study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第44节
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claim to have been； why； that is not irreverent； that is not destructive。
There is a destructive form of higher criticism； against that there is reason
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to set up bulwarks。 But there is a constructive form of it also。 Scholarly
opinion will tell any one who asks that criticism has not affected the
fundamental values of the Bible。 In the studies which have just now been
made we have not instanced anything in the Bible that is subject to change。
No matter what the result of critical study may be； the fundamental
democracy of the Scripture remains。 It continues to make its persistent
moral appeal on any terms。 Both those great facts continue。 Other great
facts abide with them。 And on their account it is to our interest to know as
much as we can learn about it。 The Bible has not been lessened in its value；
has not been weakened in itself； by anything that has taken place in critical
study。 On the other hand； the net result of such studies as archaeology has
been the confirmation of much that was once disputed。 Sir William
Ramsay is authority for saying that the spade of the excavator is to…day
digging the grave of many enemies of the Bible。
Take the second question； whether these times have not in them
elements that weaken the hold of the Bible。 There again we must
distinguish between facts and judgments。 There are certain things in these
times which relax the hold of any authoritative book。 There is a general
relaxing of the sense of authority。 It does not come alone from the
intellectual awakening； because so far as that awakening is concerned； it
has affected quite as much men who continue loyal to the authority of the
Bible as others。 No； this relaxing of the sense of authority is the result of
the first feeling of democracy which does not know law。 Democracy ought
to mean that men are left independent of the control of other individuals
because they realize and wish to obey the control of God or of the whole
equally with their fellows。 When； instead； one feels independent of others；
and adds to that no sense of a higher control which he must be free to obey；
the result is not democracy； but individualism。 Democracy involves
control； individualism does not。 A vast number of people in passing from
any sense of the right of another individual to control them have also
passed out of the sense of the right of God or of the whole to control them。
So that from a good many all sense of authority has passed。 It is
characteristic of our age。 And it is a stage in our progress toward real
democracy； toward true human liberty。
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Observe that relaxed sense of authority in the common attitude toward
law。 Most men feel it right to disregard a law of the community which
they do not like。 It appears in trivial things。 If the community requires that
ashes be kept in a metal receptacle； citizens approve it in general； but
reserve to themselves the right to consider it a foolish law and to do
something else if that is not entirely convenient。 If the law says that paper
must not be thrown on the sidewalk； it means little that it is the law。 Those
who are inclined to be clean and neat and do not like to see paper lying
around will keep the law； those who are otherwise will be indifferent to it。
That is at the root of the matter…of… course saying that a law cannot be
enforced unless public opinion sustains it。 Under any democratic system
laws virtually always have the majority opinion back of them； but the
minority reserve the right to disregard them if they choose； and the
minority will be more aggressive。 Rising from those relaxations of law
into far more important ones； it appears that men in business life； feeling
themselves hampered by legislation； set themselves to find a way to evade
it； justifying themselves in doing so。 The mere fact that it is the law does
not weigh heavily。 This is； however； only an inevitable stage in progress
from the earliest periods of democracy to later and more substantial
periods。 It is a stage which will pass。 There will come a democracy where
the rule of the whole is frankly recognized； and where each man holds
himself independent of his fellows only in the sense that he will claim the
right to hold such relation to God and his duty as he himself may
apprehend。
In these times； also； the development of temporal and material
prosperity with the intellectual mood which is involved in that affects the
attitude of the age toward the Bible。 Sometimes it is spoken of as a
scientific age over against the earlier philosophical ages。 Perhaps that will
do for a rough statement of the facts。 It is the age of experiment； of trying
things out； and there naturally works into men a feeling that the things that
will yield to the most material scientific experimentation are the things
about which they can be certain and which are of real value。 That naturally
involves a good deal of appreciation of the present； and calls for the
improvement of the conditions of present life first of all。 It looks more
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important to see that a man is well fed； well housed； well clothed； and well
educated than that he should have the interests of eternity pressed on his
attention。 That is a comparatively late feeling。 It issues partly from the fact
that this is a scientific age； when science has had its attention turned to the
needs of humanity。
Another result of our scientific age is the magnifying of the natural；
while the Bible frankly asserts the supernatural。 No effort to get the
supernatural out of the Bible； in order to make it entirely acceptable to the
man who scouts the supernatural； has thus far proved successful。 Of
course； the supernatural can be taken out of the Bible； but it will destroy
the Bible。 Nor is there much gain in playing with words and insisting that
everything is supernatural or that everything is natural。 There is a
difference between the two； and in an age which insists upon nature or
natural laws or forces or events as all… sufficient it is almost inevitable that
the Bible should lose its hold； at least temporarily。
Regarding all this there are some things that need to be said。 For one
thing； this； too； is a passing condition。 As a matter of fact； men are not
creatures of time。 They actually have eternal connections； and the great
outstanding facts which have always made eternity of importance continue。
The fact is that men continue to die； and that the men who are left behind
cannot avoid the sense of mystery and awe which is involved in that fact。
The fact also is that the human emotions cannot be explained on the lower
basis； and the only reason men think they can be is because they have in
the back of their minds the old explanations which they cast into the lower
forms； deceiving themselves into thinking they are new ideas when they
are not。
It ought to be added that the Bible has greatly suffered in all its history
at the hands of men who have believed in it and have fought in its behalf。
Many of the controversies which were hottest were needless and injurious。
All the folly has not been on one side。 Some one referred the other day to
a list of more than a hundred scientific theories which were proposed at
the beginning of the last century and abandoned at the end of it。 Scientific
men are feeling their way； many of them reverently and devoutly； some of
them rather blatantly and with a readiness for publication； which hastens
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