The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-29
book is intended to mediate between
the Pauline and the Petrine view.

modified the conclusions of Baur,
and by no means agrees with those of
Mr.. rockingham, nor with "The
Bible for Learners" in depreciating
the historic value of the Book of
Acts. Thus Pfeiderer, who is classed
by Holtzmann as one who has fol-
lowed in the direction of the Tubingen
school, but with alterations and i'm
provements, speaks thus,-after de-
scribing the view which makes the
Book of Acts a deliberate attempt at
modifying history for the sake of
conciliations:-
"There are considerations OF the
greatest importance adverse to this
view. In the first place, a standpoint
of this kind is wholly without exam
pie in the history of Paulinism."
After showing this, Pfeiderer says,
"It is much more probable that the
author, possessed with the conscious
ness of his own time, under
stood and honestly made use of his
sources of information concerning it,
Pfeiderer then adds that the author of
Luke's. Gospel, and of the Book of
Acts, laid down critical and historic
method for his gospel, and "undenia-
bly, carried it out" He made use of
"all the sources of information acces-
sible to him, whether written or tradi-
tional," with careful comparison,
testing, and conscientious use of them
for the purpose of accurately ascer-
tanning and setting forth the actual
facts that occurred" Pfeiderer be-
lieves the author of Luke's Gospel to
have occupied Pauline standpoin
but says that this indicates the more
forciblY the honest endeavor of the
historian to give an impartial consid-
Grafton to his various sources of in
formation; so that he has not hesi-
tated to admit passages of the most
decided Ebionitish character, {.
which his conscience did not allow
him as historian, to leave out" This
being his course in the Gospel it is in
the last degree improbable that he
took an exactly opposite course in the
Book of Acts. AS to the Apostolic
council, in regard to which the school
of Baur considers the Acts in direct
opposition to Galatians, Pfeiderer
says that the difference is of such
kind, as not to justify the assump-
tion of intentional Misrepresentation.
He considers the essential facts are
correctly stated in the Book of Acts.
Nor does he see any reason to be-
lieve that the account of the course
of Paul in regard to the circum-
cision Of Timothy is unhistorical
since his case differed essentially
from that of Titus,-Timothy being
half Jew, and Titus Gentle; and
the ceremony being in Pau's mind a
matter of indifference, and innocent
unless when insisted on as a duty for
Gentle Christians.
Holsten is another follower of
Baur, but in recent work he takes
the ground that anything unhistoric
in the Book of Acts has crept in un-
consciously. And, though IA disciple
of the strictest sect of the Tubingen
school, he considers the Book of Acts
an important historic source, being
next in value to the four great Paul
inc Epistles.
William Grimm is another eminent
theologian of the scientific school,
who tells us "that thoughtful criti-
cism will show that much is genuine
and authentic that the school of Baur
has hastily rejected"
A striking article by Hoffman
gives careful survey of the present
state of opinion in the great critical
schools of Germany in regard to the
historic value of the Book of Acts.
He puts the theologians into three
classes; first, those who take the
views of Baur; then, those who have
largely modified it; and lastly, those
who fully defend the historic charac-
ter of the Book of Acts. In the Sec
ond class, he places Reuss, Oster,
Sabatier, Renan, Aube, Keim, w.
Grimm, Lekebusch and Oertel. In
the third class are Neander, Olshaus-
en-, Ebrard, Ewald, Ritschl, Lechler,
Bleek, Mangold, Trip, Baumgarten,
Hoffman,, Meyer, Wendt, Sieffert,
Thiersch, Pressense, Wetzel, Fried
rich, Weiss, Schenkel, X. Schmidt,
and F. thinner. So far, therefore,
from the unhistoric character of the
Book of Acts being a finally settled
point of the results of criticism, it is
plain that the latest, freest, and most
exact criticism tends strongly to
belief in the value of the Book of