling clothes, nursed and
carefully guarded lest it should be
injured by heretics and sceptics.
1t has been shut up in fortress
and surrounded by breastworks
and Notifications as extensive as
those that envelop Cologne and
Strasburg. No one can get at the
bible unless he forces his way
through the breastworks of tradi-
tional dogmatism and storm the
barriers of ecclesiasticism."
AN ATTACK ON SUPERSTITION.
DR.. Briggs was especially severe
in his handling ofthe dogmaticians
who have, he thinks, built barriers
around the bible, "shutting out the
light Of God, obstructing the life
of God and fencing in the authority
Of God" The first barrier which
he proceeded to demolish is Super
stition." And this is the way he
did it..
1.-THE first barrier that obstructs
the way to the bible is superstition.
We are accustomed to attach
superstition to the Roman catholic
Mariolatry, hagiolatry and the use
of images and pictures and other
external things in worship. But
superstition is no less superstition
if it takes the form of biblolatry.
1t may be all the worse if it con-
centrate itself on the one thing.
But the bible has no magical virtue
in it, and there is no halo inclosing
it. 1t will not stop a bullet any
better than a mass-book. It will
not keep off evil spirits any better
cross. 1t will not guard a home
fire halfas well as holy water. If
you desire to know when and how
you should take a journey you will
find a safer guide IN an almanac or
daily newspaper. The bible is
not better than hydromancy or
witchcraft if we seek the divine
guidance by the chance opening of
the book. The bible as book is
paper, print ard binding-nothing
more. It is entitled to reverent
handling for the sake of it's holy
contents, because it contains the
divine word of redemption for man,
and not for any other reason what
ever"
SUPERSTITION IN PRoTEsTANTIsM
To the above Prof. Briggs has
added this interesting note:
II am far from any disposition
to treat with dlsrespect the religious
convictions of pious Roman catho-
lies or protestants. Roman catho.
lie divines recognize that there are
superstitious uses of the mass-book
the cross and holy water that are
not justified by Roman catholic
doctrine and usage. My argument
is against those protestants who
exhibit the same superstition to-
ward tho bible that some Roman
catholics show in the ceremonies of
their religion. Superstition is just
as bad in the one az in the other.
The only difference is in the form
of its manifestation. In my ex-
perience those who make the loud
est outcry against Roman catholic
superstition are the very ones who
are most guilty OF the superstition
l am condemning in protestantism.
The criticisms that have been
made upon this address. especially
in religious journals noted for their
hostility to Roman catholicism,
show that bibliolatry is more pre-
valent in professionalism than I had