Dungan - Hermeneutics
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D. R. <strong>Dungan</strong>'s <strong>Hermeneutics</strong>: A Text-Book: Chapter III.<br />
reputation for independence of thought, adopt anything and everything that promises to bring them to<br />
public view. One man was capable of finding all the ordinances of the church in the book of Job. And all<br />
the quaint or curious things from first to last, have come from this desire for leadership. Hence they must<br />
find in the Scriptures what no one else has been able to find, or their claim to acuteness will not be well<br />
maintained.<br />
SEC. 24. EFFORTS TO HARMONIZE SCIENCE WITH THE BIBLE ARE DOING MUCH HARM.<br />
We have no objections to any investigation into the subject of science and revelation. But what we do<br />
object to, is the demand that Scripture interpretation must keep pace with the guesses of scientific<br />
speculators. Every new theory that is advanced demands a new hermeneutics. Words must he bent and<br />
shaded till they will fit the wards and cells of the new science.<br />
The old theologians took advantage of science, and declared that everything that did not accord with<br />
their interpretation of the Bible could not be true, and, therefore, should not be tolerated. This, of course,<br />
was very discouraging to scientific research. No man was at liberty to push his investigations beyond the<br />
creed of the church. All can now see the injustice and injury of such unrighteous jurisdiction.<br />
But in latter times it has been changed, so that the [46] scientist comes and sets himself up in a kind<br />
of espionage over the, interpreter of the word of God. These are both wrong, and both to be condemned.<br />
Before any man is ready to say that the Bible and science are not agreed, he should know two things:<br />
first, he should know all about the Bible; and second, he should know all about science. In the meantime,<br />
the best thing he can do will be to learn all he can of either one, or both.<br />
It is not to be denied that we may know some things, at least approximately, and that so far as facts<br />
have been really introduced and tested, we may be governed by them, just to the extent of our absolute<br />
knowledge. But no interpreter should trouble himself to make exegesis keep up with scientific<br />
hypotheses. Science has no more right to lord it over religion, than religion has to lord it over science. He<br />
who made the universe made the Bible, and when we come to understand them both, we will be<br />
delighted with their beautiful harmony. And it is, therefore, the privilege and duty of every man to push<br />
his investigations as far and as fast as he can. [47]<br />
[HATB 36-47]<br />
[Table of Contents]<br />
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D. R. <strong>Dungan</strong><br />
<strong>Hermeneutics</strong>: A Text-Book (1888)<br />
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