The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-05
Rev. F. 7. Webb Speaks of the
characteristics Of the
Scriptures.
No History of Creation to Be
Compared With the
Biblical.
The Experience of q Stranger In st.
PETERS Church Who Was In
Sore Perplexity.

the Characterization of the scriptures tina
author Of the Epistle to the Hebrews uses
this designation. The second Sunday in
Advent. which to- day is. calls our attention
to the bible. Let us look at it this morning
az the word of God. Take the phrase itself.
First, ''the word.' That, OF itself. indi-
Gates one phase in which the bible has to be
considered. A word is a written or spoken
expression of a thought, a conception, an
idea. But by what means spoken. save by
a human tongue? Or by what means writ
ten. save by a human hand? And does not
this necessity compel us at once to recog-
nize a human element In the bible, in its
composition and transmission How could
the thought of God be communicated to
the race except through human agency?
There IL nature indeed. That is a disclos-
ure of the mind of a creator. But is IL
nearly az complete or legible or ineligible
as that which has been given through the
mediation of men by a written or spoken
communication? So coming can it be 9TH
erwise than colored by the imperfsction OF
the natures and knowledge of the men
through whom God seeks to make known his
will? Do you demand that God shall find u
sinless medium who shall make a rsvela-
tloA h6 ClcaA huo hoWAOo0 IN IN ssSsA
itselff The desire ia natural one, and it
has been gratifed. Christ is the answer.
He Ia the truth. Yet note, as soon az he
passes mis- doctrine over to men, his chosen
apostles, to be carried through the world.
their impotence and prejudice characterize.
not the doctrine. but their manner of con-
veying it to mankind. st. Paul himself
confesses: Wa have this treasure in earthen
vessels. Is not this the history of every
divine institution after it is set upon earth?
The church, for example, how heavenly the
ideal! An orderly, differed economy the
kingdom of God on earth, whose subjects
are all loyal to their king. their citizenship
being in heaven; subjects who, in the Chris
tian way, love one another and do no wrong.
n kingdom whose stability ia based upon
the divine sequences: first righteousness and
then peace. such ia our Lords intention
with reference to the church; such is the
dream we cherish for it and labor to accom-
plish. But as u fact before our eyes what a
contrast we face!
The divine lie there, but how unmistaka-
bly, also the human! A marriage: its very
purpose is to s%anotify life; it is an institu-
ton of God. Sinless as the Eden where it
arose, beautiful and holy, it is the symbol
which che holy spirit adopts of that inti-
mate communion. sweet and endless. which
10 to unite Jesus and his redeemed. The
end of the church is her eternal espousal,
as a bride, to Christ. her Lord. But as an
every day reality what a dragging down
there is of the sublime standard. Yet
has the true conception of what
it ia with our lives. We know the mode
we should copy. God is leading us. His
thoughts are mingled with ours. A divinity
shapes our ends-but of the rough hewing,
how much Of it we do and how obvious ia
it all! Not to SO great an extent, but in the
AZ 1r0Vnrfi0nnfa lauran tho hnman
element is in the Bible. Is the integrity of
the Bible in any way thereby impaired? 1t
is certain that none of it's ideals are either
lost. lowered or obscured. But we are ad-
uniting u certain imperfection. and have
done SO ever since there has been an Eng
lish version, whenever in interpreting a
passage an appeal ia made from the &C
cepted text to the original. The very fact
of a revision being called for Indicated
the chance and the need of Improvement.
And the numerous minor diversities in the
early manuscripts the formation of a "re-
ceived text by the collation. of many
copies of varying autho ity, by scholars
who have never thought of claiming in
SEPARATION point to a human agency thai we
cannot think of disputinR. [ do not doubt.
prophets, the irst writers of the Old Tesla
ment and the New, expressed accurately the
ideas of God which were In their mind.
The HOLY Spirit moved them. Blu they
clothed their thoughts in the language of
their day. The treasuf o has Rlways been in
eartnen vessels. But why? Do not over
look the reason which has been given:
THAT the excellency of the power may be
of God"
But apart from the mere question of
idiom, of grammatical construe tion. are
there not ectual errors in the BibleI Errors
in science or history?
OF the former. l believe there are none.
Under this head we MAJ easily adopt this
canon: When a fact Of science is 30 indis-
putably established that it is adopted in
the text books it will be found not to be at
wal with anv established intel probation of
scripture. On the controversy between
genesis and geology no less an authority
than Hackel says: From Moses who died
about 1880 b. c., down to Linuieus, who
was born 1907. A. D., there has been no his
tory of creation to BIO compared with the
biblical. OF course seience has advanced
since Linneus. Men have their progresses.
ions and prejudices ON this versed theme.
But if some scientific men see discrepancies
do not others as great claim the harmony
But this is too large a subject for me now
10 traverse. Whether there are scientific
errors in the Bible or not has been answ cd
by an emphatic negative in Il scholarly dis
cnssion of the subject. going in a most
competent manner over the whole ground,
in u recent magazine, the November Cen
fury. an article. which, to those interested
In this topic, ! especially commend.
AS for historical rtots. What is the re-
suit of the recent explorations in EgyEt
and Palestine, Assyria and Baylonia? On
the whole they confirm the Old Testament
history. But now a1d then there ia q slight
variation. The Bahylonian and Biblical
CHI, onologiea agree that the fall of Samaria
took place in the year 726 Il. c.. but there
is q ditfel ence in the two chronologies IA to
which year in King Hezekiah's reign wit
messed that event. 1t is claimed moieovsr,
that the tablets require the shortening OF
the reigns of UZZiah and of Manasseh as
given in the scriptures. The book of Kings
places the revolt of Moab after tho death
of Ahab, bnt the monuments just before.
These are small points, but concerning
them there ia a clear and definite issue
But was not tho Assyrian historian as APT
to be wrong as the Biblical onep And if i,
should be necessary, because of n mistake
mnde by one or more of the many tran
scribers of the Hebrew manuscripts. would
it i, way spoil our faith to make the cor
~reotionp Or suppose il should DO finally
settled. in veritcation of some claims mad.
by the Hight Criticism, that the book OF
Job, e. q. was com osed during the exile
instead of four centuries ~eatliet: or tina
the prophecy of Daniel took its present
shape In the third century before Christ
instead of the sixth; or that while fourteen
chapters OF the Epistle to the Romans Wort
undoubtedly written by st. Paul in tn,
year of our Lord 30, yet tho closing ohaptel
must be an addition by a later hand. til,
reason given for this latter assertion bein.