the customs of the Jews, for thus were his teachings more acceptable to them.

2-INSPIRATION.

The great objection which the conservative Christian brings against a work of this kind, is that it will tend to overthrow the commonly accepted belief that all scripture is inspired. He says, If the story is not true, if it is but a tradition put into a historical cloak, how can it be inspired? If the psalm is but a compilation of borrowed verses and entirely inappropriate to the occasion, could God have guided the pen of the author?

Not a few are still fond of thinking that the very old theory of verbal inspiration is correct. The story of Jonah presents such people with absolutely no support to encourage them in their belief.

Many would believe that the thoughts of the author were divinely guided that he might be preserved from all error.

No

argument in support of the theory can be found in the book of Jonah. Indeed, hardly a bit of literature which was ever classified as history exists, which contains so many serious errors as this story.

There is reason, however, for those who wish, to associate the story of Jonah with the idea of inspiration, if not with that idea which Christian people have so long entertained in connection with the Hebrew writings. As Isaiah of old was inspired to preach his powerful sermons or Paul to write his beautiful letters; as Michael Angelo was inspired to mould the clay or Raphael to use the brush; as Columbus was inspired to venture across the unknown ocean in search of a new continent or Luther to free a part of the Church from the superstitions of Romanism, and as Shakespeare was inspired to portray human nature upon the stage, so the book of Jonah was inspired to teach the narrow minded Hebrews that God did not love

them alone, but that every man who would, whether a sailor upon the ocean or an enemy in Nineveh or an American, might be a child of God.

3.-CANONICITY.

THE Conservative Christian says, The story of Jonah is in the Bible and consequently it must be true, for the Bible is true. It is regrettable that the Sundayschool teacher and the average pastor never allude to the canons of the Old and New Testaments. Few, apart from advanced critical students, are aware how the Bible was formed; why certain books were included and others excluded from the list of sacred writings, or why some of the Apocryphal books were rejected and the Song of Songs, Ruth, and Jonah accepted. Popular supposition says that the selection was made under divine guidance, or that each author received a divine command to write a particular part of the

Bible, so that the various books were sacred from the beginning. A tradition which comes from the middle ages, and without doubt it was commonly accepted at one time, says that the priests desiring to know which of the Hebrew writings were inspired and which were not, placed them all together upon the floor near a table. It was then commanded the books to leap upon the table. The legend asserts that "the right books jumped upon the table, and the wrong ones remained beneath it." This is but little more suspicious than the tradition that Ezra or that the men of the Great Synagogue decided which books should be taken into

the canon. It would be a long story to explain the growth of the Old Testament canon or to speak of the discussions which have arisen over individual books. reader is referred to the work upon that subject by Ryle. A few statements must suffice here.

The

It should be understood that a Hebrew

literature existed before a canon was

formed. The writers of the books of the Old Testament had no knowledge of the prominent rôle which their productions were to play in later years; their only thought was to write a history, or a code of laws, or a prophecy, or a story, whatever the case might be. As time passed and traditions grew, the writings were regarded with a veneration which is shown, sometimes unjustly, to all things which are ancient. Even to-day the marginal references or the summaries placed at the beginnings of the chapters of some Bibles by modern translators, are frequently believed to be sacred. How many have not thought that Watt's Hymn Book or Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress are entitled to a place among the most sacred of writings? The ancient Hebrew literature, constantly employed in the legal and religious life of the people finally became sacred, sanctified by use and age. Thus the first canon or Pentateuch arrived at