The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-22
Faith and the Bible.

The word of the Lord endureth for
ever.-I. Peter, l., 25.
Perhaps the words of the Irish hymn
writer voice the deepest religious feel
ings of to-day:
Change and decay in all around I see;
o. o Thou who cllangcst mott abide with
me-" b. 2
There has been q change in mental
attitude toward all things that pertain
to religion. The doctrine of evolution
has unveiled q new world. And yet 1t
is the same old world; we have simply
revised our opinions about it. The uni
verse did not break up into chaos with
the downfall of the Ptolemaic system
of astronomy. We simply aWoke one
day to find that in reality the earth, in
stead Of sitting On q throne receiving
the alteration of the sui and stars, 1t.
self paid homage and in rotation and
revolution besought the SUMS light and
heat and was content with the worship
of n little burnt up cinder. SINH.
larry, though Charles. Darwin has
changed mems views of science and
history md Of all human speculation,
the facts Of life remain the same
Now some lament that their religion.
is being taken away; that the Bible
is being destroyed q Gods word to
man and its position of authority I'M
dermined; that the Church, the sacre-
ments,' the creeds, the ministry no long
er hold the attention and reverence OF
men, and that all authority for faith
itself is shattered. They, look back
with longing to the days when there
was no higher criticism, when there
was no questioning Of the dogmas Of
religion, when men believed their the
ologies as they did the multiplication
table. .
It would be simple truth to- observe
that those days never existed; they
are part of an ideal Imagination. There
has always been septicism; there have
always been questionings. All IS
vanity and veXation of spirit" is only
one ancient testimony,
. Then what must be the attitude OF
the religious mind to-day? Simply to
assert more vigorously the old doctrine
of inspiration. to proclaim with more
defiance the ola formularies? If there
is nothing better, nothing surer, the
voice must grow fainter and weaker
Until finally it shall die away entirely.
p'or even the supposed days Of Simple
faith and the unquestioning mind a
never return. You have some time,
possibly to-day, engaged in worship. III
praise and prayer. and now you are
reading this. WIZ? Because Of some
thing alien to your nature that has
been imposed upon you by some cook,
some church, some creed? No, but be-
cause of some unnliStakable fact or
your Utmost being, some part Of your
own nature, that finds no satisfying ar
Gnity with any Of the transitory things
Of earth, and from its depths cries ont,
20 Thou who changest not, abide with
me;'' some hunger Of the soul that dis
covers no s%uStenance for its life OK
cept in communion with God.
This. is the foundation Of your rcliS-
ion, your deepest faith. No science.
no criticism, no philosophy can shaEe
it. Without it no religion would be
possible, 10 Bible, no church, no FOR
ship. Because it is there all forms OF
expression are possible, yes, ineVlt'
able. AS one of these forms consider
briefly the Bible. The main truth is
that the Bible did not precede this
foundation faith we have. just men
toned, but blossomed from it. In the
words of one New Testament writer,
"Men spake from God, being moved by
the Holy Spirit" AS their nature.
their generation. their habits OF
thought permitted them to be moved.
50 they were moved. And what they
spake is of value to us not as an in.
faIlible rule of falkland practice, but
as an actual religious experience of
men of flesh and blood alike our own.
Much we can appropriate and make
our own because our own religious
natures respond to it. Much we can
enjoy and feed on because it actually
does nourish. It goes straight to the
heart without the aid of any theory OF
inspiratiou.-Romlliy L. HUMPHREYS,
Rector Of Trinity Church. South Nor
walk, Conn.,, in the New iorg Sunday
Herald.