The Van Buren press., 1893-02-25
For the Van Buren, Shakespeare Club


CHAPTER vi.
Just as the whole sea is salt the whole Bible
is poetry" What Is the Bible? 1t is q picture!
q varied picture low picture! high picture |!
dark picture! bright picture! altogether, 1t
is complete picture of Jewish religious thought
toward the ideal! The contemplation Of the
Bible calls up heightened train Of thought AL.
ed with delights, and sorrows. mingled De-
lights, because, for ages millions upon millions
have been guarded and guided into noble actions
by its teaching-have been led In the ways Of
virtue and the paths of peace Parents have
been supported In the days of their greatest tolls
griefs and agonies, have been blessed with duti-
full, loving offspring and as the shades of death
begin to hover about, the last moments have
been comforted The Biblei that brightens the
countenance of poverty, and ennobles the soul
Of the rich Sorrows because, from an imper
feet knowledge ofthe laws of the concrete, which
science developes; from false estimation Of its
origin; from neutrality-suspicious. ofits language
from blind faith and q misguided zeal, perse-
cutions for opinion sake become inaugurated.
supposed to be warranted by the language of
this same Bible, that is, and has been such COM
fort TO the world. Instead OF turning the mind
to discover useful methods and inventions to
promote hnman advancement the inventions Of
ene ~ t q was Geema worthy
these poor, mtsled mOrtals to be righteous, lead
to torture by the pincers the thumb screw, the
crushing boot the red hot torturiDg irons and
the kindling Of the consuming fires Of the In
QUESTION! These appalling horrors aroused
many earnest, honest talented persons to oppose
what had been the source Of such ruinOus faith
In christendom. They did not generally reap love
for their labor. But surveying mans helpless
ness in his ignorance, then. when he had no
science to direct his reason, both parties acted
according to the motives by which they were i'm;
by beauty, was led to play 8mong the. flowers
the second like the OK, helplessly led to the
slaughter and, 80 they slaughtered. But thanks
peated again where she can extend her assisting
hand Even at this blessed day, Intelligence Is
shocked by the continued stupid babblings abou
ulous, narrow minded present it, ii is obstruct-
Ing to correct thinking and has a tendency to
stultify the mind; taken as II is the Bible fur
nishes the greatest lessons of wisdom and purity
that have been presented to man from ancient
days, 1t points to the pearl Of greatest price 1t
must and will stand 1t cannot pass away be-
cause 1t teaches the loving confidence In right
tive to better his life; to direct his energies to
attain the nobest purity OF purpose, and as q
consequence of such direction. he becomes filed
blesses his mortal existence-and the better
science has enabled him to understand the laws
Of the concrete, the clearer can he reach toward
the ideal, which is the natural motive directing
to the loving confidence IN righteousness.
To those who cannot realize that there Is any
thing good or eleyating in inspiration, 1t may
appear that this praise Of the Bible is extrava.
gauntlet such persons follow these investiga-
tiOns. and witness If they can discover a single
phrase that shows any tendency to depart from
the truth, or to pandcr to any person or preju-
dice whatever for, can there be any objection 10
this, that all things being considered that which
results best must certainly be best!
When the reader shall have grown strong in
the truths of human nature, as exhibited In the
science of psychology. this subject may be re-
sumed with profit