The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-04-21
MkiAT IS ThE nlRLEi

cat before the election.
WHAT IS TIE giBlEl
Thy woFd is lamp aase my fccs. pa>lnss
e14x. Los.
Around the Bible fer eighteen hun
drcd years have ragged Ehe storms of
criticism aud Of doubt. Ii has l,eeu as
saulted with all the power of human
genius. with all the snbilcfy Of learning
and science, by IS el,elnies who have
thought 10 destroy il. II has been mis-.
interpreted, misapplied and misunder-
stood by it's friends, and vet it lives aud
sways the world. IL has withst0od all
assaults Of the enemy; and more than
this, ii has been able 10 survive tho in,
terpretatons Of It's friends-for the aead
hest foes that have ever handled the
Bible have been those who have handled
it with loudeSt protostations of undying
loyalty. In discussing the question uf
the old book, ! DO not propose 20 enter
into the details Of the questions that
cluster around modern criticism. wish
rather just at this time to point oat tho
power of the book, that we may know
its real worth TO man.
What Is the Bible; The best definition
ever read Of the Bible, written since
the developments of science and the
achievements of the critics. is this, Tho
Bible is the literary record of the man
Hesitation of God in human history in
supernatural manner, to the end that
man might be saved" This is bat q
paraphrase Of the great thought con
tanned in the text. The Bible was writ.
ten as guide TO life Thy word Is a
lamp unto my feet" Such has been the
revelation Of God TO man through all
the ages. Now if the Word OF God g.
such light, there are some things il is
not.
NOT AN ARSENAL
First-It is certainly not systema
tized scheme of philosophy, ei,her sacred
or profane. 1t is not systematic the.
ology, over which intellectual gyInnasts
aud hairsplitting dogmatists are 10 ex.
orcise their powers OF reasoning and dis,
putting. 1t is a record of life, the way
OF life.
Sccond-If it is such lamp simply
to guide the feet of men, it is not :.
magazine of weapons with which men
are to fight one another. f. is not "a
holy arsenal; it is not q collection Of
bludgeons, an assortment of chains OF
collection of sacred torches with
which martyr fires are TO bo kindlpd
There are those who bave felt that the
Bible was Gods testimony against man
kind, and that we are 10 preach III,
Bible in order that God Almighty may
have grounds on which to damn the
rest of the world
BIBLE or PACK CF CARDS?
Third-If it is such a lamp for :hp
feet Of man, it Is not Il charm with
which to conjurc. The PAPER ami the
leather are not sacred. We laugh at
our Catholic friends rs superst tious
when they wear their beads and scapu
lars, medals and holy trinkcts. They
believe that there is power in thee,
sacred things TO ward of evil spirits
and calamities. 1t is well for the Prot
estant world to ask If sometimes We
have not regarded the Bible as such %
charm. read description Of a Catho.
lie mutual assurance society for the rel,ef
and deliverance of poor souls in pnrEa-
tory. 1t was organized recently in ST
Joeeph's Catholic church, West DE Pere
Wisconsin. The announcement Ce
clarcd there would be no reserve furG
All contributions would be Immediately
employed in celebration cf masses for
the deliverance of souls in purgatory
The circular of announcement Of the
society has a frontispiece containing a
highly realistic picture, representa-
liberated souls in the act of issuing from
purgatorial flames.
We smile as such faith as supe-sti-
ton, and yet the Protestant world has
sometimes regarded the Bible, the very
possession of it, as some sort Of an in
surance coupon for safe conduct through
the world beyond. Ii is a lar1p unto
the feet Of man here. Let us not believe
that it is a charm in itself. It's only
charm is the trlth it teaches.
heard a preacher once tell in graphic
manner how that Il young mans life
was saved in a battle because he had a
Bible in his Goa. pocket. The bullet
struck the Bible and 1t saved his life.
also heard a gambler say that lie had a
pack Of cards ia his pocket and that in
battle the bullet struck the cards and
his life was saved. | haYo no doubt that
the cards really were q better protection
against bullet than the soft leaves Of a
Bible. Thy word is q lamp unto my
feet"
GRAGsICPFER SCIENTISTS.
Fourth-It is not n book of science
The books were written by men not one
cf whom profCGaed oInuiscience as relat
ing to the facts Of physical nature
There are, consequently, grieYous disap
ToiatmcT.ts in the Bible to those Of spec
ulasive curiosity. Upon questions o.
physical science the Bible Is practically
silent. II is u guidebook to life-im
mortal life-Lere, hereafter. There wa
q great CHATTER of so called scientists ;
/ few years ago about the failure Of tn,
old Book. Much of this noise was mad'
By grussaopper rscientists-Inen who siut
ply owned dollar microscope, which
they bought at the bargain counter of Z
shoddy store, and with this iInperfecf
lens had examined the four legs of ;
grasshopper or the hind legs Of fly
and were thrilled with the wonders O
science; and because they failel to Gni
/ in the Bible description, minute an
accurate, Of the legs Of g grasshoppel
| they were disappointed.
WAS THERE a GETTYSBURG:
We do not reject history because fhf
language of appearar &c is used in de
scription. Neither can we reject tbs
great moral history Of the race because
the language of appearance Is used
when matters scientific are touched.
was on the battlefield OF Gettysburg the
other day. bought book descriptive
OF the battle. It~was written by man
who was present and engaged In 1t. so
he said. I do not know it as fact, per-
sonalIv. because the battle was fought be-