The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-02-18

0l6hth street northwest, p. M
only means that It is not to be re.
garded as a textbook on science
or history.
Book Of Religion.
1t makes no such claim. It IL q
book Of religion, and gives a fair
and worthwhile account Of the facts
with which religion concerns itself.
It's supreme purposes are to teach
men how they are to know God, es.
cape from sin, and understand in
some degree. the mystery OF suffer.
ing. And In these fields It IL su.
preme and convincing.
The second change that has been
wrought In modern thinking relates
10 the bible itself, and has to do
with the worA of Biblical Invested.
ton Or criticism. THIS is bo.h
tCAtual and literary. It has even
US i more reliable text Of script,nu
ana a better understanding Of .ha
origin and history Of the various
parts Of the Bible.
Inc work Of texrual and literary
CRITICISM. OF historical, archaeological
ana comparative religion investiga.
tlon, ana OF various other lines of
research. have placed at the dis
posal OF the Biblical student a fund
OF material or the greatest value In
his work.
A Product of Religion. T
The third change that has been
Drought about is due to the wide.
spread interest in social welfare.
Wnlcn Is now seen to be no mere
accident OF our own modern civiliza.
tlon. out a genuine part of the ade-
Jesus. -
These changes, and others hava
given the church a new and Iar9er
conception Of the Bible and the
Christian faith. Creation IL seen "a
be process constantly going on
and not an. event Of the distant
past. Miracles become less signifi.
cant as a factor in Gods dealing
with the world. 1t is not a universe
live. -N VIZ
Miracles Of healing were wrought
Dy the prophets, the Apostles and
jesus, as they have been wrought
In every age and by the teachers of
many religions. They have been
valuable as aids to the faith OF those
who witnessed or benefited bv them
but they have little evidential value
to others. '--0
The basic truth upon which the
modern-minded Interpreter of Chris.
tianity puts emphasis are the fol.
lowing, not as the total evaIuation
OF our religious possession, but as
at least essential to a wholesome
and convincing Christian life:
The reality and personal discIos.
ure OF the life Of God. of omr
rather and the Father Of our
Lord; the lordship and authorize ~
Jesus Christ, whose incarnation 10
the greatest fact Of history. This
Lact does not rest upon the doctrine
OF the virgin birth or the physical
resurrection Of Jesus, though Il is
not inconsistent with them. Such
1acts rest upon evidence. and are
valuable to the faith of many
CnrlStlans' but by no means of ali.
Revealed the Father.
>. Jesus revealed the Father in His
me, teachings and sacrificial min.
;stIy. he wrought works of heal.
ing. He made possible a Milan ~
aGJustment between God and man.
wnIch we usually call the atone.
ment, but the full nature Of wb;cb
no human mind fully comprehenSs
ne was put to death, but mani.
tested Himself afterward to TJ,.
oisclples as one who had the mower
70 lay down His life and to take =
up again. He ever lives as the
savior Of those who follow tJ;ro
ana the Creator of the new social
order, which He loved to call The The
kingdom of heaven. In Him WE
nave the hope Of eternal life '"
| Lnere are important differences
between the point Of view Of those
VINO are called conservatives and
those who are known az nro.
gressives between "fundamentaI,sts"
ana modernists." But the noints
which they have in common are
nucn more numerous, and move
important than those on which tbeE
u'sarree' and probably in the light
OF the growing truth Of Jesns,
program in the world, both posit,ons
WI he less than adequate inv years
christian truth is never static. INT
l -@~-N