Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-16
THE BIBLE.
INTERESTING DISCUSSION BY EPIsco-
PAL CHURchMEN.
Closing Session of the Congress In
Philadelphia.

Whitaker, and in the midst OF unbound
ed enthusiasm. the Protestant Episcopal
Church Congress at Philadelphia came
TO an end at o'clock Friday afternoon.
Tho same earnest Of purpose and depth
Of thought which had marked the pre-
vious sessions was still noticeable. "There
has been," said the Bishop just before
he announced the adjournment, "no
Church congress before that has been
more earnest and real 1t has added to
our information, it has widened and
frightened our outlook, and has warmed
our hearts.
Then the entire Congress arose and
sang Gi0rfd in Erceisis, after which the
benediction was pronounced and the
Congress separated.
The day began with the discussion OF
the subject, positive Gains in Biblical
Criticism" IT was opened with an ar
ticle read by Professor Henry ). Nash,
OF Cambridge, Mass. He said the criu-
cism of tho Bible had IN time past
tendency to weaken the power, but the
Bible was older than the Church itself.
| Then Professor Nash went on
The challenge about the Bible may
cause some landsIides, but the criticisms
may lead TO some positive gains. We
may be led 10 believe that IN the crit
cisIns of the Bible in the Churchill there may
be some gain. The right of suffrage in
the Church to criticise seems to have
been established. When once the night
of reason is denied the Word Of God is
in danger The warfare OF criticism
must be a genuine warfare, but not
sham battle.
CRITICISM LIGHTS THE WAY.
The aim of criticism is to lead TO
| knowledge OF Gods Word as He gave 1t.
1t is probable that doctrinal belief goes
along with a decline in interest. The
right of reason goes hand in hand with
the right Of criticism. While the great
est of religious books, the Bible IS the
least monastic. While the Old Tesla
ment has suffered in details it has
grown stronger. What we have gained
! is the humanity of our Lord with that
| Thought the New Testament starts. Tho
first apostle did not see the truth as We
now see 1t.
"The fulnoss Of Divine light IS the
LIGHT of the world Criticism has led us
TO SEQ history as genuine history, and
not an alleg0ry but history cannot exist
without criticism. The Church can at
last do credit TO the New Testament, the
canon within the canon. The new was
latent in the old. but the old has become
patent in the new. The Old Testament
has been enriched by the sacrifice OF
Christ HIMSELF The writer went on TO
saw that now il is certain that know
ledge of the truth ia to be gained, and
the greatest gain "ls the right Oh the
man TO Cnticlse.
NATURE or CRITICISM.
Rev. Professor Gould, Of the Divinity
School Of Philadelphia, followed with
nm article on the same subject. lie
went into the nature of Biblical crltl-
cism and referred to the difference be
tween criticism itself and the usd made
of it.
There are certain critics, no said, who
claim that tho supernatural does not
help them. But miracles are not I'M
possible, and there is room for query
as 10 whether, if the Biblical miracles
are true. there should be any doubt on
miracles in general. Higher criticism
appeals TO the nobler attributes of man
ana men OF the sincerest faith welcome
il. no matter what may be ITS apparent
effect. Professor Gould said there
could be no doubt that the student wei
coined the light, and continued
Wrong views of the Bible had led to
wrong uses OF il. With this goes the
question Of higher authority. 1t Is one
Of the gains that it puts before us the
origin and nature OF authority. but
there has been another gain. That is an
understanding of the nature OF religion
the basis of the Old-Testament religion,
in which revelation and human need
stand side by side. All offences,
whether against the moral or divine law,
are looked upon as sins. There IS
solemnity surrounding the denunciatiou
of guch offences. For instance, death Il
decreed TO one who eats while he IS un'
clean. All this is mingled with no sense
of incongruity with the laws regulating
Judaism as great community. The
antaconism of Judaism formed the basis
of its history. The several parts Oh th'
Mosaical law are evidently the results o.
long growth.
PLANE OF JUDAISM.
buddhism is the greatest religion out
side of Christianity. The settlement o
n number of questions regarding 1t haC
been a great gain from Biblical criticism
of the Old Testament Referring TO Thu
New Testament, he said that Christianity
found its chief enemy in itself IN tn
bepinning in Journalism and legalism
In the second century they had litera
ture coming from Judaism, from wheel
came truth with an admixture OF error
Christianity found nothing but tins upol
which TO base its literature, 10 th'
criticism of the Bible We owe much o
the material which has met all the point
made. and put Christianity upon tn
basis of a sound scholarship. The pre-
. sumption has TO come finally to the ties
, of historical criticism, and 1t Is no SINAI
: gain that we are now able to SIT dow
: and compare the gains to ChrlstlanlI.
from this higher criticism.
, Rev. p. T.. Washburn, of Northamp
, ton, Mass, said he had looked wit
, much anxiety on the subject OF Bib
criticism for fear that something. OF fart
} might be lost, but he regarded the cor
liet with calmness. 1t must be met.
Biblical criticism teaches discrlmina
ton and is the very base and life OF tn
: Bible. II has riyeted mems attentio
; upon it. Does it not guide us in tn
/; moral application and teaching? Tn
', sense OF unreality lis thrown down wit
those who reverently and devoutly rea
! Il. | realize there is weakness IN On
: crimination. Some men want bluI
statement. Criticism teaches us to SC
what the Scriptures really are.
CRITICISM coURrED.
Rev. DIR. Mortimer, of Staten Islan'
= took the place of Rev. Professor Thoms
Richey, Of New York. tie opened wit
. the declaration that he did not lear II
. yestigation. The Church, he declared
was divided into two schools-one lea
IL