Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-12-09
Sermon by DIR. Smith and sunday school
Rally.


A very large number availed themselves
OF the opportunity to hear DIR. Smiths
sermon at the Christian church Sunday
morning. There was no service at the
Congregational church, the pastor being
in Maine to attend the burial OF his moth
er, whose remains were taken from Nor
risvile to her old home, and many mem
bers OF that congregation were also pres
emit. DIR. Smiths sermon was perhaps the
best OF the many excellent ones he has de-
liveTed mere in the past two years. He is
a man of great breadth of mind and he ar
rives at conclusions after due study that
he is never at 4 loss to account for. His
style is satisfying. lie takes little for
granted, proving all things. be is logi-
cal but not dull and it would be a shallow
mind indeed that would not be impressed
by such a sermon as his of last Sunday.
DIR. Smiths subject was 1.-THE Scripture
as Affected by Modern Scientific and His
torical Criticism" His text was from
John V, 80: "And they are they which
testify OF me"-Christs testimony as to
the scriptures. We would be glad to pub
lish the sermon in full, and such a synop-
sis as we are able to give from memory
will only do il partial justice.
For the past % years, he said, there has
been prevalent among scholars a spirit OF
inquiry and criticism of almost every
thing that had been commonly accepted
uU 10 AAlAA tililGs IL Il iDA HtfaARt INIT InE
bible. being the oldest and most import
ant work In literature, has received es-
pecial attention from them. The Oldest
texts have been carefully re-scrutinized.
The ancient monuments and ruins OF
Egypt and Syria have been searched.
Nothing has been omitted that would
tend to throw a ray of light in relation to
the bible. Science has been busy showing
up natures evidence also. Certain things
have been pretty well established. We
cannot here stop to discuss the means, but
only the results.
For one thing, the bible is admitted to
be the oldest book in the world. The ten
commandments formed the first law code
of which we have record. The bible is not
number of authors writing contempo-
raueously. but is composed of over 60
books, written by between 40 and so diff.
ferent authors, located in widely separated
sections and covering period of not less
than 1900 years and probably much long
er. II is thus a whole library. And vet It
is one book and its subject from begin
ming to end is Christ. Christ is the golden
thread on which is strung these scripture
pearls from Genesis to Revelation.
When science began to throw its search
ing rays on the bible some good. but timid
Christians feared the results. The results
do not Justify their fears. Science has re-
vealed nothing that is contrary 10 gener-
al belief 10 the scriptures. Tho IL re-
quired ages 10 build this world instead of
six days Of p hours each, which was the
mistake idea once, the essential order of
creation remains undisturbed. There is
nothing in the bible forbidding an ac-
ceptance OF the theory Of evolution as ef-
fected under the Creators guidance. Il
should be reuem be-ed tnat the bible was
not conceived for the purpose of teaching
science, but religion. AS the monk put
1t, ssThe bible doesn't tell us how the
heavens go, bot how to 60 to heaven Ii
is non-scientific, but not snti-seien-
tific. As a result Of scientific criti
cism, many learned theologians have
embraced science and many skeptical
scientists have become Christians. About
fifteen years ago there appeared a little