The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-16

!. Pastor OF the Unitarian Church of the Mes
siah.
temptuousness, faultfinding comments or
the Bible will win any influential hearing.
destructive, and who approach 1t with no
~thoroughgoing sympathy with its central
G character and purpose, will please few more
the authority OF the Bible IS substantially
the principle which Jesus announced about
the Scriptures. then deemed sacred.
hath been said by them of DID, and then
he added, But l say unto you He went
against part OF the doctrine of the inspira-
ton of the Scriptures, but he did so in or
der to purify that doctrine. and set forth
Its abiding strength. Think not that l
come to destroy the law or the prophets;
This principle ought to be borne in mind
when We consider the relation of the
modern study of the Bible to its religious
inspiration. There is too much fear that
some truth will be injured and that re-
llgion will suffer by knowledge. Truth can
not be injured. error is its own worst
enemy. Religion is not contradicted by in
formation as to its rise and growth. What
is called the higher criticism may sometimes
though they were established conclusions.
But its main characteristic is reverent and
consciousious fidelity. 1t is in the hands of
scholars whose religious conservation is un-
questioned. They are not outside the church
sharpening weapons against it. They are
inside the church strengthening the citadels
OF. latin. They are not destroying the in
SEPARATION of the Bible; they are making It
: clearer and surer. They are defenders of
the faith and should be upheld az such.
Yet. ] would not imply that none other
than such scholars, and those who can fol-
low their researches, are able to establish
the inspiration of the Bible. A larger. and
IN, the best respect a stronger, company of
witnesses consists of those who read the
Bible and find how inexhaustible are it's
. treasures. how deep are its truths. and
how helpful is its ministry of coura ge. trust
: and faith. 1t is a pity that this kind of
= Notwithstanding for edification. for practi-
cal good-has dropped out OF custom. The
Of the Bible are those who know least
about 1t. or who. knowing. lack the appre-
citation and sympathy which is the condi-
ton OF a whole knowledge.
There is the plea for the reading of the
Bible in the public schools. which cannot
be granted because one cannots see how such
q custom could be guarded from misuse.
how the independence of public school
teaching from any theological bias could be
preserved and the rights of all citizens pro-
tected. The thing cannot be done by law
or through any institution. 1t must be done
in/the homes.
"The Bible ought to be read more. Child
heart. Parents should keep the daily habit
of drinking from its springs of inspiration
and redeem it's rich stores of spiritual life
from neglect. We need not trouble about
the inspiration Of the Bible. That is safe.
What should give US anxiety is the ~fnspira-
ton of the people. There is a good deal
more inspiration there than We have ever
got. Let us find out the inspiration of the
Bible. not by authority nor by argument.
but by experience. Let us but be inspired
by It, and We shall know how the Bible is
inspired"