32 



CONSTANCE L. MAYNARD ON 



It is of times long past that I am speaking, when the con- 

 troversy centred round the Bible, which I remember hearing 

 described as " a hopelessly mutilated document." Germany has 

 generally been at least forty years in front of England, whether 

 for good or ill. Good in the Reformation, and also in the 

 Evangelical Revival ; evil in the onslaught of rationalistic idejas. 

 These reached England about 1840, but were not fully translated 

 and put into the hands of the reading public till the seventies. 

 England's contribution on the scientific side also coincides, 

 Darwin's Origin of Species coming out in 1859, and the Descent 

 of Man in 1871. The total tumult was very great. The older 

 among you will remember the outcries on both sides, and those 

 who read and keep pace with the currents of critical thought 

 will be aware that in great measure the storm has sunk to rest. 

 In the beginning of this century a new method of attack was 

 begun; the Bible, i.e., the Inspiration of the Past, was left alone 

 for every man to interpret as he will, and all forces were directed 

 against the Inspiration of the Present, i.e., the work of the 

 Spirit of God in the heart of man. We are told that the wonders 

 of Conversion can be imitated in the hypnotic trance, and that 

 answers to Prayer are due to auto-suggestion, and so on. The 

 position is one of extreme peril to our next generation, but I for 

 one do not feel capable of dealing in public with the immense 

 questions involved. Some among us tend to get belated in matters 

 of thought, and I think it may be of real interest to trace the 

 position of the Bible through the last thirty years of the nine- 

 teenth century, and see where we stand in face of the tests the 

 future is sure to bring. There is so very much to say that, as 

 both time and space are limited, I pray you have patience. To be 

 brief is to appear dogmatic, and it is not easy to put the conclu- 

 sions of a lifetime into a few sentences. 



When these countless questions about the Bible were thronging 

 round me, as formless and ubiquitous as a swarm of locusts, 

 a little pamphlet fell into my hands that was a very great help. 

 Dr. Christlieb of Bonn wrote a ponderous book called Moderne 

 Zweifel, which was translated by a young relative of his. Dr. 

 Weitbrecht Stanton, now of Mildmay. To encourage English 

 readers to try to master so stiff a volume, the Introduction was 

 published separately, and it was this that, by the goodness of 

 God, fell into my hands, I think in the Long Vacation of 1874. 



The summary of it that remained in my mind was this. Before 

 fighting we must have reconnaissance. It may take long to 

 subdue our enemies, but our first duty is to enumerate them 

 and so make an estimate of the work that lies before us. Out- 

 cries are of no use. Our foes advance upon us in three main 

 bands or regiments, thus: — 



