The Portland daily press., 1894-12-10
1.-THE SCHOLARS TRIBUTE
DR.. BIanchard's Sermon on the Bible at
Congress Square Church.

Df. bIancharus sermon on the DlDio "s
Congress Square Church.
For motto. Jesuss words to Nicodemus
were taken: 'We speak that we do know"
The scholars speak because they know.
They seek the truth. They are ready to
declare it. They do not 1idicule the Bible,
they eulogize.it. The German scholars are
among the foremost of the world. One of
the greatest was Abraham Kuenen. His
views may be found in his history of Israel.
The volumes entitled 1.-THE Bible for
Learners, and prepared by Drs. Oort and
Hooykaas. weressssupervised by him and
represent his views. The English scholars
do good work. Dr.. Drivers Introduction
to the Literat ure of the Old Testament"
which was the first volume of the Inter-
national Theological Library, whose general
editors are DR.. Charles A. Briggs OF
America and DR.. Stewart D. Il. Salmond
of England, is among the most important CT
the English scholars work. The American
scholars are repres ented by DR.. Briggs, DIR.
Ladd. Prof. G. H. Toy, President Orello
Cone of Bucktcl college, university and
DR.. A. B. Curtis OF Tufts college divinity
school. TO represent the views of all these,
DR.. Blanchard read from DR.. James
Bixby of the Meadville Unitarian Theo-
logical school, who writes of the Old Testa-
ment as literature in these words: II know,
of course, the many dark stains that mar
the moral tone of the Old Testament, the
grave inconsistencies of it's spiritual teach
ing. When viewed as an infallible book.
web divinely woven, all of one cloth, these
stains are fatal to its claims. But when we
look upon it as the spiritual history of a
nation feeling its way to God. it has no
superior. No where else in all liter
ature is there more striking and valuable
panorama of the development of the
spiritual consciousness of a nation. What
pictures of spiritual heroism, standing un-
daunted against all Gods; what wise counsel
to youth, what moving and uplifting out
pouring of devout thankfulness; what man
ly denunciations of wrong and injustice;
what appealing strains of penitence and
devout trust; what comfort TO the bereaved
and support to the tempted, beam out from
these pages, ard make the benediction of
this book, despite of all its flaws. un-
paralleled in the history of humanity
AMONG all these scholars. Matthew Arnold
is one Of the greatest helpers of the
thoughtful and studious. Men and women
ought to know his Literature and Dogma"
and "God and the Bible.' He said, 1--WE
look with apprehension on all that dimin-
ishes mems attachment to tho Bible" These
words may we'll se-ve as a second motto Tor
the sermon.
DIR. Blanchard read an extract from Litera-
ture and Dogma. "Will not other teachers
OF books do as we'll? And here again the
answer is, Why? why. because he is revealed
in Israel and the Bible, ..and not by other
teachers and books! that is, there is inf
nitely more of him there, he is palmer and
easier to come at, and incomparably more
impr essiv e." This is not minister nor
theologian who says this. He is literary
man, student of all literatures and all
history. And he says this of the Bible. This
is his tribute to the Scriptures.
In closing, DR.. Blanchard urged strongly
that the clergy should tell the people what
the leading scholars say. These are coming
to agreement about the compositeness of
books. These are saying, the Scriptures are
literature. He urged thoughtful and studij
GUS young people to study these works of
scholars for themselves. They will see that
these scholars see what is absurd or of low
moral tone in the Bible. But they do not
'ridicule. They set tke.heights of thought
these Scriptures reach. To ridicule the
Bible is to show lack of culture. It's
students will see that it inspires to in
tellectual, moral and spiritual life. They
will see that these books are the greatest
literary treasure of the world.