The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1923-06-21
REV. HOFFMAN ON EVOLUTION
LECTURE w.
fContinued FROM page one.


glorious liberty of the Sons of God
The higher criticism that does away
with the vicarious atonement of Jesu.
Christ and with the inspiration of th5
Holy Scriptures is curse to tbs
Church of God and is doing infinite
harm to individual souls with whom
am acquainted. 1t has turned several
young men away from the ministry
and sent them to secular life and sec
ular employment, when they expected
to be Methodist preachers. Yea, more;
it has destroyed their spiritual life
A Methodist preacher told only a few
days ago, with many tears, that his
son, before he went to one of oui
schools, used to come in to prayers
and read the Scriptures with the fam
ilys He never does so now. His
spiritual life and our family Christian
companionship are destroyed, and
that, too, by teachers who were ex-
pected to guide him intos the ministry
of our Lord jesus Christ. Now, here
is my idea of the advanced
thought we preachers ought to think
of and talk about;
Far down in my vast diocese OF
South America, in little town in
Paraguay, there lives an Indian by
the name of Bogado. A marvellous
evolution has taken place in that
mans soul. He has illustrated the
advanced though of Gabriel and he Is
prepared to be critic and a witness
of the plan of salvation. Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved. That is the way Paul put
it to the Roman jailor at Phillip and
Paul was a higher critic-in his way.
"If in that town in Paraguay any
boy of fifteen years had been asked,
Who is the most wretched drunkard
in all Paraguay he would have an.
swered, 'Bogado.' Who is the big
gest liar7' he would have answered,
Bogado.' 'Who is the most bias
phemous sinner you know ofs' he
would have answered, 'Bogado.'
"One day Bogado found a leat-a
single leaf-of the Old Testament. He
read it; it charmed his soul. THE
Word of God is quick and powerful. ;
He took it to the Roman priest. The
priest tore it up and stamped it be-
meath his feet. Bogado IS curiosity
was excited He never rested until
he owned copy of the New Testa
ment of the dying love of Jesus. By
and by the great evolution took place.
Bogado became an advanced thinker.
He was prepared to be a higher critic
Of that wonderful statement, God can
be just and yet the justifier of him
who believsth in Jesus He stopped
drinking, stopped swearing, stopped
lying The expression of his face
was one of joy unspeakable and full
Of glory. Bogado was converted, par
ioned, regenerated, saved and started
IN the march for heaven. He is now
a local preacher in our church and
has services in his own house. If any
body can think of anything beyond
hat, please write it to me. If there
s any evolution greater than that, let
ne know about it.
The church thanks God for every
rue scientist. She has no quarrel
With the findings of the scientist.
What the church objects to is guesscs
guesses that undermine faith. 1t
las already been shown that evofu
ion is the mightiest weapon that in
fidelity has evr used against Chris
ianity. The evolutionist either rules
God out Of Existence altogether, or
le reduces him to an insentient force. |
The main tendency of all teachers of |
'volution is TO put the Bible on the |
defensive. It was at one time said |
hat Ptolemy, Calico, and Copernicus
tut the Bible on the defensive, and |
he Bible lost out. Is that true to |
acts If it is, what chapter in the |
Bible did these scientists refutes |
True, these men repudiated tradition
i theology, but that is a different
natter. Theology capitulated to
cience. Theology is still willing to
apitulate to the actual findings of |
cience, but not to guesses. When the
cientist passes the line of demarca-
ion that separates fact from conjec-
ure, he ceases to be a scientist Let
i'm keep his guesses in his study untii
e can demonstrate that they are
acts.
The Bible and theology are taboo
a the class room. That was done 20
alter to the whims of a minority who