New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE OLD TESTAMENT CRITICS.

FOUNDERS OF OLD TESTAMENT CRITICISM;
Biographical Descriptive and Critical StuuieS.
of the Interpretation Of Holy Scripture
formerly Fellow OF Baol College, S6dpTSs
Canon Of Rochester. $40. PIP. X. 81 'ha''e'
Scribner's Sons
To the majority Of English and American PeoPie
the great critics who have done SO much 10
revolutionize the study Of the Old Testament
are little more than name What manner OF me"
they were personally and under what circum-
stances they led to do the work they did' are
known TO few even OF those who take n most
intelligent interest in the great questions relating
TO the Interpretation Of the Bible. At the same
time the subject OF Biblical criticism is no"
arousing so widespread interest, not only IN
the churches. but outside of sthem, that there
must be many people who desire to know some
thing about the men who it's modern ex-
moments 1t to meet the needs OF such Peo
ple so far as Old Testament criticism is concerned
that Professor Cheyne has prepared this Voiume'
He Is singuary we'll qualified to perform the 'ash'
for he is easily OF the foremost II not the
foremost Biblical critic in England He IS. more
over in thorough sympathy with the WORK Oh 'he
Continental Biblical critics, and unlike froicssoi
Driver his great English colleague IN the WORN
of Biblical criticism. he is not afflicted with IN
tellectual timdity. He is never tempted u soi'0"
a radical conclusion in order 10 MAKE IL ''oie
naIatable TO conservative orthodoxy We are not
here concerned with the question whether Is
always wise ride roushshod over ahciei' p'@'-
udice as Professor Cheyne has frequently oohe'
The fact is simply adduced to show that ne Is oy
Temperament fitted to understand ana ln'e,pl h
the work of the men who have done so much Dy
tha,r radical destructive criticism to make the
Old Testament new book .
The precursors of modern Old Testament cii'
cism In England were Bishops Warpur'oi anu
I,owth and DR.. Geddes. Roman Cathoiic Cieis .
man They lived, however, before their ume' ana
their radical critical conclusions fell iia' Inc
foundation of German methodical criticism was
laid by Echhorn and Ilgen, but its principles were
more clearly and thoroughly estabhsheu by lie
wette Gesenius and Ewad. Delitzch ana kueheh
While these are by no means the only great biphcd'
critics that have arisen in Germany, they are 'he
men whose names will be most intimately asso-
c,ated with its earlier and later stages. and the
methods which they formulated must. with certain
notifications continue to be recognized by all
students of the Bible
what Warburton. Lowth and Geddes failed to do
for England done at later period by Colehso
Kalisch S Davidson. Rowland, Williams. Perowne
A n Davidson and Russell Martineau. AS original
critics none of these men stand as high as the
great Continental critics, bat they did an ehectVe
work in popularizng and stimulating a fresh STUDY
of the Bible in England, and the results OF their
work are found to-day in the modern school OF
English and American Biblical critics. among
whom we may name Robertson. Smith Professors
Charles A. Briggs c. II. Toy. Franets Brown u
F. Moore, 7. X. Cheyne Driver. and ~ H. Sa!ce
with q large number Of other brilliant young men
who give promise of doing noteworthy WORK IN 'he
future 1t cannot but be gratifying TO American
students Bible, whatever U>ey may think OF
the conclusions of the higher CRITICISM to see now
many Of these opponents of that science are Amerl
cans II is a striking testimony to the deep IN
terest which American scholars are taking in this
great question.
Professor Cheyne deystes the three last chapters
nj his book to an elaborate review and criticism
of DIR. Drivers Introduction to the Study OF the
Bible" While acknowledging the profound learn
ing and critical insight of DR.. Driver, he believes
him to be unnecessarily. and sometimes culpabiy
tinid There is some truth in this charge. as any
one who is acquainted with DR.. Drivers WORK VIII
acknowledge, but We think that Professor Cheyne
oyerstates the case and fails TO allow for the
naturally cautious temperament Of DR.. Driver
Moreover it is a question whether. on the whole
the reputation for cautiousness which Dr. Driver
has gained does not give greater weight to his
conclusions. Altogether, Professor Cheynes mono
graph Is a valuable handbook on subject that Is
every year interesting larger number OF thinking
and intelligent people