The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-04
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~ r
g "Whdt About the Bible :"
BY DAVID CLAIBORNE GARRETT, -
Rector Of II.
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& & 2 4. p 8: 4. = f f = = z +

ing forwards 30 a tine when the truth
which in ether ages vas rot made known
unto the scns Of men was TO be revealed;
and all u1anklnd were 70 behold the light
and Knowledge Of Tire glory OF God n the
<ace 81 Jesus Christ.
See how such a view OF the revelation
fn the Bible will dlearTn anf3GsI criticism
Aost Of the objections 10 the Bible are On
the ground OF its historical and scientific
INACCURACIES and us moral difficulties.
Here - g man who has been taught in
childhood that the Bible was not 50 much
inspired as dictated; that IL Is the literal
word OF God even 10 every sentence and
syllable. Now thar man has found out
that the Bible s. nos tnerrant IN a number
o. ways. that b. II not a text book OF sci
ence that It's earlier laws are inapplicable
20 modern times. and that the deeds Of
some Of those said to have been specially
commendable to Cod are utterly repEg-
uant TO mis- own conscience. What does
be do? Unless he has gotten hold Of this
spiritual as well as scientific conception
Of a progressive reveal ton ne probably
condemns the whole Bible as fraud and
turns infidei. Such a result. not so IN
common after all. can only be syertsd by
setting forth the true character Of rev.
elatfcn as one Of progress from lower TO
higher levels, from simpler TO more com
pick forms analogous In q striking way 10
the development OF animal life, IL tneo-
ioglans hold that these books were given
BY direct dictarion, that every separate
passage Ia 10 be taken as the exact ex-
preston OF the divine mind. that verbally
IL Is the very voice OF God. then We are
not to be surprised at the aggressive ma
ture OF Biblical criticism or the e2gerness
OF men TO hear the witty agBostics latest
lecture. That view of inspiration that
makes IL more like dEctation will fail 10
find among It's friends many who love the
Bible much as those who worship the
form and forget the spirit.
This extreme theory of Bible inspiration
is nowhere authorized in the Bible itself.
Neither does Jesus lay down any such prin-
cip!e IL Is not presented in the works OF
the earliest fathers. Even al the time Of
the reformation il was not known gener-
ally in the rigid orthodoxy II afterward
assumed Luther. for example, displayed
strange liberty in his treatment of the
Bible. regarding IL as a matter indifferent
whether the Pentateuch was all written
by Moses or not, making a distinction in
respect TO authority between the epistles
and the gospels, exaEing the letters of
Paul and characterizing that of James as
an "epistle OF straw" Fancy Lutheran
doing this today. 1t was as reacs.on against
Romanism that the view OF plenary inspi-
ration arose. Human thought goes TO ex-
tremes. No sooner had the followers OF
Luther rushed away from an infallible
church than they began TO turn to an in
fallible book: the Bible was set up as a sole
authority for truth. God was shut up in
"a book. Rules for conduct, authority for
doctrines, even the existence of church,
were based on isolated texts from the Old
and New Testaments. In the era OF sect
making any man who thought he had got
ten hold OF a good verse would call to-
gether his friends and neighbors and say:
Rejoice with me, for / have found out
the truth on whidl TO build a new church"
Stray verses from the Hebrew psalmist or
the mysterious Job have been given the
same veneration due the words OF Christ.
and even bishop In this church OF ours
has discovered in the scarlet thread of
Rahab the haFlot an unanswerable argu-
ment for the yicarious sacrifice OF Christ.
And II one asks how is IL that according
10 your own view of growth of doctrine
such backwardness is possible In these
latter days. / reply in the words of noted
preacher: Evolution is not all onward
and upward. There are incomplete types,
stereotyped and left unchanged and I'M
changing. there are no-moYements. lat
eral movements. downward movements,
there Is inertia. death. decay. The Chris
tian evolutionist Is not therefore surprised
60 ind all these phenomena in the eyolu-
ton OF Christianity. His finding them
there does not shake his faith in the divine
life which struggles towards victory
against obstacles. and sometimes seems 10
suffer defeat lie expects TO find faith
hardened at certain epochs into cast-iron
creeds; thought arrested in its develop
ment, men struggling to prevent all
growth, imagining that death is life and
life Is death, that evolution is dangerous
and arrested development alone ia safe.
He expects to find pagan suPerstitions
sometimes triumphlng over Christian faith
even In church creeds: pagan ceremonies
sometimes Incorporating In Christian
robes even in church services. and pagan
seldshness poisoning the likelihood OF
Christian love even in communities that
think themselves wholly Christian"
The mechanical view OF revelation brings
about two dssnlorable results. Il gives
fine opportunity Tor unhellcvcrs 90 tear
the Scriptures 70 pieces. ridicuinS the pre-
tensions of misguided preachers. and Il
tends 70 bring the Bible into disuse in the
home While many more B.b,es are pub
fshczl than ever. Il Is doubtful II the Book
Is read prop0rd0nately as much. The
father IS too absorbed with business TO
look at the Bible. and the mother uncer-
tain In her own mind breads 70 take down
the dear. old Book. precious from It's ten
der associations, and read u 20 her chill
dren. she cannot answer their questions
nor explain the difficulties OF the Oid TNes-
lament. 50 she either lets the Book alone
or is content to read The story ~ the LIE
OF Jesus But the first part q tae Rlble
Sc worth reading even 20 chi,dren Some
parts had better not be read. Su, ne Old
Testament characters might furnish many
a theme for noble Instruction. The Old
stories our fathers knew - vel can -
read - our children. but "a a new way.
Understanding how those parts thar 80
disturb che moral consciousness can be ae-
counted for on the ground Of pro
KreSsivo revelation. one VIII see how in
tae ages long aao men Mere rroping their
way toward the hght ard tnat the HIGHT
had 20 be ccngunass3atei . thclr tnea-
Tacity. Thus tt vi b. seen tsat 20 de-
utand rhe 81 ma GeEree Of perfection az
through rAe Bible wouad ~ like asking u
q child The physical v,E0F md Intellectual
capacity - = faIl grown maa. The hearts
witness 70 enc wttrth o. she Bsh1e srlpula-
meuts this rneoTy cf revelation Not By
ere le-teF. bat by she spirit WI the hsssr,
direct re study. Better csau 20 colby
ertti-ise s. % warmly tive the truths IN
foa3e3 IN thcse pages TIE heart res,oe-
nisos what ere Btale has been ara What
it noN - go Millions solaca % the broken
hearted. Nzhf 20 chose ieft alsne r dark
ness. cheer - tire 81 ecuuraksf liberty 80
SEE captive tn 1o1y ana soul II haz
raised tha - len. brls8Eht back the pro.il.
ga transformed the cahsu-nes s-sfs, r3,a
saint. as - asa A1rustrc of ola How m
rastant go Know ,te n1erl,o3 ~ ia growth.
ire secret az SIS ueyfl.ag. tAe tre-5s Hoy
muNA uncre Important 10 come through
tats kDoN'leezse into a daaPer. fucre ahts-
Ing sc0se ~ -se ectsss0eys - fae s.aVv-
IS book. WAT a bsok wrcte F4st-.
tae German poet. Vast ant wide as -
Worid yoscSce Ia tae sayeses u crea tsan