Milman, Thirlwall and many others,
approached it from different directions. The spirit of scientific
investigation that was in the air was applied with reverent hands, but
with unsparing resolve to ascertain the exact truth. The investigation
was no longer confined to dogma; a proof text from the Bible was no
longer sufficient to close a controversy. The Bible itself must be
subjected to investigation. This was indeed going to the foundations.
There was a wild outcry against rationalism and iconoclasm, but the
search for truth and fact went on. As in a siege, the garrison must
sometimes destroy with their own hands outworks which cannot be
successfully defended, and may be made a vantage ground for the enemy,
so the defenders of Christianity set themselves to the task of finding
out how much of the current theology was credible and tenable, and how
much might wisely be abandoned, to insure the safety of the remainder.
The discoveries of Geology, Astronomy and of Biology could not be
denied, yet their testimony was contrary to Christian doctrine. "The
world was made in six natural days," said the old Christian preacher.
"The world was thousands of years in the making," said the geologist.
The preacher appealed to his Bible, the geologist appealed to the
rocks. The issue was fairly joined, and in the early years of the
century it seemed as if there was no alternative but that of believing
the Bible and denying science, or believing science and giving up the
Bible; it seemed impossible to believe both. When the scientific
theologian ventured to suggest that the word "day," might mean age, or
period, there was another outcry that the Bible was being surrendered
to the enemy. But it was realized that the message of the Bible to the
world was not scientific, and that its usefulness was not impaired by
the suggested mode of understanding its record of creation; and
gradually the surrender was accepted. It is true that to this day
there are some who will not accept it, as there is at least one
preacher who insists, on the authority of the Bible, that "the sun do
move," but the number diminishes in every generation. A beginning was
made in attaining the true view of the Bible which led further and has
not yet reached its limits. Having admitted that the Bible was not
given to teach science the Church has to decide whether it can admit
the theory of evolution and whether its records of history are
authoritative. These questions ar
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