The Washington herald., 1913-10-13
Bible TOPIC OF
!. proc. COLEMAN
No Statement In It, He Says,
That the Work is
Inspired.
APPEAL MADE TO REASON
General Discussion Of Subject by Men,
bers Of Secular League Follows
- Address at Meeting.
APPEAL MADE TO REASON

A scholarly address on "The Bible"
was given.by Prof William Macon Cole
man before the regular weekly meeting
Of the Washington Secular League, held
in Pythian Temple yesterday afternoon.
The paper wass in the main, presenta-
ton Of what modern scholarship and
criticism have shown with respect to the
origin, history, and character OF those
documents known as the Scriptures Of
the Old and New Testatments."
in concluding his address, prof. Cole
man said:
"The Catholic accepts the Bible be-
cause his church commands Il, and
because he believes his church cannot
err. The Protestant has no such in
faIlible ground for his belief; he Is
limited to the testimony OF men liable to
err. The Catholic is oyer-creduIous, but
logical; the Protestant is both over
credulous and Illogical Leaving out Of
consideration for the time being the
question whether the Bible Is inspired or
not, let the Protestant just ask the
merely textual question IL the different
books contained in the Bible are gen.
uine and authentic. First. he will find,
to his surprise. that there Is no such
thing as Protestant Canon. The Prot
estants took over the Catholic Canon,
striking out the Apocrypha. just as they
took over the Catholic innovations of
infant baptism and the Catholic substi-
tuition OF the first day OF the week as
the sabbath in the place of the seventh,
which was observed by Christ and the
apostlesL
ITO accept the so-called canon Is not
binding on the conscience OF the Prot.
81 ant H.. i
ity to bind the conscience but that of
God alone. and God has never saiG nor
is II pretended by Protestants that He
has said, that just the particular docu-
ments which the bookbinder has fast
ened together between two lids are His
will 81
Right of Rejection.
Luther rejected the Book Of James, !
because. he said, II was not worthy of Fl
an apostle. So may We and so should we, |
reject the whole Bible or any part Of II |
which is not worthy OF God OF truth |
and justice. And let us bear this i'm |
portart fact we'll in mind. namely, that |
there is no statement in the Bible that
the whole volume is inspired, nor is there
any statement in any particular book |
that the particular book is inspired. Even /
II such statements existed that would /
not prove the alleged fact, But In the |
absence of such statement why should 4
we accept the Bible or any part Of it'll
for more than II claims to be? 1t seems
that fact alone should remove any
scruples OF overtender and sensitive sous
who hesitate to reject the authority,I
which some pretend that the book pos-f
seses.
There is no escape; the Bible and /
every part OF IL must be subjected to the
gauge and touchstone Of reason for ap-
proval or disapproval. II is absolutely I
certain that. unless revelation OF truth
has been made previously In our minds
no external revelation is possible. For In
that case We would have no criterion 10 /
guide us In distinguishing true from a
false revelation.
But we are told human reason, with |,
accent on the human, Is fallihIe True
enough. but what are We to doe The
reason Of other people. even II honest
= Tu.sv as liable to error as our own
But the fact is that We do not get even
honest reason from our self-constituted
spiritual guides. We get. Jesuitical soph-
SINS ground out in the interest of
the .priestly guild. Reason, though
tallible. is the highest and best We have.
II may not always be the voice of God,
but IL is the nearest and the most ike
o God Of all We have within the soul.
We need not fear that a just God will
)uI tsh us here or hereafter for obedi-
snce to law which he has written i'm
)ur mind and hearts"
Prof. Hyland C.. Kirk. who led the
discussion of the subject, read an ex-
.ract made by a former official Of the
eague, Prof. Eudorus C. Kenney, from
me of the Apocryphal books. Others
Who participated in the discussion were
Dr.. ]. ]. Shirley, W. C. Arnett, Miss
Fawble, James G. Kent. NJ. Stone. F.
D. Scott. Mrs. Reed. Donald MacPher-
ION, David Eccles, President John ID.
Bradley. and Capt. II. r. Boynton. G.
!. Z. Samuel, a visitor from the Island
" Trinidad. also participated.
By way OF prelude Middleton Smith
yave an original humorous version OF
he story of Noah and the ark, and
Prof. John Philips Meakin and Mrs.
Meekin sang duet Prof. Meakin rem
Tered a brief recitation, entitled Why
God Don't Kill the Devil?''
In a statement at the opening of the
Meeting President Bradley called atten-
ion to a number of current mat
ers of special concern to secularists
md involving the principles of SECULAR
SIN. Among these is the movement now
n foot by religious forces TO increase
he number OF chaplains in the army and
iavy In the interest OF the American
ind secularist principle of separation OF
hurch and state, it was held that not
,nly this movement. but the chsplaincy
institution itself, which was pronouncedl
relic Of the union Of church and state,