The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-02-28


The Trenton Times IS astonishing
the natives. It's editor is Il sort of
Multum in parvo. and he appears to-
be equally at home. whether lac is dis
cussing the one-borse car, the wearing of
gum shoes. the theatre and ballet girls.
questions of constitutional law. or the
more serious and deep questions of
theology.
Usually men do not give their opinions
on any serious or important question I'M
til after they have made careful study
20 & ists-auf given it deep. thought. Our
Trenton editor, however, has no occasion
for such process. He dispenses with
the laborious work of thinking, and never
allows stubborn facts to interfere with
the flow of assertions.
In last Saturday issue. under the title
of " Criticism that is too high, he wipes
ont orthodoxy with few scratches of his
pen and places rationalism at the helm.
He pays high tribute to skeptical
writers such rs Renan. Mathew Arnold
Theodore Parker, etc, and says there are
few writer's IN the orthodox ranks who
can or Go cope with them. But lest Of
thodoxy may be utterly discouraged by
his statement, he strains point to
grant that "Thcre are orthodox scholars
who have read and studied the bibles Of
all the ereeds as carefully, aud, possibly,
with as much honesty as the followers of
the higher criticism But because these
skeptical writers are sneh paragons in the
use Of language, and are apparently
twice as truthful as the orthodox writer's
therefore the young men of the day are
drifting fast into rat ionalism and ngnos-
ticism.
According to this editor, The higher
criticism has taken away the fear of
DEATH and shown the absurtlity and
blasphemy Of belief in sn endless hell,
thority and Jesus of all his divinity
Our editor also thinks cit may not be
any more essential to believe the o.callod
miracles of the Bible than it is necessary
to believe tile stories that accompany the
lives of great men, 1t is a source of
consolation TO learn from so profound a
source that after eternal punishment
miracles, Jesus, &C., have been eliminated
from the Bible, nevertheless, 9 it is neces-
sary to believe that there is Bible just
as it is to believe that there are great
men in history Now after this sage
remark, we are prepared to believe his
assertion that there is an immense
amount Of intellect > on his side of the
question. But we can't join with him in
expressions Of pity that the other side
Il. e. the orthodox has not an equal
amount OF brains. 10 that case there
would be toe much of good thing
The editor of the Trenton Times is the
son Of Presbyterian minister, who is n
man of scholarship and brains. and a
student He is one of those orthodox
men who has probably thought at least
as deeply and read MS extensively as the
son, and he has not discovered that
rationalism has "robbed the Bible of its
authority or Jesus of his divinity This
is reserved for those who with half
matured minds read enough Of one side
Of subject 10 imagine that when they
open their mouth Wisdom cries
We advise our Trenton friend to drop
skepticism. There is no use in his trying
60 be an agnostic. An agnostic some
one has said, is a man who is not certain
that he knows anything, and is proud Of
it. Evidently our Trenton friend is not
aa agnostic, for he feels sure that he
knows everything, and is proud of it.
But as he grows older he will know
less Then he will not offend religion
and common sense by flippant, bob-veal
editorials, on subjects that need respectful
and intelligent treatment.