, 1876-11-19

the miraculous holds place. this at least may oe
Eaid, that in the Old Testament we nasS tneae eas
unique characteristics. first, demonstrate coh-
tinuity In the component portions; thoagh tnese
portions are numerous, diversified IN character, .t
md range over period OF thousand yca1s ,,i,;r
ondly, not only the presence Of prophecies Will
can be shown to have been prior to the c'e!s ~
which they refer. and to have been Vernea ~ ~
tail by those events. but distinct coh1lnu.ty l ~
the method OF these prophecies, as We'll ~ soA
Now. in that passage We do not think tnat -.
Elicot has accurately s1atea e..nGr o haye studied
the methods OF historical cf1ncisms, os .ns hta t
answer which. If they accepted that ANSWER a. es
in fact they wo1ld think s"n f history both
ancient and modern, the more We lealn ~
with the greatest possible reserve the evidence 1l
single ~ nnt Xxi more
fo7 any cyent banded down by tradition and not
frst recorded on contemporary evidence; and 1noss
ter To- Wick even even If recorded by contemporary
evidence md by more than oneseparatc authority,
would be received with hesitation. unless We could
6rn M faith in what they wrote. but that they had
thc means Of discriminating fully between
illusion and fact, We should deny tlaat that
sFould draw 70 broad distinction us the Bishop in
timatcs between the kind Of evidence requisite for
miraculous events, and the kind OF evidence re-
all BELIEF should be governed by evidence, mud that
even very ordinary and probable crent onsht not
to be unhesitatin:ly accepted Us true on cnony-
nous evidence OF which We do not know the value.
-thAt the more unlikely the event, the weigh1ier
should be the evidence by which is authenticated
and TINT In the case OF mere tradition conveyed
% 'ay eaasn y I tbs s hardly sT passSs 70
expect that more than very broad features indeed
OF the national history should be faithfully handed
down. while the individual character ot ths critical
course OF transmission. even through the most
loyal memories and the most faithful hearts.
They Il tb o 6d ~; ae the eas older a m aai
tives are deuionstrably not contemporary: i:
but by their frequent allusons to events OF much
later date prove that they assumed their present
form, all events, in very much later age; that
even Of those narratives which may be contempo-
rary, the evidence is very seldom confirmed from
any independent source, and sometimes consldera-
bly, weakened by narratives OF decidedly differ
ent complexion (as, for instance in the case OF the
Books Of Kings and the Books OF Chronicles) irum
an independent source Lastly, they wonid say
ing adequate to sustain onr confidence III their tes
tiInony to very extraordinary events, IL hardly
enough to warrant complete belief in any but the
most broad and popular aspects of ordinary erents
and that this view is confirmed by observing that in
proportion az the Old Testament history approach
times in which it relies on records
the number OF the maEvels dwindles, and with the
exception Of q few predictions which may Or
may not be OF the xind whose accurate fulfill
ment can be adequately tested, the there r: ~, IL
difficulty thus raised by historical criticism, DR..
Ellicott's reply seems to be quite insufficient 1t
Is true, We think, that the eariY history OF the
from all other early history 1t L. true that most
unique characteristic complete, and graphic real
ism IN its pictures Of human character an and hie'
ance Of divine hand,-ru all through it. 1t is
true also TINT there is ''continuty III the compo-
nent portions II we mean By eoattnuitx eont'n
with which calamity and prosperity are Mike re-
garted, continuity Of expectation in looking to-
wards st mere glorious future AL 1 ta,1 is frae
ull this s very insufficient to remove the doubts
which historical criticism casts over the trustworth
mess of a and in less over all
II II the asas national iife,-Sh'ch doubts aFe as
clearly in IT relation at to henrew Ms -
that history, for instance, prevent much of its
chronology from being .coninsed, not to say i'm
possible: many Of its statistics from being incon-
sslent with the facts narrated. ocOnsidcF1ble por
t1ou Of its politics from being colored by party
feeling and written from an1agonistic points OF
these incidental defects as is the account Of the
Exodus, for example, for the historical accuracy
If miracles Of the most unique Kind: How are We
to take authority that comes into conflict with
Hcrodotus, for marve1s which, thoagh much less
puerile, and more worthy Of the occasion, than
great consensus of testimony as an. which the
cond tons Of modern history could supply in order
to win belief from . modern historians What,
sweetening of the waters Of Jericho
by Elishns Can the brief narrative in which no
bears its very face the proof OF having been re-
corded long after the incident supposed to have
taken place, pretend for moment to take its 2lucc
among the events Uf authentic history! Unless the
documents in which it is contained can he proved
By any prosi proof to be inspired, d,-and Dr. Eli
colt not even suggest this.-the most TINT can
s.%1 %1,rf in 1n1 ffh
other traditions in the same history, and not
marvellous than they. But is that ground Oh
which even remarkable non miraculous event
would be accepted us historical il il appeared In any
other history than u book Of The Old Testament:
For our own parts, while We accept Whit Bishop
Ellieott says the unique character Of the Did
Testament history: while cordially believe that
its continuous and indtlible realism in painting
man, and its constant anu deep belief in the proy
dence Of God afford Testimony at once TO the
honesty OF the narratives and the deep foundation
Of Hebrew history In a genuine revelation, we can
not recognize any feature in it which should assure
against those great mistakes Of detail which oc
cur in ali other rhistory-especia1ly do find
here and there tAose remarkable inconsistencies
between one part Of the history and nnother which
are Characteristic Of nll iunlnn authorship, and
especially Of the authorship Of unpracticed and
easily believing agc. 1t seems to US that
historical. criticism makes an unnnswc:able
case against the habit Of assigning anything
like very high authority as TO de1nl to such his
tories US the earlier narratives of the Old Testa-
ment, anu that no one can reasonably believe in
INy very nGgu dutuoI3t1 4uI tleul EACEpk Ou SJNle
snch ground lntallibility OF The Church, whose
canonic.l scriptures they form. But us cannot
see any proof Of such infallib:lity, and, indeed,
find in the Old Testament histories much which is
quite inconsistent with It, should say that, on
the whole, the kind of hesitation which historical
criticism mas taught us in accepting the details Of
Old Testament thsiory-especially the carly history
is well justified. Not tile less should main-
tain that The coherent belief OF the prophets and
historians in the .ivine purpose which formed
Israel into distinct people, and nodded it for
kpecal function III the life OF the wor1d-G belief
which shines through nl the early traditions, the
early records, and tine early poems Of The people as
clearly as through its lutest prophecies-is good
and striking evidence that they were people
chosen by God to understand His charac-
ter, and declare It to the rest Of the
earth; and that their national character had
been fornlcd-if not exactly by the experience de-
6criptd. yet by experience more or less closely
eembng it u the confidence it had given them in
the mighty hand and outstretchcd arm OF Jehovah
for the very purpose for which it was ultimately
used by the Divine power. It is quite one thing to
Say that nil these curious old books full Of the e
dence Of human imperfection, not only OIL the sub
jccts treated nut In the persons who treated them,
are to be implicitly trusted as accurate records,
though they neither claim Inspiration for thcn-
selves nor show any trace Of completeness and ex-
ccptiora accu. acy, and quite another, And very
different thing indeed to accept them heartily
the reflection Of q true faith. extending through
many ages, in the guiding hand Of God who was
not only teaching the people whose history they