The morning call., 1893-11-06
BIBLE CRITICISM.
Sunday Evening Talks by
DIR. StebbinS.
HIS VIEWS OF SCRIPTURES
The First Address of the Course on
the Influence of Modern Thought
on Religion.

The incIement weather was doubtless
accountable for the comparatively sparse
attendance last evening at the First Unit
arian Church. DR.. Stebbins gave the flrst
of series of addresses or talks" as he
prefers to term them. on the Bible, as the
source of all religious truth.
The theme last evening was the In
fluences of Modern Thought on Religion, :"
and its exposition was worthy a larger
audience.
I've all feel" remarked DR.. Stebbins.
that the great question with all OF us is
What are we and what is our destinyP
That Is religion put as a question. Ihe
influences of modern thought on religion
and particularly on the sources Of rel-
giouS knowledge is question or tne
utmost interest and importance.
THE term modern thought may be de-
fined as the thought of to-day. naturally.
But what is the difference between the
thought current in Luther's time end that
which prevails to-day? We know that the
mind is singularly superstitiOus, and su-
perstitiOn is the trying to account Tor
things beyond the range of the highest
knowledge of the time. We read that our
ancestors believed in lunar influences
perhaps your grandm other believed In
the simple fashion that planting should be
done in the third quarter OF the moon:
Do you think less kindly of her on that
account, or treat her memory with con-
tempt? If so, you are not worthy OF her.
Her idea was the development OF thought
at that particular time.
"And human thought is co-ordinal. A
barbaric age has barbaric laws, and an un-
scientific age has an unscientific religion.
I xxft 70 fIrnn hic
expression, for it must be used with
caution. Scientific knowledge is not con-
sequence of mere luck. nor does 1t come In
a haphaZard way, but it is the result OF
regular processes OF reason and lntelll-
gence.
''Our ancestors did not think as we
think, nor their pr0genitOrS think along
similar lines to them. There is an evoiu,
tion of thought. The men of the past had
as much intelligence relatively as we have,
but their experience was more limited.
THE Bible in the bygona times was mys-
teriously isolated ard was not studied in
the ordinary methods Of to-day. But the
scen tific spirit seeking truth in the light
of reason refuses to so Isolate IT, 1t is
literature. The Bible must be studied as
part of literary creation. 1t is the re-
corded history Of the world; an order of
progress-proeress in the conception OF
Gods spiritual nature eliminating in
Jesus of Nazareth. 10 study this book is
the great effort of Christian scholars.
"The lower criticism is a criticism of the
original text and the punctuation, but this
mode is exhausted. All to be known in
this direction is known. But don't despise
this style of criticism because some men
have spent a lifetime studying Greek
accent.
"The higher criticism treats the Bible as
literature, and by this mode is extracted
the quintessence of the religious life of the
soul Of man in different generations.
With reverence, intelligence and trium-
phant faith only can the Bible be studied,
ana TO pass upon the eternal truths hid
den away within it there Is only one judi
cial court on earth-the court of scholars.
This is the august tribunal, the bar of God,
here below"