The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-04-28
No. 20.

"a - ~ &AAAAssAsetas sAx SAkAeA q sseff@aHE -
write the Article fer tAe dictionary a.,
the delase. Tho scholar prcparv.l the
article an4 sent IL 81 the editor, bat the
elitor discovered that the result AZ
scholarship did met harmnf - with the
tras,itipnal theories regarding slse del.
uge, 50 he rejectea tac article AID en-,
tered in his dicgionavy--fn tlse time had
come Tor that Fart 70 30 50 press: del,
uge. See Flood" This would give
them time to find sehalar who would
fre pare an article i'm harmony with tra-
dstiaaal IDEAS lie engaged thu schula,
aad told him 10 write the article Oh the
food. Tho article was written aud
handed in. II was worse than the
first, - he had 10 make another catry;
FLOOD. See Noah" He hoped by The
time he would get TO the notes he woall
discover a scholar who would harn.onize
tradition.
How foolish such methods of defense
Il truth rests upon 50 fiiInsy a basis as
traditional conceptions and cannot stand
the blazing light 81 tae fril knowledge
Of the century. We need not worry. IL
IS not t~nth. Truth fcars 10 iuycstiga
ton. The truth is its own yirticatio.i
Let no man be nervous about tie truth
Criticism may for the time be apparent.
Is destructive, bat If the truih is ~
vealed by it richer treasures will be
found than those lost.
rYRESEAN NoUNTAINs.
You know the old legend tells us that
a FIRE swept the Pyrenean mountains
The ERE consumed the vineyarGS
wrought great destruction But the
heat of the flames, ii il said, burst open
the veins of the rocks and discovered
hidden treasures of richest silver. Again,
the legend tells us OF those who sought
for hidden gold upon an island. They
Ding up the earth. searching for tho
treasure. They did not find the object
ef their search, but IN uRauruiug the
soil the seeds found lodgment ana rich
harvest was born, and man found food
IL tic destructive methods Of modern
criticism rob the world Of certain ira
dltiCas, we may rest assured tAsv viii
give to the world greater treasures than
those Of which they have robbed MS.
IN fact, it may be pertinent TO inquire
il In the past we have not made tho
Bible an unreal bool; by unreal, conyen-
tional methods of Interpretation. II wo
can come back to fact and face men.
heart to heart, with the methods ol
common sense, in Interpretation and ap
phcation, we will get nearer to the Sc.
crets of the worlds motives, the world 's
actions, the worlds life. \ little girl
asked her father, who was preacher, a
very pointed question once. lie was
telling a very large story. The little
the story closed she said, as that true,
papa, or are you just preaching nowf''
All preaching that Is cnvoloped in a veil
Of conventional tradition is just so far
removed from The real world IN which
men think and VIII aud act.
our teCt teaches us that he Bibte IS
simply the history Cf the progressive reu-
elatjoR Of God TO mqa.
A PROGRESSIVE REVELATION.
First-This progress IN revelation is
clearly marked both ia the method and
the matter Of revelation The Bible is
not a revelation itself. 1t j. simply the
history Of revelation. Every book Of
the Bible first has its local purpose, its
local historic setting. and has its univer-
sal application of truth in and through
that local, primal purpose. The Book Of
Genesis must be read in this light. We
have here an account of creation. II is
simply absurd for one to maintain that
If WAS meant for an exhaustive and com
plete utteranco upon She subject for all
time.
We must ask the question: "For what
was the book of Genesis primarily Wit
ten? To whom was it primarily ad-
dressed" We find it was the first les
son God taught the infant class of the
human race. 1t was written for. the
purpose of this primary instruction. 1t
teaches one grand thought, teaches il
completely, and that thought Is the one
God in the midst Of nations that woT.
SHIPPED thousands Of gods. The first
lesson TO be taught was the grand con.
coption Of the one, eternal, Infinite God.
Eot only the one God. bat that God i'm
minent in nature. God said, Let there
be light, and there was light" That is
his breath l. the law. If we say tha;
this account Of creation is the last word
and covers the whole field for ali time,
we claim for Is more than the book
claims for itself. ana involve ourselves
in hopeless contradiction and hopeless
confusion. This is precisely what oc
ours to those who Iaa.e such claim.
There is sect il the stats Of Texas
for instance. lhat bare declared thai
thare. 11u5t hare Iaeu two original pairs
/ There laast have Jeca, il tlan beginning
tyvo aeparata q ati3as BE- nan, and thoy
argu8 that ~ siaslsi-.c It would have bee1
nacz ery fssr brother and sister TO have
iute married fFaea tie first pair. 1hii
of cgarse raiass problem which con
aict wita eserg conception of the hu
r.al. B.t it IS It serious problem fol
ilt--1 v-s.c asacrts that the Book Of Gen
essz gives af1ll and compl1te account o.
tl4o eris.a q tle human race; and TO Tn,
mind v-i2ica understands that the Book o.
Genesis ksd 10 primal r7.rp0sa. ard tha'
a.. : e. = -.