The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-07-08

| Commenting upon the Rev. DIR. Lyman
! Abbott's views on the Bible, the Interior
! Pres of Chicago says: The Office of the
Scripture is to give us gertrude. This
was not so much needed in those primal
centuries. There was nothing among
| those simple peoples, with their limited
horizons OF knowledge, in any way cor
responding to the intense activity of the
human mind in those later days. Faith
in God was childlike, undOu bting, trust
| ing. contiding. Now there is no fact so
remote or profound or difficult OF ac-
cess, and no theory so bold that it is not
attempted with assurance of success. and
no doubt too revolutionary to be enter
tanned. AS for religious or ethical doc
trine, it is drawn from imagination, spec
ulation, philosophical deduction, science.
\ o man can see so far as hot to get lost in
1t If he enter 1t without chart or compass.
| The purpose of Scripture is not to set all
truth forth, but it is to direct us while we
traverse it. 1t is the oil trail, trodden
| by many feet through the wilderness.
DR.. Abbott is in agreement with the COM
monty accepted truths on these subjects,
| though he flares up in rhetoric about
words. And that is what they all do
Nine-tenthS OF the controversy in the
evangelical churches is about words, or
else about theories and philosopher de-
auctions which have nothing to do with
essential truths. We know too much or
we think we do. The Christian faith is q
very simple thing, so simple that the
child or uncultured barbarian can under
stand it. That is what Christ meant
when he thanked the Father that though
the truths of His kingdom were hidden
from the wise, they were revealed unto
babes. He meant the same when he said
| that unless we became as little children
we could not enter the kingdom. These
| learned polemics and theOlogians are only
| confusing and mystifying, and dividing
and sowing antagonisms among the
little children Of God by their conten-
tons"
Evidently" remarks the New York
Chr1StldB InteItigencer Ref, 1.-THE ad-
vocates OF what are claimed to be the re-
suits of the Higher Criticism do not in
tend to be silent, but to continue the en-
deavor to give the greatest possible pub
licity to the opinions they hold i'll regard
to the authorship, the errancy and the
human element in the inspiration of the
| Old Testament Scriptures. AT such a
time it is wise to remember the utter dis
comfture of what asserted itself to be
higher criticism in it's assaults upon the
New Testament. The controversy was
1 long and earnest. The authorship of a
large portion of the New Testament was
contested. The inspiration Of eonsidera-
BILE sections was denied. That the au-
thors of the books were sometimes mis-
taken was stoutly affirmed. The text
was declared to be almost hopelessly cor
rupt The motives of Paul and Peter
were asserted to be ignoble. Many be-
levers were troubled and anxious. I'm
belief exulted and said, and said again,
strenuously, that the New Testament
was effete and unworthy of further atten-
ton. What has been the final result?
Just this. After thorough nquisition the
ltco hat ~
vir text, long called the tectus receps,es
(the received text, is practically worthy
of acceptance, and is the Word of Life
and sufficient foundation for faith unto