The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-06-21

Rev. DR.. Talrnage Denounces Some
of the Modern Preachers,
Particularly Those Who Imagine the BIZ
BILE Needs Reconstruction and Leave
the People'in Fog by Their
Fault Finding.

The following sermon on 'Expurga-
ton Of the Scriptures" was delivered
by Rev. 4. Dewitt Talmage in the
Academy of music, New York city.
1t was based on the text:
Let God be true, but every man liar.-Ro-
mans ILL.,, a.
He said: The Bible needs recon
struction, according to some inside
and outside the pulpit It is no sur
prise that the world bombards the
Scriptures, but it is amazing to find
Christian ministers picking at this in
the Bible, and denying that, until
many good people are left in the fog
about what parts Of the Bible they
ought to believe, and what parts re-
feet. The Nervousness of finding fault
with the Bible at this time is most
evident. In our day the Bible is as
sailed by scurrility, by misrepresenta-
ton, by infidel scientists, by all the
vice of earth and all the venom of per-
dition, and at this particular time
even preachers OF the Gospel fall into
line of criticism of the word of God.
Why, it makes me think of ship in a
September equinox, the waves dashing
to the top of the smokestack, and the
matches fastened down, and many
prophesying the laundering of the
steamer, and at that time some of the
crew with axes and saws 90 down into
the hold of the ship, and they try to
saw off some of the pianks and pry out
some of the timbers because the timber
did not come from the right forest! 1t
does not seem to me a commendable
business for the crew to be helping
the winds and storms outside with
their axes and saws inside. Now, this
old Gospel ship, what with the roaring
of earth and hell around the stem and
stern, and mutiny on deck, is having a
very rough voyage, but have noticed
that not one of the timbers has started.
and the captain says he will see it
through. And 1 have noticed that
keelson and countertimber. knee are
built out of Lebanon cedar, and she is
going to weather the gale, but no
credit to those who make munity on
deck
When I see professed Christians in
this particular day finding fault
with the Scriptures, it makes me think
Of fortress terrifcally bombarded,
and the men on the ramparts, instead
Of swabbing out and loading the guns,
and helping fetch up the ammunition
from the magazine, are trying with
crowbars to pry out from the wall GER
tain blocks of stone, because they did
not come from the right quarry. Oh.
men on the ramparts, better fight back
and fight down the common enemy,
instead of trying to make breaches in
the wall
While oppose this expurgation of
the Scriptures, shall give you my
reasons for such opposition. WHAT!
say some of the theological evolution
lists, whose brains have been added
by too long brooding over Darwin and
Spencer, 'you don't now really believe
all the story of the Garden of Eden. do
your" Yes, as much as believe there
were roses in my garden last summer.
But" say they. you don't really be-
lieye that the sun and moon stood
still?" Yes, and If ] had strength
enough to create sun and moon
could make them stand still, or cause
the refraction of the suns rays so it
would appear to stand still. But,
they say, '.you don't really believe that
the whale swallowed Jonah?" Yes,
and il were strong enough to make
= whale could have made very easy
inpress for the refractory prophet,
leaving to evolution to eject him, II he
were an unworthy tenant! But, say
they, "you don't really believe that
the water was turned into wineY
Yes, but as easily as water now is
often turned into wine with an ad-
mixture of strychnine and logwood!
But" say they, ''you don't really De-
iieve that Samson slew thousand
with the jawbone of an asp Yes,
and think that the man who in this
day assaults the Bible is welding the
same weapon!
There is nothing in the Bible that
staprers me. There are many things
I do not understand, do not pretend
10 understand, never shall in this
world understand. But that would De
. very poor God who could be fully un,
derstood by the human. That would
be a very small Infinite that can be
measured by the finite. You must not
expect to weigh the thunderbolts OF
Omnipotence in an apothecary's oail
ances. Starting with the idea that
Cod can do ANYTHING, and that he was
present at the beginning and that ne
Is present now, there is nothing IN the
HOLY Scriptures to arouse skepticis m
In INV heart. Here / stand, q fossil OF
5,,a mn from the tertiary