Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-20
DISCUSSING ARCHAEOLOGY ~ THE
EPISCOPAL CONGRESS-.
FINE PAPERS AND SPEECHES.
The Testimony % the Rims Versus
Higher CrIticism-iow ENpIora-
lion Has Sustained Moses
Floods Of Light on the bible.

dDAttl. Blsnop Newton OltNtu iIt Sta-
sion with devotional exercises.
The Rev. Ralph II. Baldwin, chaplain
to the Bishop OF New York. submitted
the first paper. He stated that the Bible
sketches history; archaeology writes it
in the spirit of science. II has shown
that the Hebrew nation did not dwell
upon a desert isle but lived IN touch
with the world.
Archaeology Eliminates the page on
which is written the history Of the
world. For every Christian II has mes
sage. It's research having brought Hood
Of light, a knowledge OF the customs,
places. and events Of sacred story. Ger
tain critics have ignored its voice, but
a study OF archaeology has been pursued
successfully for many years now by
scholars OF all schools. Its discoveries
have revoluuonlzed our ideas OF Oriental
history. and proved that Moses could
have written the Penteteuch. thus de-
stroying tho assumption OF the critics
chat he did not write IT, We owe "a debt
to archaeology for the Identification
OF localities and the history OF many
of the people of other times.
From IL We get much information OF the
past that is not In the Bible. 1t does
away with thcorizing. and teaches that
! all things come from God. As We look
| through this wonderful glass OF history.
and see the figures that played so large
a part i'm the history Of early times We
cannot bat return to the Books Of Books
with renewed confidence ANA pleasure.
INSPIRED HOPE.
The Rev. Professor Angus, Of the Theo-
logical Seminary OF Virginia. read
/ tho next paper He said that the study
/ Of archaeology had inspired Christians
/ with the hope that many questions now
/ dark and misunderstood would hnally be-
/ come plain. IL has been assumed tha-
! i'm the time cf Moses the art OF writing
was unknown. and there was nothing
! outside Of the Bible 10 disproye this as
| sumption There was no means on eX-
planning many apparently unreasonable
/ things that were stated ia the Bible. ana
| these facts were emphasized Toy the
! critics Their assumptions have. how
| ever. been found baseless through. the
/ spade of the explorer.
! Archaeology proves that We hadn't the
/ faintest conception Of the civilization or
/ the past The relics boo the mus lums
/ would challenge comparison with the
| most wonderful evidences Of art 10 D.
/ seen in Tnanys windows In New YORK.
| We now know that 1850 B. G.. was
! wonderful literary period. I'm the light OF
| the revelation of archaeology the critics
| now give up Tire sumption that the
! patriarchs could not write. The early
| narratives of the Bible can now be- at
| tested. and we no longer depend upon
| the unsupported statements OF the III
| spired writers. The civilization OF thos3
/ AGES was VASTLY superior ~ uythins we
/ had ever conceived of IT, Archaeology
/ has established beyond question the
| literary condition oil the pauldrchal
| times: that the facts of the Bible were
\ not floating around for centuries ana
/ orally transmitted. but that they were
/ recorded from age 10 age as the events
| occurred.
4 MARVELLOUS. ATTEsTATION
Critics have a sumo that the literary
| condition OF the early times did not
| permit Of the writing Of such books as
! those OF Pentateuch; but 10 Is certain
| that archaeology lends nothing 20 the
support of the theory vi later author
/ shin. and shows nothing that would dis
| credit the record OF the Bible as to this.
/ IL has been held that Israel in the time
! of Moses. was a small band OF nomadlc
shepherds but We now have a marvellous
! attestatiOn Of the Biblical record. Tho
critics have been all astray I'M their as
| symptoms. and the conclusions drawn
from their wrong premises have been
swept away. Hereafter we must wait
| tin the records have spoken, and not
| DEPEND upon the inteilects OF the nine
! tcenth century critics.
The audience gave the reader an ovation
of applause at the close Of the paper.
| The hymn. Father Of Mercies,' was
! sung. and the speaker on the topic, Pro-
| lessor 4. Y. williams Jackson, Pm. d.,
| Professor Of Languages in the Columbia
/ University. New York, quite young
| man-one Of the youngest who has al
| dressed the congress-Was introduced Inc
| scholar he said. has come in and maze
/ the rocks 10 speak, and as we see the
/ ancient inscription we can appreciate the
/ sacred record better. By the revelations
| Of archaeology We can see how the spade
has been used TO turn up diamonds Tor
The crown that is 10 give so much iight
| 10 the world. We can think with pleasure
Of these scholars working in their quiet
yrav TO bring to us the light that viii IL
luroine not only the old Bible, but the
nov, as well as the words OF Christ
whose name we bear and under whose
| banner we work.
At times the speaker was very eloquent.
He is gifted I'm word painting, which
| served him wei as he followed the eX-
plorers after truth in Their researches IN
| distant lands.
THE LAST SPEAKER.
The last speaker was Rev. John p. Pc
ters. y. D.. of New York, who is noted
| Archaeological and was the leader OF an
| exploring party i'm ancient lands. He said
that before anything had been discovered
| enthusiastically I'm Palestine, the speaker
! himself had attracted attention TO a
massage i'm jeremiah that seemed 10 IN
| dictate that there would be discoveries OF
this sort in that part Of the world. TIL
| fuU researches have been made through
| archaeology judgment should be with
| held. The difficulty has been that the
! higher criticism Of one age has been
! sdopted in theology. fand then in later
years has had to be given up.
| The difficulty with critics is that they
could not find in the other books OF the
! Rihle that Moses wrote those attributed 10
| him The words. First Book Of Moses
as they appear in the Bible, were not IN
the original text. Many things are IN the
| Bible and believed that are not III me
original text. but those Things are inc
work of higher critics Of other ages IL
might be thought that there Is nothing
in archaeology 10 determine positively the
things OF which II treats. but it Is q
science Just as Is higher criticism. Put
the shade into Palestine. then. and re-
cover the treasures there hidden.
"To instance what archaeology Is
worth" said the speaker. Il had learned
from the best sources Of information that
the ancient city Of GAIA was several miles
from the present town OF GAIA, but when
was M the latter place ! noticed hill
that looked like "a natural hin, but which
ON close Investigation, proved TO be a
beap OF debris. AT the base we found