Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-06-11
County Official Paper.
LET THEM SKIP 1T.


telling the story Of little girl who
sat at her grandmother's knee learn
ing to read. When the child came to
a word she could not pronounce nor
spell, and when the grandmother had
tried her skill at it and failed she
handed the book back to the child
with the order to Skip it."
Some church assemblies are testing
their collective wisdom just now in
deciding how the Bible shall be in
terpreted and how much authority
it. shall have when interpreted. A
number of ministers are also trying
their individual hands at solving the
same problems. These controversies
and discussions have resulted in some
queer situations. One minister has
left his denomination because it is
not liberal enough and gone over to
another denomination which happens
just now to be hesitatiDg about APP
proving one of it's own ministers be-
cause he is too liberal. Another
denomination is having heated dis
cussion over the orthodoxy of a pro-
fessor who, when catechised, answered
all the questions in the most orthodo x
manner and raised the question in
the lay mind Of what the whole dis
cussion is about. And meanwhile,
while the theological tempest RACES,
the non-clerica! people stand around
in q dazed attitude, like donkeys
caught out in a snowstorm with no.
body to look after their welfare.
If the participants in these disputes
understood human history as we'll as
they claim to understand intricate
theological questiors, they would
know that it is not given to the men
of any age, no matter how wise or
learned they may be, to settle upon
religious belief that will serve for all
times. The nineteen centuries Of
Christian history give numerous il
Illustrations of this truth. The
Fathers tried it, the Council or Trent
tried it, and Calvin tried it, and every
one of them faile'i just as old John
Leland said every fresh theological
student failed when he tried to make
Gods sovereignty and mans free will
harmoniGe. All human history and
tradition prove the truth Of Herbert
Spencer's statement, that every people
and every tlme has the best religion
hat that people and time will bea-.
If all past efforts, then, by one
generation to fix for another geuer.
alton what its creed shall be la @
failed, is it probable that the present
one will succeed any better? Is it
worth the time and nervous energy
to FIX with elaborate minuteness the
moaning OF this text or that ono, or
the precise Interpretation which shall
be put upon any word? Would it not
he better, as John Leland advised, TO
skip it?" There are broad, general
principles Of Christianity and OF
whose truth and efficacy no reasonable
man doubts, on which all can unite
and for tho propagation Of which all
can work. No such simple, grand
sermon was ever preached as tlat de-
livered on Che Mount. The world
will never realize The full import of
that sermon, but Ghe"e would DO more
hope Of roaching tho standard of
morals 1t outlines if thu time aud
effort and money now spent ia use.
less Theological disputes were given to
impressing its truths upon men.
There is Too much of the old Adam
and too little Of the spirit Of Ch,isc ia
these controversies. DR.. ParEhurst
had AN illustration OF it in the "s;y-
inch smile" Of one of his brethren
over tho coming ON barassmeDt of q
herotical brother, aud the phiIosophi
ca! old sexton eummed it up when