The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-10-12
THE HIGHER CRITICISM.
Sermons Relating to DIR. Stackpole's
Criticism of the Bible.


DR.. Dalton at Free Street Church-Dr. Par
sons at Chestnut Street-Rev. Mr.
Leitch at West End.
Several of Portland's well known
pastors took up the Bible at their
churches yesterday as the subject of
their discourses, as reply to the recent
tssay of Rev. DR.. Stackpole on the
Higher Criticism" delivered before
the Glorious club some days ago and re-
ported at the time in the PRESS. We
give the substance Of their views as fol-
lows:
DIR. Dalton spoke on the cold Tesla
ment Sunday evening at the Free strset
church. The scripture lesson was from
jeremiah So, and Hebrews s. The text
was from Hebrew I, /, "God spoke unto
the fathers by the prophets
The title "Holy Bible,' said the
speaker, seems TO convey the idea to
some that it's claims are above criticism,
or injury. Not 30. Religion is rational
and the Christian religion courts investi-
cation. "Prove all things" Search the
scriptures. The appeal Is to "wise
men, Biblical criticism is not to be
dreaded but invited. Our point of view
may be changed, as is the case of the
Copernican astronomy, which changed
our view of the heavens but added i'm
mensely to their glory and our know1-
edge.
No actual discovery of truth in regard
TO the Bible has discredised it OF Ia cal
culated 80 discourage the pious, or
Misconceptions often discredit parts of
the Bible and so prove Stun bling blocks
honest inquirsrs. There are several
.rces of suob errors. The first is the
,enius OF the Orisnt," so different from
re. We are prosaic, prone to liberalism
letter. The orientalsts are fabulists
vent allegories, indulge in tropes and
ielight in Apologies which convey moral
lessons somewhat after the manner OF
bsop. The disregard of this has led in
serpreters and preachers far astray.
The attacks on the Old Testament most
frequently made are based on these
misappTe hensions. For example the
story of Jonah which is doubtless
allegorc, and the sun standing still" a
u
striking instance of poetic license. Tn
books of Ruth and Esther are the old
example of the short story written with
> moral purpose like Pilgrims Progress.
Waen iIr. johnson so read Ruth before a
company of fashionable people they all
agreed that it was the most charming
iayl they had ever listened to and won
dersd who had the genius to write 1t.
Another book which has suffered much
from total interpretation OF it's pur-
port is Ecclesiastes or the preacher.
Passages are constantly cited from any
and every part of the book as if an in
spised utterance and speoiman of bibli-
cal teaching whereas it liz the confession
of a skeptic, in which he recounts the
vanity Of his speoulations and expert
ments till he reached the conclusion of
the whole matter, ear GOD and keep
his commandments, for this is the whole
duty of man"
A second source of error is to regard the
Bible as ole book when it is made up of
many. as appears from the Greek word
rendered bible, ''biblia", books by
numerous writers at different periods.
And these books are far from being of
equal interest or value to us, If they ever
were to the Jows.
1t Is the province of the higher
criticism, SO called, TO inquire into their
origin, age and authorship. This Is
much deprecated by some and defen ded
by others. Right or wrong it was in
evitabie. 1t has doubtless been abused,
carried to extremes and SO led to most
unfouHded conclusions. But this Is true
Of every similar movement. Ritualism,
Calvinism. Catholicism, Ration alism,
also theories of evolution, socialism,
silverism and what not. The objections
prove too much, for they would prevent
all progress and leave us in d state of
arrested Development
Perhaps the most valuable service thus
far rendered is the now generally &C.
tlon or composition of two original
authors as are also the other books of
Moses, viz: the Pentateuch. 1t is also
reasonably proved that nearly all the
books of the Old Testament underwent
more or less of revision, often with a
sacsrdotal purpose and this agrees with
the evolution of sheChristian church his.
tor1cally considered.
As TO the question of inspiration no
sweeping claim can be truthfully made
for the reason that In some of the books
it Is not in evidence. This much may he
freely admitted. On the other hand we
assert that ths Prophets and most of the
Psalms give every evidence of divine IL
spiration. Besides, speaking in general,
it was not so much certain books as GER
tain men who were inspired. Moses and
the prophets were called and sent for God
TO speax unto the fathers. But it is a
mistake to suppose that all truth and
that the highest, was revealed to the
jew at any time Their mission was
not to teach science, nor were they in
spired to write history. Biblical inspira-
ton has no such office. Its sphere is
quite different and its subjects moral and
religious. God spoke to the fathers BY
the prophets as sundry times and in
divers manners as the exigenoy requires.
But at all times they bore witness, first,
to monotheism or one God, and second.
TO the coming of the Messiah. or Christ.
In the fullness of time Christ came and
since then the kingdom of God has been
preached and the law was schoolnaster
to prepare man for his coming.
REV. MR.. LEITCH AT WEST END.
The testimony of the Lord is sure,
Psalms xix, z.
That grand old book known familiarly
as Gods Words has come to stay. Its
teachings will never become obsolete
and it's doctrines will never be supple
mented. 1t contains Gods message to
his children. Prominently book for
"a init