The Penn's Grove record., 1908-01-10
Tie PUIEVF
A SERMON 90
pY THE REV. AV1SmW
1AWHENDEeScNWaa1
Thence: The Bible.

on the above theme, the Rev. Ira
Wemmell Henderson, PASTOR. took as
his text s.40:S:. THE Word of
God shall stand forever" He said:
This has been an age Of criticism
of the Scriptures. There has never
been a time in the history of Chris
tianity when the Bible was more
searchingly examined and the truth
fulness of it's facts as presented more
questioned than in the days through
which we have passed and are pass
ing. The written truth of the divine
revelation has been put to severe
tests. Its foundations have been an
alyzed. It's superstrueture has been
sounded. Its conclusions have been
negatived and its very fabric has
seemingly been destroyed. Some of
us have feared that its permanence
has been threatened, Its influence cur
tailed, its contents in some measure
eXpunged. Criticism has been streI1-
uous in its handling of the Bible.
Far more strenuous than some of us
have thought advisable. Far more
strenuous than many of us have
thought j~ustifiable, necessary or wise.
Under the combined influence of a
new science, a larger view of history,
a more comprehensive geography, the
tests of the validity and value of the
Scriptures have been changed and the
content of the Word of God has been
differently considered than custom
arily. It has shocked many a soul,
this process. 1t has brought many a
layman and many a minister to the
tide of the ocean of doubt and dis
trust and of spiritual uncertainty.
But it has been done. Whether we
have liked 1t or no the light has bcel
turned on. 1t has incidentally been
turned on much that was the foolish
ness of immature scholarship mas
%querading under the guise of wisdom.
The criticism of the Scriptures has
created a widespread distrust of the
whole Book of God. 1t has upset
theology. 1t has removed many of
the old foundations for our belief
In the inspiration of the Word and
Of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Sadly
In many quarters it has undermined
faith. But that has been rather be-
cause men have lacked the power to
differentiate and because they have
mistaken facts for human statement
and Interpretation of the same, than
because the Scriptures have been
scientifically studied and the light Of
the spirit honestly and helpfully
turned on.
Actually there has been little cause
for alarm. Because we test the water
is no guarantee that it is contain
mated. Because we put acid to our
silver is nc surety that it Is only
n1ofnd pnnoy,c1 u,1 fn1yA th1 tnri
tation of the Almighty and try Him
and His Word is no reason why we
should fear that either or both are
frauds. Because we study the Word
carefully Invites no presumption that
1t will not be able fully to meet all
Dur questions and successfully to
elucidate all our perplexities and to
Justify itself. The Bible is not .
book for dummies. 1t is the mechan-
ically preserved Word of a living God
who through the long ages has spoken
to living men and who yet speaks. 1t
Is for men of intelligence who are
alive. And 1t invites the inquiry of
live and intelligent men.
There Is and has been no cause
for alarm. For theology and religion
are not the same thing. A very re-
ligious man may have a very atrocious
theology. And while it is always
best to express our religious knowl-
edge and experiences in the best theo-
logical formulate that we may be able
to devise, it is always possible, hu-
manity being what it is, that we may
not be able to express in words the
exact consciousness of our minds and
souls. A mans theology will change,
if he be a live and intelligent man,
with the maturing and magnifying
Of his religious experiences. And if
our theology is ineffective to relate
our spiritual and moral experiences,
If our creeds do not correctly reveal
our thoughts, there is no reason in
the world why we should not do as
our fathers before us have done and
change our creeds, our formulated
theologies. Creeds are necessary as
al expressiono of a%religious conscious
ness. 1t were folly to scott them.
But they should be plastic. They
should grow with our growth and ex-
pand with our expansion.
And so. If investigation of the
Scripture has relaid the ground for
our belief in the inspiration of the
Word of God we should not be fear
full. For it has made the foundation
but more. Ineligible and truthful to
the minds of men of to-day. 1t has
not destroyed the fact of inspiration.
1t has simply changed our major
ground of belief therein. The Word
is as inspired as it ever was. No theo-
logical statement, however learned or
carefully worded, "a alter the fact.
If the examination of the Scripture
has restated the grounds for our be-
lief in the divinity of Christ, it has
been simply to intensity our intellec-
tual acceptance of the fact of His
divineness. For He who was the full
ness Of grace and truth depends not
on any theological formula for dem
o~nstration or justification. For He
was divine ere men began to prove
Him so.
We ought to be thankful that the
test has come. For out of the fire
has emerged a stronger faith in the
inspired Word of God, a clearer COM
p%rehension of the reasons for our
faith. And it were worth while to
go through fire and through food to
secure that.
Criticism has eliminated many a
perplexity. 1t has clarified much of
the ~obscurity of the Scripture rec
ords. 1t has brought the testimony
of the four ends of the earth to the
substantiation of the accuracy in
every essential part of Gods most
Holy Word. 1t has given us a larger
knowledge. 1t has given us a surer
knowledge. Except for those who
were nearest to the events that are
chronicled in Scripture there has been
none more accurately informed, so
far as we have light, concerning the
facts of Scripture than are we to-day.
The more I read Of the researches
and results achieved by critical stu
dents of the Bible and of the lands
with which it intimately associates
itself the more am l convinced that
the investigation is worth whatever it
may cost and that it is providential.
And l am also convinced that we
would do well to go slow about dis