The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-07
THE HIGHER cRlTIcI SIN.
DR.. Dalton's Sermon at St. stephens
Yesterday.

Rev. DR.. Dalton delivered another SER
mon yesterday morning at st. Stephen Is
church. taking the "Higher Criticism
for his subject.
The text was from st. John ", 80,
Search the Scriptures. The evidences
of Christianity are addressed to reason
and conscience, which must decide the
question of their suffioiency. Arguments
satisfactory to one age, are not always
conclusive to the next Hence, the need
of restatements and examining the SUBJ
je cts from q new point of view.
Formerly, the Bible was regarded as
one book Of equal authority throughout
That view is no longer held at all, or
only by few. The differences and COM
parative Importance of the several books
are so great and manifest. that the only
wonder now is, that SO obvious fact
could ever have been overlooked. These
m Arked differences led to inquiries as to
the origin, authorship, authority and
value of the books. And these, inquiries
are "The Higher Criticism" nothing
less and nothing moro. Inquiry was in.
evitable, even ii not desirable. But it
WAS no less desirable thap necessary.
Christianity is not blind faith I'M
posed on the credulous unthinking null
titude, but reasonable. as well as re-
lisious and holy hope. The appeal Is
everywhere and always 80 wise men"
who love the truth and assumes that only
the truth can make US free. ~ Is the
Higher Criticism q uovelty9 Ear from it..
All the books of the Bible have been sub
ject to it, and owe their admission to
the canon of scripture to it. The decision
may not always have been infallible, but
it was decisive. Take the New Testament
for example. The so-called Epistles of
Paul were admitted, because believed to
be his, and If hitherto unknown one
should now be discovered, it would be
admitted and regarded IS authoritative
If proved beyond "a reasonable doubt
that it WAS really written By the Apostle.
The same is true of all the Apostles. Any
Apostolic scripture. or writing would be
received by the church now as Of old.
This was the test.
Doubts Of the Apostolic origin of any
book In the New Testament detraots
from It's authority, AID such doubts have
always existed as to several 0f them.
The Higher Criticism of today, reopens
and re-examines all the books, both of
the New and the Old Testaments. The
principle and procedure are perfectly
proper, though liable to error. and even
perversion. No doubt the Higher
Criticism has often run riot and reach ed
conclusions wholly unwarranted by the
evidence. But of what human principle
or procedure, is this not true II we
must reject principle or method, be
cause liable to abuse, we shall surely
deny justification by faith, and many
other good things. CD Is the Higher
Criticism synonym for the rationalism
that REJECTS a belief in a supernatural
Revelation? BY no means. 1t has had
no such effect on DR.. Lightfoot, the first
of English Biblical scholars, nor on Drs.
Driver, Chayne. Sayce, Stanley, Ere
mantle, Bsirbairp, Farrar and others in
England; or on Drs. Briggs, Harper.
Laid. Mnnson, Gordon, Lyman Abbott
and nearly all the professors in oul
theological seminaries.
DIR. Pussy began the movement in
England called by his name through feal
of the Higher Criticism, and he therefore
proposed to substitute ''the authority OF
the church for the authority of the Bible.
But Canon Charles Gore, his successor in
the Pussy Honse, and now Canon Of
Westminster, accepts the principle of the
Higher Criticism and acts on it. This
new departure Of Canon Gore and his
friends. has divided the House of Pussy
into two parties, one of which accepts
his method of scripture investigation,
while the other rejects it as fatal to faith.
Rationalists who reject Revelation glad
ly avail themselves of this testimony
and regard the old Puseyites as theil
allies. ana SO indeed they are.
Nevertheless, the older founda tions arr
safe and sound. Supernatural religion
has more and ADLER defenders today thar
at any previous time. and nothing il
farther from their thoughts than The
concession that knowledge 10 a foe tt
faith. The province of faith is the super
natural hich relates to real though un
seen verities, and not to the facts OF
physics, neither astronomy nor geology,
the natural history CT the earth, or Of
the heavens.
The Higher Criticism lin word
properly understood and applied, Is moi
destructive, but constructive, distin
gushing between things that differ
giving to each its due, rendering intt
Cesar the things that are Cessr's and tt
God the things that are God s.
ra++ora, Corrters, Associatfon