The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-12-06
How THE BIBLE CAME TO us.
LECTURE FIFTH, THE BIBLE IN
CRITICISM.
BY Rev. Albert r. Bond .

The custom Of Socrates, the
learned Greek philosopher, may.
well typify the character Of this
century, lie was the Athenian
Interrogation point, whose mis-
sion demanded that minds dull 10
the truth should be aroused by
pertinent questions. He gained
for himself the nickname OF "rad
fly and finally drank the fatal
hemlock under the false charge
Of corrupting the morals of the
youths and Of subverting the re.
ligious faith in the gods by en-.
quiring into their nature and au-
thority. We have caught the
manner of his interrogatory atti.
tude, but have not always pos.
sessed the power of his discern
ment Of the truth. The critic is
abroad in the land. The world Of
inanimate in company with the
animate, the sphere ef mutual re.
lations, the domain OF ideas Of
the unseen no less than the seen
manifest his presence, sometimes
in the desecrating footsters of
untamed license and again in the
hallowed tread Of reverential truth
seeking. One might as well at
tempt to repress the spirit and
habit Of enquiry as to check the
downward motion OF an Alpine
avalanche. As long as men think.
they viii question. That the
tightening flash might be repro.
quced in miniature by man would
have seemed incredulous before
tAe day Of the electric spark. II
men may thus generate and con-.
trol the fable6 power Of Jupiter,
may we not expect them to set
bounds to their own intellects? +?
May we not demand that their
thoughts shall be ohannelled?
We call attention to some IDEAS IN
regard to the Bible as related to
criticism.
/. THE SPIRIT OF CRITICISM.
In common with other books
that claim attention the Bible must
be subjected 10 criticism. II
might be well to recall the true
idea OF criticism, inasmuch as
misconceptions are prevalent.
To criticise meant originally to
Judge, weigh, consider, estimate.
without reference to the eharao-
ter Of the results, but the deprav-
ity of language, exponent Of
thought and life, fixes the word
with an unpleasant flavor and
with many people ii stands for
fault finding. The balances will
always be ready for men, IDEAS,
actions and institutions, and the
concern is for the right side to be
ascendant. There are waya in
which TO prosecute this work that
will fail Of best results while meth.
DDS remain that lead to proper
ends. We may mention elements
Of the spirit Of criticism.
1. Iconoclastic Antagonism.
The word iconoclastie, with jts
companions Of radical meaning
came into use to denote the re-.
fusal Of some 10 accept the images
of saints proposed by the Roman
Catholics for every church. From
this was derived the thought Of
the breaking Of customs, or reiec.
ton Of established laws or the de-.
NAL Of truths. The Bible is not
unlike ether books in that it re-
serves from the iconoclast its
richest meaning. A new book
appears; the reader comes TO i
with the avowed determination to
oppose and reject every position
that the author assumes. Adverse
criticism il his purpose from
which nothing will swerye him
and by which his Judgment il
warped and biased. Such a
reader viii find ample material to
occupy him, but the message of
the writer is lost for him.
1t is sadly true that the Bible
has had such a class Of readers
Primarily opposed TO the idea Of
a divine revelation, they have
deliberately closed their eyes lest
they might see the truth, while
at the same time loud professions
Of truth searching are made.
They are not unlike the ostrich
with his head beneath the sand,
hoping to escape danger Brist-
ling with porcupine needles Of OBJ
jections, they demand mathe-
matical demonstration for the
very postulates Of all truth and
revelation. Come to the precious
Word that has so long been the
source of power for good and au-