Origin of Doubts by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 25, 1886

Origin of Doubts.

By Editor

A SHORT paragraph in the New York Observer, ascribed to a young lady who was filled with doubts and darkness, is worthy of serious attention. She ascribed her condition to the sermon of a certain minister, thus:—

"He said some things which made me doubt the authenticity and inspiration of parts of the Bible, and after that I felt that I could not believe any parts."

And there are thousands in the land who are suffering by reason of like folly. Many "schooled theologians" conclude that it will never answer to suffer "science" to enter into conflict with the Bible, and so they deny the record of creation; deny it by allowing that it is not a record, but an allegory—a poetic strain, representing truth by indefinite imagery. By the same rule the miracles are explained away, as having been written to hold in subjection the minds of an ignorant people, swaying them by means of superstitious awe. And then in order to save the Bible from entire destruction, they will affirm that some parts of the Bible are highly inspired, and some parts historic, lacking inspiration, and some intermediate, being inspired, but on a lower plane.

But this is really subversive of the authority of the whole Bible; for no two individuals can be found who will agree on the grades of inspiration; no two will draw the lines alike, and thus the whole Bible is placed at the mercy or will or caprice of every reader. Our theory is that there is inspiration in every part of the Bible; and as for degrees, we know so little of the operations of God's Spirit that we should as soon think of putting a measuring line on the attributes of Deity. We believe that the first chapter of Chronicles was written and has been preserved by the direction of the Spirit of God because it was necessary to the development and certainty of the gospel that correct genealogies should be preserved. We know and acknowledge but one rule in this matter: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable."