The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-09-06
SI.oo A YEAR.

He says tradition ascriSnI thu PA
tateuch to Moses, but there are
parts of it he could not have writ
ten, and this, as l understand has
always been the view of biblical
scholars.
| was told forty years ago in that
same Seminary in n. Y, that it
was supposed that documents fell
into the hands of Moses from which
he compiled portion u Gha, 10
wrote and this seems probable
when we remember that Moses did
not live until 1900 years after many
events of which he is alleged to be
the author, actually took place. Ii
is said in Buttler's Commentary,
vol. !, p. "A, 81 he Book of Genesis
bears marks of being to some ex-
tent Compilation. Moses pf0bab-
ly possessed a number Of records
some of greater and some of less 4
antiquity, of which, under Divine
guidance he made use in writing
the history of mankind up to his
own time" Does anyone suppose
God had no one to write the records
of his Kingdom for 1900 years be-
fore Moses came on to the stage Of
action? "Surely not" Prof. Briggs
says, "Hhough Moses WAS not the
author, unknown inspired men
composed the records, SO that the
five books of the pentateuch are Of
Divine authority" So he says with
regard to half of Isaiah. God in
spired men to utter the recorded
predictions. Prof Briggs does not
therefore reject the Pentateuch or
any part of Isaiah as part of the
Holy Scripture, though denying
Moses and Isaiah as being the an
thors. At this point must refer to
one of the most remarkable declar-
ations biblical scholars ever made,
namely, "That If we do not know
the author ofany part of the bible,
we cannot receive it as part OF
the inspired records" We beg 10
ask all such, "Who is the author of
Chronicles, or Job, or Ecclesiastes,
: or Hebrews, and of some other
; books in the bible ~ No one knows
; certainly. Shall we reject thenp
because we cannot name the WEE
ters? No indeed. Says Prof.
Briggs, "The great mass of the Old
Testament was written by auth ors
whose names or connections With
their writings are lost in obllvion."
ave desire to know whether the
Bible came from God, and it is not
of any great Importance that we
should know the names of the wri-
ters chosen by God to mediate His
Revelation" 1t is believed the
criticisms which the biblical schoi.-
ars are now making with references
to authors of the books Of the Bible
do not invalidate it as the Word Of
God. The higher criticism of the
Scriptures is an inquiry into the
traditional belief as to the authors
: of the books of the Bible. The
Revelations of Gods will, were not
made in many instances to inspired
men. God revealed Himself to
:, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but did
not inspire them to write any book
in the Bible. SO thatthere is rev.
elation without inspiration, and
;, inspiration without revelation.
We should suppose that the Di-
vine will revealed to men, if it were
: the purpose to hand it down To
? mankind, must have been recorded
in some way; for how else could the
> writer of these revelations have
y known what God had said, (for in
stance to Abraham.)
If Moses did not write the Pen
tateuch in its present form he did
write down the will of God as re-
vealed to him, so that Others OBJ
tanned his records.
Our Savior did not put upon man
: uscript his many miracles and par
ables and teachings, but the Holy
. Spirit moved some who heard and
2 saw, to write them for the ages.
have talked with several Of our
students who were instructed by
Prof. Briggs and the uniform testi-
mony has been that he is a devout
q student of Gods Word and awak-
: ems in his pupils deeper interest
than they ever had in reverent
!, study of the Bible as the infalllble
and inspired Word of God.
g Pm. BARTLETT.
e PA N s.