Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 60:238 (Apr 1903)
Article: Is The World Spiritual?
Author: John Bascom

BSac 60:238 (April 1903) p. 223

Is The World Spiritual?

Pres. John Bascom

Is the primary movement of the world a spiritual one? While many may think that this question depends upon Revelation for its answer, and has been definitely determined by it in the affirmative; yet, even for these, an important purpose may be subserved by pushing the inquiry to an issue in our daily experience of the world. If we regard Revelation as the great source of light, that which is to be disclosed to us by this light is the make-up and inner force of human history. Events have their trend, and offer an experience which, in brief and in broad periods, is sure to have its own fulfillment. These striking historic features ought to exert a commanding influence over our conclusions, ought to come in constant correction and confirmation of opinions from whatever source derived. Indeed, Revelation will often sink into doubt, or disappear in darkness, unless it puts us upon terms of explanation with the life in which we and the whole race of men are submerged. The land may seem bright with sunlight; but great banks of fog will come drifting in from the sea, cut off our vision and confound our thoughts, if we have no knowledge of the processes of nature. What we wish to understand, what we must handle, what alone can give us a growing sense of reality, is a just perception of the flood of events which come to us from the past, push on their way beneath us, and bear us into the future. Herein vision and knowledge and courage reach their normal development. Herein God

BSac 60:238 (April 1903) p. 224

speaks to us most directly and personally, and tests our powers of comprehension. No man can possess prophetic insight otherwise than in this direction.

The test of Revelation does not lie in itself, but in its correspondence with facts, its disclosure of things. It has been a constant and disastrous mistake in theology to suppose that a certain verbal advantage was given us by Revelation; that words, as footprints of thought, might be scented and pursued till the grandest truths were overtaken and pulled down. If we had looked upon the phenomena of life as interpreters of Revelation, as we have made Revelation the expounder of these phenomena, we should have fallen into no such absolute rendering of depravity, redemption, salvation, the justice of God and his dealings with men, as has characterized our theology.

In the inquiry Is the world spiritual? we mean by “spiritual” the ultimate predominance of the affections over the appetites, passions, and desires; we mean that the universal, harmonious relations of men to each other, whose most definite expression is love, are intended to rule all inferior terms, and bring us nearer an ethical law suited to themselves and productive...