Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-22
For Sunday Reading
oil Sorts of Obinions
A "sympoesiun,' on Miracles.


South church of Boston. Rev. Dr.
George A Gordon. put forth book
Religion and Miracle 1t pleased
some readers: it disturbed and dis
tressed others. The esteemed Con-
gregationalist" asked a number Of pas
tors and theologians for expressions OF
personal opinion on what it calls the
underlying problem as to how much
emphasis christian faith today ought to
place upon the recorded statements Oh
scripture affirming miraculous inter-
vention.
Professor Jacobus of Hartford Theo-
logical Seminary says that if miracles
as supernatural fact are to be given
I'D as unhistoric the miracle of the
physical resurrection of Jesus will have
to be given up with the rest. Frankly,
ne says. L believe this to be a sur
render Of historical christianity He
closes his letter to the Congregations
alist' as follows:
The modern mind may find it diff
cult to adjust itself to miracle and still
desire to accept christianity as the
only way Of the worlds salvation, but
no mere respect for christianity as a
system of truth nor any mere rever-
ence for Christ as an ideal character
will retain the essential of that reli-
gion which makes the heart of its
teaching to be Jesus the redeemer OF
men. The supernatural in Jesus him
self makes miracle essential to the ac-
ceptance of his religion in any ana
every age Christianity can not be &C
/ counted for historically apart from the
supernatural, as apart from the super
| natural it can not nationally be ac-
cepted.
| Professor Frank C. Porter of the
! Yale Divinity School finds it quite
! possible to hold that some of the
miracles recorded in the gospels did not
/ occur or were not miraculous, and yet
/ that the historical Jesus may be Sc
curely known by the student and that
even the simplest readers will not be
misled in their search for him. In as
far as the craving for miracles ex-
presses a real human need, the profess
sor believes that it is sufficiently met
| by Jesus himself Il sympathize, there
fore. with DR.. Gordon's effort to free
religion from dependence on miracle,
ne writes, and regard it as not only a
needed task for our time but as in ac-
cordance with the real tendency and
deeper meaning of the bible Itself. In
the biblical view, faith works miracles
1t is a radical departure from the
biblical view to require faith TO accept
miracles worked by others in the past
Professor John Winthrop Palmer OF
Andoyer Theological Seminary sug-
gests that the new testament mira
cles if considered as facts. belong tc
the domain of acknowledgement to the
! domain of faith Belief that Peter
walked on the surface of lake. OF
that Paul restored dead boy TO ME
is not religion he says. These things
may or may not have happened. The
question in each case is one purely
for historical investigation; faith
neither asks nor answers it," Here's
the closing paragraph of professor
Platner's letter:
In answer, then, to the general ques-
ton whether miracles are essential tc
christianity. j think it would be mis-
Heading to reply simply either yes OF
no. If forced to choose, I should un-
Ihesitatingly say no. But j would rather
saw this: Miracles in themselves are
mot essential to christianity, but the
truth to which miracles have led is es-
sential Thru facts in the life ant
work of Jesus Christ, the faith Of His
disciples reached the truth Of living
loving God. who does not stand aloo1
from humanity. but is present with His
children in mercy and in judgment
lFaith in this momentous truth is es-
sential to christianity. and to this faitf
4 the stupendous fact OF the incarnatt
IChrist is the ever new and living way
4 President d. N. Beach, of Bangor
Theological Seminary, believes tina
iwithout the resurrection "objectiv,
4 and concrete.-there' would have beer
Inc christian church in the world II,
believes that the lesser New Testamen