The Fundamentals - 1910: Vol.3

32

The Fundamentals other view that can be named ? And do they realize that this ■is true because this view has the immeasurable advantage of agreeing with the plain declarations of Scripture on the sub­ ject? In other words, as Dr. Burrell says, those who assert .the inerrancy of the scripture autographs do so on the author­ ity of God Himself, and to deny it is of a piece with the denial that they teach the forgiveness of sins or the resurrec­ tion from the dead. No amount of exegetical turning and twisting can explain away the assertions already quoted in these pages, to say nothing of the constant undertone of evi­ dence we find in the Bible everywhere to their truth. And speaking of this further, are we not justified in requir­ ing of the objector two things? First, on any fair basis of scientific investigation, is he not obliged to dispose of the evi­ dence here presented before he impugns the doctrine it sub­ stantiates? And second, after having disposed of it, is he not equally obligated to present the scriptural proof of whatever other, view of inspiration he would have us accept? Has he ever done this, and if not, are we not further justified in saying that it can not be done? But let us consider some of the difficulties. 1. There are the so-called discrepancies or contradictions between certain statements of the Bible and the facts of his­ tory or natural science. The best way to meet these is to treat them separately as they are presented, but when you ask for them you are not infrequently met with silence. They are hard to produce, and when produced, who is able to say that they belong to the original parchments ? As we are not contending for an inerrant translation, does not the burden of proof rest with the objector? But some of these “discrepancies” are easily explained. They do not exist between statements of the Bible and facts of science, but between erroneous interpretations of the Bible and immature conclusions of science. The old story of Galileo is in point, who did not contradict the Bible in affirming that

Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker