The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-27
NOW IT is
THE BIBLE.
That Comes In For Contempt
In Gay New York.
DR.. Lyman Abbott Sets His
Congregation In Roars
By Humorous Sermon on
Jonah and the Whale.
AS FUNNY AS A FARCE.
Where Women Dance Nude and
Idle Rich Spend 100000
On Single DESTINATIONS Fancy
Dress Ball.
The Bible Stands a Poor Show,
1t Seems
The Bible Stands a Poor Show,
1t Seems
EVEN IN THE CHURCH.
Holy Writ Is a Theme For
Ribaldry and Laughter.
DIR. Abbott Seeks to Parry Pub
lie Criticism.

New York, Jan. 27.-Dr. Lyman Abb
bott went to Lakewood today for his
health. He is much disturbed over the
comment on his sermon in Plymouth
church.
Ihe doctor gave a humorous account
of the Jonah and the whale story and
his remarks were greeted with roars
of laughter by the audience. Tt is
charged that he and his hearers have
been making the Bible the butt of ridi-
cule.
Dr. Abbott prefaced his remarks on
Jonah and the whale by reciting how
Esther saved the Jewish nation from
the wrath of Xerxes.
The preacher first referred to Jonah
and the whale incidentally He said
1t was parable, or fiction. He declared
that it made no man worse for disbe-
Heving it or no man better for believing
it. He said some people referred to the
story as the Pickwick papers of the
Bible. No man who did not believe
the story. the doctor said, should get
down on his knees and pray to be made
10 DelleVe- The great sin was not in
dlsbelleVing ridiculous things but in CO.
ercing oneself to believe them.
Then the preacher described at great
length how Jonah boarded the ship to
flee from God. He told how the storm
came up and the waves beat about the
SNIP How Jonah was awakened from
sound sleep by the captain of the
craft, and how lots We're drawn to see
who was responsible for the storm
How Jonah got the short straw and
confessed that he was fleeing from his
deep.
Then" said the doctor. 'the great
fish which was created by God for the
occasion was there and swallowed him
There is no reason to call it a whale
only because whales are great fishes''
The doctor described ninutelv how tho
fish swallowed Jonah and then he told
how Jonah composed q psalm in the
belly of the whale. There was mirth in
Dr. Abbott's voice as he said this, which
brought up visions of typewriterS and
pen and ink. There was a ripple in the
audience which burst into a loud laugh
The doctor then read at length the
psalm and the congregation kept laugh
ing as he proceeded. Then he told how
Jonah was tossed out upon a sandy
beach, and then went to where he was
sent and preached repentance to the
people of Ninevah and predicted its
downfall in forty days. The doctor said
that God disappointed Jonah and made
him out a false prophet by failing to
destroy Ninevah.
He told how Jonah went to sleep
under gourd which had grown up in
a single night and how God cut it down
and left Jonah asleep in the sun; how
Jonah got angry with God and quar-
relied with Him, and how God pointed
out Jonah's intercession for the gourd
which had been destroyed, and declared
that He was as merciful as Jonah in
sparing the great city of Ninevah
Previous to his talk on Jonah and the
whale DR.. Abbott mentioned that the
men who had deposed DR.. Briggs
claimed more for the Bible than it did
for itself He declared that they main
tanned that the Bible was not in error
while the holy book made no such claim
and he said that Christ had himself
1SP6 fiction fn he hi
of the prodigal son to prove it.
Several persons in the audience show
ed their displeasure at DR.. Abbott's re-
marks. One gentleman, who said he
was a cousin of Jefferson Davis de-
clared that he was going to leave the
church. He said that the doctor was
destroying lots of comforting things in
the Bible; that he was a sOutherIler
and that cold b1ooded Yankees like Alb
bott might laugh at things, while peo-
pie of his blood could not He said
many others would go from the church
with him.
DIR. ABBOTT'S EXPLANATION.
New York, Jan. 29-DP. lyman Alb
bolt said in reference to his sermon be-
fore leaving for Lakewood:
Il do not believe that there is q di-
vision in the church as a result of that
sermon. 1 think that my congrega ton
was in sympathy with my views. You
know, the occupants of the pulpit at
Plymouth have always expressed their
beliefs and opinions freely, and the
members of the church are people of
broad and liberal views. What 1 said
about Jonah and the whale is only
what Henry Ward Beecher said long
ago. That part of my sermon detail
ing the story of Jonah's experience was
not intended to create laughter though
1 admit that it did cause some merri-
ment. 1t was told merely to show that
it must be a parable-a story told to
convey a great moral lesson-and is no
more the literal truth than many of the
parallels in the Bible, which are intend
ed merely to point morals.
Mr.. Moody is reported TO have said
the other day that anybody who denied
Jonah denied his God. 1 think that a
pretty risky statement to make, and /
do not believe that opinion is held by