The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-12-22
DIR. STARR ON THE BIBLE.
THE INsPIRaTION or THE SACRED
SCULPTURE ms THEMES.
The Illinois Pagan Can Never Psra1yze
the Word of God"-Dr. Kerr on ST.
Paui-Othcr sunday Services.

Sunday night Rev. Or. Starr delivered
in Broad-Street Church discourse de-
signed to counteract the effect Of the in
fdel literature which has been recently
circulated in Richmond by the admirers
Of Col. Robert Ingersoll.
The sermon was founded upon II. Pc er
l.. p: Holy men Of Cod spake as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost" The
inspiration OF the sacred Scriptures was
the theme. The advertised subject was.
",The Illinois pagan can never paraiyze
the word OF God"
A number Of points were discussed,
among which were the divine direction or
both the thoughts and words OF the sacred
writer's By the authority OF the Holy
Spirit-the exemption OF each by super
natural power from the possibility or
making mistakcs-the Transmission or the
original de.iveTance OF truth through Sc
lected languages as an Intermediary with
out doing violence TO the thought of God.
and the universal! recognition OF the au-
thenticity OF Holy Writ during the first
three centuries OF the Christian era.
THE AUTHORSHIPP
Among other things, the speaker SAID:
God claims the authorship OF His own
Word He anirms that the Holy Spirit
inspired the human agent who wrote
down tho truth because Jehovah COM
manded hin. 10 write. The Illinois pagan
denies this. lie tramplos the Bible under
his feet, and extols human reason ~ the
needed divinity OF the world.
II was the messenger OF God who made
gnopn. through my tcs'. the di,i-c origin
OF tie Old Testament ana OF evangel end
episIe I'm the new.
Because the four gospels do not appa-
rentiy agree. We cannot rejoc- the record
OF any one OF them. There are more than
q dozen histories OF the United states.
and in the statement Of certain facts.
they do not absolutely correspond one with
tho other. IF they were an exactly alike,
somebody would say. only one history was
originally written: tho rest were copied.
So might tho gospels have been criti-
cised Sameness OF thread and similarity
OF sentence. with great prominence given
hy all four authors 10 certain salient and
doctriual features. would have indicated
collision. and secret intent TO serge a
hidden purpose.
DIVINE OBJECTS
St Mathew wrote TO convince disbeliev-
ers Of the messiahship Of Jesus. ST Mark
wrote 10 strengthen the faith OF Gentle
converts. st. Luke sent his message
through n converted pagan TO tho pagan
populations Of every land 81. John
sought TO refute assaults upon the d.
yinty Of Christ Each evangel is a body
Of information about Jesus and His min
istry, such as the Holy Spirit choose TO
give TO that one selected author. with q
divine object Underneath the visible work
OF the writer. In everything essential 10
the truth Of God. the four gospels exact
ly agree What seems TO be left out Is
simply q test Of faith. and faith in the
atonement Of our Lord. IS the only con-
Meeting link between Heaven and earth"
Other points We're elaborate in defence
of the divine inspiration and authority OF
the word Of God
THERE IS 4 LIMIT.
TN conclusion said the speaker. THAI
man who rejects well-fested bullet proc
armor on the eve OF an engagement. make
a choice at the risk Of his life: and tina
skeptic who spurns the Scriptures as ~
authentic revelation Of the mind Of G. o.
10 mortal men. and filings the Cross o
| Christ overheard. resolved TO steer hi
! life-bark without 1t. will encounter tn
certainty Of eternal shiDwre,,l.
Heaven can help every soul Of that tyr
| UP 10 the point where God draws the line
| but ii is a dangerous thing TO trip wit
hap-hazard step across forbidden terri
! tory into the great hereafter"