Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-05-26


IL free from errors. Prof Smith IL
charged with teaching that there may
nave been errors even in the original
manuscripts Of the Bible, thus throw
Ing discredIt not only upon the sacred
books but upon their Author who 10
by the Pfe'bylerinn creed supposed TO
be Cod Himself The defendant de-
uics the charge. He says the merlta OF
Iemefits Of the original arc not 10 the
controversy, Tor the simple reason that
no original copies are known to exist
any more, aud there can be no intelli'
gent c5nlrivo'sy about the inaccapcy
u book no longer la evidence. He
iUus claim, however, that In tho Bible
W. have, certain inaccuracies have
orept In through the ialllngs OF tran.
scriber, ami the difficulty Of ascertain.
ing, ia some instances, the genuine
reading.
II would seem that the Presbyterian
church cannot well afford TO declare
this selfevident proposition heresy. a
couple Of hundred years ago,
when the scientific criticism Of
the Bible was still IN It's
Infancy aud but little material was At
hand Tor the slupenious work It In.
wolves, II was but natural that re.
formers should declare the iniAllibillty
Of the Bible as against the DEGREES Of
Roman prelaios. SUI IL question
whether the venerable men who en-
tfonchsd themselves behind the Scrip
lures and held the fort valiantly, ever
dreamed Of an inialnbly wofded Bible
text question whether they did
not claim iniallibility aud au.
thofily Tor the doctrines expressed OF
implied rather than for the form Ia
which tnoso doctrines are put forth
the liio-giving spirit, not the ombodi'
ment thereof was always considered
tho essence Of the Bible. Win the
progress made la this century Ia
branches Of science auxiliary 10 Bible
study, no religious denomination can
advance IT. cause by Ignoring the fact,
brought 10 light aud prosecuting those
who taku an advanced view.
The sacred text a. We now have
It a not iros from error
Tmnscribes were likely 10 make
mistakes by emitting words OF
syllabes, on by Misunderstanding iht
abtovlAuon, by inability 70 deciph Of
sn claceI word aud somslimos By
well.meant interpretations Inaocura.
Giles from all these causes are easily
oIn,ed out, but sometimes II IL really
Impossible 10 ascertain tbs original
fehding aud tho error has been perpot
us,sd in the received text and the au,
lhofiz ~ translalljaL Tue fact Is ia
couirsyorublc.
But a faithful Bible student will fur
Their discover that even tue ofgina
text may have been inaccurate, With
out destroying It's authority a. thl
word VI God. Inspired men were men
after all. They wrote, according
to their own claims, ~ they
weto moved upon by Ia,
Holy Ghost. But this divine inlu
onCc did not teach them correct gram
mar or furnish them with tsohnioa
terms Tor soIon,ill, dlso3utss,. Heno
We nud variety Of style anu expires
sion, all due 10 the human instrument
used In conveying the divine will
Just a. a speaker may be moved upoi
TO utter thc Will OF the Lord. wi,hou
being able 10 give 10 his discourse Ia
perfect form Of that Of an eloquen
orator, 20 writer may bs inspire,
aud give 10 the world the word OF God
though In language not perfect.
Theologlans who deny this fact onl!
prove themselves incapable Of graspinl
the truth regarding inspiration an
revelation. They ignore the plal
teachings OF the Bible Itself upon thes
important subjects.
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