St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-22

Tile hii5taSf4 observer there was no ap-
parent indication of the heretic Rever
ence Tor the divine spirit Is Unborn in
the mah-5ut everything iie examines
Is student or teaches must sustain the
test of scientific research aud trained
Judgment
In opening he promised that orthodox
religious opinion is 10 large extent Ell
veioped in the mists OF religious SEN
timent aud thc clouds of tradition.
Traditional theories of the Bible have
long passed current, said he, but they
have never received the official sane
ton of any branch of the Christian
church. The leaders OF the Protestant
reformation were the forerunnprs of
m0dern criticism. which never will he
suppressed until all doubtful questions
are settled by the test uf scientific IN
scStigaC0n. Certainty must be attained
III some way, aud as there is. ia the
divided condition OF Christians, no
church that can speak with sufficient
authority. painstaking. patient, trained
Investigation alone is competent 10 give
Ilnai Judgment
DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICISM.
THIS branch of the subject was traced
infinitely as quest after truth. an effort
for certainly. Every departments, he
said, had TO bc conquered from the ee[T
cltSiaSucS aud the SciioIastics, who haG'
ever stood in the way of advancement.
Only i'll Canada and the United States
is the higher criticism numbered or queS--
toned. The highest Roman CatholicI
;pF
criticism and its results. The reasons
why the New Testament does not in
clude certain doubted books must be-
patiently Investigated aud studied by
all trutti-iOYing critics; otherwise a
man cannot be an honest BiblcalC
scholar: The divine spirit should stir
us to more thorough study, as scientific
criticism teaches us &c maintain our
own freedom.
DIR. Briggs rapidly traced the methods
OF m"dera critics, to the eud that the
errors OF scribeS must be eFadicated
Higher criticism has lived more than
century aud will not die under the at
tackS of anti-cri,IcS. Tie
POINTS OF THE WORK
he grouped as: First, the Integrity of
the Bible; second, tue authenticity of
style of author, etc. fourth, the credi-
bility of the Bible. On these points the
lecturer dweit at length. explaining
and alnplilYing each in its turn. In
veStigatiOn must go on. he emphasized,
to prove whether the sacred writings
are reliable aud in accord with truth or
merely based on popular tradition Ex-
ampleS OF the correction OF long stand
ing historical errors were cited by DR..
tiOnal tancies have been removed forever
by the researches and the exact judgment
OF the higher Biblical critics, who work
on well defined principles, by trained.
accurate methods, with the utmost skill
and deiicacy. The results, he held, are
as sure as tho5o of any other science.
Scientific Biblical criticism cannot
be stayed by amy force" declared the
| lecturer. and then with intense feeling
| he declared: "The chorus of shoutingS
| of the opposition will be buried beneath
its waves. 1t does but seek the truth.
1t does not seek the favor of eccleSiaS-
tics or pander 10 the prejudiceS OF the
| people" Turning again to his Biblical
| review. DR.. Briggs said: ut NAV be
| that everything in the Bible is accurate;
| but how can we know this unless the
searchlight of criticism is turned on.''
| The story OF Jonah at NlneYeh was dis
credited Dy lmpllcallon, ana referred to
as being fixed by the higher criticism as
| an inspired work for the Imagination.
| The geography OF tine Bible must be
tested, and a new Biblical history de-
veloped, not based on traditional in
| terpretations of the history rather than
! on the history itself, which lies buried
under tradition.
Biblical criticism. he said, was born
| of the necessities of the age, and while
| destructive of the errors and crudties
which still envelop the Bible, is essen
! TALLY constructive. aiming to place
| things in their most fruitful relations.
| By its efforts the true story of Biblical
| history. literature and theology will be
unearthed from their traditional plas-
/ terine and given out in their true Spirit
| for all men and all time
! The closing sentences of the lecture
| were delivered with force and spirit.
| aud the close was generously applaudea
by the rather disappointing audience,
| which, however, was earnestly atten-
|. tive. DR.. Briggs has a pleasing stage
! presence, but read his lecture, which
was evidently carefully prepared. -