The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-08-12

ilPASlOR RUSStlLl think very little
about the Word OF
God. so that as matter of fact our
great colleges teach nothing pertaining
to the Bible. Years ago 1t was quite
customary that the Bible should have
prominent place In the schools, ana
| the pupils were all under religious IN
auences; for nearly every college was
under the control Of some denomina-
ton. This gave them a sectarian bias,
/ however; and to whatever extent they
were sectarian they were not free to
study Truth.
But the world In its wisdom has been
leaving everything pertaining to the
Bible. Today our college-bred men are
the greatest opponents of the Word OF
God. The great majority of those
graduated from our colleges within the
past thirty years are total unbeievers
In the Bible as Gods Inspired Word.
Many of them are ministers, who select
their texts from the Bible and who re-
tain certain respect for 1t. Their
parents venerated 1t, and SO the sons
still cherish 1t as they would an OLD
friend. They regard 1t as they would
pair of old shoes that their great
grandfather had used-not that the
shoes would have any intrinsic value,
but that they were great-grandfather's
shoes, Then the Bible is a convenient
ola oh 10 ThnU
know, too, that great many people
are not college bred and still reverence
the Old Book. They like to condescend
to the extent of showing that they do
not altogether ignore the sentiments
of the common people.
If cross-examined carefully, prob
ably ninety-fve of every hundred of
these would say, Il do not believe the
Bible is the Word of God" Although
many ministers do not so express them
selves in the pulpit, they do 50 in pri-
vate. As an instance of clerical I'M
belief in the teachings of Scripture,
take the case of Rev. Dr. Aked This
well-known clergyman moved some
years ago to the Pacific Coast, and be-
came president of the Church Fedora
ton In San Francisco. Both orally and
in print this gentleman expressed his
utter unbelief in the prehuman exist
ence of our Lord Jesus-his belief be-
ing that our Lord was merely an ordi-
nary man, a fine man. This view was
published broadcast.
The next day somebody came out In
the San Francisco papers and said
that with such sentiments DR.. Aked
should resign his position as president
Of the Church Federation, that GER
tainly nobody would be desirable in
that position who did not believe that
Jesus had more than human nature
who thus discarded the Bible. The
day following, DR.. Aked resigned, say
ing that he did not wish to offend any
body, etc. The Church Federation Of
ministers met, and reelected him on
the basis Of his profession that he did
not believe that Jesus Christ had
either prehuman existence or SUI
perior BIRTH AS far as | know, DR..
Aked is still president Of the Church
Federation; and those ministers that
reelected him, seventy-eight out OF a
hundred, were willing to come out In
public and say so.
Why True Religion Is Discounted.
The point which | am calling at
tention is this The colleges and the
ministers have abandoned the Word
OF God The preachers like to select !
text from II, just as they might on
other occasions quote from Shake
speare. So far as we may judge, this |
f. the general sentiment amongst |
them. Are they then sanctihed by the |
Truth, the Word of Godf II they de-
clare that God has given message to |
the world to the Church, where do /
they find II, II not In the Biblef
The majority Of the preachers do not
believe in personal inspiration, except |
in the sense in which some people may |
be said to have a sort Of intuition for /
music. etc, and so might be called In !
splred that artist was inspired when
painting that picture or composing that
tune. But as for any belief In such 1
inspiration as the Bible teaehes-that 4
'holy men Of God spake as they were
moved by tire Holy Spirit not know
Ing what they were saying-I doubt
that FIVE per cent Of the ministers fhrs
believe the Bible 20 be the Word
Of God q Peter 81: Peter 1922
With the religious teachers and preach
ers in this condition Of unbelief Is II
any wonder thar true religion Is al