St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-31
A HERErICAL PROFESSOR.

A HERErICAL PROFESSOR
1t is very pretty row that is in prog
sess among theologians of the Baptist
persuasion, occasloned by the rec ent
declaration of Prof. Harper, of the Uni
versity of Chicago, that the Biblical
story of Cain and Abel is myth. AL
though the university is not strictly de-
nominational, it may be called eyangeli
Cal. 1t was founded upon THE ruins of
Baptist university, was endowed with
several millions of dollars by leading
Baptist layman, and all the chief labor
erS in its interest have belonged to that
denomination. They wisely concluded
to place the institution on a non-secta-
rian basis. and it has accordingly drawn
a considerable share of its support fro III
others than BaptistS. But it was de-
signed that it's religious teachings. as
far as they went, should be orthodox.
And orthodoxy means good deal. 1t
means the unquestioning acceptance Of
many theories that will hardly stand
the test of reason and logic. 1t means
that faith shall render credible much
that is III itself incredible. and bridge
many theological chasms that cross the
pathway Of the inQuirlng mind: Faith
is made to supplant reason. and to con-
found the deductions of logic.
Dr.. Harper is man of great learning
anu piety, and because of these Qualiti es
he was placed at the head of this great
school. 1t was thought that he was
reliably orthodox, and would give no
cause for offense. But two or three
times of late he has made ''a bad
break" by casting odium upon hitherto
accepted theories. A short time ago he
startled the religious world by declaring
that the Bible, while 1t might be in
spired as far as its religious teachings
were concerned, wofully lacked inspira-
ton and accuracy as a historical wo rk.
This created some dis Gus sion, but was
finally forgiven because Of the pro-
fesSor's general soundnesS on theology
But his latest attack upon the Scri pt-
ural story of Cain and Abel can hardly
be overlooked. Ii the story of the first
murder is inaccurate, great many
theories will have to vlSed, and a
great many Sunday school books re-
written. And then the preachers would
be compelled to look elsewhere for Illus
trations of the danger of giving way to
jealousy, while the newspaper reporters
would have to coin some new phrase to
describe those wretcheS who OCCASION
ally pop to the surface of society with
the mark of Cain upon their brow"
Dr.Harper has probably been puzzled,
I,
before. by the conundrum: "Where
did Cain get his wife?" The Bible as
serts that he went into the land of Nod,
where he took unto himself wife.
But where did the people who inhab-
tied the land of Nod come from? We're
they the brothers and sisters of Cain
and Abel, or were they of different
race9 If the latter, Adam and Eve
were not the first man and woman cre-
ated, for the Bible intimates that the
land of Nod was populOus region,
while the descendants of the pair evict-
ed from the Garden OF Eden consisted
of but two men, and one of these slew
the other, thus decimating the popuIa-
ton in an alarming degree.
~ NOSo hOe JSO oPPSoi III
Harper or his more orthodox brethren
will retain control and shape the direc-
ton of theological inquiry at the great
university. The doctor is being rather
roughly handled by the leading Baptist
clergymen Of Chicago. They question
the propriety of placing man holding
his views in control of university
which will largely mould the opinions
and characters of the men of coming
generations. And there is a real dam
ger to orthodoxy in permitting so radical
a thinker to hold so important a place.
The controversy is already becoming
fast and furious, and gives promise of
shaking up some of the dry bones in the
theological gravey ard before it can be
given its quietus. 1t is evident to the
thinking part of the community that
this is but another evidence of popular
revolt against priestly dictation. People
refuse any longer to follow teachers
who ask them to believe absurdites in
religion. morality or politics They ale
doing great deal of thinking for them
selves, and the result will be the build
ing up of better manhood and better
theology than we now can boast.