Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-07
LYMAN ABBOTT AND THE BIBLE.

He Explains His Conception Of "The Word
OF God'-The Question of Infallibility.
The Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott OF New York
was asked by New York Tribune reporter
concerning tho statement Of the Rev. Dr. James
H. Ecob OF Albany. who has been pastor Of the
Second Presbyterian Church in that city for
twelve years. DR.. Ecob is represented as hav-
ing said: II leave the Presbyterian denomina-
ton because it has taken on a garment that has
lain buried in the grave for more than two GEN.
turtles. 1t smells Of the earth and DEATH
DO you consider that this portends a general
withdrawal Of DIR. Briggs and his sympathizers
from the church," he was asked.
II don't think So" DR.. Abbott replied.
Here and there individual ministers and some
laymen may initiate the course which Dr. Ecob
is reported to have pursued, but anything like
a general withdrawal of Dr. Briggs and his
supporters and their founding of new sect is.
in my Judgment, unlikely. There are sects
enough already
You are represented as having said in your
sermon in Plymouth Church on Sunday that
the Bible is not the Word of God?"
Some OF these reports" said Dr. Abbott,
ARE oiten done In a perfunctory way. The
Word OF God occurs / don't know how many
times In the Bible. but it is never used to desig-
nate the Bible ITSELF The Bible is the record
which men have made. The Bible is called
the Scriptures or the law or 'the law and the
prophets but it is never called the Word of
God: The Word Of God means God Himself,
manifestng Himself to some soul For instance.
the Word OF God came to Samuel, but it doesn't
mean the Bible came TO Samuel; or. the Word
OF God grew and multiplied, doesn't mean that
Bibles grew and multiplied"
"Does it occur to you that Dr. Briggs has not
the courage OF his convictions if his determine
1on remains mistaken still to cling to the
church2'
Decidedly not" said DR.. Abbott. II be-
ileve Or. Briggs has shown that he has the |
courage Of his convictions. There are two |
questions which appear at first sight compli- !
Gated One is. What is the religious truth, and |
confession OF faith?" !
But isn't it proper to suppose that religious |
truth and the Westminster confession are con-
vertibie termsY''
g! will say" replied DIR. Abbott, "that the
fundamental question, as DR.. Briggs has as
serted, 10 that a man may come to a knowledge
OF God without having any knowledge of the |
Bible, and the general assembly OF the Presby-
lerian Church says that that is false and dam
serous doctrine. In that matter have not the |
slightest question that DIR. Briggs is right, and
that q man cannot come to knowledge of God
Without knowledge Of the Bible would not
only shut out from q knowledge Of God all
ievout and earnest seekers after GOD i'm the
pagan world such as Socrates and Marcus |
Aurelius, but 1t would shut out likewise from
tod all the Old Testament patriarchs, Abraham.
isaac, Jacob. Moses, Elijah, David and Isaiah.
OR they all lived before there was any Bible
How could they get knowledge of God if we
lave not any knowledge Of God without the
SibleI Men came to q knowledge OF God
through their personal consciousness Of Him.
md wrote that down, and what they wrote is
he Bible and to say that a man cannot come
Q any knowledge of God without the Bible is
Ike saying that a man cannot come to any ex-
erience OF love without studying love htura-
ure or any knowledge of flowers without coming
yer the works Of recognized authorities on
o;any. 1t is agreed that there are errors in
no Bible. but they say that these errors are all
n translation. and that In the original there
'ere no errors. Nobody now living ever saw
he original documents, and to make question
faith depend upon. the character OF docu-
tents which now have no existence and which
obody ever saw is absurd
The Bible Is the history OF the growth of the
Consciousness OF God in the hearts and lives of
len 1t is clearer in the later prophets than II
In the earlier and clearer in the New Testa- !
tent than 1t is IN the old but clearest of all in
ie revelation that is made in Jesus Christi
But do you deny that 1t is infallible?" q
The infallibility Of the Bible is an impossi- +
10 conception, said DR.. Abbott 'The Bible
not and does not claim to be an infailibIe
box; 1t claims to be book about the experi-
ice OF God in human souls" !