Teaching by Illustration

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 17, 1908

Teaching by Illustration

FALSE principles can so be presented as to make them appear very plausible by using illustrations specially selected or manufactured for this purpose. By this method, slurs can be cast upon the vital principles of the gospel, and the advocates of the old-time Christianity can be held up to ridicule without making direct charges and without presenting any proof.

An instance of this indirect method of destroying confidence in the value of Christian doctrine, is found in a recent article by Dr. Lyman Abbott, the opening paragraphs of which run as follows:—

Four men are sitting around an open fire in a little inn on the Atlantic coast in the month of February. Their names are Skepticism, Orthodoxy, Emotionalism, and Practise. A furious storm is raging without; the wind is howling and shrieking through the village streets; the rain is beating in great sheets upon the window-panes; the surf is thundering upon the beach. Suddenly the door is flung open, and a man enters. “Help! help!” he cries; “a ship has struck upon the bar outside. We need some hands to aid in rescuing them!”

Skepticism begins to question. “We do not know,” he says, “who you are, or what is your authority. We do not know what is your relation to the government or the life-saving station, or how much of an expert you are in managing a boat; we do not know what you can do, or what sort of a leader you would make.” And Skepticism sits still.

Orthodoxy rebukes Skepticism. “Your doubts are unreasonable and unnatural,” he says; “the earnestness of this man is shown by his whole demeanor; you can see that he has come from the beach by the salt spray upon his hair and garments; there can be no question of his right to speak and call for help.” But Orthodoxy sits still.

Emotionalism begins to wring his hands. “Alas!” he cries, “what a terrible tragedy is this, and how splendid is the character of this man who is seeking to save those who are lost; how we should join our voices in praise to him!” And he begins to sing, “Rescue the Perishing.” But Emotionalism sits still.

Meanwhile Practise has arisen, and taken down his coat from the wall, and is buttoning it about his throat. “Come on, stranger,” he says. “I do not know much about you, and I do not know whether I can be of any use; but if there are lives in peril, I will go out and see what I can do to help.”

With such a stage-setting as this, especially prepared for the occasion, and with actors into whose mouths the desired words are put, this little scene may become very effective in expressing the writer’s estimate of the value of doctrine as compared with doing. To obtain quite contrary results it is only necessary, however, to change the actors and to provide them with a different sort of statements.

Let us then introduce the characters in a different rôle. Let the four men be Evolution, New Theology, Higher Criticism, and Christian.

When the news of the wreck is received, Evolution says: “This is only a necessary step in development. The general average of sailors will be raised by the survival of the fittest. Such catastrophes will stimulate seafaring men to devise better methods of navigation, and will thus contribute to the increase of knowledge.” And so Evolution offers no aid.

New Theology, who is a very near relative of Evolution, agrees in this view of the case, and adds, further, that any who appear to perish in the storm are simply being transferred to a higher plane of existence, and that no alarm need be felt concerning their eternal destiny, inasmuch as if they are now unsaved, they will have another probation in the future state. New Theology therefore quietly continues the preparation of his article on the “Fallacy of Miracles.”

Higher Criticism declares that it is easier to believe that the man is entirely mistaken, although he may be honest in his intentions, than to accept his report, inasmuch as all sea-going vessels are now so constructed as to render their destruction well-nigh impossible. If, later, some wreckage should be found on the shore, he will endeavor to determine from it the kind of ship, and whether it carried any passengers. And Higher Criticism continues his reading of Driver on “Isaiah.”

Christian is thoroughly aroused by the story of the shipwreck, but realizing his utter inability to render the assistance needed, he leads the way to the neighboring life-saving station, where men with suitable apparatus for life-saving are found, and volunteers as one of the crew. The life-line is thrown across the wreck, the life-boat is launched, and by earnest efforts the imperiled men are brought safely to shore.

No man can deliver his brother from death, but he may be an instrument through whom the sinner may be brought in touch with saving power, and thus rescued from everlasting destruction.

If we are to teach by illustration, the illustration should be in harmony with the truth.