The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-29
WORK OF PEOPLE'SC
TO CLOSE FOR SUMMER ON NEXT
SUNDAY EVENING.
Final Lecture to BE by n Professor
with Views Too Practical to Please
the Methodist Order.

The Peoples Church will close its sea-
sons work on next Sunday evening at the
Grand Opera House with a lecture by
Charles William Pearson on 1.-The Bible
What it Is and How to Use It; or the Uses
OF High Criticism" The conductor of the
society, Edward A. Cantrell, said yesterday
that it would take up its work again in
September, probably at the Grand Opera
House. Our work so far has been in the
nature of an experiment" said Mr. Cam
trell yesterday, "and we are gratifed at it's
success. We have been encouraged and
feel that next winter. with more ample
support, we shall be able to accomplish
something greatly worth while"
Mr.. Pearson recently resigned the chair
OF English literature in the Northwestern
(MethodisD University. He had been a
professor for thirty years. He is now COM
plotting a book, which he has given the
title. THE Carpenter Prophet" His resig-
nation was due to difference with the Meth
odist Church He addressed a letter TO his
conference setting out his views regarding
the attitude of the church toward the Bible
and it was soon apparent that he and the
church could not go on together. An ar
ticle called open Inspiration" by him.
also helped TO separate him from the
church. 1t is a concise statement of his
opinions, and il opens with the declaration
that II was published because "self-respect
and my conception of Christian duty forbid
me 10 keep silence in the presence of exist
ing facts
Jesus told the scribes and the Pharf-
sees" says Mr.. Pearson in this article
that they had made the word OF God Of
none effect through their tradition Very
many OF our religious teachers are to-day
doing the same thing. Modern preaching
lacks truth and power because so MANY
churches cling 10 an utterly untenable ira
dit1on that the Bible is an infallible book
This dogma is their besetting sin III is the
golden calf of their idolatrOus worship II
Is the palpable lie that gives the ring of in
sincerity TO all their moral exhOrtations II
theologians wish 10 regain their lost INTEL
lectual leadership or even TO possess an in
nuence on the thoughtful part Of the COM
munity, coordinate with that of poets.
philosophers and men OF science. they must
throw aside the dogma OF an fnfalUbIe
Bible as completely and frankly as Protest.
ants have thrown aside the dogma OF an
tnfallible pope"
A natural and practical view OF the Bible
according TO the realistic Mr. Pearson has
been prevented because the ''credulOus and
ignorant disciple, the allegOrist and the
poet. the priest and the scribe in their e.
forts TO expound and popularize religious
truth. nave all more or less clogged and
corrupted the spiritual message Of the
prophets. and our teachers must frankly
recognize this fact" The many wonderful
miracles recorded in the Bible, Mr. Pearson
says, are obviously mythical, and there
should be no further attempt in this en-
hghtened, scientific time, TO persuade the
pubic that these marvellous thing ever
really occurred. God did not communicate
the Bible 10 humanity in the personal
method chronicled. he says but il was
written by men who were inspired by God
men whose spiritual and intellectual en-
dowments varied. He further says: God
is a spirit and speaks 20 a man as a spirit
and through spirit. All spiritual truth
comes 10 man through his brain and con-
science. and one man receives more and an
other less because OF the differences in the
hearts and minds and wills OF men Some
men seek 10 know and love and obey the
Will OF Cod, and naturally that will is more
clearly ard abundantly made known TO
them than IL IL 20 those who do not seek TO
know II, do not love IL and do not obey IL -