The herald., 1895-12-16
YESTERDAY At THE CHURCHES
Large Congregations at Various
Places of Worship
SCIENCE AND UNBELIEF
Subject of Bishop Montgomery's Sermon
at the Cathedral
Services at the Church Of the New Era and
at Unity-The Theosophlcai and other
Addresses-Notes

Bishop Montgomery delivered another
sermon at the cathedral yesterday on
science and unbelief.
The bishop said: "Jiesides the objections
raised in recent years on the supposed con-
fict between science and taith' there is
another point of attack made upon HOLY
Scripture that against its historical ac-
curacy. Like many other objections
brought against ii, so in this, 1t Is largely
made up of bold assertions, and these as
sertons are repeated by one person after
another until many accept them as true
smp]y on the authority of those who have
made them.
.sTbere is no other subject, perhaps, Ill
which mere assertion has so fair held.
Ii is one in which the ordinary student has
absolutely no means OF comparative
study of the subject. Hence for the ordi-
nary individual to be grossly deceived 1t Is
only necessary that one make bold state
ment that various matters given i'll the
Bible as historic truth are conceded to be
incorrect or false That settles the mat
ter, and thousands who claim TO do their
own thinking in this as IN other matters,
but who, in fact. iis this as in many other
things do very little thinking for them
selves. conclude at once that the Bible is OF
doubtful authenticity.
..There are internal and external proofs
that show clearly the holy scripture TO be a
truthful narration of facts. One internal
evideuce of this truth is the absolute sin
cerity of the writer's. That same sincerity
is found in no other book. and though near
ly fifty persons have written what q there.
the characteristic is not wanting in one OF
them. The sincerity is manifested by the
simple statement Of facts with scarcely
comment. There is absolutely no effor: 70
appear wise. There is no laoored effort, or
effort of any kind to explain the bearing OF
one fact upon other facts. No effort to at
tain purpose, save plain statement of
facts.
.'Then again in holy scripture. both of
the old and the new testament. Cog is al
ways God and man is always man. Each
occupies his own sphere. God is always
the Almighty, the Supreme. the beneticent
and the good. Man is always his creature.
dependent. sometimes faithful, often re-
bellious. So long rs he is faithful lie pros
pers When he disobeys he suffers. When
he repents he is forgiven.
I'm holy scriptures the writer's record
the sins of the people as clearly as any
other fact, without excuse and without
comment. Nay they relate their own per-
sonai faults with the same piainness, with
out excuse of any kiud.
Again. many of the facts related are of
q marvellous nature, and Of public char
acter such as could be seen and known by
the contemporaries of the writer's. These
marvellous occurrences are made the basis.
particularly in the old law, OF ceremonial
legislation that was simply intolerable
upon any other supposition than that God
SO willed it. The Pentateuch embraces
especially this character of details and
that ceremonial law. When that law was
promulgated the Jewish people numbered
some millions. Moses demanded OF them
obedience TO that law on the ground that
it was not his legislation. but Gods ordi-
and tho evidence that God :
legislation was founded upon those stupen-
dous manifestations which those millions
themselves had witnessed. We shall have
to admit them true or claim that Moses
persuaded few millions of adult people
that they had seen what they had not seen.
No man would invoke such a claim against
any other historic fact. Besides this. the
careful study made in the present century
of every available scrap of Information
with a view to overthrow the veracity of
Scripture, corroborates its statements in
stead.
1.-The study of the New Testament con-
firms Of it the same characteristics. Be-
sides the leading facts in it of the Saviors
life being corroborated by contemporaneous
testimony. Jewish, Pagan and Christian,
the details are such as to show that none
but eye witnesses could have written il.
Such a revolution swept over the scene OF
the Savior's life Immediately after His
death, that anyone writing 80 years before
that generation, or thirty years after, could
not have shown the accuracy OF statements
which the studies now made clearly de-
monstrate the New Testament to contain.
1t is well-known fact that when authors
write of what they themselves see and of
matters in which they are participants,
they are rich in geographical details.
Whereas when not eye witnesses and not
participants they arc barren of such de-
scriptions. Xenophon's Anabasis and his
Cyroppdia are striking examples of this
fact. The New Testament is a most re-
markable example of this richness in geo.
graphical details.
"Apd again, studies made today of con-
temporaneous and external testimonies
corroborate their absolute accuracy. So
conclusive is its historical truth that even
Rousseau, in Emile, ~, is forced to eX-
claim, "Forgeries are not of this kind and
the acts of Socrates, which no one doubts.
are not go we'll attested as the acts OF
Christ. Far more inconceivable IS it that
several men should have combined to fab
ricate this book, than that there should
have been one living original whom they
described. So powerful. SO overwhelming
and inimitable is the impress of truth
stamped upon the Gospel, that its inventor
would have been greater marvel than its
hero.'
1.-The truth, then, of holy scriptures
seems to lis established. But it is not
enough to know that it is true. We must
know what that truth is. We shai! next
see that we cannot reach that certainty of
truth by private interpretation
Church OF tine New Era
Profascor Po,,p,a, J;eour.aJ +ba Natt,ra