New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-13
Bibles MEN NOT MYTHS.
Protest by DR.. Cuyler-Hits rip
and Tear" School.

IN Rev. DR.. Theodore L. Cuyler uttered pro-
test yesterday at the close of the Protestant
episcopal Church Congress in Brooklyn in con-
hection with the debate on THE Outcome Of
the Theological Discussions of the Nineteenth
Century" and Essentials of the Spiritual Life"
Inc former pastor of the Lafayette Avenue
presbyterian Church criticised what he called
the insidious attacks on the breastworks OF
Christianity" In the discussion Of 1.-The Bible
as History" on Wednesday night some Of the
Speakers referred to many of the incidents and
characters OF the Old Testament as myths"
Ut Cuyler said:
VINO are these men who come to our city of
iftoHneS and churches where Christianity Is firm
~ mtrenched, and tell that Abraham and
To 60 jacob are Iylhs, names uSeo me- IS
tT ~ auoFh tale? Jesus Christ hlmself, Whom
10y profess to believe, knowing and percelV-
lug All things, taught openly that Abraham and
isaac and Jacob real living men. Jesus
Shrlst himself performed miracles more wonder
tuI IMAM any of those things they say could not
CORY?
want to say in regard to all this class of
SSPeCu4aton and guessWork commonly called
sC iI or theology, that have no sympathy
Whatever with it, 1 am not condemning any
man Tor his belief if he follows the highest light
Wnch he can find which is the light of God.
An or US have met Perplexng problems. and we
nave conquered them with some help. The
thlhg Which condemn and deplore most deeply
the majority Of those chosen to speak on such
a subject should be men whose views were
knoWn IN advance to be subversive Of the Chris
tan religion.
On the Essentials of the Spiritual Life" the
topic of yesterday afternoon. the Rev. Dr. Ro-
land Cotton Smith, of Washington, said:
We are constantly telling men to have faith,
as II 1t were something foreign to them, that
they would take let alone instead of telling
them that they have it. Faith is forever being
nXraYD GXyf yybO oiCa
1t, as If it were makeshft and the best thing
under the circumstances
The supreme essential of the spiritual life is
sef-sacrifce as revealed by the cross of Jesus
Christ. 1t is amazing how have treated the
meaning of the cross. The Church acts to-day
as II Christ suffered to make us free from suf-
fering; that sacrifice to produce something
other than sacrifice in us, whereas, Christ sac
rifced to show men how to sacrifice He suf
fered to show men how to suffer great things
for truth and right He took humanity into the
very heart of the spiritual country and pointed
for all time sacrifice as the source Of spiritual
power.
Robert H Gardiner, Of Boston. the Right Rev.
Frederick Courtney and ]. Harris Knowles. On
1.-THE Outcome OF the Theological Movements of
the Nineteenth Century" the Rev. DR.. Edward
S. Drown, Of Cambridge, said:
We must give science all the field and we
must claim all the field for religion. The miracle
is the appearance of the divine purpose If we
could see the whole, should see that every
thing is a miracle. or should see in everything
the intelligence and purpose Of the creative God
Louis Rowland. of Indianapolis. said:
What is clear and all that is necessary to
bear in mind is that the very moment we adj
NIT that such inquiries those of the higher
criticism are legitimate, that same moment we
admit that the Bible Is not what our fathers be-
lteved it to be. and what for centuries the
church held it to be. We admit that it is at
least as much literature as dogma, and that
men employing literary and historical tests have
right to prove, if they can that book which
we have been taught to believe is the inspired
word of God contains matter that does not be-
long in it at all
Other speakers were the Rev. DR.. John c.
Roper and the Rev Dr. Carl E. Grammar.