The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-12-28
DR.. Watts New Work.

The DAILY Rerie'c of Edinburgh, the organ
OF the Free Church, was formerly favo-ablv in
cllned towards the views of Prof. Robertson
Smith. 1t is gratifying to note that it has com
Pletely changed Its tone. From an extended
notice of DR.. Watts new work we make the
following extract:
a careful perusal of Professor Watts renlv 70
Mr. Robertson Smith enables us to saw that all
though the former may not have read so mapy-
ARABIC manuscripts as the latter, he has a much
superior knowledge of his Hebrew Bible ana
that, In such controversy as the present ought
to count for something The theories which for
tlhe nl!ed with alarm the friends of orthodoxy
have received at the hand of the Belfast Pro-
lessor the coup dc grace, and will not. we are
convinced, show face again before the Scottish
public TO whom the lectures were oripinallv
addressed. We shall feel surprised if il do NOT
become even more fashionable than it has been
IN the past for the friends of the ex Professor of
Hebrew to enter a caveat against their BEING
supposed to have an entire sympathy with him
In his views and in the light of the witherine
exposure OF the tendency of Mr. Robertson
Smiths newer criticism" the Church of the
future. as announced by learned professor at
recent gathering in Edinburgh, must be con.
tent to wait Its realization for an indefinite.
NUMBER OF years The idea that the whole Le-
vltlcal system dates only from the time of Ezra
ana that 1t was excogtated during the exile, is
shown to have no foundation outside of the
vivid imagination of the lecturer
Ii the arguments against the t-exilic origin
OF the laws contained in the Pentateuch be
stroug and convincing those directed against
the theological views or rather the te,ads6c,, of
the theological views of Mr. Smith, are donbIv
So Going back to the origin of the controversy
our readers will recollect that the principal OBJ
lection to the article Bible" in the EncvcIo
paedla Britannica rested upon its unsettIing
tendencies. If DR.. Watts be correct in his
statement OF Mr.. Smiths views-and we believe
nun TO be So unsettling' was by no means
too strong an expression. 1t was not to be tol
Grated In a Church which demands of all her
ministers a mode ofpreaching which shall be in
accordance with the Confession of Faith that
any OF her professors should teach such views as
the following That sacrifice is of human origin
that the Slnatlc covenant was altogether a Gov
enant OF works; that alongside of a popular form
of religion there existed an esoteric doctrine in
which forgiveness works directly, without the
intervention OF any ritual sacramento that the
Holy spirit was not given in Old Testament
times to the believer Individually, but onlv to
Israel as nation. These assertions touc6 as
any one may see at glance the very essence
OF the Ialth and no amount of brilliant talk
ABOUT the Semitic genius not lying in the direc-
ton OF organic structure can be permitted 10
GOV statements so diametricallv opDosite tn
scripture. Scottish Christianity will tolerate
large amount of speculation as to the Temple
being an aggregation of small cells, and the
longest Biblical history being qualification
and not an organism, but it is not prepared To
slt easily under the statements given above. It
is partly amused at the assumption of one
speaking as if he had looked over the shoulder
OF the coPylst, and as if he could lay his hand
upon what was dictated by the Holy Spirit and
what owed ITS origin to the lax ideas Of the Sc
nitc genius but 1t feels that it must sternly set
itself against system which all but asserts. as
DR.. Watts very well says, that for more than
three thousand years men were saved if thew
weresaved at all, on quasiSocnian principles. and
that from the time of the return from Babylon
the way of life was changed from the SociniaD
70 the evangelical We cannot do better than
give at length DR.. Watts argument under This
head (the Tabernacle and Temple), thanking
him at the same time for the able and exhaustive
reply which he has given to the positions taken
up by the newer criticism"