The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-03
Annual Gathering Of Friends
For Purpose Of Studying the
Bible Is Attended by Large
Crowd.
BOOK or ECCLESlASTES
rs UNDER DISCUSSION
Speaker Says It Is Not Good
Book to Quote From
Songs Of Solomon Not Writ
ten by the King.

The Thirteenth Annual Friends
Bible Institute Of Indiana Western and
Wilmington Yearly Meetings was op-
eued last evening at o'clock at
Lindley Hall. EaIlham College. by a
lecture by Dr/ Lefh CASTOR Leary Of
Pelham Manbr. u. Dr. Leary
chose for hi subject. ~rhe Book Of
Ecclesiastesf and in 1prt spoke as
COllows:
THE book Of Ecclesiattes is one Of
the three fisdom books OF the bible,
Job and Proverbs being ihe. other two.
Scholars % longer believe Solomon
wrote thel book Of Edclesiastes as
many reaapns have bsen found both
internal aid externaI for rejecting
The theory that he waj the author. The
book is theAexact opposite Of Job and
Is exceedingly diffi96lt Of analysis ow-
ing to It's great confusion. It IL
claimed by some that the book was
written in parts and bound together
by its author which would account in
some measure for Its hopeless confus-
Son. still sothecA affirm that these
strange paradoxes have been written
for the few who were In Its secret and
could therefore understand its hid
den meaning. In my opinion none Of
these suppositions are correct. It Is
the heart cry OF soul cropping in the
dark exercised and perplexed, because
there Is no justice under the sun; be
cause all things happen by chance.
DIR. Leary stated that the book OF
Ecclesiastes was not good book to
quote from In proof OF any theology
nor a good one to read from by short
extracts owing to the confusion of Its
thoughts.
Solomon Not the Author.
DR.. Leary spoke again in the even.
Ing, on this occasion taking as his
subject, The Song Of Songs better
known as "Solomon's Song" Howev
er DR.. Leary declared that practically
all scholars now agreed that Solomon
was not the author but that in all
probability 1t was written about 25G
years before Christ. There are q
thousand and one theories attempting
to prove the clue to the book but the
three most worthy are. first, that II
1s collection of love songs: second
that 1t Is dialogue: third. that it il
. drama. The latter theory appears
20 me to be the most logical and IL
the only one OF the three which en-
tirely eliminates all the difficulties
This Mornings Services.
DR.. Leary delivered his third lee
ture this morning at the Friends Bi
ble institute which is being held in
Iindley hall, Earlham college. His
subject was Jonah. A History or a
Prophecy" DR.. Leary stated that the
book differs from all other prophec
les In that It makes no pretense oil
being written by the prophet himself
He declared that 1t was probably writ
ten 400 years before Christ.
Murray s. Kendall delivered his
first lecture this morning choosing as
his subject, John Woolman.' The
speaker gave very interesting ac
count OF the life Of the great author
Mr. Kendall stated that in Woolman's
writings are found many indications
Of his mysticism. This term as ap
piled to the views Of Friends means
direct revelation through communion
with his Maker.
DR.. Leary will deliver lecture this
evening at o'clock on THE Historic
Mediterranean" The talk will be
illustrated with fine colored steriop
ticon views.