THE Methodist ministers in the vicinity of Boston have a meeting every Monday morning. Usually an essay is read by one of the ministers. Last Monday one of the leading Methodists of the city read a paper upon Genesis. He spent his whole half hour or more in tearing that book to pieces until there was not a shred of it left. Genesis, we are told, is not history; it does not give a narrative of facts; indeed,15there may not be a single fact narrated in the book. It is a "collection of ancient, oriental myths which the Holy Spirit inspired men to use in order to reveal spiritual truths."
That is, the Spirit of truth used these lies to reveal eternal truth! And all this blasphemy, in face of the fact that the greatest historians in the world have declared that the most ancient and most reliable historic document that has come down from all the ages of the past is the tenth chapter of this Book of Genesis! If the facts of this book had been found in the writing of some pagan philosopher, they would have been lauded to the skies, but, being in the Bible, the ministerial infidels of the day must kick them about as athletes at a game of football!
It does seem as if men were going mad—losing their mental balance—taking leave of their power to reason and reach sane conclusions! Is it a strange delusion that has come, and are men believing a lie? And the worst of it all is, the whole assembly of ministers cheered this crazy paper of blasphemous utterances to the echo, and then, to crown all, an aged and venerable brother moved a "vote of thanks for this able and instructive paper," which vote was carried without a dissenting or protesting voice! Methodism is not going—it is gone, in and around Boston.—Watchword and Truth.