The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1928-03-30

The editor asks nothing more than
that the preacher and his attorneys
bring the bible into an. ordinary
ct urt of law and present their
claims for its infallibility to an
ordinary jury drawn In the usual
way. The challenge would seem
simple and fair enough, but. the
astounding thing about 1t Is. the al
legged infallibility of the bible has
never Eeen subjected to 50. reason
able and simple test. asn. +.
The editors challenge was proyOk-
ed by Il letter from the Rev. s. ID.
Mclean. pastor Of Wilm00re Presby-
terian Church, OF Charlotte. n. e..
The Rev. McIIean's letter happens
to he only one Of hundreds of similar
letters that the editor has received
in his day and the editors challenge
to tile Charlotte minister Is virtu-
ally challenge to the Christian
ministry ut large. 1t Is almost n
safe bet that Mr. Mclean will ignore
the challenge: no one knows the
weakness and inadequacy of the evil
dence called for so well as the
preachers themselves. But In what
sort Of light will they appear IL they
fail to accept the challenge? Here
Is the letter from the Charlotte min.
lister and Editor Saunders reply:
McLean's Letter i
March 10th, 1923.
Mr.. W. o. Saunders, @
Elizabeth City, n. e.
Dear Sir = H
Having read your article in the
January American Magazine, pre- Z
senting yOnr ideas about the :
Church. I desire to respectfully :.
request you to reud the enclosed
leaflet. wish to say further.
with all due respect to your views :
and to your right to hold them.
that l believe them to he nnsound
and based upon erroneous pre-
misses, In the main. In my judg-
ment, either you will eventually
have different attitude toward
the Church or the Living God. the
pillar and ground Of the truth"
which Christ loved, land gave
himself for IT,, or you. Miil lose
the faith which you now have.
The Billie cannot I've true and the
Church unnecessary. and az the
Bible is true, as II is the infalli-
BILE Word of GCd. His Church cam
not he "desr.sed" or ignored with
impunity, by nations or individ-
,rals. This Is stated merely as q
logical conclusion. ----~a-
Hoping that man OF. your
ability and Influence, possessing
large possibilities for good or evil.
will ccme TO a true knowledge and
appreciation of the Bible and its
concomitant, the Church. tand to
that end. I shall prayl, ! am, s-s.
Respectfully and cordially ysurs,
s. B. MCLEAN, s
Saunders To Mclean
Mar. %, 1923.
Rev. s. b. Mclean, h. ....s ~
Charlotte. y. &.
Dear SIR ..rtl4rE
Your letter of March 20 con.
tains a challenge which, can not
ignore. You state unequiyOcllly
that the Bible Is 1.-THE infallible
word of God and as such can not
be ignored or despised." vi
Your implication Is that I
ignore or despise the Bible; but
more than that. you imply that
/ am Il base, ungrateful, irreyer.
ent and c0nceited fool who ignores
or despises the infallible word or
God". | resent the imputatiOn.
neither Ignore nor despise the
Bible and ] would be the last
person on earth to repudiate the
infallible word of the Author or
Director of the Universe. ~
] hold however that the Bible
from which you quote and preach
Is NOT the infa!lible word OF God.
but a mnn-mude product In which
much human error ab0unds and
! which can not be accepted In Its
entirety, either as an ihfallibie
look or as u safe guide for humiil |,
conduct.
For Il quarter ola century now
l have been alternately damned
and prayed for by your class until
l am getting pretty sick and tired /
of it all. Your letter provokes
the thought that perhaps there u !
a way to settle this vexing ques'
ton that has bathed the world '
In blood and tears for nearly 1900
years.
You state confidently and uns
equivocally that "the Bible is the
infallible Word of Cod" Very
well then; why not put 1t to the Z
test and convict not only me but /.
| ff,ont{nued IN page Four)