, 1891-10-20
INSPIRATION.
Something Interesting About the
two Theories Of it.
The Thoughts Of Living God.
Ideas of the Bfble. ITS Value.
BtYhne EnfetIigemce.

Ideas of the Bfble. ITS vaIue.
Divine Intelligence.
Rev. Napoleon Hoagland spoke of the
two theories of inspiration at the Unitar
ian services in Tacoma hall. He said one
of them is the familiar teaching that we
have heard in the evangelical churches and
Sunday schools. 1t represents David and
Paul as inspired but Lincoln and Whittier
as not. It represents inspiration as a
scarce article, in fact it teaches that there
has not been any to speak of for a couple
Of thousand years and even then handful
of Hebrews had a monopoly of it. Accord
ing to this idea, God did not have anything
to say worth mentioning to anyone else,
and he did not take much interest in any
one not Hebrews. The idea seems to have
been that we would have Jared rather bad
ly if the Hebrews had remained obedient
and kept the monopoly Of Gods favor all
too themselves. But they proved un-
worthy so the Gentiles were permitted to
share what had before been the exclusive
privileges of the IsraeEtes. This is as
much as to say that we would not have
huOWu M1eG1eE Cnef6 Is IEue Uod OF nOG3
had not these Hebrew God-seelng men told
us. The ordinary evangelical christian
worships
AN "ABsENTEE" GOD,
One who has long since retired from active
business relations with the world. The
heather as we call him, who sees God in
clouds and hears him in the wind comes
not SO far amiss. The notion that Gods
clearest word comes to us in the language
If ar arp fo1 ~ n
ferent race speaking different language
from our own, tends to sap the vitality Of
our thought concerning loving God with
whom we have vital relations.
If the Bible is accepted as final authority
on all subjects treated all thought on those
points is at an end. The old fashioned
arlthmetlcs had the answers conveniently
printed just under or by the side of the
statement Of the problem. The improved
books have the answers hid away IN the
back pages or else left out altogether. This
is on the theory that the most important
thing is not the answer, but the strength
and clearness of mind that comes from IN
telligent independent mental action. Many
people look at the Bible as a book that
contains ffe's problems all spelled out.
Ask them for their opinion about the
problems of divorce, temperance, labor and
capital, and they quote Bible text.
THE BIBLES VALUE
as book Of inspiration is not that it
merely records what some one else thought
or saw, its value is in the proportion that
it makes us think and see. The other
theory OF inspiration is that it is not final
but progressive, that it is not local but uni
versal. 1t recognizes the divine in breath
ing into the mind of sanity, broad seeing
souls in all races and generations
'eThe word unto the prophet spoken,
Was writ on tables yet unbroken,
Ghe word by seers and SYPHILIS told
In groves OF oak or fanes of gold
Still floats upon the morning wind
Still whispers to the willing mind"
Thus wrote Emerson fifty years ago, |
and he was like one ''crying in, the wilder
ness" Today his thought, is echoed not.I
only by the entire church Of which he was
member, but it is voiced by scholarly and
deVout men in many Of the leading
churches of the land. But the theory that
inspiration was as constant and universal
as the sunlight was not original with
Emerson. The idea that God is near to
man and speaks in many and familiar
signs and voices is as old as the most an
clent worship of the stars and sky. One of
the first things that man is found doing
that distinguishes his habits from actions
purely animal is his endeaYor to come into /
conscious and friendly
RELATIONS WITH THE UNSEEN
powers. An animal though ignorant, is
never superstitious. 1t never hears voices |
in the silence or bows before the unseen.
think of inspiration as the infowing of
mental and moral energy which lifts US to
higher levels and fills US with more abun-
dant life. There is something very whole
some il the thought ''that we lie open'' on
the intellectual or soul side ''to all the |
deeps Of spiritual nature, to all the attri-
butes Of Cod" whether we be writing
poems or making coats, uttering prophe-
sizes or mailing boards. The one who droW-
silly passes the morning hours with the
blinds drawn close may think it is still
night, but the fact that he is unconscious
of the light that floods the earth and is
struggling to find entrance into every key
hole, crack and Granny, is no criticism
against the sun. 1t is a criticism of his or
her own ignorance and stupidity. In
something like the same way 1 am per-
suaded the Divine Intelligence is seeking
to enlighten every man coming into the
world. Culture of the mind does not make
the light, it only opens the way for it's re-
ception. Genius hovers with his sun
shine and music close by the darkest and |
the deafest ears" AS there is no screen
between our heads and the infinite heavens,
so is there no bar or wall in the soul where
man, the effect ceases, and God, the cause,
begins.