The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-05-21
Bible Worship.

| The Presbyterian general assembly now
in session at WASHINGTON, d. c., will
probably decide the fate of Dr.. BRIGGS
and Rev. H. PRESERVED SMITH, so far as
| their orthodoxy or heresy is concerned.
The opening address by the Moderator
DR.. ID. W. C.YoUNG is looked upon as a
|pointer in their direction. 1t was an ex-
pressiono of undiluted, old fashioned Pres
| byterian Bible worship, without the
slightest flavor of the s'higher criticism''
or modern liberal interpretations. fit is
to be regarded as the present sentiment
of the Presbyterian church, it indicates
hostility against any revision OF its cast
iron creed.
Dr.YoUNG declared as the settled con-
viction OF that church, ''That from the
beginning to the end, from the opening
sentence OF Genesis to the last verse in
Revelations, the Bible is the very word
of God"
That is a most extraordinary statement
to make in view of the general criticism
which the venerable volume has received
developing the fact that it contains not
only what purports to be the sayings of
Deity, but the utteranees of men. some of
them very depraved and wicked, histori-
cal fragments which are inaccurate be-
cause they do not harmonic with each
ether, and even the words of the devil
himself.
The HERALD will not attempt to argue
for or against the authority of what are
commonly known as the Holy Scriptures.
But on an important question like this,
it will not be out of place to call attention
to few facts. Each reader of the book
may form his own conclusions as to its
divine authenticity, but its value will not
be enhanced by any claims which cannot
be substantiated.
| The Bible is collection of books, not
one volume Of consecutive chapters. 1t
is divided into two parts. the Old Tesla
ment and the New. In neither part does
| it claim for itself what DR.. YOUNG de-
clares in its behalf, and it appears to us
| that such exaggerated demands upon
human credulity as he makes only injure
the cause they are intended to promote.
| The value of the Bible is undoubtedly
beyond estimate. We would not utter a
word that could be reasonably construed
as depreciating its worth to mankind.
But there are facts concerning it which
are undeniable, and which must be taken
| into account when every line in it is
claimed to be the very word of God.
Take the variations of the history OF
Hebrew kings and captains, the statis-
tics and geneologies furnished, the anec-
Idotes told, and many other minor fea-
lures of several of its books, and the
verbal inspiration theory appears start
ling in its inconsistency.
Then its books are not by any means in
their original form. Even the transla-
tons which we have, and which differ
materially from each other are not taken
from the identical writings of the pur-
ported authors. Surprising they were
under immediate, divine verbal inspira-
tion--which they nowhere appear to
claim-their exact language has not come
down to US. Their ideas may be IN the
main conveyed in the TRANSACTIONS that
have been published, but that is not the
point at issue. Many people who would
not dispute the divine inspiration OF the
Hebrew prophets, do most emphatically
repudiate the notion that every line in