Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-01-31

cling to the utterly untenable tradi-
ton that the Bible is an infallible
book.
"If theologians wish to regain their
lost intellectual leadership, or even to
possess an influence on the thought.
full part of the community coordinate
with thatof poets. philosophers and
men of science, they must throw
aside the dogmas, OF an infallible
Pope"
Some OF the miracles which Prof.
Pearson says sane person cannot be-.
lieve are:
The feeding OF Elijah by the ravens.
Elijah shifting and dividing the
waters with his mantle.
Elijah raising the dead.
Elijah multiplying oil aud meal.
Elijah's power over the elements.
Elisha going through Jordan dry.
shod.
Elisha making iron to float.
Elisha making the widows pot of
oil to fill many vessels.
Elisha raising the dead.
Jesus feeding the multitude.
Jesus walking on the water.
Opening Of gates "of their own ac-
cord" for Peter.
Three cast into fiery furnace and
not burned.
"Not . hair of their heads was
singed, neither were their coats
changed, nor the smell OF FIRE had
passed on them."-Daniel, ill.,, 27.
"He must be very bold or very ig-
norant man who will assert that he
believes that this account is literally
true," says Prof. Pearson. at is Ger.
tainly . thousand times more proba-
BILE that it is legend or allegory.
at is impossible TO draw any d.
viding line between these alleged mir.
acles in the Old Testament and simi.
lar accounts in the gospels and acts Of
the apostles. When gate opens OF
its own accord to let Peter through,
we think OF the story Of Elisha and
the axe that he made to swim. When
Jesus 10 represented as multiplying
loaves and fishes to feed great mul-
titude, we think Of the widows barrel
of meal multiplied by Elijah, and Of
the cruise OF oil increased by Elisha.
"When Jesus is reported as walking
ON the Lake OF Gennesaret we think of
Moses dividing the Red Sea and Of
Elijah and Elisha cleaving the waters
Of the Jordan. The story OF tho rails
ing OF the son of the widow of Main by
Jesus recalls the story OF the raising
of the son OF the Shunammite woman
by Elisha.
1.-THE legendary element is as obvi-
Gus and indisputable in the New Tes-
lament as in the Old.
at will be objected that this is the
infidels views Of miracles. What
thenf Wise men will accept the
truth from any source. If Christians
were more ready TO learn from infidels,
when the infidels are right. there
would coon be less OF infidelity in the
world.
1.-THE Bible is the most precious Of
all books. Its teaching that man il
the child OF God and heir of heaven
ennobles human life and is the great
basis of virtue, happiness and high
achievement. The Bible is . noble
collection Of law. history, biography,
precept and poetry"
Prof. Pearson declares that the pol.
icy OF the Methodist Church is one Of
inactivity, obstruction and Jesuitical
silence on the views in which the lead
ers and scholars of the Church have
gradually come to believe, but which
are not held by the body of the
Church. He says that most OF the
present teaching is evasive and that
most OF the Sunday-school teaching
is almost farcical and entirely made.
quate.
It is said Prof. Pearson may lose his
university place, be tried for heresy
and expelled from the Methodist
Church. Professors in the Divinity
School OF the Chicago University ex.
press themselves in strong opposition
to Prof. Pearson. Fri B. Hubert,
Dean OF the Divinity School, says:
ITO reject the supernatural is to
destroy the Christian religion. Every