The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-14
CRITICISM OF THE BIBLE
SERMON by REV. j. CUMMING SMITH
AT THE TABERNACLE.
The Relation of Criticism to Rever-
ence Observation-Disclosures
Servfce-Other Service.

Rev. J. Cumming Smith at the Taberna-
ele Church yesterday morning used for his
theme: us criticism of the Bible consistent
with reverence for it's inspiration?' He
said; "Our age has been fertile in critics Of
all shades; critics of our government;
critics of our fiction and literature; critics
OF our schools and churches; critics of our
Bible from the stately Goodwin Smith and
the truculent Ingersoll down through
grade OF Inferior men. So far as criticism is
negative 1t is sterile of results and weaken
ing to manhood Better the leonine Luther
than the caustic Erasmus. Men in their
struggle toward greater light turn away
from the men whose wanton wit blasts all
hope to the men who let In light ard
trust to light to drive away the gloom.
Jesus was the consummate artist in this
respect. He rose in a stormy period when
old faiths were fading out and old institu-
tons were crumbling and an eclipse came
to the great ideas. He might have swum
with the tide and gloried in the downfall
of ancient verities and dreary dogmas. But
His voice pleaded for the vital element in
the old dying forms that could not die.
And since that revolutionary period
the truth has been on the constant rack
Never age but men cast a sneer pro-
fame its divinity But the net result is
conception of Jesus and His mission shown
Of the defective interpretations of men,
Hence the scare of the church over the
present criticism is a suggestion of our in
herent weakness. A merely negative critic
cannot pierce through into the central
thought and hurt IL. His short-bladed
lancet cuts only the skin, not the arteries
thorough critic sees through into the
historical development of Christianity and
Is. therefore, too deepsighted and reverent
not to see that what has been so true a
force in our world cannot prove to be a
fraud. If our best thing should ever be
shown to be fraud then midnight lies
over our reason and we cannot trust our
richest light. real critic never takes a
plank from drowning man until he places
beneath him a lifeboat.
1.-THE Bible has perishable elements. The
forms of the Jews grew out of vogue. The
savage, vindictive qualities that grew out
of the heart of the early race could not
hymns. We allowed for that. The
thoughts Of God grew more kindly, sunny
and summer-like as God trained men in
the wiser life which after all is the inter-
pretative life. And just as out on the
prairie / have seen the train come out of
the thick smoky haze into clean light and
then the second impression was its power
as 1t Numbered along the track and then
tractfveness as IL opened its doors and
revealed its warm interiors. So God first
revealed himself for a certainty to the
early race. Then the race clothed Him
with every attribute of power and terrible
majesty. Then the race rose to a higher
plane and God accessible, warm and kind
as our spring came into our creeds There
Is growth In mans thought of God. and
criticism is reverent when IL distinguishes
between the garbs God once wore, but
threw of when time was ripe for a richer
and realler revelation. For my part nv
faith deepens when I see science slough
on the external garment and the deep,
abiding laws of Gods love become dis
robed. This needs high culture on our
part. but where we fall short and cleave
idolatrously to some outer form, the men
of the future will see God in His own
clear light.
Men try to settle these high mysteries
by majority vote in an assembly or con-
ference. But glance back at the past
shows that God keeps company with mi
norfties and at times a minority of one.
Jesus was minority, but He has since
swung the world. Luther and SavanaroIa
were In the minority, but God stood with
them. And, therefore, one learns to gauge
the verdicts of courts at lower rate.
One man of insight is often worth one
hundred men of eyesight alone. We come
therefore, to rejoice in the severe criti-
cfsm spent on all our forms, because we
feel sure that the inner life will shine out
all the more truly