THE KING’S BUSINESS
299 have, said about progressive revelation may be applied at this point. Take the case of Jael who, killed Sisera; that is no reason why we should commit murder. Because the Psalmist said, “ Happy shall he be that taketh thy children and dasheth them against the stones," there is no reason/why we should do likewise. There is such a thing as progress in the ethics o f the Bible, but there is no progress beyond the ethics o f Christ and His Apostles. Not a single new-ethic has been given to the world since Jesus Christ and His Apostles lived on this earth. Then remember that none o f these diffi culties, affect any fundamental Christian doctrine. Dean Farrar, who was,no slave o f conservatism, once said that no demon strable error has ever been discovered in the Bible. W e are not called upon to answer every objection. It is quite sufficient for us to prove the truth o f Christianity. Why should a man take leave o f his common sense when he reads the Bible? There are scores Of things in life- that we cannot understand. A man says, “I will not believe what I do not see.” Then what about his brains?' So in regard to life. No one can tell us what life is. ,We cannot define life, and if we cannot, then let us not be surprised if we find difficulties in the Bible we | cannot solve.' Let us make use-o f the Bible as fully as we can, and see how far that will take us. A man once went to Moody and said: “Mr. Moody, I cannot accept your Bible, because there are so many difficulties in it.” Moody said to him: “ Do you like fish?”. “What has that to do with it ?” “ D o you like fish?” “Yes.” “ Do you find any bon^s in it?” “ Yes.” “ Do you eat them?” “ N o; I put them on the side o f my plate.” “That is what I do with the difficulties o f the Bible, and I find quite enough fish without bones.” That is a good, working, practical rule. It is what is called the verifying fac ulty, and it is worth applying. Vi. The Criticism of the Bible. Whatever we may have to" say about this,
What shall we say about this? People often say the Bible is so difficult. O f course it is. But when once we have decided, on the grounds of proper- evidence, that the Bible is the Word o f God, then every diffi culty must be judged in the light o f that antecedent fact. I value the words o f Tre- gelles, the great textual critic: “ No diffi- culty in connection with a proved fact can invalidate the fact itself.” For a very long time astronomers have told us that the planets move on definite orbits, with unchanging speeds and accord ing to' precise mathematical calculation. Now there was one planet, Uranus, whose movements did not seem altogether to come under these laws. Yet astronomers did not give up their theories on that account, and when Adams in Cambridge and - Lever- rier in, France produced the brilliant math ematical Calculations which led to the dis covery o f Neptune, the difficulty was solved, and now there is no question whatever about this great principle of the planetary system. So, when we have come to the conclusion that the Bible>'is God’s Word, we have to judge all difficulties in the light o f that fact: Secondly, some difficulties are inherent in a revelation, otherwise it would not be a revelation. W e cannot expect that which comes from God to finite man to be without difficulty. Revelation means to “ draw back the veil,” and if there whs no veil to draw back, we should not have any revelation. Therefore, we are not surprised if, as But ler taught us nearly two hundred years ago, there are difficulties in revelation, for there are difficulties in nature though nature is from the same God. , f . i V. - r . • Difficulties are either scientific, histor ical, or ethical. Scientific difficulties for the most part turn upon differences o f interpretation between man’s views, o f the Bible and between man’s views o f science. Difficulties o f history have to be tested one by one; and we have yet to find any real statement in the Bible in term's of historji that has been found to be unhistorical. And with regard to ethical difficulties, what I
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