The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-24
ADAM AND THE APPLE.
A Preacher Who Regards the story as
Merely nm Allegory.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Rev. L. II. Squires preached. last evening,
at the First Universalist Church, from the
theme, Adam and that Apple" taking his
text from Genesis, iii, -, which reads: "And
the Lord God said, behold the man Is be-
come as one of US, to know good and evil"
The sermon was. in part, as follows.
shakespeare says: TIL devil can cite
Scripture for his purpose But we have dis
his purpose in other ways than cite it. He
can secure the printers and the artists TO aid
him in making it speak falsehood from head
line to picture plate. Our fancy Bibles, with
have much TO answer for in the way OF false
ideas and wrong impressions, especially
one Illustrated Bible / have seen a picture OF
Adam and Eve in the garden engaged in the
tragedy Of Eden. The serpent is up the tree
giving advice TO the woman, while Adam
stands a little further awav In a detected
attitude, apparently that of a man waiting
for his wife TO get through saying good-by
apple. with a piece bitten out of one side.
Under the picture is the title. Eating the
Forbidden Fruit while the Scripture refer
artist has pictured Gods eternal truth.
Now, perhaps this is all right and no
harm done for those who look at these IL
Illustrations from the standpoint OF the art
critic. The pictures may be good. The
cravings OF the figures may be faultless.
And perhaps no harm will come to that
utilize their family Bibles as a convenient
receptacle for pressed leaves. Dore's devils
may not disturb them at all But when in
experienced and susceptible children are
taught to look upon the book In whatsoever
form as sacred and infallible. from sheep
skin to punctuation points, and when they
are led TO look upon those pictures as rep
RESERVATIONS OF literal and historical truth.
false and wrong impressions are made.
which will have to be unlearned with many
a severe trial TO their faith in after years.
No.. Dore may be an artist. but he has
made a very poor use of the Scriptures
when he undertakes to illustrate the Bible
with his medieval ideas. The story OF
eating the forbidden fruit is not history,
70 be literally portrayed. but allegory. to
be interpreted by brains as well as brushes.
the story OF Eden, IL Interpreted liter
becomes supremacy ridiculous, morally in
volved, un-Christian and unjust. No Won
der IL has been made a fit subject for bur-
lesque. Destiny hanging on the bite of an
apple, knowledge forbidden to Gods chill
dren. The serpent the only truthful and
successful one In the party. Woman ahead
OF man in sin Man last where there was
something TO eat. No. Ii is Incredible. IL
Is an un-Christian story. for We are taught
very first page Of the Bible. God Is repre-
scented as cursing his children. Our text
says. Man By that act became as God
vet he is cursed for it. The fact is that
out of study of this incident as literally
interpreted the serpent energies as the only
victorious one. the woman as tho only viii
AIN. and the man ID the only fool But as
ailegory the story becomes beautiful and
Adam i not the name Of an individual.
but : descriptive term IL original mean