Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-19
SAVANTS PRAISE
I BIBLE LITERATURE
Drs. Steele and Jastrom Talk
on Scriptures Before
Society
LIVES THROUGH ALL AGES

Discussion of the Bible as litera-
tnre was the program of the Browning
Society last night with addresses by
the Rev. David Steele. who spoke of
the Bible from the standpoint of the
church. and Professor Morris Jastrow
who spoke from the standpoint of the
student and scholar.
Bible. written by A. Howard Newton,
was read in his absence by Harvey
Watts, who presided
THE power the Bible holds to in
spire men is the best proof that il is
itself inspired of God" said Doctor
steele. Men who are speechless if
the infdel taunt them with THE Mis-
takes of Moses do not reflect that an
inspired book need not Of necessity be
Z faultless book, and that truth and
accuracy are not synonymous. Those
who combat the astronomer with proof
texts are oblivious to the fact that the
purpose of the Bible is not to teach men
how the heavens go, but how to go to
heaven.
There are those who ask for the
authorization by acts Of convention. of
certain version, forgetting that by
actual count our present version is the
seventh version who revere the match
less English of that version, forgetting
that there is no such thing as an Eng
Isu blDle any more tTan Jncre is an
English Iliad, or a French Hamlet
that the Bible is essentially Hebrew or
Greek
Calls Bible a School
''1'he Bible is not so much a volume
as school, containing in epitome all
kinds of classic structure-law and his
tory, drama and tragedy, idyls and
epics, proverbs and poems, acrostics
and sermons, wise saws and ancient
sages, legend and tradition, narrative
romance and rhapsody. Truly, the
Bible is Grand Old Book. old be-
cause 1t has been grand enough to per-
sist through all these ages.
There are three ways of regarding
the Bibles claim to inspiration, the
mechanical theory, the naturalistic
theory and the theory that the Bible
speaks a growing revelation. The first
two, / believe, are equally false; the
third is true enough to enable the book
to withstand the attack"
Doctor Steele declared that the first
theory, which maintains that sacred
writer's were penmen Of the Almighty.
y is disproved by the errors of detail and
moral incongruities of the Scriptures.
conceptions of God follow one an
other which are grotesque and un-
worthy" said Doctor Steele. by what
they plead as His commands. men do
most questionable things. Elisha at
Dothan smites people with blindness
Joshua exterminates the inhabitants of
Canaanitish cities small boy is stoned
to death for gathering sticks on the
Sabbath. There are laws in the Mosaic
Code that would disgrace any modern
statute book"
Doctor Steele dismissed the seconkl
theory, which hold the Bible is inspired
only as all works of genius are, by de-
claring it superior to all the rest of the
worlds literature. He said it is the
universal applicability of the Bibles
teaching that has made it's influences so
enormous, and explained the growing
revelation of the Bible, in which all
converging lines of Scripture lead up to
the Messianic idea, as the best inter-
probation.
Poetry Jastrow's Subject
.gThe poetry of the Ancient East,
with special references to the poetry
of the Bible" was the subject of a de-
lightful talk by Professor Jastfow,
who illustrated his comments with
readings.
1.-THE West gave science to the world,
but it has never produced great re-
ligion," said Doctor Jastrow, contrast
ing the eastern and western tempera
ments. This is because the East has
the power OF penetrating deeply into
the real, inner meanings Of life. The
whole idea of the authorship of the
Bible is a western notion. There were
no authors, and no types, except those
invented by the Greeks"
Doctor Jastrow read selections from
'"The Song of Songs" which he said
were love songs, probably sung at we'd
dings in Palestine. He said the Book
of Job was not a philosophical book,
but the expression of a group of men
inspired by strong sympathy with suf-
fering in this world. The story of Job,
he said, is only peg upon which these
deavor to penetrate into this mystery
of mysteries,