The Washington herald., 1907-08-11
A SUNDAY TALK.

For We have not followed cunn.ugly devised fables,
when We made known INTO you The power ana the
coming Of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye
witnesses Of His majesty
Knowing this first, That no prophecy Of the
scripture IS Of any private Interpretation.
II Peter. 1: 1870.
The second epistle OF Simon Peter.
servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.
was a general letter directed to the
congregations among whom he had
preached in Pontius. Galatia. Cappa-
docia, Asia and Bithynia. Already tho
apostle to whom Roman Catholics be-
lieve the keys of the true church were
intrusted. and who was TO be forever
regarded as the founder Of the church.
had come to realize that one Of the
greatest dangers In the PRONUNCIATION
and spread Of the Christian doctrine
lay in the multitudinous interpreta
tons that might be placed on the
Scriptures. His second epistle is. in
effect, Of similar import to the syllabus
just issued by the Pope
IT takes but little thought to see how
much the words Of Simon Peter have
been disregarded in our own DAY.
Leaving aside the question of the So
called higher criticism. there is none
so poorly educated to-day but does not
feel justified at putting his own in
depreciation on what the prophets
meant by this or that passage Of the
Scriptures. One man rejects the mira
eles, excusing himself on the ground
that they are symbolic only; another
tries TO get around the record of the
Resurrection by declaring that only a
spiritual Resurrection was meant. and
this in face OF the direct testimony
of those to whom lie appeared in the
aesh and to whom He showed His
wounds
Here is Simon Peter, a man who had
known Christ; had lived with Him.
eaten with Him. prayed with Him, and
who was His best beloved among the
disciples, finding it necessary already
10 warn the people that we have not
followed cunninsly devised fables. and
urging them against any private in
depreciation" OF the Word Of God.
and yet. to-day. 1000 years since
then. we find that the great bulk Of
Scriptural criticism is based on a be-
lief that this passage or that Of Tn"
Bible is a fable, and that the whole
Bible is subject 10 private interpreta-
ton.
Here we have the Rev r. J. Camp
bell. q Christian minister who denies
what Simon Peter saw. declares much
of the testimony in the Bible 10 be
false. and arrogates TO himself the
task OF correcting the people In their
beliefs. II his New Theology" this
Christian minister denies the divinity
Of Christ. the virgin birth. and the
resurrection. He denies the inspiTa-
ton and infallibility Of tie Bible. and
he rejects the idea OF divine punish
meEt. We have the establishment Of
q socialistic Sunday school which takes
what Il chooses from the Bible. rejects
what il pleases. and teaches barren
positiyism under the plea that il Is
scientific.
In Germany the war against So
called liberalism is being bitterly
fought. and the teaching OF the "ad-
vauCed" reiigi0nists there is aptly
characterized by DR.. H Lepsius as
advanced theology without Christ
and without redemption; and DIT.
Stocker. noted German divine. pro-
poses seriously that these liberal
preachers for whom the doctrines OF
Jesus Christ are not good enough.
should leave the church and organize
churches of their own in which they
can teach and preach what they please.
The truth OF the matter. for the lay
man. Is that Il Is well for him 20 stick
10 first principles. Few laymen are
competent 70 Judge the testimony for
or against any portion of the Scrip
lures We must be content 10 trust
10 our specially trained teachers, who
are competent to investigate None Of
US pretend 10 have our own theories
about the X-ray or the dynamic force
Of radium. yet these are mysteries OF
science only.
The warning Of the Pope contained
in his syllabus was addressed only to
the children Of his church. 1t con-
tains nevertheless. a message that
might well be needed by Christian men
and women OF every denomination.