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^h e Bible
AND nS READERS
^BY-
EVA SCHEELINE.
" Go, little bark. I send thee out
Upon the Future's heaving eea,
And watch thee on thy trembling route —
For thou art all in all to me."
• • •
« •
San Francisco.
. P. J. HrAI.Y, PrOMHIIKR
18M.
^^Opyrtpht96. 1896.
James H. Barry, Printer, 429 Montgomery Street.
53/
3
TO THE
oo
« NATIVE DAUGHTEKS OF CALIFOKXIA
FROM
A NATIVE DAUGHTER.
2cS(>| l\
CONTENTS
PAGE
Preface 7
Introduction 11
CHAPTER I.— The Bible's View of tlie
Importance of Man. , .23
CHAPTER II.— The Mighty Scientific
Frown 30
CHAPTER III.— Three Conceptions of
God 37
CHAPTER IV.— Gospel Traditions 46
CHAPTER v.— DilTerent Theories of In-
spiration 54
CHAl'TKR VI.— 'IMk' Age of the Earth. . .66
CHAPTKR \'ll.— lU'capituliilion 69
P K E F A C E
It is probable the impression that the
Bible teaches contradictions, is wider and
deeper than the facts warrant. If so,
preachers themselves, and scientists, are
largely to blame. Preachers too often
think they infallibly know the teachings
of the Bible, while scientists too often
tliiiils tlicy infallibly know the teachings
(»r I he r.ibl*' an<l of science also. These are
larg«* siiljjerts, iiinl it iii;iy not be deemed
harsh for nic h> inlimalc that there is room
for niisliikc in llicsc nuilfers. Of conrse,
every lliinking j^'Tsom will ndniil lli;i( lie
entertains sonio crroiK'ons belief. No
really sane man belie\<'s Im' is infallible.
While, as a mallei- of fact, every one holds
8 Preface.
some erroneous belief, no honest man holds
one conscientiously. To a man the whole
body of his beliefs is true. He, therefore,
believes some error to be true. It is re-
quired of every mun, therefore, that he be
open to conviction.
We read into the Bible, or between the
lines, meanings found by scientists of later
days. So of metaphysical systems, Philo
found Plato in Moses, and the "Christian
Fathers" found the warfare of souls in the
tramps of Israel in the wilderness, as well
as in the battles. So the geological the-
ory is taught by Moses. So the evolution
theory is countenanced, at least, in the
Bible. It would be taught outright if the
theory of evolution were established as a
fact.
I believe that it is chiefly because claims
are made for the Bible which it does not
make itself, that s</ much indifference pre-
vails regarding its contents.
By the word Bible, I designate the Old
Preface. 9
and New Testanieiits in their original
tongues.
I ask my readers to approach the study
of my theme, if not free from bias, at least
willing to investigate impartially, and to
accept that which is manifestly true.
Truth asks only a dispassionate hearing,
and scorns to be wooed and won by him
who grants it less.
With the sole purpose of contributing
something to the steady advance of truth,
I am,
Respectfully and sincerely,
Till-: AUTIIOK.
I N T K O 1) U C T O R Y .
WliPii tlie forefathers of some modern
critics oi Mioses were naked savages, con-
testing' witli fist, dnb, stone, noose, and
spear, witli \\\U\ beasts, fV>r the mastery,
tlie cliildicn of Israel had overthrown dy-
nasties, siihjuiiated UiMi;doms, built cities,
and |i(*i-va(hMl the eartli with 1h<' i(h'a of
the sa( i-cdness of home, and I he oneness of
(Jod. When lie was wiiliii.u of the Cre-
ator, and ni.in, l!i<' ^oii of (Jod, ma(h' in liis
inia;^e, and pi-opliesyinii iIh' <lominion of
man o\('i' :ill nnMMhinc lliinus, Uwy had
scarcely cnoniili fid'cc in liicii- spines (o
sliind creel, to i^MZc willi dundi woinler
into I lie Ilea \ ens.
Tlial <i<M| did ik.i, diierlly nv iinliiccl ly,
make levelations of Idmself, his world, and
12 Introductory.
man, bt'fore the time of Moses, there is
no evidence to prove, either in the Bible
or out of it. Speech and writing existed
centnries before the time of Moses*; man
Avas as dear to tlie heart of the Father
before Moses was born, as since; man v/as
as ignorant, as needy, as sinfnl, as help-
less, as nndone, tlien as since then, and
God changes not! It is uneqnivocall.y de-
clared that God "spake by the mouth of
his holy prophets," who have heen since the
world began. Liithei- says "many things
were written and described ere Moses was
born."
Rnt let ns sni)iK»se that Moses, sick at
sonl of the lizard and calf gods of Egypt,
made np his mind that he would Avrite of
God and creation; or, let ns su])pose that
he, inspired by the thought of God and
* The 78th Psalm shows that history came down in tradi-
tion — "our fathers have told us." Lost hooks of the Bible;
also. Book of Wars (Num. 2l:i4), Hook of ./usher in .Joshua,
10 : IS.
The Book ot Annals is mentioned more than thirty times in
the Book of Kings.
Introductory. 13
good, so wrote; iu either ease, the mean-
ing of what he wrote remains the same.
Suppose a multitude of people who are
slaves in Egypt. Let that condition ex-
ist for a few centuries. Suppose, now,
that they shall leave Egypt. Their labor
had been profitable to their owners. They
were not released on economic grounds,
but their presence in Egypt had become
injurious, even blighting, to the dominant
race. Tliat is the result of slavery. It was
iKtt, however, until the blight reached the
ui)per classes, that they were let go by
their masters. After releasing the slaves,
tlie Prince of Egypt changed liis mind, and
pursued them. Sii])])osc an unarmed mul-
titude of men, women, ami cliildnMi, liotly
pui'sncd by an ;iiiiiy <»ii liors«»back. I'liey
arc hciiimcil in <»ii all sid<'S. Arc you ready
now, in tlionglit, io Avitness ;i wholesale
Imtrliciy? Cod foilnd. The sea before
thcni iini.sl ((pen lo h-l I hem <*scape. It
matters not whether tliev arrived at the
M Introductory.
precise iiioiiieiit when the waters ebbed by
the hiw of nature, that is, by God acting
through nature, or whether He caused a
wind to divide the sea. The fact is, they
did escape. If these helpless, hapless, and
innocent victims had been put to the sword
while in an honest effort to acquire peace-
ful liberty, that would have been a dark
problem to ex])lain, beside which the
thought that God made the winds and the
waves serve Him, is luminous.
Now, is the moral sense satisiied simply
with the escape of the pursued? What of
their selfish and lustful pursuers? Let
them drown: that is as little as can ap-
pease man's sense of justice. If theolo-
gians have followed the drowned host far-
ther than death, there is no warrant in the
story for that.
Naturally, the people who left Egypt
had a human leader. Name him Moses.
A mixed multitude followed him. He
leads them into a wilderness. He must
Introductory. 15
control his followers. His will must be
supreme. He must have power to execute
it, and also execute it unhesitatingly on
occasions of need. He has no ordinary
task. Did he control this people unaided?
This people wlio certainly had not im-
proved \\\ tlie lash? This dissatisfied and
somewhat sullen people? If Moses con-
trolled them unaided, he stands on a dizzy
pedestal far above the greatest leaders
with whom history brings us into acquain-
tance.
X(»l only did Moses control this mixed
mullitiidc, but he evoked order out of an-
archy, and established systemati<- training
and discipline among them. I>el iis Iry to
image the conditions, and see what was
r<'(|uired.
TJH'ie is ;i mult il iidf li\iiig out doors,
sl<'('|iiiig in tents. Tlicy needed ;i uciieml
clijirl oC roiKliMi. 'riint cjinil needed
;hii li'iii iciit ion ;is su|»i-enH' ;iihI intlexil)le.
He gives the |»eople "Ten Words;" he
16 Introductory.
claims he received them from God. These
"Ten Words" rebuked idolatry, lying, lust,
dishonesty, in stern and uncompromising
tones. True, some of these "Ten Words"
were kuowu doAvn in Egypt, but they were
known as dictates of policy; known from
a utilitarian standpoint.
Moses gives these, and others, unknown
in Egypt, as alive with the utterance and
power of God. He needed more than to
be learned in all the learning of Egypt to
put behind the "Ten Words" the awful
majesty of the One Eternal. A priestly
invention, this? All the priests in Egypt
had not the capacity to make the inven-
tion. He was immeasurably the superior
of the priests of Egypt before then — then,
and even down to the present day. It is
easier to believe that he made a just claim
— that <Tod did speak to his servant,
Moses.
But it is in human nature to violate
moral law, and commit crimes. Moses
Introductory. 17
was dealing with man, not only as an in-
dividual, but as a communitj^ Every
crime possible to man must be depicted,
analyzed, defined, and their punishments
allotted. This is not a pleasant duty, nor
does it make pleasant reading. It results
in the penal code of a people. If theolo-
gians have thought that the penal code
of the Israelites was to be read in public,
to men, women, and children, they thought
wrongly; the thought is not in the code.
If "infidels" have objected to the code
being published at all, they have made an
ignorant objection.
But it is better to prevent crime than to
punish it; so this should receive consider-
ation from Mos<'s in his mighty problems
in liic wilderness. If a slate of mind posi-
tive against criiiic could be brouglit about
— if the Sinless One would :ii<l man! So
Moses sought to hi-iiig his jx'oph- into ser-
vice to TJod. ||<' inciilc;ite(l worship. Peo-
ple must have forms of worship. He gave
18 Introductory.
them forms. These forms are so <>iveu as
to cultivate order, exactness, ideas of
beauty, grandeur, holiness; and behind
the form stood the Former; thev were
types of thought to impress in man true
conceptions of God. Moses inculcated
obedience to God, and love to the neigh-
bor. That he wrought wisely is evident,
for he laid an eternal moral basis under
his people.
Yet, let him do liis best, man does fall
into folly. "Shall Gold hold out against
man forever? Shall (Jod not pity? Yea,
he shall; but man must lav down his will-
ful rebellion." To such "the Lord will ])ro-
claim himself as merciful, long suffering,
plenteous in grace?" This idea was sought
to be brought about by the ceremonies of
atonement. In after years, through no
fault of Moses, some Israelites thought
that there was virtue in sacrifices in and
of themselves. Isaiah rebuked this in
stern tones. He set the sacrifices upon
Introductory. 19
their true Mosaic foimdatiou, as being
iiieaut as the Aisibk^ expressions of inward
efforts at cleansing, and worthless without
the latter. (Is. 1:10-18.)
The people in the wilderness must have
a Civil Code also. Moses gave them a Civil
Code. This code takes property as it was,
recognizes the rights of property, and
while slavery was an institution in the
order of things, made it less grievous.
X(ti' did Moses pretend to be infallible
ill liis luethods of administrating the gov-
ernment. He was a teachable, humble
mail, as is manifest by the readiness with
wliicli he ;i«l<»i)l<'(l an iiii|»roveiueuL sug-
geslcd by iiis Inl licr-iii-la \v, .Iclliro, priest
of .Midiau. (lOx. IS:1, ]:\-2(\.)
But a |»(M>|»1(' living out doors, in a
wilderness, aic pcciiliMrly liable lo sickness
and coniagion, arising Irom aiiv neglect
of cjeiinliness. There slioiild he hroinl ami
coni)u-e|iensi\ e rules hiid down lor them,
nnder the strongest possible anihentica-
20 Introductory.
tion. Moses did so. Ouly the foolish think
he ought not to have done this. Only silly
people think they were given to be read
from tlie pulpit, or in family worship.
During the stay in the wilderness, some
object lessons in crime were enacted. Man
is not seen at his best in these matters.
But mau, if he is to be known as he is,
must be seen at his worst. That would
not be a book of life, only a make-believe,
which represented man in one phase alone.
We insist that the ugly aspects of man are
not meant for public exhibition. We in-
sist that only in the admumtration of law
mid justice, or to did hoth, should they be
dragged into light. Tliey irere told in this
connection. They were the reports of criminal
procedures. He sins against man, who, for
purposes of evil, exposes deformities of
body or mind to the public.
Men in war are not seen to the best ad-
vantage. Even a good man cannot fight
in the best of humor. He will do things
Introductory. 21
then that misrepresent the real man he is.
When he misrepresents himself, if he says
anything about God or man, he will mis-
represent them.
If a people enter a strange land which is
inhabited, the strangers ask questions, and
begin aggressing. Tliose who enter must
fight or quit the land. Should the Israel-
ites go back to Egypt? The earth belongs
to man, but not to one man, uoi- a race of
men. If tlie new comers had to fight, what
could pill more nerve into them than to
tell them that "the Lord is on their side?"
Mosos dirl right in so Mssnring his people.
Events have shown h<* was right. The na-
tions that, (»j)posed him arr not, while Israel,
thoii;;h scattered, is yet lu'lping to shape
for good the destinies of man.
"As a man, man is the creature with whom I have to do.
and the varieties of his character interest me more than all the
possible varieties of mosses, shells, and fossils."— Hannah
More.
CHAPTER I.
THE BIBLE.
To vvliuin written and to whom not written.
The Bible was not written to Atheists.
It assumes the existence of God. It was
not written for Deists. It assumes that
God does coninnmicate with man. It does
nol iliiiik ;i denial nf lliis wurtli a mo-
nHMil's <<»iisid<'iali<>n.
I( \\;is iiol written lor A^nostii's. Zo-
|>li;ir is rliiiiiK'd ;is (tiic (tf this class. The
Jlihlc r('|Hi(ii;ii('s /opli.-ir (Job. V2:'-U). An
nidwiowri ;ind jiltsoliitely iinknowMliIc <!<»<!
is jtrnrl i(;ill \ llie S;IMI<' MS Ilo (iod. .M licll
less UMs iIm' I'liltlr written lor tli(»se Af^nos-
tics who, whilr holding- Hint the l-Mrst
Cjiiise is Kiihiinuii :Mid uiiLiinirdhlc, proceeil
24 The Bible and Its Readers.
to tell us about him; bow be brought man
and the world to their present condition,
and bow he must govern them in the fu-
ture, or forfeit their approval.
The Bible is written to Theists. In its
opening sentence it assumes the existence
of God as a matter of course, and the ex-
istence of a belief in God bv man as funda-
mental. Nowhere does it recognize that a
reasonable doubt of God's existence is
possible, and where one is uienti(med as
denying that there is a God, he is de-
nounced as a fool.
True to these necessary assumptions,
the Bible, everywhere, assumes that man is
a Theist. It is thus true to man's history
uixm the earth. Man could not be a poly-
thoist without believing in God, any more
than a man could believe in the multipli-
cation table without believing in a unit.
Man could not even be an idolator without
believing in God, for an idol would have
no meaning, unless it were taken to be a
God, or to represent a God.
The Bible and Its Readers. 25
Upon these essential assumptions the
Bible states that nature is alive with the
idea of Ood; so nature is represented as
declarin^i the glory of God, showing- His
handiwork, and manifesting His eternal
power and God head. It does not say that
these can be inferred from nature by a
process of reasoning, but that they are
direct anil immediate commuuicaLious
from nature — God's nature to man, God's
soil. Fi-om I lie l*»ible standpoint, an argu-
ment to prove the existence of God is an
unnecessary impertinence.
Think of a man arguing to i>ro\«' that
llie sun shines! The sun proves itself hy
a direii apjienl to man.
Hence, lli«' Uilih' simply proceeds to
make (iod more I'lilly known lo man, ami
this involves tin- idea that man ran lest
r«'\clalion. Arcording to the j'.ible, man is
(lod's son. r'lwun this slaniip<tinl we
should expect lli:il more spncr :in<l ronsid-
eriilion woiilij he L:i\-en to 111:111 lli:in to all
other subjects, and that all other snbjects
26 TJie Bible and Its Readers.
should be viewed principally as they are
related to man. One line is devoted to
makinji- the stars, "lie made the stars,
also." Details are j>iven in relation to
makino- man. The earth is exalted as
man's home, above the remainder of the
universe. This is as it should be. Breath-
ing space on the earth is worth more to
man than all the ''milky way." The sun,
the moon, the stars, are bodies of lijjjht. It
matters not whether they borrow light, or
have it in their nature, they give it to man.
They ]ierforni uses for him. They are
much, besides, but they are mostly man's
servants. If they had no relation to man,
thev would have no existence to him. The
Bible is written in the assumption that
man is the greatest being in this universe.
The assumption is true in fact, and must
be held true in theory, or man will lose
himself in his insignificance* among the
* Ps., 8 : 3-4. " When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy
fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, what
is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that
thou visitest him?
The Bible and Its Readers. 27
rocks, inquiring their age, or among little
bugs with long names, or among the fos-
sils. Whether Ave will or not, man, to
whom nothing exists which cannot mani-
fest itself through his senses or faculties,
is the central fact in the universe, and any
revelation which should regard him other-
wise would be false, and any science which
sh(»iild rogjird hi in otherwise is false. The
earth, th(^ heavens, the universe, from
man's view, were made to serve him. The
sun, the moon, an<l stars, shine for him,
water Hows, lire burns, llie earth spins,
gravity ;itti'aets, grass grows — all things
are and <lo loi- hlni. Tliex ni;iy <lo much,
besides, ;in<l loi- niiiny ot hei's, but the}^ do
these tilings for liini ;is uiucli as if lie were
the only i)eing on I lie cjiiili. The scientist
seems to iliiiils- tli;it ;i ring ar<Miii(l Saluin
is of iiKMt' iiii|)oii iiiicf ilinn nwin. When
lie w riles ;i book oC 111:111, he <li\ i<h'S il soiiie-
w lull as follows: j<'irst, iiol liing; se<-omlly,
juoioj»lasni ; thirdly, evolution; fourthly.
28 The Bible and Its Readers.
variations; fiftlil}^, missing links — tlien,
after dizzy ages have transpired, man, pro-
toplasm plus, and finally dust, nought!
To man, man is the center and circum-
ference of the universe, and a real book of
man must recognize this inevitable fact.
To man there is nothing ahove him but the
One who is in him and of him, as cause
and destiny; who can be conceived of as
God, only as first conceived of through
man. Let a man but really believe that he
is a son of God, and systems of worlds are
flecks of dirt compared to him. The whole
universe waits on man. Man, being able
to think and suffer, is of more importance
to God than all the dirt, elements, or
atoms aside from him, past, present, or
future. The Bible was wise when it made
man and his home paramount to all else,
terrestrial and celestial. That ancient
sage* who said that man was made for a
*Ps..8:5. "For thou hast made him a little lower than the
angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor."
The Bible and Its Readers. 29
little time lo\A'er than the angels, was not
on his knees to ought except God. There
is naught in the Heavens or in the Deep.?
that man can rationalh' prostrate himself
before, except the Maker of Man. God did,
God should, talk to man as to the son of
the King Eternal.
"Is there in us mind and reason, and shall there be no mind
elsewhere in the universe? "—Socrates.
CHAPTER II.
THE TIME DEMON. EVOLUTION.
What does time do? Nothiug. What is
time? Only a hollow somewhat in which
things are done. We get down before this
Time Demon and worship him. This ap-
pears even in our proverbs. Time cures
all sorrows; time makes all things even.
Empty nonsense! During time all sorrows
may be cured by a curer; during time elus-
tice may make things even.
So the scientist is down on his knees
before the Time Demon. Grant him but a
few cycles of time, and a tad-pole can be-
come a man! If the tad-pole has not in
him the essential elements of man, all eter-
nity can not bring them out. Time is not
a cause. Eternitv is not a cause. Time is
The Bible and Its Readers. 31
only that in which causes operate. Time
has no more power as cause than space has.
The reliance of the evolutionist, however,
is on time. Give him time enouoh. Great
is time!
Science Ohjects.
We will make a brief survey of the ob-
jections which science inter])oses to reve-
lation.
Priests of science believe in evolution.
Evolution is a word thev emi)l(>v to em-
brace several contiictin** theories of the
beginnings of tliiniis. First, there is the
evolution theory, which assumes an un-
known and nnknowable ('ause for the pres-
ent order of natiii-e. This unknown and
unknowuble Cause is l-iioini to he uiiUnown
jind unkno\vai)l('I \\ C liaxc here a conlra-
fliclion of terms. The r;ilion.'il i^entlenien
who iiohl this ihe(uy |»i()cee»j to inform us,
in <h-i;iil, liow ihiH ('ause began, and estab-
lished I he universe. They hold, t hei'efore,
32 The Bible and Its Readers.
that they Tounc his operations. Next, they
tell ns that the operation is based upon an
"upward tendenc}/' the lower forms be-
coming higher ones; the homogeneous, or
simple, becoming heterogeneous, or com-
plex; the like diversifying into the unlike.
This process has taken incalculable ages to
accomplish. According to their theory,
the process should continue forever, until
the homogeneous protoplasm — whatever
that means — becomes <me heterogeneous
infinitude, or more.
Another theory is the same, except that
it ai-rests evolution at the threshhold of
man. Another is a combination of both
theories, and one additional, in that it has
no First Cause. In this theory, nothing, a
few million years ago, began to evolve a
world. Tf nothing did that well, now, that
it has intelligence, powc^r, etc., to co-oper-
ate with, it should end by making God, and
then many Gods.
Another theorv is to the effect that
The Bible, and Its Readers. 33
things chauge, grow, develop; hence
change, growth, development, instead of
being results, are causes; and we, and that
which is and shall come after us, are the
effects of the causes; ''causes which we
see constantly in operation around us."
(Jraiit ihat man exists; grant that that
which testifies to the existence of man is
not, in its root, a lie; that is, grant that
you are not a delusion and a cheat, it fol-
lows:
1. That man is eternal- -never began,
and never will cease; or,
2. TliMt liefore lie w;is, he made iiiin-
self; or,
:>. Thill iiKiii was Uiade by the First
Cause.
The liisi |)io|»()sili()ji I will no! al tempt
to exphiiTi. Ft is one theory of <lo(l. The
He<M»ii(l one is colli ladictory ami impossible.
The thii<l i>iie is left Uw r:ilinii:il minds.
Exi-lise IIS hecillise wc ;i(<epl I he lliird
proposition. I»etweeii Uiiill ;is eleriml, botli
34 The Bible and Its Readers.
as to past and future, and man as nothing
creating himself, and as to man being made
by the Eternal, we accept the last hypothe-
sis.
Rollimj away a Stone.
It is presumed that man is here! For
all practical purposes, man can be fully
studied without any reference to his origin.
If it could be demonstrated that man began
in protoplasm, he would require the same
food, clothing, shelter, education, etc., that
he does now. If chemists could make proto-
plasm and start it on its way to evolve a
man, when the man arrived, after count-
less ages, or after twenty-four hours, he
would be the same creature. He would be
man. The laws by which man, as an indi-
vidual, or as a community, must be gov-
erned in his relations to the universe, are
just the same upon any theory of his ori-
gin, supposed or supposable. If we believe
an utter absurdity, as that man, before he
had any existence, said to himself "Be,"
The Bible and Its Readers. 35
and thus became man as he is, would still
be the same for all purposes of science.
Nay, even the question of what relation he,
who became, sustains to him who said "Be,"
man, as a product to man, as a creator,
would still remain.
It requires men having a peculiar gift
to dispute, in hot terms, about ithe age of a
skull, while indifferent to the moanings of
pain all around them; to dispute whether
a splinter from a rock is 50,000, or 50,000,-
000 years old, while undisturbed by the
march of famine and pestilence. Peace!
There are skulls with brains in them that
demand attention. Peace! It is the same
splinter, under any theory, or under none.
Let man and the earth be accepted as
facts; it is not necessary to have a theory
of creation in order to love man and serve
him, nor to make the earth minister to his
good. Wliether man asks for br<^'n(l for
body or mind, it can be given witiiout lirst
stopping to roll away a stone from the
tomb of the past.
36 The Bible and Its Readers.
Here is man with great needs, none of
whieli can be supplied by studying liini as
protoplasm. The Bible presents man to us
as man. The sight presents him the same.
A glance at man's history shows man suc-
ceeding man, as far back as the Eternal.
No one can see a break in the procession.
This is not studying man with an hypothe-
sis. The last look vou can take is of a man
in the form of man.
First and last, therefore, the Bible view
of the physical man is that which attests
itself to the universal history of man. It is
not an hypothesis. It is demonstrable
fact.
"No man liveth to himself."
A world of mere phenomena, all events
bound together by an inflexible law of
cause and effect, is a dead machine. The
human heart, which must not be left out in
the consideration of any subject affecting
man, refuses to believe in a universe with-
out purpose and will.
"It is as easy to close the eyes of the mind as those of the
body."— BUTLEB.
CHAPTEK HI.
THE AFTEK-DIXNEK THEOEY.
It is (((needed and deplored bj the Tem-
ple and t he ( 'hnicii, that there is a growing
disbelief in the Bible. A favorite explana-
tion ((f the fact is that this is due to sin.
To many peoyde, sin, instead of itself need-
ing explanation, explains all mysteries,
even accounting for the pangs and death
of all aninijils, i\u well as man.
'riicic is ii(» sill U)\- wliicli any man needs
reject llic I>il)l(' l(» (•(Miiiiiil, lor llicrc is no
sin that is not (((iiiiiiit led by bclicNcrs in
the F'.iltlc. Allot lici- explanation is, that
tlieic is ;i coiillict between science and tlie
I'ible. In ;i subHefpieiit chapter this will
be ex])laine(l. In the meantime, snllice it
to say that there is no con Hid between the
38 The Bible and Its Readers.
real Bible and real science. The conflict
is on false issues.
A third explanation is, that the Bible
gives unworthy views of God, which offend
the moral sense of man, and will offend it
more and more as his moral sense devel-
opes.
The after-dinner theory of inspiration,
that every sentence, word, syllable, and
letter in the Bible, is the word of God, from
His Throne, is largely responsible for the
rejection of the whole Bible. That foolish
theory maintains that one must accept the
whole Bible as the Word of God, or reject
it all. No sane man believes, or can be-
lieve, that all the Bible is inspired. There
are falsehoods in the Bible, words of bad
men, and even of good men in bad moods.
Hence, the man who still believes is com-
pelled to reject the after-dinner theory.
Many people never make a revision of their
belief, but steadily scorn the whole book.
This theory of inspiration is the fertile
parent of infidels, atheists, and agnostics.
The Bible and Its Readers. 39
A careful analysis of the arguments of
"infidels" against the Bible will show that
they are based on a high conception of the
character of God. The thought of an eter-
nal hell made Col. Ingersoll frantic; the
same thought made Jonathan Edwards re-
joice. (The mistake Mr. Ingersoll made,
is in not appreciating the joy to the
Edwards' minds, of which class there are
many.) AY hen any doctrine hurts a man, he
will let go of it.
The fact that God can reveal himself to
man at all, presupposes that man can un-
derstand the revelation, and is capable of
recognizing libels against His character.
Besides, the Bible cnnlalns hif/h revelations
of Ills (itfrihiitrs, wliicli contradict the mon-
strosities t(» which we have referred.
Tlinr (Joiicrjtlions oj Hod.
'I'licrc ;iif ihi-cc gciK'i-Jil ((mccptioiis of
God. 'riK'i'c is llic ((luccittidii lliiit Ih' is mii
eiil;ii';:<'<l m;iii, liulitinii i''>i' us w luii \vc ;in*
40 The Bible and Its Readers.
his friomls, and against ns when we are his
enemies. He seel^.s liis will, and the only
law lie recognizes is to do what i)leases
him. He is very easily displeased. Those
who accept this conception can readily be-
lieve that if a man is a friend of snch a
God, he may deceiA^e man, cheat, lie, even
murder, and say he was commanded by
God to do so; he may do any crime in the
universe, and say that God approves it,
provided the crime be committed against
an enemy of (Jod. This is the God that
tells a man t<» kill his son, and w^hen the
man has become the murderer of his son
in intent, can change the fact, and prevent
its outward expression. He catches a goat
in a thicket as a substitute. But he must
have blood — he loves the smell of blood.
He sees the bleeding victim, and takes
pleasure in its agony. He can take pleas-
ure in the death pangs of doves and lambs.
He is simply the hnihil (iikI iiiiirdrroiis in-
stbictfi (jf iiKDi, icrUlcii hirye, and JairlcHa, and
powm'fiiJ.
The Bible and Its Readers. 41
He is restrained only by lack of power.
People having iron iluiriots are too strong
for him. iJmlges, 1:19.) That is, he dies
when civilization sets in. He is still the
God of the savaj»e American Indian; of
tlie Cherokees and Cherokee preachers.
With refinement (tf ci-iielty borderin<i- on
the iutinite, some <-oiK-eive this (lod to have
a t»»rtiivo hoh^ for his enemifs in the eter-
nities.
Conceiving; that this creatnre is the God
revealed by the Bible, men of heart reject
this liooU. Iff is not the (Jod of the Bible.
Man, in his Ithickcst and urossest moods,
nja(h* t ins iioi'i<tr. W Im-h iti:iii is sci on lii*e
witli lyiii^, thcli, lust, lialo, and war, he
(•an?iot r»'\c;il (lod. I0\ <'r\ l liiiii; In- says of
(iod iJK'ii is Caisc, lihchiiis, hlaspliciiKnis.
'1. 'i'hcK' is I he coll (Opt ion thai (lod is a
fjiilinc. lie iindcrlook lo make iinin in His
inia;;«', foi" iiian's i;o(id :iiid His ^lory. This
ima<;o of Cod f<-ll (.n i h<' first ('iiconn(«'r
with evil. This liist man fell as easily as
42 The Bible and Its Readers.
2iTiy man. No man ever fell before he was
encountered by temptation. No man could
fall into temptation before he was tempted.
Well did Paul say of Adam, that he was of
the earth earthy. Then, either God did not
succeed in making man in His image, or
the image of God is not what it is supposed
to be. The conception of God as a failure
is not in the first chapter of Genesis. In
the third chapter the Creator is repre-
sented as having made man, issued him
commands, which man broke. The Creator
cursed man, the ground, the serpent, all
concerned. Grant, with some commenta-
tors, that the ground was cursed for man's
good. This recognizes the necessity of the
curse, only shifting its purpose. The fact
is, that the Creator here is represented as
disappointed, angry, defeated, at least tem-
porarily. Suppose He promised that man
would issue in final triumph. This proph-
ecy cannot come to pass if sin is not
utterly destroyed. If God did not purpose
Tlie Bible and Its Readers. 43
sin, something has happened contrary to
His purpose. Suppose, then, that God does
promise triumph over the serpent. This
promise is of no importance if the serpent
can defeat God. If the serpent overthrew
God's plans for one instant, he was the su-
perior of God for that instant. There was
then no God, for the serpent was upon the
Throne ruling man, defeating God. If the
serpent was ever the superior, the victor
over God, he will always be, for God
changes not! This is Serpent Worship.
This leaf is no part of the Hebrew Scrip-
tures. It is false to the whole tenor of
those Scriptures. No where else is it ev«Mi
intimated that tiie Eternal (lod is in a los-
ing contlicl with a serpent, or that lie is
endeavoring to i-ecovej* gronnd already
lost. This h-af floated in I'l'om an outside
tradition. No ingenuity of man, whether
the story be taken literally, mystically, or
allegorieally, can show that it does not |)iit
man as a battlefield, whereon Evil is ti-i-
44 The Bible and Its Readers.
iimphant, without valid reason to believft
that it will ever be otherwise than triumph-
ant. It is the worship of Evil. It is the
religion of China.
3. There is the scientitie conception of
God. His master is Law. It is unchange-
able. It made nature, or it is nature. God
is chained and gagged, and helpless. He is
not even large enough to be chained. He
is tied up with pack thread, and cannot
break a thread of it. He cannot make a
puff of wind only as Law permits him to
do so. If Law says, "take some jelly, work
cycles of time and make man," by so say-
ing Law galvanizes a sort of life into this
baby God, and He goes mechanically to
work, moving as Law leads IJim.
The first chapter of thp Bible stands God
above and out of Nature, making the uni-
verse with as much ease as a boy blows
soap bubbles. That God is worth some-
thing. He spoke the world into existence
for man, and he will look it into nothing-
The Bible and Its Readers. 45
ness if it ever gets in man's waj. He can
make evil to serve Him, out of the darkness
bringing- light, out of its bitterness bring-
ing the sweetness of sympathy and the
healing of mercy; revealing Himself more
fully because of evil, and when He is done
making it serve man, lie can throw it in
the face of the sun and burn it like a gnat.
"To love truth, for truth's sake, is the principal part of hu-
man perfection in this world, and the seed plot of all other vir-
tues."'— Locke.
CHAPTEK IV.
GOSPEL TEADITIONS.
The popular use of the word Bible,
means a translation in the vernacular; but
all modern standard translations of the
Bible contain things that are not at all in
the originals, which are mistaken for a
part of the Bible. For instance, the open-
ing words in the English Bible are, "The
first book of Moses called." These are an
interpolation, without any authority in the
original. These, together with "The sec-
ond book of Moses called." "The third
book of Moses called." "The fourth book
of Moses called." "The fifth book of Moses
called" — all interpolations, are commonly
understood to mean that the Bible claims
The Bible and Its Readers. 47
that Moses was the author of these five
books. The Bible makes no such claim.
Tradition asserts these books to Moses;
but the validity of a tradition is one thing,
and the validitv of a claim made bv the
Bible is another thing, quite another! The
discussion has been shifted so that unin-
formed people believe that an attack on the
Mosaic authoritv of the Bible is virtuallv
an attack on the Bible.
In the margin of the English Bible cre-
ation is dated B. C. 4004. Geology has at-
tacked this date snccossfnlly. Mnuy have
thought tliat lliis attack sweeps away the
Tiiblc. 1 1 does not tonch the Bible. There
are no clii'oiiologicjil notes in the margin
of the oi'igijiui liiblc.
The roferonccs ;i, b, r, d, clc, in (he Eng-
lish Bil>le, are no |>ail of tlie liibie. Occa-
sionally a reference has some bearing ni)on
a text, bn< nsnsilly lliey are mislesiding.
It is Inie I lull I lie originals, llieinselves,
diflV'i' in iiKiiiy phices. These different
48 The Bible and Its Readers.
readiugs do, iu some cases, affect the sense,
but ill no case do they alTect the central
thought of the Bible, that God is, that man
is his creature, and that God is in the des-
tiny of man.
It puzzles many to understand why there
are so many disagreements regarding the
teachings of the Bible among scholarly and
pious men, who are quite certain, each for
himself, and not one for the other, that
his views are exclusivelv au<l authorita-
tively taught in the "■Infallible Book."
Little disagreements are becoming more
and more ignored, not settled, as the com-
mon sense of mankind conies to the rescue,
as to feet washing, ornaments, hats on or
off during service, the color and texture of
priestly robes, the style of hair to be worn,
singing hymns or psalms, the use of instru-
ments of music in divine worship, the pos-
ture of the body in public prayers. Ink is
still shed copiously by some on these top-
ics, but bones are not now broken, nor
human blood spilled.
The Bible and Its Readers. 49
However, there are fundamental differ-
ences among recognized Bible expounders
regarding the teachings of the Bible on
mighty subjects and vast problems. Is
God a person, two persons, three persons?
How many Gods are there? Is there a
Goddess also? The mother of God? Have
the plans of God failed? Will they fail
eternally? Or are plans being carried out
according to decrees which go so hard with
the majority- of mankind? Or will all be
saved finally? Is Satan a person, a prin-
ciple, a personification of evil? Well,
about evil, how did it come? When? In
a pre-existent state? Who is to blame for
it? Is Satan more than a match for Deity?
Will lie have the lion's share wiicn the
spoils if battle are divided? Is man free,
or necessitated? Is man save<l by faith
alone? by failli .in<l works? by (lie de-
crees of (!(»(!? Is Jesus (io<l liimsclf? or
ecjiiai with (iod? oi- onc-tliiid pari «»f the
Trinitv? or riod-man? or man-God? or
50 The Bible and Its Readers.
mere man? Is the spirit entitled to the
pronoun he? or it? Is the Bible the voice
of God from His Throne, in every text, sen-
tence, word, syllable, and letter? or does it
contain the word of God? Is it inspired
in streaks? Does it teach all worth know-
ing about religion and science? or about
religion only? What is the meaning of
death, heaven, hell, paradise? How many
states after death? One, two, three? What
day of the week is the Sabbath? Does "to
create" mean to make out of nothing? or
to form out of pre-existing elements? Has
man a soul? Is it immortal? Is not im-
mortality conditional? What about the
resurrection of the body?
None will dispute that the Churches
teach conflicting doctrines. That each sect
denies that the other teaches the whole
counsel of God; but modestly — so mod-
estly — claims to do so itself. Each claims
its doctrines are in the Bible. If we sum-
marize this judgment of the sects, they tes-
Tlie Bible and Its Headers. 51
tifj as a whole, that the Bible teaches
different and conflicting doctrines. Now,
if each sect is doing its best to understand
and teach the Bible, the Bible is either the
most difficult book possible to be under-
stood, or it dot's teach conflicting doctrines.
To say that the sects are not doing their
best, is to impeach human nature in its
best representatives. The Jewish Sect, the
Roman Sect, the Anglican Sect, the Lu-
theran Sect, contain the best and wisest
men in the world. It is not true that any of
them are willfully misteaching the Bible.
It is impossible for us to escape the conclu-
sion that the Bible contains conflicting doc-
trines. Some ol the wisest and best men
On o.'irth conscientiously hold dottrincs
which conflict witli \\\\;\\ others of the
wisest and best conscientiously hold, and
they all cite texts. Some ol' these men
would go to I he slJiKe. Men h;ive gone ex-
iiltingly to death foi- cerliiiii <l(»ctrines;
others hnve gone ns exnltingly for opposite
52 The Bible and Its Readers.
doctriues. They all glorified in their
knowledge of the truth until flames licked
up their lives.
How often do we meet professors of
Christianity, who, more like gladiators
than followers of the meek and lowlv
Prince of Peace, contend about the dot of
a letter, or the use of a preposition, as if
the whole world depended upon the result.
It cannot be denied that some of the wisest
and best men on the earth conscientiously
hold doctrines which are irreconcilable
Avith the doctrines of others who are their
equals in every particular, and that each
party especially affirms that its doctrines
are according to the Word of God. What
does this mean? It means that the Bible
actually contains the main doctrines of
both parties.
Any doctrine is the Word of God which
lifts man out of subjection to the flesh, out
of bondage to sin, out of "fear that hath
torment," into wise and loving service of
The Bible and Its Readers. 53
man, and into fellowship with the Beauti-
ful, the Wise, the Merciful, and the Good.
Since the minds of men perceive from so
many points of view, that book is the
holiest and wisest which, so to speak, best
adapts itself to the angels of vision, reflect-
ing the view which each person most needs
in order to poise his soul and make him
strong to conquer self. I believe the Bible
is that kind of book.
"Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good."— Paul.
CHAPTER V.
DIFFERENT THEORIES OF INSPIRATION.
Only a cursory inspection of the Bible is
required to find that it claims that Two
Voices talk to man ; one, the Voice of God,
the other the Voice of Evil. The Voice of
God is represented as speaking truths, to
be believed and obeyed; the Voice of Evil
as speaking falsehoods, to be disbelieved
and disobeyed. Not only are the Two
Voices represented as speaking directly to
man, but the Voice of God is represented
as speaking through good men to man, and
the Voice of Evil as speaking through evil
men to man. It is apparent that the say-
ings of good men should not be classified
with the sayings of evil men. The lies of
evil men — there are many of them in the
Bible — are given to be rejected.
The Bible and Its Readers. 55
From this paragraph and the preceding
one, it follows necessarily that there are
many things in the Bible which man must
disbelieve and disobey, or suffer the conse-
quences; that there are, and must be, in
the nature of the case, essential and funda-
mental contradictions in the Bible, and
that there is an Inspiration of Good, and
an Inspiration of Evil in the Bible.
We now present Paul as a careful
thinker of the Scriptures. He defines the
Holy Scriptures to be "Every Scripture in-
spired by God, and profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for conviction, for instruction
in righteousness." (2 Tim., 3:1G.) This
<lelinition commends itself to reason, and
is, withal, jiractical. That Scripture is
holy, is God-breathed, wliicii brings ;i man
into communion witii the Father, and into
loving service of man. Tins dcfiiiitioii was
])enned prior 1<» Ihc comjtosition <»! a hirge
l)art of I lie New Testament, bill ii is the
stateiDent of a i)rincipl<' whidi is tru<' for
56 The Bible and Its Readers.
all time. That Scripture is unholy, uuin-
spiretl, which causes a man to ignore God
and to wrong man; it is from evil, its root
lays hold on dense darkness, and its fruits
are bitterness of soul.
This rule is simple, and can be tested. It
is presuu^ed by us that the converse of the
definition is so plain that Paul did not
think it necessary to state it. Every Scrip-
ture that is not profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, etc., is not Inspired by God.
Then it follows that the Scriptural idea
of truth, as Paul understood it, if we under-
stand him aright, is not in the verbal
phraseology, but in the power to quicken
the life of God in the soul of man.
A thing may be literally false, and yet
quite true in this sense. For instance,
"The heavens declare the glory of God," is
literally an impossibility, yet they do give
us an idea of the glory of God, wliich we
feel to be true. The heavens tell the glory
of God as a flower tells of beauty. The
The Bible and Its Readers. 57
world manifests the eternal power and
Godhead of the Deity as the sun manifests
light.
Grant that God has made a written
revelation to man. It must have been
written in human language, and according
to man's view of things. Then physical
facts will liav«' been communicated accord-
ing to their forms, or appearances.
»S'o/A/e Simplr TniiJis about LaiKjHagc.
It is impossible to speak or write even
one intelligent sentence concerning God,
without using woi'ds wliich a])ply ])ri-
marily to man, or the world. Only those
who have never considered lliis proi)osition
think that tliis necessary use of words by a
speaker or writer proves that he believes
that God is man, matter, oi- force. Ne\<*r-
thelcss, a lai'ge libi'ary wouhl l»e i-iMinind
to contain all the bo(>ks which li;i\c Imm-u
I»nblishe<l contending otherwise. Not only
is it necessary to s|>«'al< oi- write of <lod in
58 IThe Bible and Its Readers.
words primaril}' applicable to man, or the
world, but it is necessary to speak or write
of all other subjects in the same manner.
Whether we will or not, man is the center
of thought conception and language, and
all things are more or less humanized in
our conceptions and utterances. We can-
not communicate a thought relative to the
world without using words which have and
can have no meaning apart from the senses
and faculties of man. Not only, therefore,
is God humanized in thought, conception,
and forms of expression, but all other sub-
jects are likewise so humanized. Take the
simplest idea in the world, according to the
materialistic dictum of things, to wit:
Force. What does man know? What can
he say of Force, except as it impresses him
through his senses and faculties?
Write the shortest possible sentence of
God. God is. Both these words have, pri-
marily, reference to human language,
which is based and rooted in man's senses
The Bible and Its Readers. 59
and faculties. Attempt to put an intelli-
gible meaning- in God, and you begin to
give it "power," of which you could have
no conception without your muscular and
nervous systems, and your will. You now
add, say, "wisdom." What would you
know of wisdom without relating it to the
operation of mind? You add, say, "good-
ness," "love." I'hese all have no base of
meaning to man apart from a foundation
in man.
Take "is." Does it mean exists? Plainly
it is rooted in uinu, and tlie world. Does
"(lod is" imi)ly what? Then the answer
to "what?" carries ahing more ideas, which
wecouhl not even have without being what
we are.
Whih' it is tnie, ;is staled in the opening
sentence, it is ;ils(» trne Ihjit if ;ni jnithor
j)hiinly shows that lie intends to liniil liis
mesining to the lirsl nse oC woids, he innst
he held to leach that <!o(l is man, or mat-
ter, or force. iJut no anllior should be held
60 The Bible and Its Readers.
to such a view except on his own showing,
by his limit.ation of words to their primary
signification. It is manifestly unfair for
one to maintain that the use of words im-
plying seeing, hearing, etc., should always
be used in their first sense. That people
Icnow better is evident from the fact that
they do not accuse one who speaks of na-
ture as seeing, hearing, etc., of believing
that nature has human eyes, ears, etc.
The question arises, could God, even if
He took a pen in His hand and wrote every
word of the Bible, set Himself down clearly
and fully in it? Is it large enough to con-
tain the Infinite? Is human language in
one book, or in all books, capable of ex-
pressing the Absolute and Limitless One?
If human language is finite, imperfect, it
cannot reveal the Infinite perfectly. Since
man and nature are also both finite, they
lie under the same disability. There is as
much ohsciirity, imprrfrcfions, and so-called
contradictions, in vuiii <rnd nature as in the
written revelations of (rod.
The Bible and Its Readers. 61
For example, no mau can reconcile the
tooth and claw of a lion with the tooth and
hoof of a sheep.
We stand in the presence of mystery,
with or without the Bible. Do you say that
sin explains such divergent texts of nature?
The answer is easy. First, sin itself needs
explanation; secondly, sin has not changed
the tooth and claw of the lion. Do you say
that sin brouglit suli'ering and death into
the world? It is not true. Even if it were
true, why sJioUld man's sin inflict suffering
;nid dcjitli ni)on beasts, that arc iiicai)able
of sin? The answer is still easier. The lion
himself sulTcrs jiaiii and death, and his en-
joyment should iiol be cousicb'rcd alone.
Wlial about tiic pain of iiis victim? Men
writf glibly of tlic ;nI;i])t;itioTi tlic jtroof
of wisdom in il of I lie ciirniNcrons licast
to seize and kill its |)i'<'y, but o\ei'lo(d< the
wjint of ;i<l;i|il;ilion in 1 he prev (o protect
itself. Do yon sa,\ that snffeiing ;ind deiith
are essenti;il to preveni I lie "oecnicincy of
62 The Bible and Its Readers.
the world bj the lower orders of exis-
ence?" The statement is flatly denied.
Vegetables are removed without pain. It
is conceivable that the sheep might have
been so made, as when the crisis came to
enjoy being eaten as much as his eater en-
joys eating him. Do you answer, finally,
that the capacity to enjoy pleasure carries
with it the capacity to suffer pain? The
answer is. You haA'^e placed pleasure and
pain, in the nature of things, where they be-
long, and have dropped sin as the cause of
pain and death.
If we have shown that nature has its
mysteries also, we are ready to proceed,
merely intimating that mysteries which
exist in nature are not aitributed to the Bible
by candid and thom/htful people. The Bible
has imported no mystery into the universe,
but it is an attempt to explain mystery.
Suppose that Ciod could and did write
himself down fully in the Bible, has man
the capacity to understand the writing?
The Bible and Its Readers. 63
Yes? Then what is the meaning of the
Babel among the Sects?
It is patent that in order for one to as-
sert that there is a conflict between the
utterance of any bool^ in regard to facts,
and the utterance of nature in regard to
the same facts, one must understand what
both the books and nature aflirni in the
premises. While it may be safely held that
it is a difficult thing for one person to
understand the allegations of the Bible re-
garding facts, it may be safely held that it
is a more ditticult thing for one person to
understand the allegations of the Bible
thereon (utd the allegations of nature.
The theologinii may pretend to know
much, but the priest of science pretends to
know VMslh' more. Tlio Itihlc is :i l;ir<re
subject. The Bildc and Nature m hirger
subject. It is possible one may make a
mistnko in bolh, not to sny in cither. It is
certjiiii lh;il I he I'ihic brings no new dilTi
cnlty into hnnjan thought or conception.
64 The Bible and lis Readers.
The orij>iii of the universe? the nature and
destiny of man? God? who? what? where?
how many? are fundamental problems,
and they exist where there is no letter of
the Bible.
There is as much difference between the
tooth of a lion and the tooth of a sheep,
viewed singly, as between any two texts in
the Bible. That speaks of blood, the inflic-
tion of suffering, savageness; this of peace,
the reception of suffering. No one makes
the mistake, however, of denying the ex-
istence of either tooth. The earth is full
of discordant texts. It puzzles the wise to
relate them harmoniously. To intimate
that the sin of man has changed the tooth
of the lion is absurd. Whether or not man
sinned, the lion would tear flesh and eat
suffering victims, ^^iiffering, itself, is a
mystery.
Wise or unwise, the Bible claims to be
an effort to explain these matters. In
thought, strike the Bible into nothingness.
The Bible and lis Readers. 65
You are yet there with your past, present,
future, and the world is yet there, and God
yet is, or Not is! We protest with all our
might against any one attributing to the
Bible problems that exist in the nature of
things.
\
" A wise man will weigh evidence the more carefully, the
more important the subject."— Whatkly.
CHAPTER VI.
LET THE FACT STAND.
Beresliitli is the first word in the Bible.
It is translated "In the beginning," instead
of "In beginning." The difference between
the two conceptions is vast. That refers to
time, this to action; that seems to justify
people in hunting a date, this gives an ex-
cuse for such useless and fruitless work.
It was that erroneous "the" which led
Usher to cipher, and his poor ciphering is
responsible for the date affixed to creation
in the English Bible B. C. 4004. Some men
seem to think that the Bible is responsible
for the date, and that Geology has im-
pugned the Bible, when it has impugned
only an interpolation. Little did those men
who wrote "bereshith" dream that "how
The Bible and Its Readers. 67
old is the earth?" would become a vital
question.
It is philosophically possible that matter
is only a various form of force; but the
Bible does not say so, nor attempt to give
the hotr of its genesis any more than the
ivht'ii. A wise book, this Bible! If it had
said absolutely that matter was created
out of nothing, these objectors would have
had reasons satisfactory to themselves to
reject it; if it had said absolutely that mat-
ter was not created out of nothing, men
who thought that ought to be the mode of
creation, would have had difficulties to en-
count«'i-. Hence, as a fact, the Bible says
nothing (h'cisively on the subject. It stead-
ily avoids raising nnnecessary (juestions.
If unnecessary questions be raised by the
human inffllect, it leaves tliem un-
answered.
Tlic learned id I iis lliai b'reshitli is a
substantive rcmiiiiiK' with rcmininc termi-
nation //// — prefix b root, nisli. Tlic word
68 The Bible and Its Readers.
heads, in (Gen., 2: 10) is the plural of rosh;
and the primary idea of rosh is motion. It
is evident that Usher was misled by the
"the" in the English Translation.
"In beginning" refers to action, not to
time. There was neither tick of clock, beat
of pulse, nor ebb of tide, by which to com-
pute time.
"In beginning" simply means commenc-
ing. Whether the earth w^as made 6,000 or
6,000,000 years ago, is of no vital impor-
tance. It is the same earth; it seeds the
same and grows wheat the same, no matter
ichen it came from the creative act of God.
If the disciples of Usher desire to squabble
with the disciples of Lyell as to its age,
there is no law except common sense and
duty to man against it.
If the earth's precise age to a day could
be ascertained, there would be nothing
added to the stock of knowledge but a date.
Oh! the little things which disturb man.
"The best preacher is the heart; the best teacher is time;
the best book is the world; the best friend is God."— Mishna.
CHAPTER VII.
There are three views as regards how
the Bible should be received. One that the
Priests, or Chiirt-h recognized, are the ex-
pounders tliereof. Tliis view sets the
Priests, or Church, above the Bible.
The second view is that lavmen have the
right, and it is their duty, to compare what
the Church tejulies with the Bible, and
what 111*' liible savs is authoritative. This
view sets the Bible u]) above man.
The third view is that man has the right,
and it is liis duty, !<» .judge I lie contents of
the ilibh*, wliether they be true or lalsc.
Tliis \i('W sets man above the Bilde.
All ii;iliuiis Ikivi' llicir i'dides, citlu'r
oral or writ ten. Time biiiigs I lie idrii of
sacredncss, the idea <•!' s;n icdncss blinds
manv to faults. TIk-it jirc dilTcifiHcs of
70 The Bible and Its Readers.
opinion — honest and intelligent differences
of opinion — held bj' thousands as to the
real doctrines of the Bible. It is folly to
attempt to extinguish reason and stifle
conscience by an appeal to a text of any
book. If a book teaches what is unreason-
able the teaching is false, though it be ac-
companied by thunder and threatenings
and what not!
During the history of the Church there
have been two parties, one endeavoring to
prevent the people reading the Scriptures,
which they proclaim to be the Word of
God, and the other demanding that the peo-
ple read them. The former admits that
the Scriptures are difficult to understand,
the latter assert that the Scriptures are
very plain— that "a wayfaring man, though
a fool, need not err therein." We admit,
with the former, that the Scriptures are
difficult to understand, but we deny that
"one faith" means "one doctrine" or "one
creed." The root of the word translated
The Bible and Its Readers. 71
faith is obedience, and the idea is of obedi-
ence to God's moral laws. There is noth-
ing in the Old Testament that warrants
the notion that a man is to be saved or
damned b}' his opinions, nor in the New
Testament. It is, "1 was hungry, and ye
fed me," etc. It is not, "You had the true
set of dogmas."
The Bible is not a systematic Theology.
Christianity is a life, not a creed!
The Bible was not given so much to af-
fect the head as to inspire the heart; he
knows all of it worth knowing who loves
(jrod and his neighbor — he knows less than
nothing of it wlio hates man. One who
was a great teacher viewed from any
st.'n)dy)oirit represents rTf)d as judging
men, not by their creeds or rituals or no-
tions, but by tlicir deeds of kindness and
acts of mercy.
A tendency in man to conceive of (4od is
in liwriiionv willi iiian'.s cliaraclcr. Said a
Greek satirist, Xenophanes, "Mortals think
72 The Bible and Its Readers.
the gods are born and have shape and
voice and raiment like themselves."
According to our view of the Bible, that
conception which is best suited to bring you
to God will mold you. Possibly you may
have first one conception, then another,
then another. If you change thus, the
Bible will change to you.
That it is wrong to murder, is true. It is
not wrong to murder because the Bible for-
bids it, but the Bible forbids it because it
is wrong. Kight and wrong existed before
the first word of the Bible was written.
The utmost that the Bible can do is to re-
veal truths. The Bible contains many
imperishable and incontestable truths.
The question of the authorship, or source
of a book, is not the question of the truth
if its contents.
That God should reveal himself to man,
is not difficult to believe. The real diffi-
culty is not in believing that God has com-
municated to man, but that he has ceased
The Bible and Its Readers. 73
to communicate. That God did not reveal
himself to man before the time of Moses,
or since the time of Malachi, or of John the
Evangelist, if accepted, must be accepted
by faith alone. That the Bible claims all
the revelation of God which lie has made
to man, is a dogma which faith alone can
receive. No valid human reason can be
rendered thereon.
The Bible wisely leaves vagaries un-
touched, and handles essential problems.
It is intensely practical. It leaves a man
free to accept man as he is, and do some-
thing for him.
The main purpose of the Bible is to affect
our lives; to "write the laws of God iu our
hearts." The book being mainly concerned
about iiow to live arigiil, should touch luau
at all points of his natuic The iu:iu who
cannot be uiommI \)\ ;i highci- luolivc. Id
him be inov(M| l»y a lower one, only lliul he
move forwaiTl. There are passages aud in-
eidf'Ufs in the T'oolc of Livfs that arc cssen-
74 TJie Bible and Its Readers.
tial to a full representation of human
nature at its lowest phases. These pas-
sages and incidents were not given to be
read in public, or to Justify the ugliness
which they depict. Those who assert that
every word in the Bible is meant for pub-
lic reading, and the scoffers who assert that
low phases of life should not be given, are
equally in error. The method of the Jew-
ish Church concerning these matters is
based upon well established facts, as well
as upon common sense. Paul, addressing
the "brethren" in a public capacity, takes
the same ground. (Phil., 4: 8: 9.) "Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
w^hatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any
virtue, and if there be any praise, think on
these things."
"Those things which ye have both
learned, and received, and heard, and seen
The Bible and Its Readers. 75
in me, do; and the God of peace shall be
with you."
Besides other codes, a nation mnst have
its penal code; it must recognize the exist-
ence of every crim(^ possible to man; it
must define, denounce, and punish— or
perish! The penal codes in the Bible arise
out of the human effort to deal with man
as a (•riminal. The question of the human
punishment for a crime against man, is a
matter that man has been left to experi-
ment with. Of course God sanctions all
honest clforts to prevent and punish crime;
that Moses meant no more than a general
sanction, is ai»])ai('iil w lien lie accepted the
views f>f .T«'tlii'o ill the ;i(lniinistration of
Justice* ;is against some of wliicli lie lia<l
apjuMided tlic naiiK- <»f I lie i>or(l.
Th«'i(' is iiolliing grajtpliii'r willi llic lif<*
of mail llijil is iiiiw (»it liy of holier and syiii-
patliy }»y ;ill iIh- Ijcavnis. .Man, though
disfigiir<'d sotih-, is y«'l of <1(mI and in liis
iniagf*.
76 The Bible and Its Readers.
Mau3' beneficial results come to us from
the accounts of the wanderings of the
Israelites in the wilderness. The divine
thought that God is in the human race, is
only an expounded form of the thought
that God is in one man, or in one race. "Is
not one man as dear to the heart of the
Father as another?"
One good result of accepting the story of
creation in Genesis, is that it leaves man .
free to do something for the good of his
fellow beings, while if it should become
thought to be a vital question as to just
how, or precisely when, the earth was
made, there are everlasting problems for
men which direct their minds into useless
channels of effort.
How the battle has raged in regard to
the authorship of the Pentateuch, and over
the account of Moses' death! The one who
wrote of the death of Moses was probably
some simple minded man, unable to write
a book, but able to pour out his soul over
The Bible and Its Readers. 77
the dead, and touch a tomb with hope and
beauty! That the J.ord buried Moses can-
not be proved, nor disproved; but the Lord
was with him in his last struggle— that is
true. That he cared even for the dust of
a man gives us a glimpse into the Lord's
heart worth more than what all the higher
critics, and their friends, the bug-hunters,
have said or can say. (L'all this epitaph a
note frou) an unknown author. It states
as a mailer of fact what man must needs
believe, if he would front tlie world without
fear oi- tliuching, llial tlx' Loid will be with
liis ser\;iiit in liis hist gas]), and will ten-
derly regni'd I lie dust from which the spirit
has moved on.
Tlie linie ('((liies t<» :ill wlieil lliev wish tO
know llieinselves ;is lliey ai'e, an<l there is
only one Hook we Un(»\\ of tli;il lays the
humjin lie;iit h;il-e willioul fejir of Ihlttei'V
— thai HodI: is lln liihir. It will sift a man,
searcli him r)nt, ;nid by f!;isli of fii-e, f)r thun-
der pejil, tlinnt, gl(»omy silence, or gentle
78 The Bible and Its Readers.
whisperings, in some way stir his inward
world until he shall want to "lay down
arms." It does still more. It declares that
God takes him as he is, and will stand by
him as long as he gropes upward.
It is good that the Bible was written for
the clinging soul that needs a God In-
vincible; for the sturdy, self-willed man
who feels strong enough to supplement
God in His weakness of will; for the ten-
der hearted brother who cannot have peace
in his soul with the thought that one is
lost.
If it were written for either of these
alone, it would not be a book, but a frag-
ment; it would not have represented all
the phases of thought, but one phase; it
would have been accepted only by those
»
whose thought it expressed in clear-cut
terms.
It is the wisest of Books, for the very rea-
son that it is the most manv sided. If it
encourages your heart to think you may
The Bible and its Readers. 79
progress forever, that is there; if the
weary look forward to a peaceful rest after
this fever called "life" is over, that is there;
there is no thought good for man or help-
ful to him, in any mood, or place, or con-
dition, that is not there for him. It is good
that the Bible was not made for one creed.
God is in the human race, and will stay
and help in every effort to rise out of that
which hurts, or destroys, or even makes
afraid — His children.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES
THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
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