, 1889-03-07

other of his faculties, just as the reasonin
powers Of the cave.dweller have develope,
into the reasoning powers of a Kant. VIVA
one wants is the ordered proof OF this, an,
IL can be got from history and ex perience.
All will freely admit that this Nigh
prove an interesting and proRta study
But while the squire's book remains un
written, Robert and the writer could not
and all readers of the romance cannot, af
ford to forget or ignore the fact that, dur
ing the present century, the gospel nara
tives have been subjected to this very kline
Of scientific criticism, and has come out o.
the crucible purified somewhat, perhaps
but established upon sure basis Of his
toric verify.
Three great scholars, Wilhelm Dew cite
Ferdinand Baur and David Strauss, al
most at the same time, influenced largely
by deductions from the philosophy o.
Kant and Hegel. began independent criti
cal study Of the history of the frst thret
centuries Of our era, including the book
Of the New Testament. They each pro
extending from 1881 to 1860 and beyond
Baur has been called "the father Of de-
structive criticism" and Strauss as the
founder Of the mythical" or fairy tale
theory Of accounting for the supernatural
elements In the bible.
De Wette had applied tue latter theory
10 the Old Testament before trying it upon
the Now Testament. All have passed
away, and the latest results of their
years Of laborious study and OF their imme.
mediate followers are before US. Strauss,
in his revised Life Of Jesus" even to the
fourth edition, abandoned much of his
former theory, admitting q real Jesus,
and that he Stands foremost among those
..,kN Ia., ks..l L. l...
manity." In his latest works, in answer
tiansp" "Have we still religionp" he
declared against bis former veneration for
Christianity; against the existence of o
personal God; against personal immortal
ity for man; and in favor of that evolu-
ton which makes the universe 'only a
development from a blind force or law,
without any foreseen end" He must
have sat for Squire Wendover, of the ro-
nance.
Prof Baur of Tubingen also. at first.
eliminated the supernatural element from
the gospels. "Yet as an earnest and hon.
est skeptic. he had to confess ut last a
mirecle In the conversion OF
Paul, and to bow before the greater
out which the former is an inexplicable
enigma" His researches frat brought to
light the exciting intellectual differences
Of the primitive church, and the keen
rivalry between the professed followers of
Peter and those of Paul. Regarding g those
spistles only AZ genuine, which revealed
The beginnings of this contest, he held to
Four of these as actually written by Paul
Romans first and second Corinthians, and
but his followers carried The
number to ten. Even from the four, how
ever, it is settled beyond fair dispute that.
within twenty years of the events, the
greatest of miracles. the resurrection
and the ascension Of our Lord, we're
accepted as literal facts by this educated
and highly instructed Roman Jew; and
who had been ''eye witnesses of his glory"
proclaimed throughout the Roman empire
. gospel of God based upon those facts.
And so, at the end of his critical studies.
Prof. Baur declared that no theory yet de-
vised could scientifically account for Paul's
faith but that which is based on the his
toric fact of the resurrection. The Fairy
raJe' theory has vanished into fairy land.
DeWette, the third scholar referred TO,
was perhaps the greatest genius of the
three, and one OF the greatest students
and most prolific writer's that ever lived,
/ cannot pause here to present, even in
outline. his ingenious theory TO harmonize
thought and feeling, intellect and faith.
both of which belong to man, and must be
allowed their natural place. Nor can I
more than refer to his beautiful, Christ
like life. can only quote from the pre-
face to the last volume of his masterly
on the New Testament, is
sued in 1848, one year before his death:
II know" be says, that there is salvation
ia no other name but the name of Jesus
Christ, and him crucifed; and that there
Is nothing hiQhec for humanity than the
3 cd manhood realized in him." His last
words in this preface should be pondered
we'll: "Christianity must become life and
leed." just before his death, he uttered
.hese weiRhty words: Although q mys-
.ery that cannot be dissipated rests on the
way and manner of the resurrection of
Christ. the fact of the resurrection can no
more be brought into doubt by honest his
.oric evidence than can the assassination of
CDsar."
cannot but feel persuaded that Rob-
ert Elsmere, had he studied De Wette,
With half the zeal he did Straup. would
nave died with like faith, resting, like
Paul's. on the solid rock of the crucified
and risen Christ. His creative genius did
him grevious wrong to shut his eyes to
such a scholar. even in that immensely
rich library Of Squire Wevdover. 1t is
well, also, TO recall here what Rev. Joseph
Cook has referred to-. that the real Prof.
Gray. Prof. Green of Oxford, did, on his
death bed, call for the reading of the
eighth chapter of Romans. which closes
with this splendid output of joyful conf
dence ut is Christ that died, yea rather.
that was raised from the dead, who is at
the right hand of God, who also maketh
intsrcession for us. Who sharl separate
US from the love of Christi" and 30 on.
Ex-senator slator Dying.
LAGRANDR, March 2, Special.-Ex
United States Senator James II. Slater is
now lying in a semi conscious state with