The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-11-14
The Prevalent Unbeliei OF the
Day-Evidence OF Human Inn.
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From the London Spectator. 81. 49,
The Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol
has been delivering this week series Of
thoughtful addresses on the prevalent
unbelief OF the day, in which he described
that unbelief as rather q vague and
driftless tendency than fixed state Of
mind; nay the unbelievers, he says, have
SO completely succeeded in suspending
their judgment that they hardly believe
even in their own unbelief. He traces
this condition Of things chiefly to three
causes-to the impression, produced by
the historical criticism Of modern times,
OF the vast uncertainty attending all an.
cient history, and especially all history
involving stories OF miracles; to the adj
vance Of scientific notions which seem to
dispense with the creative energy Of
God {; and to the new intensity with
which the enigmaS OF life, the moral and
metaphysical difficulties involved in the
origin Of evil, are urged upon the iuagi'
nation OF all Of US. H-.s-'st
For our own part, while we accept
what Bishop Ellicott says OF the unique
character OF the Old Testament history;
while we cordially believe that its con-
tinuous and indelible realism in painting
man, and It's constant and deep belief in
the Providence OF God afford testimony
at once to the honesty OF the narratives
and the deep foundation Of Hebrew his.
tory in a genuine revelation, we cannot
recognize any feature in 1t which should
assure us against those great mistakes OF
detail which occur in all other history
especially as we do find here and there
those remarkable inconsistencies, between
one part Of the history and another
which are characteristic OF all human
authorship Of an Impractical and easily
believing age. It seems to US that his
torical criticism makes 40 unsnswerable
case against the habit Of assigning any.
thing Ike very high authority as 10 dc.
tail TO such histories Us the earlier mar
ratives Of the Old Testament, and that no
one can reasonably believe In any very
high authority for them except on some
such ground US the. infallibility Of the
Church, whose canonical Scriptures they
form. But as We cannot see any proof OF
such iniallibility, and, indeed, find 10 the
Old Testament histories much which is
quite inconsistent with il, we should say
that, on the whole, the kind Of hesitation
which historical criticism has taught tbs
in accepting the details Of Old Testament
history-espeeially the early history-is
we'll justified. Not the less we should
maintain that the coherent belief Of the
prophets and historians in the divine
purpose which formed Israel into 4 dis.
tinct people, and nodded II for a special
function in the life Of the world-a be.
liei which shines through all the early
traditions, the early records, and the
early poems Of the people as clearly as
through its latest prophecies-isgo good and
striking evidence that they were u people
chosen by God to understand His charac.
ter and declare il to the rest OF the earth;
and that their national character had
been forned-it not exactly by the expe,
riencc described, yet BY experience more
or less closely resembling It in the conf.
dence 1t had given, them In the mighty
hand ard ountretched arm Of JehovSL--
for the very purpose for which Il was
ultimately used BY the Divine power. It
is quite ono thing to say that all these
curious old books, full Of the evidence Of
human imperfection, not only in the sub
iects treated, but In the persons who
treated them, are 10 be implicitly trusted
as accurate records, though they neither
claim Inspiration for themselves nor
show any trace Of completeness and eS.
ceptionai accuracy, aud quite another,
and very. different thing indeed, to &C.
cept them heartily Is the reflection Of u
true faith, extending through many ages,
in the guiding hand.ot God who was not
only teaching the people whose history
they embody the lesson Of righteous.
ness, but filing them with the expecta.
ton Of q destiny which would, through
their race, bring Life and light and hope
In o, broad stream Of regenefating power
into the world. .ug- - I'D q. zzI