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with the feeling that we have only begun the critical history o f the biblical writings.” Even now the process o f biblical disin tegration has gone so far that we see in the “ Polychrome Bible,” all the colours o f the rainbow. This overthrow o f the faith o f men in the Bible is a great step forward in pre paring the way for the Antichrist. It is o f comparatively less importance in the Roman Catholic than in the Protestant communion, since the former makes the Church itself to be an infallible teacher; and to those thus believing, what the bibli cal critics may,say is a matter o f indif ference. Still it is abundantly manifest that in the Roman communion the loss of faith in the Scriptures' is greatly weaken ing the faith o f many in .the Church. But to the Protestant, the. loss o f faith in the Bible points to a great religious' change. It leaves him without any guide or teacher, for his choice must be between the biblical teachings o f God and o f His relations to the Universe and to man, and the teach ings o f Pantheism. Men are too nobly fconstituted to be atheists, nor can they long be agnostics. They cannot remain in the pains o f doubt, or emptiness o f unbe lief. REJECTION IS IGNORANCE To reject or ignore the Bible on what ever grounds is to be ignorant o f God and o f His purpose in man, and thus to be exposed to the most dangerous form of delusion, that o f self-deification. In pro portion as unbelief in the Scriptures increases, the Person o f the Incarnate Son, who, as the First and Last, the Begin ning and the End, alone gives it unity and meaning, recedes from our sight; and, as He recedes, darkness deepens over both present and future. For years the most unobservant has seen how within the Church the study o f prophecy has been greatly disparaged—a sure sign o f that decay o f faith which, beginning here,
extends itself to history and doctrine, and ends in their final rejection. Thus the Bible, made up, as we are told, o f disconnected and discordant parts, emptied o f all historical unity, revealing no Divine purpose, neither explains the past nor casts light upon the future. Why retain it ? , Put it among other sacred books, call it literature, keep it for its teachings o f ethics, and as illustrating the evolution o f religion ; but the new age must have its new Bible, one reflecting its advanced knowledge o f God and mam and nature. It was said by Thomas Carlyle ( “ Essays” ) : “A Bible is the authentic biog raphy, o f noble souls.” “ To each nation its believed history is its Bible; not in Judea alone, or Hellas, or Latium, but in all lands and in all times.” W e may, there fore, look for a new Bible which'will not narrow its records to the life o f one cove nant people, but be the history o f the evo lution o f the idea o f God in. all the noble spirits o f the race; and thus be the sacred book o f a universal religion. ----------0--------- OUR FORMER STUDENTS H. O. Anderson, class o f T5, is working as a colporter and Sunday School mission ary in Arizona, under the Baptist Home Mission Board, his headquarters ■being at Flagstaff. An automobile enables him to cover a large territory. He reports that in addition to sale o f books and the organ izing of Sunday Schools he had ten defi nite converts last month and thirty-seven the preceding month. Benjamin- F. Stead, class o f ’.14, is one o f the missionaries o f the American Sun day School Union, with headquarters at Plafcerville. His territory embraces the following counties : Eldorado, Amador, Calaveras, Sacramento, Yuba, Nevada and Placer. He writes that at present there is a slight smallpox outbreak in part o f his territory but that the work is going nicely and that he is encouraged in it.
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