the lights of the church and the light of science-第5章

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It　is　commonly　reported　that　the　manifesto　by　which　the　Canon　of

St。　Paul's　proclaims　that　he　nails　the　colours　of　the　straitest

Biblical　infallibility　to　the　mast　of　the　ship　ecclesiastical；

was　put　forth　as　a　counterblast　to　〃Lux　Mundi〃；　and　that　the

passages　which　I　have　more　particularly　quoted　are　directed

against　the　essay　on　〃The　Holy　Spirit　and　Inspiration〃　in　that

collection　of　treatises　by　Anglican　divines　of　high　standing；

who　must　assuredly　be　acquitted　of　conscious　〃infidel〃

proclivities。　I　fancy　that　rumour　must；　for　once；　be　right；　for

it　is　impossible　to　imagine　a　more　direct　and　diametrical

contradiction　than　that　between　the　passages　from　the　sermon

cited　above　and　those　which　follow：





What　is　questioned　is　that　our　Lord's　words　foreclose　certain

critical　positions　as　to　the　character　of　Old　Testament

literature。　For　example；　does　His　use　of　Jonah's　resurrection　as

a　type　of　His　own；　depend　in　any　real　degree　upon　whether

it　is　historical　fact　or　allegory？　。。。　Once　more；　our　Lord　uses

the　time　before　the　Flood；　to　illustrate　the　carelessness　of　men

before　His　own　coming。　。。。　In　referring　to　the　Flood　He

certainly　suggests　that　He　is　treating　it　as　typical；　for　He

introduces　circumstances〃eating　and　drinking；　marrying　and

giving　in　marriage　〃which　have　no　counterpart　in　the　original

narrative〃　（pp。　358…9）。





While　insisting　on　the　flow　of　inspiration　through　the　whole　of

the　Old　Testament；　the　essayist　does　not　admit　its　universality。

Here；　also；　the　new　apologetic　demands　a　partial　flood：





But　does　the　inspiration　of　the　recorder　guarantee　the　exact

historical　truth　of　what　he　records？　And；　in　matter　of　fact；　can

the　record　with　due　regard　to　legitimate　historical　criticism；

be　pronounced　true？　Now；　to　the　latter　of　these　two　questions

（and　they　are　quite　distinct　questions）　we　may　reply　that　there

is　nothing　to　prevent　our　believing；　as　our　faith　strongly

disposes　us　to　believe；　that　the　record　from　Abraham　downward

is；　in　substance；　in　the　strict　sense　historical　（p。　351）。





It　would　appear；　therefore；　that　there　is　nothing　to　prevent　our

believing　that　the　record；　from　Abraham　upward；　consists　of

stories　in　the　strict　sense　unhistorical；　and　that　the　pre…

Abrahamic　narratives　are　mere　moral　and　religious　〃types〃

and　parables。



I　confess　I　soon　lose　my　way　when　I　try　to　follow　those　who　walk

delicately　among　〃types〃　and　allegories。　A　certain　passion　for

clearness　forces　me　to　ask；　bluntly；　whether　the　writer　means　to

say　that　Jesus　did　not　believe　the　stories　in　question；　or　that

he　did？　When　Jesus　spoke；　as　of　a　matter　of　fact；　that　〃the

Flood　came　and　destroyed　them　all；〃　did　he　believe　that　the

Deluge　really　took　place；　or　not？　It　seems　to　me　that；　as　the

narrative　mentions　Noah's　wife；　and　his　sons'　wives；　there　is

good　scriptural　warranty　for　the　statement　that　the

antediluvians　married　and　were　given　in　marriage；　and　I　should

have　thought　that　their　eating　and　drinking　might　be　assumed　by

the　firmest　believer　in　the　literal　truth　of　the　story。

Moreover；　I　venture　to　ask　what　sort　of　value；　as　an

illustration　of　God's　methods　of　dealing　with　sin；　has　an

account　of　an　event　that　never　happened？　If　no　Flood　swept　the

careless　people　away；　how　is　the　warning　of　more　worth　than　the

cry　of　〃Wolf〃　when　there　is　no　wolf？　If　Jonah's　three　days'

residence　in　the　whale　is　not　an　〃admitted　reality；〃　how　could

it　〃warrant　belief〃　in　the　〃coming　resurrection？〃　If　Lot's　wife

was　not　turned　into　a　pillar　of　salt；　the　bidding　those　who　turn

back　from　the　narrow　path　to　〃remember〃　it　is；　morally；　about　on

a　level　with　telling　a　naughty　child　that　a　bogy　is　coming　to

fetch　it　away。　Suppose　that　a　Conservative　orator　warns　his

hearers　to　beware　of　great　political　and　social　changes；　lest

they　end；　as　in　France；　in　the　domination　of　a　Robespierre；

what　becomes；　not　only　of　his　argument；　but　of　his　veracity；　if

he；　personally；　does　not　believe　that　Robespierre　existed　and

did　the　deeds　attributed　to　him？



Like　all　other　attempts　to　reconcile　the　results　of

scientifically…conducted　investigation　with　the　demands　of　the

outworn　creeds　of　ecclesiasticism；　the　essay　on　Inspiration　is

just　such　a　failure　as　must　await　mediation；　when　the　mediator

is　unable　properly　to　appreciate　the　weight　of　the　evidence　for

the　case　of　one　of　the　two　parties。　The　question　of

〃Inspiration〃　really　possesses　no　interest　for　those　who　have

cast　ecclesiasticism　and　all　its　works　aside；　and　have　no　faith

in　any　source　of　truth　save　that　which　is　reached　by　the　patient

application　of　scientific　methods。　Theories　of　inspiration　are

speculations　as　to　the　means　by　which　the　authors　of　statements；

in　the　Bible　or　elsewhere；　have　been　led　to　say　what　they　have

saidand　it　assumes　that　natural　agencies　are　insufficient　for

the　purpose。　I　prefer　to　stop　short　of　this　problem；　finding　it

more　profitable　to　undertake　the　inquiry　which　naturally

precedes　itnamely；　Are　these　statements　true　or　false？　If　they

are　true；　it　may　be　worth　while　to　go　into　the　question　of　their

supernatural　generation；　if　they　are　false；　it　certainly　is　not

worth　mine。



Now；　not　only　do　I　hold　it　to　be　proven　that　the　story　of　the

Deluge　is　a　pure　fiction；　but　I　have　no　hesitation　in　affirming

the　same　thing　of　the　story　of　the　Creation。　Between　these

two　lies　the　story　of　the　creation　of　man　and　woman　and　their

fall　from　primitive　innocence；　which　is　even　more　monstrously

improbable　than　either　of　the　other　two；　though；　from　the　nature

of　the　case；　it　is　not　so　easily　capable　of　direct　refutation。

It　can　be　demonstrated　that　the　earth　took　longer　than　six　days

in　the　making；　and　that　the　Deluge；　as　described；　is　a　physical

impossibility；　but　there　is　no　proving；　especially　to　those　who

are　perfect　in　the　art　of　closing　their　ears　to　that　which　they

do　not　wish　to　hear；　that　a　snake　did　not　speak；　or　that　Eve　was

not　made　out　of　one　of　Adam's　ribs。



The　compiler　of　Genesis；　in　its　present　form；　evidently　had　a

definite　plan　in　his　mind。　His　countrymen；　like　all　other　men；

were　doubtless　curious　to　know　how　the　world　began；　how　men；　and

especially　wicked　men；　came　into　being；　and　how　existing　nations

and　races　arose　among　the　descendants　of　one　stock；　and；

finally；　what　was　the　history　of　their　own　particular　tribe。

They；　like　ourselves；　desired　to　solve　the　four　great　problems

of　cosmogeny；　anthropogeny；　ethnogeny；　and　geneogeny。　The

Pentateuch　furnishes　the　solutions　which　appeared　satisfactory

to　its　author。　One　of　these；　as　we　have　seen；　was　borrowed　from

a　Babylonian　fable；　and　I　know　of　no　reason　to　suspect　any

different　origin　for　the　rest。　Now；　I　would　ask；　is　the　story　of

the　fabrication　of　Eve　to　be　regarded　as　one　of　those　pre…

Abrahamic　narratives；　the　historical　truth　of　which　is　an　open

question；　in　face　of　the　reference　to　it　in　a　speech　unhappily

famous　for　the　legal　oppression　to　which　it　has　been　wrongfully

forced　to　lend　itself？





Have　ye　not　read；　that　he　which　made　them　from　the　beginning

made　them　male　and　female；　and　said；　For　this　cause　shall　a　man

leave　his　father　and　mother；　and　cleave　to　his　wife；　and　the

twain　shall　become　one　flesh？〃　（Matt。　xix。　5。）





If　divine　authority　is　not　here　claimed　for　the　twenty…fourth

verse　of　the　second　chapter　of　Genesis；　what　is　the　value　of

language？　And　again；　I　ask；　if　one　may　play　fast　and　loose　with

the　story　of　the　Fall　as　a　〃type〃　or　〃allegory；〃　what　becomes　of

the　foundation　of　Pauline　theology？



For　since　by　man　came　death；　by　man　came　also　the

resurrection　of　the　dead。　For　as　in　Adam　all　die；　so　also　in

Christ　shall　all　be　made　alive　（1　Corinthians　xv。　21；　22）。





If　Adam　may　be　held　to　be　no　more　real　a　personage　than

Prometheus；　and　if　the　story　of　the　Fall　is　merely　an

instructive　〃type；〃　comparable　to　the　profound　Promethean

mythus；　what　value　has　Paul's　dialectic？



While；　therefore；　every　right…minded　man　must　sympathise　with

the　efforts　of　those　theologians；　who　have　not　been　able

altogether　to　close　their　ears　to　the　still；　small；　voice　of

reason；　to　escape　from　the　fetters　which　ecclesiasticism　has

forged；　the　melancholy　fact　remains；　that　the　position　they　have

taken　up　is　hopelessly　untenable。　It　is　raked　alike　by　the　old…

fashioned　artillery　of　the　churches　and　by　the　fatal　weapons　of

precision　with　which　the　enfants　perdus　of　the　advancing

forces　of　science　are　armed。　They　must　surrender；　or　fall　back

into　a　more　sheltered　position。　And　it　is　possible　that　they　may

long　find　safety　in　such　retreat。



It　is；　indeed；　probable　that　the　proportional　number　of　those

who　will　distinctly　profess　their　belief　in　the

transubstantiation　of　Lot's　wife；　and　the　anticipatory

experience　of　submarine　navigation　by　Jonah；　in　water　standing

fathoms　deep　on　the　side　of　a　declivity　without　anything　to　hold

it　up；　and　in　devils　who　enter　swinewill　not　increase。

But　neither　is　there　ground　for　much　hope　that　the　proportion　of

those　who　cast　aside　these　fictions　and　adopt　the　consequence　of

that　repudiation；　are；　for　some　generations；　likely　to

constitute　a　majority。　Our　age　is　a　day　of　compromises。　The

present　and　the　near　future　seem　given　over　to　those　happily；　if

curiously；　constituted　people　who　see　as　little　difficulty　in

throwing　aside　any　amount　of　post…Abrahamic　Scriptural

narrative；　as　the　authors　of　〃Lux　Mundi〃　see　in　sacrificing　the

pre…Abrahamic　stories；　and；　having　distilled　away　every

inconvenient　matter　of　fact　in　Christian　history；　continue　to

pay　divine　honours　to　the　residue。　There　really　seems　to　be　no

reason　why　the　next　generation　should　not　listen　to　a　Bampton

Lecture　modelled　upon　that　addressed　to　the　last：





Time　wasand　that　not　very　long　agowhen　all　the　relations　of

Biblical　authors　concerning　the　whole　world　were　received　with　a

ready　belief；　and　an　unreasoning　and　uncritical　faith　accepted

with　equal　satisfaction　the　narrative　of　the　Captivity　and　the

doings　of　Moses　at　the　court　of　Pharaoh；　the　account　of　the

Apostolic　meeting　in　the　Epistle　to　the　Galatians；　and　that　of

the　fabrication　of　Eve。　We　can　most　of　us　remember　when；　in　this

country；　the　whole　story　of　the　Exodus；　and　even　the　legend　of

Jonah；　were　seriously　placed　before　boys　as　history；　and

discoursed　of　in　as　dogmatic　a　tone　as　the　tale　of　Agincourt　or

the　history　of　the　Norman　Conquest。



But　all　this　is　now　changed。　The　last　century　has　seen　the

growth　of　scientific　criticism　to　its　full　strength。　The　whole

world　of　history　has　been　revolutionised　and　the　mythology　which

embarrassed　earnest　Christians　has　vanished　as　an　evil　mist；　the

lifting　of　which　has　only　more　fully　revealed　the　lineaments　of

infallible　Truth。　No　longer　in　contact　with　fact　of　any　kin