read, and to cast it to dogs.

27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the
crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

--Matt. xv.

Do you think that was kind? Do you think it was godlike? What would
you think of a physician, if a woman came to him distressed and said,
"Doctor, come to my daughter; she is very ill. She has lost her reason,
and she is all I have!" What would you think of the doctor who would not
reply at all at first, and then, when she fell at his feet and worshiped
him, answered that he did not spend his time doctoring dogs? Would you
like him as a family physician? Do you think that, even if he were to
cure the child then, he would have done a noble thing? Is it evidence of
a perfect character to accompany a service with an insult? Do you think
a man who could offer such an indignity to a sorrowing mother has a
perfect character, is an ideal God? I do not. And I hope that Jesus
never said it. I prefer to believe that that story is a libel.

It won't do. We have either to give up the "inspiration" theory of the
Bible, and acknowledge that it is the work of men of a crude and brutal
age, and like any other book of legend and myth of any other people; or
else to give up the claim that God is any better than the rest of us.
You can take your choice.

Whenever a theologian undertakes to explain matters so as to keep the
Bible and the divine character both intact, I am always reminded of
the story of the Irishman who was given a bed in the second story of
a lodging-house the first night he spent in New York. In the night the
fire-engines ran past with their frightful noise. Aroused from a deep
sleep and utterly terrified, Mike's first thought was to get out of
the house. He hastily jerked on the most important part of his costume,
unfortunately wrong side before, and jumped out of the window. His friend
ran to the window and exclaimed, "Are ye kilt, Mike?" Picking himself up
and looking himself over by the light of the street lamp, he replied,
"No, not kilt, Pat, but I fear I am_ fatally twishted_."

Next we have God's opinion (on Bible authority) as to the use of wives.
They were to be forcibly changed around _as a punishment to their
husbands_ and for offences committed by the latter.

11 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against
thee out of thy own house, and I will take thy wives before
thy eyes and give them unto thy neighbor.

--