Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-02
Outside Point off, View

Dr. George A. Gordon delivered
series of lectures al Yale which at
;racted no particular attention. Since
then they have been published in book
form under the title of Religion and
Miracle" And in some way this book
has started new. discussion on the
oldest of all old subjects, miracles.
Symposums of opinions have been in
the religious papers, and the Out
look has just published an article by
Dr. Lyman Abbott that a hundred
years ago, yes fifty years ago. would
have landed him in the midst of the
ranks of heretics. The extracts that
follow are from the columns of the
Hartford Courant. which finds il the
subject of an interesting editorial.
Dr.. Abbott starts off and applauds
the intelligence and candor of the book
qualities not often found in any dis
cussion of this topie'-and heartily as
sents to Pastor Gordon's main thesis
that. no matter what becomes of the
miracles. the future of the christia n
religion Is secure. IF it could be
proved that Joseph Smith rose from
the dead. the proof would add no in
I teliigent converts to the Mormon
church says DR.. Abbott. IF it could
be proved that Jesus Christ did not
/ rise from the dead, the proof would
take no intelligent disciples from the
christian church"
"Of one thing Dr. Abbott is firmly
/ convinced; a violation of natural laws
| has never occurred-never has the
customary order of the world been con-
/ tradicted All the processes of nature
are reasonable processes, he says, and
God is the God of order, not of con-
fusion.
! 1T is equally irrational, the doctor
thinks, TO insist upon belief in all2the
bible miracles as actual occurrences
and to reject them all and indiscrin1i-
nately He divides them into three
and the inexplicable. AS an example OF
the first, he cites the heaping up OF
the waters of the Red Sea by the
strong east wind Passing to the Sec
ond class, he suggests that with en-
tIaryed knowledge we are beginning tc
understand occurrences which were
mysteries to the eyewitness ant
ichroniclers. and continues:
MANY of the cures wrought by Jesu;
Christ are of this character. Modern
jpsychotherapy. whatever the readel
may think of its systematic employ
ment by either the hospitals OF fh'
ichurches, has demonstrated not onl.
iti,at the spirit possesses power owe
1.-THE body until recently hardly sus
ipected but that the spirit OF one per
son often possesses such power owe
the body of another person. He wouit
be g. rash thinker who would ventur
Ito say what is the extent and VIVA
the possible limits of this power. Tha
Jesus Christ may have possessed In
lsupereminent degree. the spiritua
power of which modern psycholog.
gives us only as yet a hint is entirei
possible. That many of the so-calle
miracles of healing attributed to hin
may have been Wrought by thi
psychic power is certainly conceivable
Remains the inexplicable miracles
the apparent contradictions OF the or
Derby processes of nature. Evidentl
the doctor thinks it would be prett
hard lines to make belief In them
sine qua non of salvation. He cites tn
story OF the feeding Of the five THOU
sand with the fvel caves ana "
. small fishes 1--WE can conceive th1
: event just as easily as we can con
{ ceive the story of Jack and the Bean
/ stalk he says, but the process in tn
: one case is as inconcefvable as IN On
other" The lost Book Of Jasher, froi
. (which the tale of the sun standing Ell
for the accommo dation OF Josnus wa
: taken, seems to have been poetry
!. not history-he remarks. The story
; Jonah and The big ash Is found In
! "satirical fiction" The 0nmsOn stofle
{ and Elisha stories afe pure f6sk-ios
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