New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-24
FACTS OR FANCIES?
How Far May Religious Teachers
Blue-Pencil the Bible?
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Or. MacCracken has done well
in The Tribune to correct various er-
rors in the newspaper reports Of the
proceedings Of the Presbytery June 9,
dealing with the licensure Of two
Union Seminary students. But he, him
self. reports quite as enormously the
main issue before the Presbytery so
that its significance is distorted more
injuriously than by the worst of the
headliners.
The real question that splits the
Presbytery" is not at all what DR..
MacCracken says: not whether the
teaching of the Bible about Seeing
God" is to be taken literally or fgura
lively, but whether what is said is true
or false, however it may be inter
preted. The book of Exodus undeni-
ably teaches that visible and miracU-
lous displays of The glory Of God were
made not only 70 Moses but to Aaron
and even to the whole congregation.
"The sight Of the glory Of the Lord
was like devOuring fire on the top Of
the mount IN the eyes OF the children
Of Israel" Exodus xiv, 10. This is
plain allegation of historical fact. IL
cannot be got rid of by denouncing
undue liberalism OF Interpretation. Ii
is either true or false altogether.
One candidate for ordination at the
April meeting called in question just such
facts. citing the Gospel of John that mo
man hath seen God at any time" as
contrary thereto, apparently being ig
rorant that the same great truth is
taught in Exodus itself (xxXiii, 20):
For there shall no man see Me and
live"-that is, man cannot bear the
direct and unclouded vision of Gods
face. hut can see Him only under a veil.
Further, he had questioned whether
the account Of the building of the
Tabernacle, occupying several chapters,
is wholly true. But these accounts,
both of the Tabernacle and Of the
visions Of Moses, are vouched for in
the New Testament. To deny that they
arc facts necessarily impeaches the
historical reliability Of the New Tes-
lament along with the Old. "Moses
said, I exceedingly fear and quake"
the Epistle 70 the Hebrews says, but
DR.. MacCracken and DR.. Alexander and
the Presbytery neither fear nor quake
but hasten the ordination without re-
examination. against the spirit if not
the letter of the law. This was still
further strikingly shown in the April
meeting. when another candidate called
in question the virgin birth of Christ.
tie was "more than ever inclined to be-
lieve it," he said with naive condo
scension, but still he did not believe
it enough 10 preach it.
DR.. Alexander IN the report to which
DR.. MacCracken refers quotes him as
saying: "As to preaching it., do not
feel that there would be any reason
why | should This, Il is sad TO have
to say, Dr. Alexander apparently ap-
proves. and the Presbytery under his
leading makes it part Of the basis
Of its defence of its own action against
which my protest was lodged. The true
issue. therefore. is not whether Moses
vision OF Cod. the erection OF the Tab
ernacle and the virgin birth of Christ
are to be interpreted in a particular
way. but whether they arc facts or
fancies, cunningly devised fables or
bedrock truth. Are VIC 10 set Nd re-
ligious teachers to blue-pencil the
Bible and put Interrogation marks after
its most solemn afirmations? This is
the real question. Well may the Mod
.erator Of the Presbytery shrink from
publicity and cry out that its doors
must be shut and only censored reports
be given out. JOHN FOX.
Easton, Penn, June IS, 1914.