Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-11
THE CHURCH AND UNBEL1Er.

| THE CHURCH AND UNBELIET.
Rev. DIR. Milton S. Terry, of Evanston,
| ILL.,, spoke on the attitude of the church to-
ward the various phases of unbelief. He
| said that unbelief was not the offspring of
| the difficulties of religion, but of the per-
| verse tendencies of the heart of man. 1t
was not the result of scientific research, but
of lack of moral training. Some averred
that all religion was superstition and a
bane to the human race. This took the
form of system. 1t was the old familiar
form-it was Satan's device.
Rev. w. T. Dawson, of England, tutor in
Biblical literature and exegesis in Rich
mond College, Wesleyan Methodist Church,
followed in an address on the subject of the
''Bible and Modern Criticism Biblical
criticism, he said, is now science. It is o
very young science. Though not younger
than many of its strong and thriving sisters,
it is still young, however, and must be
reckoned with as a science bv religious
teachers 1t implies full and free inquiry
into everything that concerns the bible as
series of literary documents. The text, the
date, the authorship, the style, the subject
matter of the various books, including their
bearing upon historical and scientific sub
jects so far as the Bible touches upon these
all these are legitimate subjects OF in
quiry, and the examination into them has
been so minute, so careful, so elaborate and
SO comprehensive that it has been erected
into science with many important branches.
Continuing the speaker said:
THE INVESTIGATION RETARDED.
The. process of ascertaining accurately
and scientifically the precise original text
is difficult and complex. In the New Testa-
ment the methods to be adopted and the re-
suits thus reached are accepted by scholars
with fairly general consent. In the case of
the Old Testament, however, much less
progress has been made Many circum-
stances retard the investigation, and,
whether we like it or not, it must be con-
fessed that at present the exact critical
value of the traditional text remains to be
determined.
The variations, however, OF readings both
in the old and new text, though numerous,
are so slightand comparatively unimportant
Church is content for scholars to pursue
their laborious work of determining these
minituR without any alarm or disturbance
OF mind. But it was otherwise with higher
criticism where the attacks on Christian
belief were bolder. But agreement was
steadily growing, and taking the difficulties
into consideration it must be admitted that
the higher criticism, especially historical,
now approached q science and it's results
must be frankly met by the preacher. The
Church had to beware of setting its face
cism. 1t must not take ND a position that
might soon prove untenable. [Hear, hearl
WHERE DIR. BRIGGS FAULT LIES.
Rev. Frank Ballard, of England, said that
the small time allotted for the discussion of
this great subject was an indication of dis
respect. "If any man did not believe in
science he did not believe in Cod had been
said before, but it was equally true now.
There was danger of the church playing the |
ostrich and by hiding its head try to ignore |
the things outside. He did not believe that |
unbelief was matter of the heart He had |
had letters from earnest, thoughtful skep- |
tics that were as full of longing and desire |
for the truth as any ever seen.
DR.. Buckley, of New York, said: Science |
could give no help as to the fundamental |
questions of religion; Christianity was as |
false as the widest superstition, unless the |
doctrine of the immaculate conception be |
true. Nine-tenths of what the high critics |
brought forward has been subject of study |
by bible students for 25 years. The trouble |
lay in arrogance of the critics. The trial of |
DIR. Briggs has resulted not, from what he |
held, but the arrogant and domineering |
manner in which he sought to force these |
ideas down the throats of everyone.
UNITY OF RELIGION AND SCIENCE
Rev. James Crabtree, of England, |
thought it very desirable to establish the |
greatest friendship between religion and
science. In any divorce between them it is
religion that will suffer. The religious I'M
belief and unsettlement of the times is due
to the attitude of some theologians toward
the new light of science
Chairman Arthur, addressing the coun-
ell, said he had never heard in Methodist
discussion which caused him