The Washington herald., 1909-11-08

Mistakes and errors In the Bible and
how to view them: In what revelations
Is the Bible lnfallible?" was the subject
upon which Rev. DR.. John Reid Shan
non preached the third sermon OF his
Bible series last night at Metropolitan
Memorial NJ. +. Church,
DIR. shannon characterized the doctrine
Of the infallibility OF the Bible as an UNI
scriptural dogma and fiction. He de-
clared such doctrine makes a load too
heavy for the church to carry, that it
leads many 20 cast the Bible aside, and
that II manufactures skepucism and
makes agnostics.
Bible nm Evolution.
The Bible" said the preacher. rs an
evolution. It outlines the pilgrimage OF
humanity from low animal conditions on
up to Jesus Christ. Men must learn the
alphabet Of spiritual things before they
can so on TO the higher branches. The
Bible is a progressive revelation. In II
we have the dim twilight of the dawn.
then the growing brightness Of the morn
ing then the full-orbed splendor OF the
MONDAY.
In some OF the older books OF the
Bible we have social moralities that are
the ethical conceptions OF q people In
animal conditions. They are barbarian
ethics; they are az war with the ethics
Of Jesus Christ. This We see in the
polygamy of the patriarchs. in the Old
Testament code Of morals having to do
with the slavery, in the Hebrew wars Of
determination. The Hebrew wars are
atrocious; they are not according 10 the
mind Of God; the civilized nations of to-
day would not allow such a war as the
ancient Jews carried on
Some Of the Old Testament conceptions
OF God are childish. despotic untrue'
they are but the reflections Of the people
themselves people in barbaric semi
development Such are the conceptions
which represent God as delighting IN
slaughtered victims, in the smell OF their
blood. IN the smoke Of their burnings.
THE Bible reflects the scientific Ideas
OF the times in which its various books
are produced, as when the old record
tells US that the world was created in
six days, as when an Ezra or Nehemiah
makes the sun stand still IN the midst Of
battle. The petty, tiny playhouse af-
fair sort OF n creation Of the Hebrew
conception-a conception suddenly put up,
carpenter-like, with God on tho outside
has given place 10 an infinite universe,
with God as its heart. its soul, its life.
Water from the skies, coming to US
through the mountain springs, carries
with IT an admixture OF the soil and
! lime Of the earth through which 1t
passes; so the Bible, coming 70 US
through the medium Of imperfect, fallbIe
men. carries with II an admixture OF
mistakes and errors.
Divorce Laws Corrected.
Christ gives a revolutionary meaning
to some OF the teachings and laws Of the
| Old Testament The divorce laws Of
Moses go down in darkness before the
teachings Of Christ on divorce. Christ
sets aside the Old Testament law # re-
venge when He says, Love your
/ enemies John Wesley cuts the vindio-
tive expressions out Of the Psalter on the
ground that they are not proper for the
| lips of a Christian congregation. All in
/ the Bible must be Judged in the light Of
! the full revelations OF God in Jesus
/ Christ
/ I'm all its warnings about sin. the Bible
| is infallible. In its doctrine Of hell as
/ the development Of an ungodly character,
| the Bible is infallible. AS the compass
always points to the north, so does tho
Bible in It's counsels always point in the
way Of righteousness. Those who take
/ the Bible as a guide-book IN righteous
! living steer their vessel, not by fos-banks
that drift, but by fixed and eternal stars.
The mistakes and errors in the Bible are
only as the dark spots upon the sun;
they no more interfere with the purpose
OF the Holy Scriptures than do the spots
with the purpose Of the sun"